Page 68 of Rescuing Kaye

“I’m sorry. I’m still a bit keyed up.”

“I mean this in the best way possible, but you have no reason to apologize for your feelings, or your reactions to the stimuli around you. Especially, when I’m the stimuli. I can sometimes snap orders without realizing I’m doing it. I don’t want you to ever feel uncomfortable with me.”

“I’ll try.” He remains standing while I slide into the booth. Once I’m seated, he slides in opposite me. We exchange shy smiles, lost for words, for the moment, until the waitress appears with a pad of paper tucked into her apron. She yanks it out, clicks a pen, then licks the ballpoint end.

“What can I get you?” She scratches on the pad, leaving me wondering what she would write when we haven’t said anything. I open my mouth to answer, but Zeb cuts me off.

“How good are Bill’s burgers?”

“Why, they’re the best on the coast.” Nearly twice his age, the waitress flirts with Zeb. She props a hand on her hip and cocks out a leg. “Is that what you want? One of Bill’s famous burgers?”

“We’ll take two. If they’re the best, we can’t miss out.”

“Darling, you are going to love them. Cheese? Bacon? Want to make yours a double?” Her ballpoint scratches over the pad.

“How do you recommend them?”

“Cheese. Double for you. Bacon. Of course.” She’s spectacular at the double eye roll. “I usually skip the lettuce, but the tomatoes are a given. Bill only uses the best beefsteak tomatoes.”

“Then that is exactly what I want.” He turns to me. “What about you, luv?”

“Single for me. Love beefsteak tomatoes. No bacon.”

“You sure about that?” She nibbles the end of the pen. “Everybody loves bacon.”

“Okay, bacon it is. How can I not?”

“Exactly, dear.” The pen scratches against the paper. “Fries or tots? Our fries come well done. None of that floppy half-done mess. We fry them twice, so they’re extra crispy, but I prefer the tots.”

“What’s it going to be, luv?” He reaches across the table and interlaces his hand with mine. Staring deep into my eyes, my stomach does a little flip.

“I love tots.”

“Tots it is for the lady. How about you?” She turns to Zeb.

“I’ll do the crispy fries.”

“Drinks? We’ve got water, soda, and coffee if you’re looking to be up late at night. We don’t do that decaf stuff here.”

“Water’s good for me.” Zeb distracts me, rubbing tiny circles over the back of my hand with his thumb. Such a tiny thing, it sends tingling sensations racing along my nerves.

“Miss?”

I give a start and shake my head to clear my thoughts. My eyes pinch, trying to remember what the question was.

“She’ll have water too.” His deep rumbly laughter brings a smile to my face and heat to my cheeks.

“Coming right up.” She leaves us and I lean back in the booth.

“That’s not fair.” I cross my hands over my chest and try to give him my fiercest stare.

“What?”

“You were distracting me.”

“All I was doing was holding your hand.” Zeb leans across the table and extricates one of my hands from where I hold it tight to my chest.

Our hands are still clasped together when the waitress comes back with two glasses of cold water. She takes a look at us holding hands and smiles. When she leaves us again, I take a deep breath and try to clear my head. It’s been an eventful day.

---