black belt. This was probably as dressed-up as he got. Did
he even own a jacket or a tie?
O.E. gave her a delighted smile as he came to the table.
His gray, piercing eyes never left hers as he approached,
wiping away any thoughts of a poor beach bum and
reminding Rebecca why she had agreed to have dinner. She
stood up to greet him.
O.E. took her hands in his and gave her a quick kiss on
the lips. "Rebecca, it's nice to see you. Sorry I'm late. Were
you waiting long?"
Hello, Mr. Considerate. As self-centered people went, he
had a winning personality. And even though his kiss was
brief, she felt a tingle on her lips, a thrill in her heart, and an
unusual pleasure at simply being here with him. She replied
with a parched mouth. "No, I just got here. You're not late."
The waitress came over, handed them menus, and took
their drink orders. Rebecca studied the menu. At one point,
as she read the offerings, she looked up to see O.E. watching
her with glimmering eyes, his menu closed on the table. "I
can tell you eat here often. What's good?"
"I'm having one of the house specials tonight: spicy
ragout of lamb. The stew is awesome."
"Which fish do you recommend?"
"Skip the salmon-the sauce is plebeian. Get the
bluefish-they do it right."
There's no room for doubt with this guy. He knew the
menu cold and had an opinion about everything. Rebecca
narrowed her eyes. "You really know this place. Do you
come here often? I mean, this isn't super expensive, but it
isn't the most budget-oriented restaurant either."
O.E. opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and
smiled. "Just because I don't have a job, doesn't mean I can't
afford to eat here. I have enough money for now. When I
need more, I'll go back to work."
"That's an interesting idea. You work until you have
enough money, then you quit and coast. How long since you
worked?"
O.E. paused before answering. "Four years. But please,
Rebecca, don't worry about money. I can pay for anything
you want. In fact, if you like this place, maybe I'll hire the
chef to come cook for us." He gave her a twisted smile.
Rebecca snorted. "Oh please! Is there anything you
think you can't do?"
"Very little-hardly anything at all. Well, I suppose I
can't give birth or become a wet nurse, but I've managed to
accomplish nearly everything else."
There's that raging ego again. It made Rebecca feel like
she was a little child, dominated by an older sister who