flat-footed. She was too quick, too animated, always one step ahead. A sideways thinker. He watched as she played with a fork for a minute.
"I was almost married once," she said finally. "About four years ago."
"What happened?"
"Got stood up at the altar."
He was astounded. "Literally?"
"Literally. Very embarrassing, to be honest. Church full of people. Spectacular dress. Reception waiting. And no groom. It was all very dramatic, I assure you. Enough to put a woman off marriage for life. But nothing is ever wasted for a writer. One of these days, I'm going to do a romance that starts out with the heroine being left at the altar. Snappy beginning, don't you think?"
"How's it going to end?"
"At the altar, of course. With the right man this time."
"But you're not ready to write that story yet?" he asked on a hunch.
"No. The whole experience left me feeling a little raw, if you want to know the truth. Even if it was all my own fault."
Gideon scowled. "What do you mean, your own fault?"
"You're suddenly full of questions. Does this mean you're not bored?"
"You might be a pain in the neck at times, Sarah, but I seriously doubt you could ever manage to be boring."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You didn't answer my question."
She sighed and appeared to be marshaling her thoughts. Gideon got the feeling she was just about to open her mouth when Bernice Sawyer, the waitress, arrived to take their order. He swore silently.
"I'll have the linguine and clams," Sarah announced. "And please tell Mort I was thrilled to see it on the menu. I love linguine and clams."
Bernice blinked. "Uh, sure, I'll tell him. How about you, Gideon?"
"The salmon," he told her dourly, wishing she would go away so he could get the answer to his question.
"Right. Salmon. As usual." Bernice smiled, undaunted by his obvious irritation. "Glass of wine?"
"Yes, please," said Sarah instantly.
"Why not?" Gideon thrust the menu at Bernice, hoping she'd take the hint and leave quickly.
"Be right back," she promised and sauntered off in the direction of the kitchen.
"Really, Gideon, there's no need to be rude," Sarah murmured in a low, chiding tone.
"Was I?"
"Yes, you were."
Bernice materialized again with the wine. Gideon possessed himself in patience until Sarah had taken a sip. When her gaze went toward the view of rocks and crashing surf, he tried again. "So why was it all your fault?"
"I beg your pardon?" She looked politely blank, as if she hadn't followed his train of thought.
Gideon knew instantly she was faking it. "Getting left at the altar. Why was it your fault?"
"Umm. Well, I should have seen it coming." She took another sip of wine.
"You've already told me you're not exactly psychic. How could you have seen it coming?"
"For a man who thought I was coming on a little too strong a while ago, you're awfully interested in my private life all of a sudden."
"Think of this as an interview. I'm still trying to make up my mind about whether or not to accept your offer of a job."
Sarah smiled. "How is my answering your question going to tell you what sort of employer I'll be?"
"I won't know until I hear the answer."
She drummed her fingers on the table, contemplating that. "It's hard to explain. I just knew later that I should have understood Richard didn't really want to marry me. He was on the rebound and he only thought he wanted to marry me."
"How did you feel toward him?"
"Well, you have to understand that I was at a point in my life when I was trying to be terribly realistic about relationships. I had convinced myself that the man of my dreams was pure fiction and I would only get hurt looking for him. Richard was sexy and charming and very nice, really. We had a lot in common and he gave me a whirlwind courtship. Very romantic."
"What happened?"
"The night before our wedding his ex-wife decided she had made a mistake and called him up. He went to meet her. I thought he was going off to his bachelor party. Some bachelor
"I was almost married once," she said finally. "About four years ago."
"What happened?"
"Got stood up at the altar."
He was astounded. "Literally?"
"Literally. Very embarrassing, to be honest. Church full of people. Spectacular dress. Reception waiting. And no groom. It was all very dramatic, I assure you. Enough to put a woman off marriage for life. But nothing is ever wasted for a writer. One of these days, I'm going to do a romance that starts out with the heroine being left at the altar. Snappy beginning, don't you think?"
"How's it going to end?"
"At the altar, of course. With the right man this time."
"But you're not ready to write that story yet?" he asked on a hunch.
"No. The whole experience left me feeling a little raw, if you want to know the truth. Even if it was all my own fault."
Gideon scowled. "What do you mean, your own fault?"
"You're suddenly full of questions. Does this mean you're not bored?"
"You might be a pain in the neck at times, Sarah, but I seriously doubt you could ever manage to be boring."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You didn't answer my question."
She sighed and appeared to be marshaling her thoughts. Gideon got the feeling she was just about to open her mouth when Bernice Sawyer, the waitress, arrived to take their order. He swore silently.
"I'll have the linguine and clams," Sarah announced. "And please tell Mort I was thrilled to see it on the menu. I love linguine and clams."
Bernice blinked. "Uh, sure, I'll tell him. How about you, Gideon?"
"The salmon," he told her dourly, wishing she would go away so he could get the answer to his question.
"Right. Salmon. As usual." Bernice smiled, undaunted by his obvious irritation. "Glass of wine?"
"Yes, please," said Sarah instantly.
"Why not?" Gideon thrust the menu at Bernice, hoping she'd take the hint and leave quickly.
"Be right back," she promised and sauntered off in the direction of the kitchen.
"Really, Gideon, there's no need to be rude," Sarah murmured in a low, chiding tone.
"Was I?"
"Yes, you were."
Bernice materialized again with the wine. Gideon possessed himself in patience until Sarah had taken a sip. When her gaze went toward the view of rocks and crashing surf, he tried again. "So why was it all your fault?"
"I beg your pardon?" She looked politely blank, as if she hadn't followed his train of thought.
Gideon knew instantly she was faking it. "Getting left at the altar. Why was it your fault?"
"Umm. Well, I should have seen it coming." She took another sip of wine.
"You've already told me you're not exactly psychic. How could you have seen it coming?"
"For a man who thought I was coming on a little too strong a while ago, you're awfully interested in my private life all of a sudden."
"Think of this as an interview. I'm still trying to make up my mind about whether or not to accept your offer of a job."
Sarah smiled. "How is my answering your question going to tell you what sort of employer I'll be?"
"I won't know until I hear the answer."
She drummed her fingers on the table, contemplating that. "It's hard to explain. I just knew later that I should have understood Richard didn't really want to marry me. He was on the rebound and he only thought he wanted to marry me."
"How did you feel toward him?"
"Well, you have to understand that I was at a point in my life when I was trying to be terribly realistic about relationships. I had convinced myself that the man of my dreams was pure fiction and I would only get hurt looking for him. Richard was sexy and charming and very nice, really. We had a lot in common and he gave me a whirlwind courtship. Very romantic."
"What happened?"
"The night before our wedding his ex-wife decided she had made a mistake and called him up. He went to meet her. I thought he was going off to his bachelor party. Some bachelor
Similar Books
Acoustic Shadows
Patrick Kendrick
Others
James Herbert
Shades of Midnight
Lara Adrián
Sugarplum Dead
Carolyn Hart
Landon: Justice Series ― Erotica Paranormal Romance
Kathi S. Barton
Elisabeth Fairchild
Captian Cupid
Flame (Fire on the Mountain #2)
Erin Noelle
Baby Mine
Tressie Lockwood
The Gates of Night: The Dreaming Dark - Book 3
Keith Baker
Easy Rider: An MC Erotic Romance
Kristin Fletcher