“It’s been good.” He answered, eyes still glued to her. “I’m visiting from Pennsylvania.” He added after a pause.
“That sounds interesting. What brings you to Maine?” Sabrina asked.
He shrugged his shoulders with a practiced smile. “Beaches and mountains.”
Sabrina nodded. “We have both of those.”
“Anywhere you’d recommend?” He asked.
“Depends. What are you looking for?” She replied, her voice taking on a teasing lilt.
The man cocked his head. “Elaborate.” His tone was patient, but there was no mistaking the demand.
Sabrina wondered what else he liked to control. She flushed, looking away for a moment to gather her thoughts. “Are you looking for something quiet, or do you prefer being somewhere more lively?”
“That’s a good question.” He nodded, his expression thoughtful. “I like peace and quiet, but I also like a good party. Proper place and time.” He shrugged gracefully. “What do you like?”
Sabrina couldn’t help but feel like there was a double meaning she was missing, but she nodded in agreement. “I love the water. Sometimes I feel like alone time on a beach; sometimes I want to be surrounded with people; people I know though.”
“Are you saying you don’t like strangers?” The man asked mischievously.
Sabrina narrowed her gaze with playful scrutiny. “Stranger danger.”
“That would make your job a little difficult, no?” He asked.
“I talk to all sorts of people here. But that doesn’t mean they have access to me outside of work.” Sabrina shrugged.
He nodded his head thoughtfully. “Okay, how does one get access to your social calendar outside of work?” He asked.
A shy smile tugged at Sabrina’s lips before she returned his thoughtful expression. “How do you feel about recycling?”
It occurred to Sabrina that this may be part of the reason she was single, but the words were already out of her mouth and she had no regrets. Mr. GQ’s brows furrowed as he mulled over the question with real consideration.
“I wouldn’t say I have feelings about it, but factually, it’s beneficial to our ecosystem and the health of everyone involved.” He answered. “Do I pass?” He quirked an eyebrow.
“You’re at the beach with a plastic bag and there’s no trashcan around. What do you do with it?” Sabrina asked in response.
“Hmm.” He murmured, the low rumble doing something funny to her stomach. “Permission to approach the bench, Your Honor?” He quipped with an amused expression.
“Permission granted.” She responded with a grin.
He approached the counter and spread his arms out as he rested his hands on the only barrier between them. Sabrina was 5'10" and used to being among the tallest in the room. But this man towered over her. He leaned in with a roguish grin.
“Where did the bag in question come from? What’s in it?” He cross-examined.
Sabrina’s eyes twinkled. “From the grocery store. It’s empty.”
“False. There is no grocery bag because I don’t go to the grocery store.” He answered smugly.
Sabrina raised a brow. “The prosecution would like to know how the defense feeds itself, as he seems well fed.”
“The defense has people who take care of that. The defense is also wondering why he’s the defense and not the prosecution.”
“The court would like to clarify that any hired staff who throw away items that could be recycled are still contributing to the carbon footprint of the employer’s household.” Sabrina arched a brow, her tone even.
“The defense is in agreement.” Cesare nodded, fighting back a smile. “The defense is also waiting to discover why they are defense?”
Sabrina fought to keep a smile off her face and failed miserably. “Because I haven’t done anything wrong in this hypothetical.”
