When we were done, Desmond walked back to the car with me, holding the door open for me and sitting down a moment later on my left. “I have a reservation at Steel, which isn’t too far from here. When we arrive, I’ll have you go in first, and I’ll follow a few minutes later, just to be cautious.”
I nodded, and ten minutes later, I walked into a busy but upscale restaurant with a high ceiling and artistic steel work on the walls. I spoke to the host, who immediately showed me to a table at the back.
Desmond walked in a few moments later, and I saw some heads shift in his direction as he took his seat across from me.
“This place is fantastic,” I said just as a waitress came by to hand us our menus, her smile brightening up when she saw Desmond.
We ordered our drinks, and the waitress disappeared after stealing a second look at Desmond.
“You have a fan,” I said when she was out of earshot.
Desmond laughed. “Thank you, but for now, I’m more interested in ordering our lunch. I seem to remember an Ava who would get very hangry if lunch was late. Or has that changed?”
That sentence hung in the air between us for a second, and I felt my chest expand with warmth at the idea that Desmond was trying to learn more about me.
How is this the guy who planned to break up with me the moment school was over?
“Ah. It hasn’t changed. I need some French fries, stat.” I smiled at him. “Though I did hear through the grapevine that you ditched carbs, and I’m afraid I cannot condone someone who dismisses fries.”
He grinned. “Ellie tried to convince me, but I successfully rallied on behalf of all fries.”
I heaved an exaggerated sigh of relief, and he laughed.
There’s so much of the boy he once was still in him today.
“Before our waitress comes by, I need you to know that I hired a private investigator to look into Kyle. He’s currently in Austin,” Desmond said, and I felt a momentary frisson of relief that he was far away.
“Kyle left for Austin immediately after he stole from you. According to my PI, one of the waitresses who works here, Misty, once worked with Kyle at a McDonald’s in Austin,” he said.
“Oh,” I said, feeling taken aback at the extent of knowledge Desmond had about Kyle.
Had he made it his personal mission to find out everything he could about him in the past few days?
He gestured to the kitchen. “So, if you feel up tospeaking with her, I could ask and have the manager put her on a break.”
I almost choked on my drink. “Do you own this restaurant too?”
Desmond laughed. “Are you going to ask me that every time we eat out?” He shook his head. “And, no, I don’t make a habit of buying all the restaurants I eat at.”
“Just the ones that are failing then?” I ask.
He grinned. “The only restaurant I was interested in turned out to have you.”
I blushed, but before I could respond, our waitress walked up. My eyes went to the badge on her shirt, and my mouth fell open when I saw that this was Misty. Desmond and I exchanged a quick glance of surprise while Misty filled our glasses with water.
Misty was an olive-skinned beauty. I looked at the smile on her lips, which went all the way to her eyes, and I felt more at ease. A lot of people I’d met over the past few months were people hoping to land something in Broadway. She was probably another woman who was hoping to make it big here in New York. I could relate to having big dreams.
“Hi, Misty,” I said, smiling at her. “How would you rate the French fries at this fine establishment on the scale ofyikes, I should’ve gone to McDonald’sinsteadtoooh, I’d kill my date just to be able to eat his share?”
She laughed a nice, throaty laugh, and her long, straight hair shook behind her. “Kill my dateworthy,” she said sneakily, but with a glance at Desmond, she leaned in to me and conspiratorially said, “I wouldn’t kill this date though.”
The corners of Desmond’s lips curved in a knowing smile while I attempted to give Misty a serious look.
“All right, Misty, I’ll take the fries,andI’ll keep him alive,” I conceded, grinning at her. “Just for you though.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “Ah, I appreciate that,” she said, pocketing her notebook. “But going by the way he’s gazing at you, I suspect I’ve lost out to you by a mile,” she said with a wink at me.
It didn’t matter that she was wrong about her assumption about Desmond and me. She was getting a hefty tip from me.
