His marriage was clinical, and there was no room for the warmth and genuine smiles that made you want to find a way to stand in the resulting glow for always.
“Well, you’ve certainly got the taking care of people part down pat.” Janae pointed to the food containers strewn around the truck bed. “This was top-tier service, Adam.”
“Was it now?”
She nodded. “I have no complaints.”
“Good,” he replied. “Does that mean you might let me take you out on a real date after this?”
Her eyes were alight with amusement as she looked up at him and opened her mouth to answer. A set of chimes filled the air and she looked down at her watch with resignation. When her eyesreturned to his there was remorse there, and he could see her closing the doors on the carefree exchange between them.
“That’s my alarm. I’ve got about twenty minutes left on my break. Reality is calling.”
And at the most inopportune time too. Wasn’t that just his luck?
“Let me pack up a bit and I’ll walk you back inside.”
“Sounds like a plan, sir.”
He turned around to grab their finished food and pack up the trash. When he’d finished and fixed his eyes on hers, she was pulling out her wallet, opening up the billfold, and plucking out several bills.
He watched her with confusion, wondering what she was doing, then she extended the folded bills in his direction.
“I hope this will cover my end. It’s all the cash I have on me right now.”
Oh hell to the nah.
“You’re joking, right?”
Her features were straight and he couldn’t detect a hint of amusement anywhere on her face.
“If it’s not enough, let me know and I’ll stop by the ATM on my way home in the morning.”
With his jaw tight and teeth clenched, he pushed her name across his lips.
“Janae, don’t ruin a good time by insulting me.”
“Insulting you? I’m lost here, Adam. What’s going on?”
He wanted to be angry, but deep down there was a sad ache in his heart when he realized why Janae was trying to repay his kindness in cash.
“Janae. I brought you dinner for a few reasons. First, I wanted to do something nice for you. You extended my father a courtesy and helped deescalate a potentially explosive situation in that hallway.”
He stepped closer to her, closing his hand over hers, pushing it, and her money, down.
“Second,” he continued, “because I wanted to spend time with you, and I figured if you were hungry, you might not fight me so much about it.”
He watched her carefully, enjoying the fact that he had her full attention. Leaning down slowly, he placed a feathery kiss just shy of her mouth, and a shiver of excitement flashed through him when he felt her press her body instinctively into his.
“Third, it is my pleasure to spend time in your presence. The only repayment I want for any kindness I extend to you is your thorough enjoyment of it.”
She swallowed, staring up at him, and he had to admit that his ego was doing a little two-step at the knowledge that he’d made the formidable Janae Sanders speechless.
“My enjoyment?” Her voice was quiet, devoid of the usual sharpness. “That’s all you want?”
“That’s all any man you decide to share your time with should want. If a man thinks you owe him something in return, he isn’t worth your time.”
She glanced away for a moment before looking at him again, as if she’d needed a moment to collect herself.
