“Are we being stood up?” Kate drenches another piece of calamari with lemon and eats it. She catches me watching, tilting her head with a small smile. “What?”
“Has calamari been the key to ‘nice Kate’ this whole time? If that’s the case, I’m hiring a private chef for the museum.”
Kate laughs.Laughs.The sound is husky, rich, and filled with life.
“I’m not going to turnthatdown,” she says, taking another bite. “And yes. Fried seafood is my kindness switch. Feel free to turn me on anytime.”
Kate slaps a hand over her mouth as a surprised belly laugh flies out of me. She begins to hack into her napkin, likely aspirating on said key of kindness. A sip of water eases her cough, though the pink glow across her cheeks remains.She pulls her phone from her purse, tapping the screen to check the time.
“They’re over forty minutes late,” she says. “How much longer ‘til we call this a no show?”
“I’ll call Mr. Winthrop, and if he’s not coming, we’ll leave.”
Five minutes later, Mr. Winthrop’s assistant gives me a curt apology about a work meeting running late. He assures me they’ll arrive in no time. I sigh, ending the call before filling Kate in.
She slinks further into her seat, twiddling the edge of her napkin. I crack a few knuckles beneath the tablecloth. Kate’s eyes eventually meet mine, the barest whisper of a smile edging her ruby lipstick that will haunt my dreams tonight.
“Care to make this incessantly boring wait interesting?”
I cock a brow. “What did you have in mind?”
“Truth or dare, duh.”
The shimmer of humor in her dark eyes is so achingly familiar that I try to memorize it. I drape a casual arm across the back of her chair.
“Fine,” I say. “Truth or dare?”
She captures a scarlet lip between her teeth for a millisecond before rolling her shoulders.
“Dare.”
I think for a second. “I dare you to make the hostess jealous.”
Kate’s grin falls into bewilderment. “Huh?”
“Make her jealous. She’s already asked for my number and she seems to not be taking no for an answer.”
“Why did you tell her no?” She shifts in her chair to get a better look at the front of the restaurant. “She’s gorgeous.”
I scan the dark-haired hostess with her leopard print dress.
“Not my type,” I say.
Kate scoffs. “What? She’stotallyyour type.”
“No, she’s not.” My gaze twines with Kate’s for a few seconds too long, and pink flushes her cheeks. “Are you chickening out on a dare, Kate? Never thought I’d see the day.”
Kate sets her chin. “How does she know I’m not already your girlfriend? There’s no one else here.”
I edge even closer. “I told her I was meeting work associates, and she must have smelled fresh meat.”
Kate laughs, sultry and low, only a few inches from my face. “Well, judging from her irritated look, I’ve already accomplished your little dare.”
I glance over my shoulder. The hostess doesn’t look jilted in the slightest. She even gives me a little finger wave.
“You little liar,” I say, turning back.
Her grin is wicked as she pulls away. “Worth a shot.”
