Page 23 of No Headlines Please

"Because…well…that's way too extravagant." She paused. "And wasteful. I mean, you do realize we won't eat half of it."

"So?" I shrugged. "You can take the rest to go."

She winced. "Oh, no. You did this so I wouldn't go hungry later, didn't you?" She sounded genuinely mortified. "I can afford food, honest."

This was debatable. But I hadn't done it for charity. The truth was, I was obscenely curious what she would enjoy if she wasn't too busy worrying about the cost.

I smiled. "Hey, the menu's not that big."

"Yeah, but—"

"And you want the truth?"

She gave a tentative nod.

I lowered my voice. "I didn't want you to pick something because you thought it was the cheapest."

And I wasn't lying about the size of the menu. This wouldn't be a spectacle.

By design, the menu was only two pages, with offerings that changed every night. The exclusivity was part of the appeal.

But Delaney looked unconvinced. "Do they even offer to-go boxes in a place like this?"

"Sure – unless you call it a doggy bag, in which case they'll probably escort us out."

This wasn't true. I could call it a grub bucket, and they'd still box everything up just fine. But the joke was worth it to see Delaney smile.

With a little snicker, she said, "So…I can't call it a snack pack? A chow pouch?" Her eyes brightened. "I know! A feed bag."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "I'd pay good money to hear you call it that."

"You would not." She rolled her eyes. "You'd be totally embarrassed. And with good reason, too." Her chin lifted. "I can behave myself, you know."

I did know. Because even though she wasn't completely at ease, she obviously knew how to navigate high-end places. No doubt, this was due to her mom, who'd inherited just enough money to get herself in trouble.

The research on this had been crystal clear. Instead of growing her fortune, she'd drained it dry. Based on the numbers, she was still digging. And let's just say her credit score wasn't half as good as her daughter's.

Now, as I watched Delaney across the table, her last statement lingered between us.

I can behave.

Somehow, this only made me wonder what she'd be like when not behaving.

In private.

Fuck.

I shifted in my seat. "Hey, if you want to misbehave, don't let me stop you."

"Oh, please. That would make me a pretty awful dinner guest, don't you think? Embarrassing you while we're out?"

If she thought that was embarrassing, she should've seen the absolute shitstorm unleashed by Sloane after I called off the wedding.

But I didn't want to think about Sloane. She was ancient history, even if the rest of the world hadn't gotten the memo.

To Delaney, I replied, "Who knows? Maybe I'd embarrass you."

This made her laugh. "Yeah, right." And then, she surprised me by tossing out a phrase I'd used on her, back in the apartment building. "You look pretty civilized to me."