“Just imagine all the free swagyou’dhave right now if you hadn’t left me high and dry back in Negril.”He shot her a knowing look.
“And here we go…” Claire shook her head.
"You disappeared without a trace.One minute we're ordering coffee and the next minute you’re gone.Was it something I said?Something I didn’t say?”
“I think you know why I left.”
“Because mybetter halfcalled down to the bar?"Jay made air quotes around the word.“My better half was actually my best friend, Rob.The bartender thought we were a couple.”
"Your best friend?"
"Yeah, he’d planned the trip with his wife Abby for their anniversary.Only Abby got pregnant.By the time the trip rolled around, she was in the throes of all-day morning sickness.Instead of canceling the trip, Abby sent Rob and me—sort of a guy’s trip.”
“Wow.Generous.”
“It was sort of an intervention.I’d lost my wife in December and had kind of dropped out of the human race.They thought that by getting me on a beach I could hit the restart button.”
Claire tensed at the mention of his deceased wife.
“I am truly sorry for your loss, Jay.And extremely sorry for my insensitive comment earlier.I had no idea?—”
“Please,” He stopped her.“You don’t have to apologize again.How could you have possibly known?”
“Well, after you hobbled off to answer the call from yourwife, I was convinced you were a Steel Stud.That’s why I bolted.”
“What’s a Steel Stud?”
“Danielle Steel?The novelist?You’ve heard of her, right?”
“Of course.”
“Molly and I read the covers off her books when we were girls.All the handsome problematic men in her novels—those were the ones we called Steel Studs.”
“And you labeled me as such afterone hourof conversation?That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?”
“I’m sorry, but with a wife on the phone, what was I supposed to think?”
“A bad boy, huh?”He tried not to smile.“That’s probably the biggest compliment any woman’s ever given me.As a card-carrying member of both the American Chemical Society and the fraternal order of Alpha Chi Sigma, I think I speak for science geeks everywhere when I say thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”She beamed.
Their conversation quieted as they enjoyed their desserts and watched the crowd around them.
“So, are we talking James Bond-level bad boy?”he asked with hopeful eyes.
“Well…” She hesitated.
“No, you’re right.Without that accent, I don’t stand a chance to rate Bond-level.”
At the mention of the famous British spy, Claire zoned out, her mind rushing across a series of painful, yet still fresh memories.
"We could be lovers.You go to London and find yourself some loving, supportive, nine-to-fiver.And when you grow tired of him and become incredibly bored—because you absolutely will—you'll still have me to fill in the gaps."
“Claire?”Jay’s tone conveyed concern.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I lost you there for a second.Are you alright?”
