Page 32 of Death, Interrupted

The way he said it almost made me change my mind on the spot. He was right, though. I needed time to let every memory of Joey disappear. It wasn’t fair that he got to forget, and I didn’t.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Of course.”

We sat there looking at each other, letting that agreement land, until a server stepped up to the table. “I’m sorry to bother you two, but if you’re not getting anything else to eat or drink, I’ll have to ask you to free up the table. We’ve got customers waiting.”

We both snapped our heads up.

“Oh…yes, sorry.” I stood and slid my bag over my shoulder. Sly got up too, and we headed for the door together.

He reached for the handle and pulled, but the door didn’t open. He muttered a curse and yanked again, but the door didn’t budge.

I laughed and touched his arm. “Sly, you have to push,” I said, pointing to the tiny word by the handle.

His face went blank, then he rolled his eyes at himself and pushed it open. “What an idiot,” he muttered.

“You’re not an idiot,” I said, still amused. “Just a man who ignores instructional labels.”

We stepped out onto the sidewalk and stopped beside April. I took my time looking at the bike up close, and I was fascinated by its beauty.

“She’s beautiful,” I said, brushing my fingers lightly over the tank. “I’ve never been on a bike.”

“No?” He lifted a brow and grabbed his helmet. “I could take you on a ride one day.”

“Is it dangerous?” I asked. I didn’t really trust fast vehicles that didn’t have seatbelts.

“Depends on how reckless the driver is.”

“And are you reckless?”

“Only when I don’t have a backpack.”

“Backpack?”

“A person riding on the back.”

“That’s the term for that? A backpack?” I asked, laughing.

“Yeah.” He grinned. “It’s just a dumb biker term.”

“I see. And have you had many backpacks before?”

He shook his head. “None.”

“So I’d be your first?”

He nodded. “And my only.”

Heat rushed up my neck. I looked down at the seat and traced the seam with my fingertips. “Well, I drove my car here, so I can’t today. But…someday.”

“Someday,” he echoed. “I’ll make sure to get a second helmet.”

I looked up and smiled. “Great. So, I should go home.”

I said the words without really meaning them. I didn’t want to go. Not yet.

“Yeah.” His smile did the same stupid thing to my chest it apparently always did. “I had a good time with you.”