"I want to try your orange chicken," he said, pointing with his fork at her plate.
The corners of her mouth threatened to turn up in a smile, but she stopped herself again. It was maddening. Maddening and fun at the same time. Joel could feel the predatory grin on his lips and watched her blink in surprise. He was close, dammit. Just a little more prodding, and he would have his prize.
Looking away from him and down at her food, Sapphire's hands moved with delicate precision as she carefully sat down her chopsticks on her napkin and slid the plate holding the food carton across the distance between them.
Joel speared a plump piece of chicken and drug it to his plate with an appreciative wink.
This time she did smile, but the vivid and breathtaking gesture was short-lived.
Hayden's voice interrupted. "Where is your dad?"
Joel nearly choked. Coughing once, twice, he caught the beginnings of the cold storm that frosted over her expression, turning her spine to rigid steel.
The imperious look they both hated was back. Joel shot Hayden a blistering glare. Hayden's eyes darted away, looking down at the table, and Joel could see his regret before he looked back up to Sapphire's glacial gaze. Last night they had both talked about the supposed whereabouts of her father when they were cleaning up the bar. They both wanted to know, but for fuck's sake, not like this, not when she was finally warming up to him.
Setting her chopsticks back down, her movements stiff and controlled, Sapphire looked to Hayden and then Joel. "My mother slept with some sort of government official with every intention of entrapping the man."
The words were spoken with such chilling matter-of-factness Joel could hardly react to their meaning. They both just sat frozen in their seats as she spoke.
"She had hoped to cash in on a lucrative and long-term child support payment with him, at least that is what she told me. I honestly think she had hoped he would leave his wife and kids for her, but," she let the words hang as her dark empty eyes settled pointedly on Hayden as she gave him a grim smile, "that, of course, didn't happen. What did happen was that his wife intervened and gave my mom an NDA to sign and a fat lump sum to have as long as she crawled back off to where she came from and stayed away from her husband."
Joel wasn't sure if his opinion of Jennifer could get any lower. Glancing at Hayden next to him, Joel could see his fists clenched in his lap.
"So." She let the word drag out, and her smile dropped another thirty degrees in temperature. Warning bells in Joel's gut blared to life while Hayden stiffened next to him.
Her eyes narrowed. "Now that we've discussed my parentage, how about yours, mmm?"
Fucking hell. Joel couldn't stop the electrical storm of instant animosity that raged between them at her volatile words. Hayden's family wasn't even a subject they talked about, much less a stranger.
Hayden's eyes turned predatory.
Silverware clanged loudly against the china as Sapphire stood up abruptly. Joel could see the slight tremor in her hands as she folded her takeout carton neatly closed and set it back in the middle of the table.
"I think I should go. Thank you for the food," she announced to no one in particular and turned with her plate and silverware in hand toward the sink.
Joel shot Hayden a furious glare full of silent meaning.What the fuck did you just do?!
Hayden blinked, and Joel could see his jaw twitching underneath his thick beard. Regret warred with anger in his grey eyes.
Glancing back over to Sapphire, Joel inwardly cursed at the sight of her rigid posture and jerky movements. She was nearly finished washing her plate. In a few seconds, she would be back in her room. No doubt sequestered for who knows how long.
He had to think fast. Remembering what he had planned on discussing, Joel threw it out as one last Hail Mary. Awkwardly placed and ill-timed, sure, but what the fuck else did he have whensomeonewas sabotaging his every good intention to get to know the girl?
"I know you plan on going to the university in Stardust, but what are your plans after that?" Joel asked, the desperation for her to stay plain even to his ears.
He could see from the tightness in her face that she didn't want to answer. "I don't really have a plan. I've learned long ago to only plan so far ahead saves me from disappointment."
Joel recognized the bitterness in her voice. He once had felt the same damn thing.
"Thanks for the food," she repeated and turned pointedly to the stairs.
Joel looked over to Hayden, hoping the big bastard would say something to repair this situation. But Hayden said nothing. He simply stared broodingly out the window. Joel fought the urge to punch him in the back of the head and turned to see Sapphire placing one soft moccasin on the stair.
Again, he fought for anything to say. "You know you don't have to stay up in that room all day and night," he blurted, running a frustrated hand over his beard.
Turning her head, Sapphire looked over her shoulder at him. "It's fine. I'm used to it."
With little choice, he watched her climb the stairs and listened as the door to her given room closed at the top of the stairs.
