The sign for the restaurant came into view. She’d heard of Cruz Murphy’s but had never eaten there. What would be on the menu? Corned beef and cabbage tacos?
Jason stood at the entrance dressed in jeans and a lightweight leather jacket. He could have easily been one of those hot guys in the Korean dramas Jasmine liked to watch. That was probably why she practically drooled over him whenever he flirted with her. Amelia would approve of his appearance and be fanning herself if she were there.
It was different to see him outside of his business suit. Rae had often wondered if the care he took with his appearance helped with his sales. She’d always thought it made him seem more credible. Over the years, the sales people who presented the best—and had a good personality to go with it—were the ones who were the most successful. Jason did get dirty sometimes when he did the initial treatments for accounts he sold, but he even managed to look good then.
Well, she might as well stop with the delaying. She got out of her car. His gaze met hers, and he gave her an appraising glance, his smile growing as he nodded in approval. It warmed her, and she hated that it did. She didn’t need this man’s approval to feel good about herself. Hadn’t she gotten over that? As she approached him, Jason held out his arm in his flamboyant way.
“You look beautiful tonight, love.”
“Right, because jeans and a button-down shirt are so fancy,” Rae said as she took his arm.
“But you usually wear a dress at the office. There, you’re all business. You have a more casual look tonight, more relaxed. It becomes you.”
Rae certainly didn’t feel relaxed. “Charming brooder.”
“That’s not fair. I didn’tbroodas you’re fond of calling it,” he said with a chuckle, “and Iwasbeing honest with you.”
She didn’t have a chance to respond then because the hostess waved them forward. Jason gave her his name, and they followed the woman to a table.
Rae scanned the menu. No corned beef tacos, simply offerings from both cultures. She laughed to herself.
“Is something funny?”
As Jason looked over his menu, she explained her thought about the tacos.
He chuckled. “No, for which I’m grateful. Some foods would be bestnotmixed together.”
“You mean like sugar cookies and onion dip?”
Jason gave a disgusted grunt. “Who would ever think that was a good combination?”
“Your predecessor brought them to a Christmas party a couple of years ago.”
“Was it a joke?” He gave a little shudder.
“We couldn’t figure out if he was serious or playing a prank. Both were tasty independently, but when he used a cookie to take a scoop of the dip and ate it . . .” Rae made a gagging motion with her finger. “That guy was an odd one and never really fit in. He didn’t stay with us much past the holidays. Said he wanted to work for a national chain.” She glanced at the items on the menu again. “Have you eaten here before?”
“I have. Many times, and the food is delicious.”
“Would you recommend anything in particular?”
They spent the next few minutes discussing the different dishes, and Rae finally settled on beef stew.
“Now, love,” Jason said, his elbows on the table as he leaned forward, “tell me why my brooding charm bothers you so much.”
Rae groaned mentally and clenched her hands against a twitchy feeling in them. Why did he have to act like this? They’d been having a normal conversation before they’d ordered. With his shift to the flirt again, something in both his tone and his gaze made her uncomfortable. She’d wondered why it bothered her so much when it was obvious by the behavior of female customers and the women in the office they liked his flirting. Then Jason tilted his head and an image of a guy she’d known in high school came to mind, and she knew how to explain it.
“I don’t like when men try to make me feel like I’m prey.”
“Prey?” Jason straightened, his brows arched in surprise. “Why would simple compliments make you feel that way?”
“Because when someone hands them out all the time, they start to feel like they’re nothing special. Insincere. It makes me believe the guy wants something from me, and the only way he thinks he can get it is to tell me how special I am. I don’t trust them, either the man or his words of flattery.”
Rae had been looking at the menu and glanced up. Jason wore a wounded expression.
“I’m sorry if that offends you,” Rae said. “I know a lot of women eat it up, but I don’t think I’m alone in feeling this way. I’ve watched you do it to everyone in the office, and I can’t help but wonder if it fills a need in you to do it.”
“I find myself . . . speechless.” Jason looked bemused. “I would never wish for my compliments to be commonplace, but I can see how you might take them that way. It’s something I’ll have to think about.”
