Not that I’minterested.
“What are you doing here so earlyagain?”
He leans forward and smiles. I notice a dimple on his chin. It’s actually pretty adorable. I have an urge to see his whole face. No hat. No glasses. Justface.
Jack raises his eyebrows. “Eating lunch,obviously.”
I lean back into the soft booth cushion and fold my arms. “Right. Well, so am I. As soon as my soup arrives. It’s been such a long day so far. All I want to really do is go home and sink into a warm bubble bath. Maybe read a book.” I pause, as an afterthought emerges. “But I have another datetonight.”
His head dips a quick nod. “Then don’t go. Cancel your date. Go home. Take a bath. Read abook.”
I scoff. “I can’t do that. Simon is greatand—”
“Do youreallylikehim?”
Iblink.
“Lauren?”
“Jack?”
“Well, doyou?”
“OfcourseI do. He’s amazing. Do you know he took me toArpègelast night? A Michelin-starrestaurant?”
He shrugs, clearly unfazed.What’s his dealanyway?
The waitress practically bounces over to the table to deliver my soup and glass of water. “MadameBlake, here’s your soup. I love your sweater. It’s lovely.” She looks at Jack then his empty bowl. “Are you alldone?”
Jack nods and rests his elbows on the spot where the bowl was. The waitress skips off toward thekitchen.
“How about I just let you eat your lunch in peace,” Jack says, rising up from thebooth.
I reach for his arm. “Wait. Please stay. I don’t like to eatalone.”
He looks down at me for a few long seconds, then slides back down into the booth and mummers a soft, “Fine.”
“Thankyou.”
He folds hisarms.
“Jack. Take off your hat andglasses.”
He chuckles. “Bossymuch?”
“Please? I want to seeyou.”
“Why?”
Blowing the soup I’ve scooped up on my spoon, I study him, trying to imagine what the eyes shielded by the dark glasses look like. What the hair underneath the hat looks like. Then my eyes glaze over to his arm—his tattoo peeking out from under the jacket’s long sleeve. The fact that most of him is hidden in plain sight makes me that morecurious.
“Why not?” I say, chin in the air, slurping the yummy soup off thespoon.
“There you go again. An answer with a question. Anyone ever tell you that’sannoying?”
“Only you,Jack.”
He lifts his hand to his hat and in one move, removes the hat with one hand and smooths out his hair with theother.
