Where once his joke might have set my alarms ringing, my trust in him had risen to the point I smiled and said, “Someday. Maybe. If you’re lucky.”
“Woo hoo.” He thumped the table with his fist. “I’m a lucky dragon.”
“We’ll see about that.”
His brilliant blue eyes studied my face, his half-smile endearing. “You’re so beautiful, Jade. I’m lucky just to have you here, smiling, looking at me the way I want to be looked at.”
“And how am I looking at you?”
“Like you like me. As though you appreciate me for who and what I am.”
“Maybe because I do. I do like you. I confess, it’s taken a while. I didn’t trust you.”
“I hope I’ve earned your trust.”
“You’re earning it.”
The waiter arrived with the check. Magnus produced his credit card, handed it to the man with a nod of thanks. The man stepped away, revealing another standing behind him.
“Hello, my children.”
Chapter Fifteen
Magnus
I leaned my elbow on the table, smiling up at Arnaud, concealing the sick feeling in my gut. “Dad, hi. How’re you? Nice to see you.”
Jade reached into her pocket, then brought out her compacted baton, tapping the butt end lightly on the table. She, too, smiled cheerily at my father, yet her emerald eyes glittered with an enmity I felt glad wasn’t directed at me. I gestured toward her.
“You remember Jade? Right?”
Arnaud’s pig eyes flicked between us. “Of course. You two appear to be doing well.”
“Yes, we are,” Jade said. “You, er, seem to have broken your arm.”
As mine had, Arnaud’s cut face and throat from my slashing talons and teeth had mostly healed. His left arm sat in a sling, however, bound with a plaster cast. His right hand anchored a young woman to his side, a pretty girl whose ancestry spoke of Asian descent. Her glassy gaze and vacant stare told me enough about her that I nearly seized Jade’s baton to beat my father to death with it.
Arnaud half-lifted his cast. “Yes, an unfortunate accident.”
“Who’s your friend?”
“My date for the evening,” Arnaud replied, his voice flat. “I thought to remind you, as I saw you sitting here, looking at each other like star-crossed lovers, that I haven’t forgotten about you.”
“Why, Dad, that’s so thoughtful of you. Isn’t that great, Jade? He hasn’t forgotten us.”
I tapped his sling lightly, playfully. “We haven’t forgotten about you, either, Dad. How’s that for a coincidence? You know, sorry, we’re about to leave so we can’t invite you to join us.” I smiled broadly. “How about we all meet for brunch on Sunday? My treat.”
Arnaud’s returning smile spoke of a bloody death for both Jade and me. “I’m afraid I’m booked for Sunday. But you two enjoy yourselves. While you still can.”
“Thank you, Arnaud,” Jade said, her voice sugar sweet. “I’m sure we will. Uh, it seems the host is waiting to take you to a table. It was so good to see you again.”
Arnaud stiffened in outrage at her obvious dismissal, yet his smile remained. “And I’ll be seeing you very soon, Jade.”
I waggled my fingers as he took his “date” from our table. The hovering host escorted them to a small booth on the far side of the restaurant. Arnaud sat with his back to us while his lady friend stared listlessly down at her hands.
“She's doped to the eyeballs," Jade growled. “Take a wild guess as to why she’s with him.”
I took my card from the waiter, scribbled my signature on the receipt, and gave it to him. He smiled slightly as he bowed slightly, then left us alone. “I don’t have to guess,” I replied. I glanced significantly at her hand still clutching her baton. “I’d better get you out of here before you go hog wild on his head with that.”
