Page 5 of Her Intense Protector

“Oh no, you can sit on the inside,” Sam demurred.

“Nonsense, your purse is there. You take your original seat,” he said.

Shoot. Shoot. Shoot.

Sam slid into the booth. Her plan to sit on the outside, foiled.

“I was worried you ladies would take too long. I know how you are, always talking, then your dinner would get cold.”

Toni rolled her eyes.

David asked Larry about his work, for which Samantha was eternally grateful. Larry boasted about his abilities in the IT department. He went on to talk about how he was able to build a network across the nation, on a shoestring budget.

“The higher-ups really were impressed with me,” he told Samantha. Again, with his mouth full of food.

“That’s nice.” Sam looked back down at her salmon, and took a couple of small bites, anything to block out the sound of Larry’s voice.

As she brought up her fork to her mouth, she was astounded to see Larry’s fork spear a piece of salmon off her plate.

“This is really good, Samantha.”

“Did you just do that?”

“What?” he asked. Obviously, he was confused.

She was pissed. “I would explain how rude you just were, but I don’t have a box of crayons, so you’d understand.”

She heard Toni let out a snort of laughter.

“There’s no reason to get snotty,” Larry glowered at her.

“You mean you understood what I said? Good.”

“Let me clear your plates.” The waitress said. “Is anyone interested in dessert?”

“Not me,” Samantha explained. “I’ve got to go.”

“You do?” Larry practically whined. “I was hoping to get your number.”

Seriously, the man was about as sharp as a marble. But she kept her mouth shut. “Larry, I don’t think we clicked. I’ve got to go.” She grabbed her wallet and threw out money to cover her meal.

“Thanks, everyone.”

Larry didn’t move. “Larry, I need you to move.”

“Oh yeah.” He finally got up out of the booth. “Are you sure I can’t have your number?”

“I’m sure. It just wouldn’t work. But it was interesting meeting you.”

“Well now that I know you’re a ballbuster like my ex, I can’t say the same.”

Samantha smiled. “Something tells me, I would get along with Susan.”

Sam threw Toni one more withering look, then left the restaurant.

* * *

Samantha pulled off her peplum top and jeans, thanking God she hadn’t worn anything more provocative to the restaurant. She needed a shower to wash off his kooties. Was kooties even a word? Didn’t it stop being a word after eighth grade? She headed for the master bathroom and took a long shower. By the time she was done, she felt a little bit better.