Being seen with him would be a disaster for her. She'd worked so hard to cultivate the image of a shy, virginal, untouchable girl, who blushed and stammered and gave off an air of innocence that, for some bizarre reason, acted as a deterrent to most of the immortals who visited the bar.
Not all of them, though. There were always those who saw innocence as a challenge rather than a barrier, but she handled the persistent few by offering them a glimpse of the scars on her legs. That was enough to lose their interest. Being perfect physically, immortals were even less tolerant of imperfections than humans.
The looks of disgust on their faces didn't bother her. They were much better than the leering expressions that turned her stomach into fearful knots.
If she were seen with Dimitri, though, her image in the eyes of the immortals would change. They would no longer think of her as innocent but as available and willing. They'd see her as fair game.
She couldn't risk that, which meant that the date would have to take place somewhere that she and Dimitri wouldn't be observed by immortals.
The beach, perhaps?
They could take a moonlight walk on the shore, enjoy the sound of waves, and gaze at the clear night sky overhead. It was the kind of romantic setting that belonged in movies.
But the beach was too exposed, with guards patrolling and surveillance cameras recording movements.
But if not the beach, then where?
The staff kitchen!
The sudden thought was an unexpected stroke of brilliance. There were no immortals in the staff section of the hotel, and the humans would not make a big deal of Dimitri visiting their kitchen.
Besides, there would probably be no one there this late. The maids started their day early in the morning and retired to their rooms by early evening. The maintenance guys followed the same schedule. Tonight, only Anil and the late shift of the hotel kitchen personnel could potentially wander in there, but that wasn't likely at all.
She could sneak Dimitri in, make coffee, maybe offer him some snacks, and sit with him and talk like normal people did in the outside world they had both been snatched from.
It wasn't romantic. It wasn't the beach at sunset or candlelight or any of the things dates were supposed to be, but it was safe and relatively private. And on this island, that was priceless.
Glancing across the bar at Dimitri, she realized that she hadn't told him about the scars yet, and the thought filled her with a new surge of anxiety.
He'd probably noticed her limp, but he had no idea what her legs looked like under her trousers.
What if he changed his mind when he found out?
What if he looked at her like most of the males she'd shown that part of herself? What if all this warmth, all this kindness, all these genuine smiles evaporated the moment he realized she was not whole?
It didn't matter.
She wasn't doing this for romantic reasons. She was doing this for the information he might provide.
The fact that Dimitri was handsome had nothing to do with her decision to accept his offer. His dark brown hair that looked so soft and thick was irrelevant, as were his blue, intelligent eyes that seemed to actually see her rather than look through her.
Mattie was a practical woman, a survivor, and she'd learned long ago that survival meant making hard choices and keeping emotions locked away where they couldn't interfere with clear thinking.
Romance was a luxury she couldn't afford. But even if Dimitri got turned off by her scars, he still might provide information out of guilt.
Decision made, Mattie returned to the bar. "One shot of Yamazaki whiskey, please," she told Anil.
After he poured the glass, she put it on her tray and headed to Dimitri's table with a racing heart but surprisingly steady hands.
Hopefully, the immortals couldn't hear the hammering inside her chest even with their exceptional hearing, or they would wonder what had caused it, and that would be bad.
Relax, she ordered herself.Breathe in and breathe out, nice and steady.
When she reached Dimitri's table, she set down the glass and bent close, bringing her mouth near his ear. Close enough that she could smell the soap he used, the same industrial, cheap stuff that all the humans on the island were given, and a faint chemical smell that he had probably collected in the laboratory he worked at. It clung to his clothing.
"My shift ends at midnight," she whispered, her voice barely audible even to herself. "Wait for me near the staff entrance in the back of the hotel. I can sneak you into the staff kitchen. We can have coffee and talk, if you consider that a date."
She pulled back just enough to see his face and gauge his reaction.
