Page 11 of Decidedly Off Limits
Stephen laughed. “Erin said you were gorgeous. She never mentioned you were funny too.”
“That’s me. A two-for-one special.”
He flashed me a quick grin. “Erin told me you’re a physical therapist at the children’s hospital. That must be a tough job.”
“It is, but it’s worth it.”
“How so?”
“Well…” I thought about the teen I’d been working with for the past few weeks after she had been involved in a motorcycle accident. Her boyfriend had been driving. He died and she ended up with brain damage. “When you know you’ve made a difference in the patient’s life. When they take their first step after a serious accident that left them unable to talk, walk, or do the smallest of tasks. When they smile for the first time after taking that step.” I blinked back the tears at the memory of the girl’s half smile from accomplishing something the rest of us took for granted.
“Erin’s right. You are an amazing woman. And I can see why you like your job.”
“All right, so you know what I do. What about you?” Unless he had a trust fund to pay for his expensive car, he must have a job that paid a lot more than mine.
Not that it made a difference to me. If anything, it was a strike against him. As I’d already learned the hard way, a high paying job came with equally high costs—and I didn’t want to go there again.
“I’m the owner and CEO of a small software company.”
A growing sense of déjà-vu planted itself in my throat, and refused to budge when I swallowed. “I guess it keeps you pretty busy, huh?”
He nodded. “It does, but I still find time to have fun.” He flashed me another smile, which drew up short of reassuring.
* * *
At Antonio’s, he opened the passenger door and helped me out. I gazed at his lips. They were nice lips, but they weren’t Trent’s lips. Trent’s lips were fuller and screamed, “Kiss me. Now.”
Stephen leaned in and my lips parted slightly. But just as I thought he was going to kiss me, he backed away. “Ready to go in?” he asked.
“Yes, sure.”Congratulations, Kelsey.And that was what I got for thinking about kissing Trent when I was on a date with another man. Maybe Stephen had sensed that, which was why he changed his mind about the kiss.
We entered the restaurant. As usual the place was busy. If Stephen hadn’t made a reservation already, we would’ve been waiting for at least an hour.
“Have you eaten here before?” I asked.
“Never, but Erin told me it’s your favorite restaurant.”
The hostess showed us to our seats, a quiet table for four in the corner. I glanced around. There were a number of cozy tables for two, all occupied. Maybe when he booked the reservation, those tables had already been booked for the night.
Stephen frowned at the table, pulled back the seat next to the wall for me to sit in, then sat in the chair opposite mine.
The hostess handed us the menus and told us the specials. After we’d studied the menus for a few moments, Stephen asked me, “What do you recommend?”
I opened my mouth to list a few of my favorites, but didn’t get that far.
“Hey, Kels.”
I looked up and blinked, the air in my lungs catching at the sight of Trent. And that’s what I got for thinking about him in the parking lot. I’d somehow summoned him—along with Holly. Cue theTwilighttheme music.
He was even hotter than the other night. And once again, I noticed how perfectly matched he and Holly were. She wore a short black dress that was both sexy and elegant. It made what I had on look like a little girl’s dress. Although in her case, she looked better suited for a five-star restaurant than for here.
Trent had been here before. That was why he wasn’t overdressed for the place, unlike Holly. Like Stephen, he wore black slacks, but instead of a dress shirt, a thin, dark-green sweater hugged his body just right. It let anyone checking him out see that he was in great shape, but without being overly tight.
“Hey, what are you guys doing here?” I asked, even though it was obvious why they were at the restaurant. Of all the places in San Francisco that Trent could’ve taken Holly for a date, he had to go pick the one Stephen had chosen forourdate. Go figure!
Please don’t sit near us, I silently pleaded.
“We came here to eat, but there was a mix up with our reservation. And now there’s a two-hour wait. You don’t mind if we join you, do you?” Trent turned to Stephen and held out his hand. “Hi, I’m the best friend of Kelsey’s brother. You know, the brother who serves with the Navy SEALs.”