“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
“I’m sure.Enough about me; how about yourself?Are you much of a traveler?”
Andrea stiffened when he suggested talking about herself but relaxed at his question.He remembered his promise not to bring up her past.He had to ease her into that conversation.“No.”
“There’s no place in the world you wish you could see?Stand on top of the Eiffel Tower, have tea in Buckingham Palace, marvel at the great pyramids, or even here in the states, see Mount Rushmore, the Empire State Building?”
“No.”Jack could only gape at her.What person didn’t dream of travelling and seeing the world?“I’m not typical, remember?I don’t care about landmarks and such.One day they’ll be gone.I’d rather see botanical gardens or the rain forests.”
Jack didn’t want to be Captain Negative and point out that those things too could be gone one day.“So if a person close to you suggested going for a walk through the Brazilian rain forest, you’d go?”
“Maybe.Though that’s a dangerous place.Lots of things to kill you.”
“You are a difficult woman to please, Andrea Burns, but I’m up for the challenge.”She was more into nature than manmade, but she was afraid of the dangers in nature.She was a conundrum.
“That wasn’t a challenge.”
“No, but one I’m determined to take just the same.”
“You are an odd man, Michael Cawley.”
Their food arrived and was set down in front of them.“You haven’t seen anything yet.”
“I don’t know if I should be worried by that statement or not.”
“Stick around and find out.”
Chapter 13
“I don’t know about you, but I’m stuffed,” Jack said pushing his plate away from him that was licked clean.
“Agreed.”Andrea looked just as full as he did; she hadn’t finished her plate, but the majority of it was gone.
“Can I interest you in any desserts?”Ben asked, coming back and starting to collect plates.
“No, I’m going to need a crane to get out of here.”
Ben chuckled.“You always say that.”
“Well, I feel it this time.”Andrea emphasized her point by patting her flat stomach as if it were a Buddha belly.“Can I just get a to-go box?”
“Of course.”Ben left and came back a moment later with two boxes and started to put her leftovers in one.“I slipped some baklava in the other,” he whispered to her.
“You’re a saint, but won’t you get in trouble for that?”
“No, I actually make it myself.I’d be happy to teach you the recipe.”Jack just bet the kid would.He was good, Jack would give him that.He reminded him of himself when he was younger.It was interesting to see it from an outsider’s perspective.
Andrea looked like a deer caught in the headlights.“Oh, uh…thanks.”
Now why did she stutter around her words with this kid, and yet if he had suggested something like that, he would have gotten the sharp end of her tongue?
“Can we get the check, please?”Jack asked, ready to leave this place.
Ben gave him a side glance, which was anything but friendly, and left.
“If you say anything about what just happened, I will hurt you,” Andrea warned when Ben walked away.
“Now why is it you get bashful when that kid talks to you, but I get death threats?”
