“You should take his advice.”
Mike nodded in agreement. “Be myself. I can do that.”
“Good.” Being in heels put their lips a few inches closer so she didn’t have to stretch as far to kiss his lips. “Now let’s go to dinner.”
They walked side by side, arms looped, both grinning ear to ear. Now that little hurdle was over with, they could enjoy the rest of the evening. She wanted to pick back up on their earlier conversation and ask him if he did what he loved for a living, but she knew he wouldn’t tell her. Sad day. One day she hoped he would tell her what she already guessed, but knew the likelihood was low. It wasn’t like she could talk about anything she did. She shouldn’t push the subject with him.
“Now back to what we were talking about. What’s the saying? ‘If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.’ The person who said that never worked a sixty hour week.”
“Or was sent overseas at a moment’s notice,” Mike chimed in.
Destiny nodded casually while inside she was squealing Mike let something about his job slip, momentarily forgetting his odd behavior. He wasn’t just talking about deployments like most soldiers gone for months at a time. His travel times differed. Sometimes he’d be gone a few days, other times it was weeks. So she knew they weren’t normal deployments. “The sacrifices we make for doing the things we love.”
She wasn’t kidding that she could pull a sixty hour week. It wasn’t often, but when it did happen, she needed a few days to recoup. Codes started looking like gibberish after a while, which was why they didn’t overwork decoders. And yet, she couldn’t imagine doing anything else in her life for work. Especially knowing at the end of the day what a difference she made in the world and how many lives she saved deciphering a code.
Chapter 13
Destiny sighed in relief when they arrived at the restaurant. It would at least save her from babbling for a little while and hopefully now Mike would start acting like his normal self.
Mike held the door open for her. She chanced a glance up at him and saw he still looked sweaty but less nervous. She could deal with that.
“Can I help you?” the hostess asked sweetly. The girl didn’t look like she was more than eighteen. Her gaze slid to Mike, her eyes widened as big as saucers and her face paled.
“Yes, we have a reservation for six o’clock. Destiny Sheppard,” she said sharply. Honestly, people were ridiculous when it came to his size. There were NBA players who were as big as Mike. She was sure they didn’t get gawked at like they were freaks of nature.
The girl snapped out of it and her eyes lit up hearing Destiny’s name. Either she knew who Destiny’s family was or when Grandma made the reservation she told the staff to give her the VIP treatment. “Perfect. I can show you to your table.” She looked cautiously at Mike again, as if he were a giant who was going to eat her, then led the way to the table making sure to give Mike wide berth. That grated on Destiny’s nerves. Even sitting down the girl practically tossed the menu at him so she didn’t have to get too close.
Destiny glared daggers at the girl’s retreating back. She would make sure to write a scathing review about this place. She was going to say something to Mike then instantly noticed how uncomfortable he looked. More so than before they came in.
“Mike, are you okay?” He sat ramrod straight, his gaze laser focused on the menu. His eyes darted back and forth. Was his skin looking a little pale? Destiny looked down at the menu realizing what might have caused his distress. This was a high-end restaurant where everything on the menu was on the pricy side. She didn’t even think about it when her grandma suggested it.
“Good evening Miss Sheppard. I’m George; I’ll be your waiter this evening. Can I get you a bottle of wine to start with? Or we have a lovely Krug Grande Cuvée.”
“That does sound lovely, but I think a house red will be fine for me.” Destiny wasn’t a wine prude. Cheap or expensive she’d drink it. Her mother was the wine snob.
“As you wish.” George didn’t look happy. “Can I get you water for the table?”
“Please.”
“I shall return with your drinks.”
Destiny worried her lip as she watched Mike study the menu intently. If he stared at it any harder, he’d drill holes through it with his eyes. She thought about suggesting they leave, but thought it might be rude since Grandma had made the arrangements and they were already here. “Mike, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he said, still hiding behind his menu. “Just trying to decide what to get.”
“What are you thinking?”
“A salad.”
“Isn’t it the girl that always gets the salad on a date?” Destiny tried joking, but Mike didn’t respond.
George returned with their drinks. “George, can you give us a few minutes please,” she said before he could speak. He discreetly backed away.
“Mike, talk to me.”
“About what.”
She had enough. Destiny snatched the menu out of his hands.
