Jude nodded to me. “Ladies first.”
“Such a gentleman,” I joked before turning to Laura. “Bacon cheeseburger deluxe, medium. And water is good for me.”
“I’ll have the same, but make mine well-done. Tell Pete to burn it.”
“Okay,” Laura chuckled as she scribbled on her pad. “Someone will bring you more water, and I’ll get this started.”
“Ah, to be young again,” I mused as she darted back toward the kitchen. “I was a waitress at my father’s restaurant when I was her age.”
“I used to work for my uncle’s construction company as a kid. It was the one time we got along since I was good at lifting things and putting them down.”
I laughed. “I bet you were. That’s a lot of hard labor for a kid during the summers.”
“It was fine.” He shrugged. “I liked working up a sweat and keeping to myself.”
“And I guess some things never change, right?”
He chuckled as a busboy came by to refill our water glasses while an image of Jude as a teenager popped into my head. The perpetual frown on his gorgeous face as he made his way through town with that working-man muscle. I almost pitied the girls in this town, who I was sure had fallen at his feet on a daily basis.
“I guess not. I still like the jobs I do with Jake where I can just work and not think about anything else, but for…different reasons now. Taking orders and keeping them straight would have stressed me the hell out.”
“I never minded waiting tables, but I got into trouble a lot with my father’s serving managers for chatting up the customers too much.”
“I could see that.” The side of his mouth curled into a smirk.
“What, that I talked too much even then? I always made great tips, but Dad moved me to hostess so I could talk all I wanted without pissing off his staff. Some customers still ask for me, though. I need to make a trip down to Brooklyn to clear out my apartment and stop by the Palace. Eventually.”
“I could see how customers would be too captivated by you to remember to eat. Even though the lo mein was delicious, I had the same problem when you invited us for dinner.”
“Seriously?” I said, searching his gaze as I took a quick sip of water. “You barely spoke to me until the last hour or so before you both left.”
“Because you get me tongue-tied like a goddamn teenager because you’re so fucking beautiful.” His eyes held mine, the heat in his stare knocking the wind out of me. “Like I said, you’re captivating.”
“Geez. Give a girl some warning before you say something like that,” I said, my breathless whisper robbing me of any of the snark I was trying to pull off. I sat back and tried to inhale back some of the air Jude had just stolen from my lungs. I crossed my shaky legs to ward off the tingle between them when Jude called me fucking beautiful with an almost feral lust in his eyes.
This dude was full of surprises tonight, and I could barely keep up.
“Did I just make you speechless?” Jude teased with a wry grin.
“Um, no. Well, yes,” I stammered, exhaling a long breath as I studied him from across the table. “Again, whoareyou?”
We shared a laugh, our eyes locking for a long moment as Laura set our plates down in front of us. She looked between us and whispered an “enjoy” before scurrying off.
I don’t blame you, honey. I don’t know what to do with all this stifling sexual tension at the table either.
His smile faded. “Who I should have been when you met me.”
“I was doing ninety on the highway when I met you. You were supposed to be intimidating.”
“I’m intimidating?”
“Overall, yes, a little. But especially then. You definitely nail that air of no-nonsense authority without even saying a word. I tensed up just watching you walk toward my car in my rearview mirror.”
“How do I walk?” He narrowed his eyes at me.
I squirted some ketchup on the side of my plate and swirled a fry through it, taking a dramatic bite as I held Jude’s gaze.
“Like, with your whole body. I can’t explain it better than that. You have a strong presence even when you don’t say a word. Probably what makes you such a great cop, and why I got a rush during those rare moments I could pull a smile or a laugh out of you. I don’t think anyone really sees the playful side you seem to be so free and easy with tonight.”
