She almost seems disinterested, but I can tell that she’s listening. She confirms it when she says, “There can’t be many Portuguese restaurants in Austin.”
Damn. She was definitely listening, and she picked up on something I hadn’t expected.I clear my throat and nod. “You’re right. There isn’t. I actually had it in Portugal. I’ve been there a couple of times for work.”
“Your work being Navy stuff?”
“Yeah. Navy stuff.”
“Shouldn’t you be on a boat?”
I chuckle softly. “We traveled there by water. My team’s missions are typically on land, though.”
Vaughn sighs heavily. “So, what? You’re some kind of American hero?”
I smile at her, and she looks back to her food. “No. Not a hero. Just a soldier.”
“Not a regular soldier, though. Right? That’s why your tags are black.”
I showed her my tags.Of course I did.That was the natural thing to do since I love talking about work.I wish I could kick my own ass right now.“Black tags are worn by all special operations group members. They’re not that uncommon.”
She’s looking at me.Sizing me up...again. It’s my job to read people, but I have no idea what she’s thinking. She has a very expressive face, so it’s not even that she’s working to hide anything. I just can’t get a read on her. Lucky for me, this woman says exactly what she’s thinking.
“You don’t like to talk about the Navy stuff.”
A noncommittal shrug and slow chewing give me time to come up with a response. “It’s just work stuff. Nothing anybody would be interested in hearing about.”
She drops her fork into the takeout box and leans back in her chair.She’s pissed off. Again.She makes no attempt to hide what she feels. I love that, but I wish her face wasn’t telling me to fuck off right now. “Lie to me again and we’ll be done here.”
I’m dumbstruck. All I can do is look back at her and say nothing. My expression gives nothing away, however. It’s just my default setting at this point. A honed skill. I’m pretty much smiling all the time, and I can do that no matter what I’m feeling.How does she know I’m lying? Maybe it’s not my face. Maybe she’s just putting things together with the black tags and special operations talk.
“I’m not. I-”
“One more lie and you can leave.”
My mouth snaps shut.
“If there’s something you don’t want to talk about, just say so. Don’t lie to me. I know that you know what you do would interest most people. It’s fine if you don’t like talking about it or can’t or whatever the reason is. Just don’t lie to me.”
I nod my head in shame. “Okay. I won’t.”
She picks her fork back up and continues eating. She eats like I’m not sitting here. She puts so much food in her mouth at one time that both of her cheeks are puffed out. It’s fucking adorable, and I’m fully aware that it should be gross. Her table manners are terrible. She still talks to me through the chipmunk cheeks, and at one point, a piece of food falls out of her open mouth while she’s talking, and she picks it up off the table and puts it back in her mouth. She eats like a death row inmate who’s been given his last meal, and I’m still not grossed out. I truly think it’s adorable.Endearing even.
“I cook.” I tell her nonchalantly, while quietly hoping that it will win me some brownie points since she clearly likes to eat. I don’t just cook. I’m a kitchen maven.
“Oh yeah?” Vaughn asks and her words are muffled by the half pound of Chinese takeout she’s masticating.
I laugh quietly, and her eyes dart to my face. Giggling, she covers her mouth with her hand. “Sorry.”
“No. Please. It’s great actually.”
Her brows furrow as she scans my face. This little lie detector won’t find any falsehoods this time.
“I mean it. It’s kind of adorable.”
She chuckles and shakes her head. She knows I mean it.
“So, will you go somewhere again or deploy or whatever you call it?”
“Deploy, and yes. I will.”
