“He probably won’t stay long.” I clear my throat. “And, I apologize. I did it to mess with him, not you.”
“We aren’t your puppets, Damiano,” she says softly.
Fuck. “You’re right. I do apologize.”
Seth ambles over, irritation flashing in his eyes. He offers a perfunctory smile to Madison before turning a glare on me. “Damiano.”
“Seth.” I smile widely. “Thanks for joining us. This place has the best pad thai in the city, and?—”
“Yes, I know.” Seth pulls out a chair next to Madison and gives her a nod. “DIY Depot will have someone out to replace your door by two.”
“Thank you—how much do I owe you?”
He shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I can pay you. Recent inheritance, remember?”
I watch their interaction, cataloging the way Madison looks up at his face, then away quickly. Cataloging the way he does the same to her.
Their long-denied attraction is potent.
We order food and I steer the conversation back to Flesh and Teeth. Seth has never seen it.
“It’s a soap opera disguised as a zombie flick,” he says with a wave of his hand.
“Oh, I can’t believe you would disparage it like that.” Madison lifts her fork menacingly toward Seth. “Not only that, but what the fuck is wrong with soap operas? You’re saying it like it’s an insult.”
“Melodramatic, over-the-top, clichéd, manufactured,” he lists. “That’s what’s wrong with soap operas.”
Madison shakes her head, adopting a mournful expression. “Wow, I didn’t realize you had such bad taste.”
“If hating Flesh and Teeth means bad taste, then I don’t want good taste.”
“But you said you haven’t seen one episode,” I interject. “Perhaps you should try it before disparaging it?”
“Yes!” Madison slaps the table. “Yes, that. You can’t say it’s clichéd and melodramatic if you haven’t even watched it.”
“I’ve seen the previews. Trust me, that was more than enough.”
The two of them continue their bickering as we eat. I lean back in my chair, watching the beauty of their interaction. They have an ease with each other that surpasses their obvious attraction, if they can forget about the attraction long enough to fall back to natural conversation. It’s a fascinating character study.
Madison’s phone rings. “It’s the officer from last night,” she says, looking at the screen. “I should take this.”
She moves to get up, but Seth stops her. “Nobody’s around our table. You can take it here.”
Nodding, Madison answers the call. “Yes?”
I can hear the officer on the other end. “The intruder is in custody and can’t make bail. The DA has a case…will likely need you as a witness…be in touch.”
“So I’m safe from this guy?” Madison asks. “He can’t get out?”
“Right.” The officer says a few more things, but Madison is beaming at Seth and me.
When the call ends, Madison sets the phone down on the table with a decisive thump. “It’s time for drinks. I want to celebrate.”
I signal our server. Soon, we all have drinks in front of us—a whiskey for Seth, a gin and tonic for me, and a mojito for Madison. She lifts her drink and says, “Cheers! To bad guys getting locked up, and excellent zombie series.”
“Oh, so we’re cheering to Shamblers?” Seth asks.
