For now, anyway. At this point it was charming and interesting, but she didn’t want to spend her life wondering what was going on in his head.
One step at a time,she told herself sternly.You haven’t even known him for a day yet. Remember what you were saying to Ash only a little while ago.
“How about some breakfast?” she blurted, grabbing a menu.
“How about that view?” Calvin said at the exact same moment.
She stared at him for a moment, before shaking her head and laughing, some of the tension leaving her body.
If I’m going to be ridiculous, then at least I’m in good company.
“The viewispretty good,” she said, as Calvin picked up the other menu. “This is the best seat in the house, as far as I’m concerned.”
She had honestly meant it as a comment on the scenery outside, but sudden heat crept up her throat and over her cheeks as she realized that her comment could be construed as being about the scenery right here at the table.
And okay, so itwasreally, really good. Even though Calvin was just wearing shorts on the bottom, and a tank top and unbuttoned old shirt with rolled-up sleeves on top, he pretty much looked like he’d stepped off the cover ofBodacious Hikers Monthly.
You could try flexing those rusty flirting muscles,she told herself.Just so Calvin at least won’t be wondering what’s going on inmyhead.
“I like the view inside as well,” she declared in a rush, staring into his heated gaze for a moment before burying her head in the menu.
Wow. Smooth.
Maybe she should have tried her lines out in the mirror before she’d left this morning.
Not daring to look up, she decided to steer the conversation back to something safer. Like breakfast. “What do you want to get? Have you eaten anything yet today?”
“Nothing as yet,” Calvin said, apparently busying himself looking at his own menu. “Everything here looks amazing. What would you recommend?”
Glancing up at him, Diana allowed herself a small smile as she watched him perusing the menu with great intensity.
“Honestly, everything I’ve ever eaten here has been incredible,” she said truthfully. “But they added waffles to the menu recently and I’ve been wanting to try them, so I know exactly what I’m getting.”
The whole range of waffles looked phenomenal, and normally she would’ve had trouble choosing which ones to get… but today she was so hungry that she knew there was no choice.
“I’m getting the fried chicken waffles,” she said, pointing it out on Calvin’s menu.
While it wasn’t her intention, the gesturedidbring her fingers awfully close to his hand. She lingered for a long moment, wanting nothing more than to close that last inch, before regretfully pulling her hand back with a forced laugh. “It counts as a healthy breakfast if it’s got protein, right?”
“That’s how it works,” Calvin said with a smile so charming that Diana thought she might melt right onto the floor. “Hmm. I think the choc berry waffles are calling my name.”
“Theydosound good,” Diana said, with just the slightest tinge of envy. “I’ll have to try them next time.”
“You could try them today, if you like,” Calvin said. “I mean, I’m happy to share.”
Diana bit her lip to give herself a moment to compose herself, after the daydream that suddenly, forcefully suggested itself to her of her feeding Calvin waffles, dripping with syrup and cream,some of which wouldof coursedrip off her fork and down onto his firm, hard –
“So, what can I get for you folks today?”
Diana just about jumped out of her skin at the sound of the cheery voice from above –Intruding on my perfectly innocent daydreams!– and looked up, startled, to find herself staring into the face of –
“Brandon? Is that really you?”
She couldn’t believe it – she’d known Brandon, the grandson of the diner’s owner, since he was knee-high to a grasshopper. Now, Diana found herself marveling at how he seemed even taller than the last time she’d seen him, despite being in his late teens – she would’ve thought he would’ve stopped growing by now, but apparently not.
“Hi, Miss Ramos,” Brandon said, returning her amazed stare with a polite smile, before turning to Calvin. “Good morning, sir.”
“And how’s your summer vacation treating you?” Diana asked Brandon. “Not working too hard, I hope?”
