Page 6 of Stay With Me

“Excellent,” Nick replied.

“I’d like the wedge salad with grilled chicken,” the man’s wife requested.

“Very nice.”

Just then, one of the kids shrieked, another one shouted, the third burst into tears, and a cup of lemonade was sent flying across the table, spilling next to Samantha.

“That’s enough,” the younger married man announced as he stood. “We’re going for a walk.” He turned to Nick apologetically as he ushered the kids away. “Sorry about that.”

Nick shook his head. “No worries. I’ll take care of it.”

The younger married woman interjected. “I’ll have the Gulf shrimp with the spinach thing. My husband wants a rib eye, too. Medium. Side salad. And three sides of the mac and cheese for the kids. Can you hold the bacon?”

“Of course.”

“Can you bring those out first? They’re getting restless from hunger.”

“Absolutely.”

“And another lemonade,” she added. “I’m so sorry. They don’t do well in restaurants.”

“No worries. It happens. I’ll run and grab a towel.”

After retrieving the towel, Nick wiped down the table and Samantha shifted slightly to give him more room as he kneeled down next to her. She leaned sideways to pick up a napkin that she’d placed over the spill, causing her face to linger mere inches from his.

“Sorry about this,” she apologized in a low voice, wearing the same heated expression from before.

“It’s okay,” he said, taking the napkin from her and brushing his hand over the back of hers.

“I think I’m a little wet,” she mentioned, causing his eyebrows to shoot upward.

Holy shit.

“From the spill,” she clarified with a smirk. “Where’s the restroom?”

He cleared his throat and pointed toward the inside of the restaurant as he stood. “Right that way. If you follow me, I’ll show you.”

“I’ll be right back,” she said to the group. “I need to clean off my shoe.”

Samantha followed him until he gestured down the hall that housed both the restrooms and his office, and she disappeared into one of the doors. Nick instantly decided this was an opportunity so he quickly dropped off the towels and put in the order, then made his way into the hall, pretending to make a phone call while he waited for her to emerge.

Chapter Three

Samantha

Oh. My. God.

Samantha stared into the mirror after cleaning the sticky mess off her foot and shoe. That waiter had totally been making eyes at her since he showed up. And he was quite a morsel. Tall and fit with great skin and a healthy tan. Gorgeous green eyes and light brown hair long enough that she could imagine herself running her fingernails through it and giving it a nice tug.

She should definitely come here for happy hour sometime. Maybe she should leave her phone number on a napkin. Maybe she should go ask the hostess if he was single.

She glared at her reflection.

“You are sex starved and crazy,” she said to herself. “Leave the poor guy alone.”

He probably wasn’t making eyes at her. He’s probably flirting for good tips. For good measure, she tousled her hair one more time and adjusted her bra in an attempt to make herself look at least half as hot as he was, then pulled the door open.

And there he was.