Chapter 25 #2
She emphatically shook her head. “Shrimp does not belong in a taco.”
“Okay, how about you tell me what you’re getting, and I’ll adjust accordingly.”
Her laughter was made of confetti. “You should get what you want.”
“You just mocked my shrimp burger idea.”
“Because that sounds freaky.” She was deadly serious. “What if it’s so gross that you can’t eat it and have to skip dinner altogether because you don’t have time to order something else?”
“Somehow I think I’ll be okay. I can eat anything.”
She still looked dubious but focused on the menu. “I’m getting the Shrimp & Crab Au Gratin.”
“That sounds good.” I absently rubbed my hand over her back. “There are a lot of seafood options.”
“That’s what I’m getting,” Hayley said. “They have crab legs. I love crab legs.”
“I do, too, but they’re messy,” Bree supplied. “I’m not a dainty eater, even when I don’t have the threat of wearing a dirty shirt to a reader event hanging over me.”
I laughed. “I bet they have those bibs to keep your clothes clean.”
“You’re mocking me, but I’m okay with those bibs.” She visibly brightened. “I’m getting the crab legs too.”
“I’m getting the steamed platter,” Brody said. “I don’t care how expensive it is. I’m going nuts.”
“I’m getting the Peach Long Island Iced Tea to drink,” I added, my fingers still roaming Bella’s slim back. I’d gone hours without touching her. I was going to make up for it before we had to be on our best behavior in front of the readers.
“That sounds good to me too,” Brody agreed.
“I’m getting the Savannah River Mermaid,” Bella said. “It sounds like it’s going to be blue.”
“Ah, I shall be excited to see your blue tongue,” I teased, going in for another kiss.
Before I could make contact, however, I was interrupted by the distinct sound of someone—a woman—clearing her throat. “Nathan?” Her voice sounded hopeful, and totally unfamiliar.
Confused, I drew my attention away from Bella—had one of the readers found us early?—and fixed the willowy blonde with a friendly, if remote, smile. “Hello.”
I didn’t know her. I was certain of it. “Are you here for the reader event?” I asked, hoping to smooth the woman’s transition to the other side of the restaurant until we were finished eating.
I didn’t want to modify my behavior for anybody right now, even if it was a fan.
I cherished my fans. Right now, all I really wanted to cherish, however, was Bella.
“You don’t recognize me?” The woman’s smile disappeared. “That’s… of course you don’t recognize me.” She made a big show of pretending to hit herself upside the head. “I knew that, and yet I clearly forgot.”
I had trouble following the trail of her busy brain. “Did I meet you at a previous reader event?” I asked.
Now she looked downright pissed off. “My name is Heather M. Franklin.”
The name wasn’t ringing any bells. “Okay.” I stretched out the word.
“We met in Las Vegas two years ago,” she pressed. “We were on the paranormal panel. You for horror and me for urban fantasy.”
I remembered the panel. This woman was a complete stranger to me. “Um…”
“We went up to your hotel room.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Are you really pretending I wasn’t that memorable?”
I was stymied. “I’m sorry,” I offered anyway.
I was positive I’d never met this woman, yet she seemed equally positive that I had.
Was it possible I’d slept with her and completely forgotten?
The only way that would have happened was if I was falling down drunk, and I never played the one-night stand game under those circumstances. I was very careful.
“Can we do something for you?” Bree asked pointedly as I struggled to come up with the proper response.
“I guess not,” Heather replied, casting me a devil glare before sending a pitying look toward Bella. “Be careful,” she said to my diminutive fake fiancée. “He won’t remember your name in a month.” With that, she turned on her heel and flounced off.
I was immediately apologetic. “I don’t recognize her,” I said to Bella. “I’m sorry. I…” How was I supposed to make things better when I was apparently such a dog I didn’t even remember somebody I’d had sex with? What was wrong with me?
“It’s okay,” she assured me, putting her hand on my arm. “It’s not as if it was recent. Plus, I mean, that was you before. That’s not how you are now.”
“Definitely not,” I agreed, my eyes looking in the direction the woman had disappeared. I had questions. “Do you think she’s part of tonight’s event? I’ve never seen her at one of these things.”
Brody shrugged. “I haven’t either.”
“Definitely not,” Bree said. “Maybe she just moved to the area or something.”
“Great,” I muttered under my breath. “That won’t make future events uncomfortable or anything.”
“It really is okay,” Bella assured me. “I’m not holding your past against you. I expect you not to hold mine against me too.”
“There’s only one thing I want to hold against you,” I promised, returning to my flirty self. “Would you like me to describe it, or do you want me to leave it up to your imagination?”
Her response wasn’t surprising. “Imagination.”
“I’m going to show it to you when we get home.”
“I can’t wait.”