6
He’d insisted they take his truck. Since she doubted whether he could actually fit into her car and she disliked driving anyway, she didn’t argue. She just settled herself into the leather interior of his surprisingly spotless truck. Well, when she said settled, she’d attempted to heave herself up into the high seat and had ended up needing a boost in.
Like that hadn’t been embarrassing enough, her body’s reaction as he’d touched her had really been the icing on the cake. A shiver had run down her spine, blood pooling in her clit.
He pulled into the parking lot of a small diner not far from their neighborhood. She’d never eaten here before. But then she couldn’t actually remember the last time she’d eaten in a diner. Greg would never have stepped foot in a place like this. The paint on the outside of the building was chipped and peeling. Inside wasn’t any better. The floor was uneven, with unknown stains. The vinyl on the booth seats was peeling and everything just looked worn.
And it smelled absolutely delicious.
Duke surprised her by opening the door and letting her go in first. He’d also opened the truck door for her.
“Yo, Duke!” a friendly guy called from where he sat at the counter. Several other customers called out greetings as he placed a hand on the small of her back and led her to a booth in the back.
Don’t react. Don’t show him how much his touch affects you.
But she was pretty certain he already knew. He waited until she slid into the booth seat then instead of sitting across from her as she’d expected, he sat next to her. The roomy booth suddenly felt all too small and constricting. She scooted further into the corner, but he just followed her over, his thigh brushing against hers.
A cup of coffee immediately landed in front of him.
“Thanks Jo, you read my mind,” he said warmly to the older waitress.
The thin, heavily-wrinkled woman with gray hair pulled back in a bun and twinkling blue eyes just smiled at him. “Lucky for me, you’re a man of habit and you have simple tastes.”
“Not sure that I wasn’t just insulted. What do you think, babe?” He turned to her with a wink.
“I’m sure Jo knows what she’s talking about,” Sunny told him.
He leaned back. “In here two seconds and already I’m being ganged up on.”
“You’ll survive. Big, tough man like you.” Jo reached over her, placing a menu down. It had been laminated, but looked like someone had attempted to chew one corner and there was a stain down the middle.
“Get you something to drink, honey?” Jo asked her.
“Sweet tea, please.”
“I’ll come back in a few to take your order.” She strode away.
“You don’t need a menu?” she asked.
“Nah, I always have the same thing.”
That kind of surprised her. He didn’t seem the predictable type. Then again, he also didn’t seem the type to own a cute little house in suburbia. Or to take care of a neighbor who had gone into Little space.
She searched the menu for
something remotely healthy. The waitress returned.
“Usual, Duke?” she asked as she refilled his coffee and placed Sunny’s sweet tea down.
“You got it.”
“And for you?” she asked Sunny.
She opened her mouth to ask for poached eggs on wholegrain toast.
“She’ll have the pancakes with extra whip and syrup. Can we get some water too, please,” Duke requested, picking up the menu and handing it back to Jo who quickly left. That woman was surprisingly fast on her feet.
“That wasn’t what I was going to order.” She glared at him.