He found a vacant parking spot and helped me out of the car, pulling my arm through his. I was going to tell him he didn’t need to pretend, but I kind of liked being close to him. “I never really had a lot of friends; especially since my family moved around a lot. I guess you could say I’ve been kind of a loner. When I moved to Maine and things became more permanent, I was able to make friends. And by friends, I mean two.”
“Three,” he added. I lifted my brows and he winked. “Don’t deny it. You’re going to miss me when this case is solved.”
“That’s what you think,” I countered.
When we got inside, Jason stood close to me, chills cascading down my skin. The host was a young man, probably in his early twenties. “Good evening. Do you have a reservation?”
“Yes, sir. It should be under Avery,” Jason replied.
Nodding, the young man grabbed two fancy menus and led us past the tables to a circular staircase leading to the loft. There was just one table with candles and a bottle of wine. “This is for you,” he said.
“Wow,” was all I could muster.
Jason nudged me forward and pulled out my seat. “Aylee?”
“Oh,” I laughed, snapping to attention. “This is all so . . .” I was thinking romantic but I didn’t want to say it out loud.
“Mrs. Rushing said it had to be the best for her friends. I’m sure she’ll be up here to greet you soon. Your waitress will be here shortly, would you like me to open the wine while you wait?”
Jason shook his head and sat down. “Nah, it’s okay. I got it.” Once alone, Jason opened the bottle and poured me a glass.
Taking the offered glass, I sipped the wine and swished it around my mouth; I was a wine whore. My uncle would always let me sample them when I was younger. When I got older, it was my job to pick out the types of wine we kept stocked for the guests. “I’ve never been out to dinner like this,” I confessed.
He stared at me in disbelief. “You expect me to believe that?”
I shrugged. “Why not? It’s the truth.”
“I guess because someone like you has to have a million guys following you around. Didn’t you date at all? What was your last boyfriend like?”
My lips turned up in a smile. “He was a good one, but not the kind of guy who was ready for a woman like me.”
“How so? By the smile on your face, I’d say you still care for him,” he mentioned, regarding me with serious eyes.
“He was one of my two friends. After we split up, I dated here and there, but nothing ever serious. Then when I got done with FBI training, I went back to Maine and we started a relationship again.”
“Recent?” he asked.
“Not really. Things went downhill when I found out the truth about my parents. I was consumed with exacting revenge, while Adrian wanted to settle down with a wife and kids. I just couldn’t commit.”
“I’m sure you will one day. When that time comes, are you going back to him?”
Shrugging, I took another sip of wine. “I don’t know. I’m not promised to live through this mission. I can’t have kids and do this job. When I do decide to settle down, I’m not really sure where I want to be.”
About that time, the waitress came up and I quickly looked through the menu and decided on the filet, Oscar-styled with au gratin potatoes. My stomach growled and Jason chuckled before ordering his food. When she left, his piercing green gaze bore into mine.
“So, basically what you’re trying to say is that you need adventure, someone who can keep up with you and not put a limit on what you can do.”
I smiled. “Something like that. Why, you want the job?”
“I don’t do long-distance, firecracker. Maine’s a little far away from North Carolina.”
“How will I ever find the strength to go on?” I asked. “Anyway, I bet you have tons of women waiting on you when you get home.”
“Does that bother you?” he asked in all seriousness.
“Why would it?”
He poured himself a glass of wine and held it up. “Here’s to our freedom.” I touched my glass to his and we both took a sip.
We got back to Caesar’s Palace around eight o’clock. Randall and his friends hadn’t shown up yet so I decided to play my luck at the tables.
“Do you want some of my chips?” Jason asked.