Something Old - Dianne L. Christner [53]
“Yeah, maybe we can make a contest of it.”
She pushed her plate aside, no longer able to disregard his barbed comments. He was obviously ticked at her. “What do you mean?”
“See who can carry the most boxes. Me or Jake.”
Her face burned. “That would be fun.” She slid out of the booth. “You’ll excuse me a minute?”
“Sure.” He ran a hand through his hair.
Katy slapped her napkin on the table and headed for the restroom, but just as she rounded the corner, Lil appeared, slightly breathless and her face slick with moisture. Her hair was plastered into a smooth brown knot with a hair net securing it, and her newly cut bangs were bobby-pinned. She wiped her hands on a long white apron that protected her white blouse and black skirt uniform. “I wanted to come out sooner, but I couldn’t get away.”
“Great place.” Katy shouldered open the door to the restroom.
Lil followed her. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Oh, David. He’s acting weird tonight.” Katy didn’t miss the little light that danced in Lil’s eyes. “I guess you’re happy about that.”
Lifting both hands in the air, Lil objected, “Whoa. Don’t get me involved in your lovers’ spat.”
“I’m sorry. This really is a great place. We ordered lasagna. Did you make it?”
“Cooked the noodles and stirred the sauce.” She put her hand on Katy’s shoulder. “Look. Everything’s going as planned. Don’t lose sleep over David. If he blows it now, at least you had your three dates. And he had his chance.”
“I’m so sick of hearing about three dates. One more time and my head’s going to explode. I think I’m just going to go back out there and tell him the truth.”
“Fine, except please taste the lasagna first. Tell me my noodles are perfecto and not sticky.”
Grinning, Katy said, “Okay. And I mean it. I really do love this place. We’ve got to bring Megan sometime on your night off.”
“It’s kind of a dead-end job. But it’s fun. Did you see how cute the waiters are?” Lil went to the sink and washed her hands, then hit the electronic dryer, raising her voice over the blowing air. “I’ll call later.”
“No, it’ll wake up the household.”
The blower shut off, and Lil left.
Katy washed her hands and caught the image of her brooding eyes in the mirror. She fiddled with her covering, wishing she’d brought her purse to the restroom so that she could refresh her lipstick, the only makeup she ever wore. Then it hit her. Lil hadn’t had her prayer covering on. She bit her lip. That didn’t surprise her much.
When she felt like she could face David’s interrogation again, she left and returned to her booth, relieved to see that their meals had arrived. As if they weren’t in the middle of a spat, she slid into her seat and took up her fork. “Looks good.”
David reached across the table and touched her hand. “I’m sorry for making you mad.”
She nodded, avoiding the impulse to shy away from his touch. It was warm and assuring, and her anger melted away. “I wasn’t back there sulking. I met Lil in the restroom.”
He drew his hand away with a nod. Then he tasted the mild, creamy dish, studying her. “Mm, good. She make it?”
Grinning, Katy said, “She boiled the noodles. And she wants our opinion on their consistency.”
He grinned back, holding her gaze until she blushed. The rest of the meal, he reined in his jealousy, and afterward, they even lingered over coffee. She was relaxed, enjoying herself, when abruptly, he started in again. “So what happens after date three? You going to go out with me again?”
He hit the nerve dead-on, jarring her out of her complacency. The dreaded question now hung in the air between them. She tensed. If she didn’t go with him again, then she was a user. After her second date, she had already known that she was not romantically interested in him. Her hands clasped her cup, its soothing warmth her only bit of comfort. “Why do you keep bringing up date three?”
“I think you know why. I was allotted three dates to prove myself.”
Holding back a moan because her nightmare had