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With a start, she realized her eyes had strayed back to Daniel once again. He was giving her a quizzical look and she had to blink several times before thinking fast. She nodded toward the skimpy bikini wrap for him to see and arched a brow as if she were asking for his opinion.
He grinned and gave her a thumbs up. Taken aback, she glanced down at the cloth and wondered if she had grabbed the wrong item. Daniel’s taste ran more on the conservative side. He made no secret he detested the provocative little dresses that she enjoyed wearing on a night out or to work. The multi-colored fabric in shades of pink and yellow had caught her attention immediately as it was cut low but would ride high up one side, providing lots of thigh underneath. It surprised her that Daniel would have agreed.
She slipped the garment off the hanger and entered the store to purchase it. Maura had chosen a similar one in navy blue, while Tristan bought Audrey a beaded bracelet. When she exited the shop she was pleased to see Daniel and Patrick had advanced further down the boardwalk and were almost parallel with the store.
As soon as they came abreast to them, Maura slipped her arm through Patrick’s and the duo took the lead. A bit giddy for no apparent reason, Sonya slid over to Daniel’s side and copied her friend’s action, slipping her arm through his. He glanced down at her in surprise, then seemed to catch himself and looked away quickly as if it was perfectly normal.
Tristan and Audrey drew up the rear and the couples continued browsing the shops until the lunch hour struck and complaints of hunger began to interrupt their conversation. They chose an outdoor diner with large umbrellas shading the tables and were able to find a sitting area large enough to sit all six of them.
It was just after their food arrived and they began to eat that Tristan turned to Daniel and asked, “So what is it you do exactly, Daniel?”
He swallowed a mouthful of taco salad before replying. “I’m a software engineer for a computer consultant firm.”
“Which one?” Tristan looked genuinely intrigued.
“He works down at the University’s Research Institute,” Sonya provided.
Daniel glanced at her, looking oddly impressed. “For now. Until my next assignment.”
“Sounds interesting,” Tristan said. “What services does a consultant software engineer provide?”
Daniel took another bite of his lunch, swallowed, then offered. “I design and develop new software programs to meet the needs of my clients. Generally, I’m available until the company feels I’m no longer required. That can be months or years at a time, depending on the size of the firm or the number of available support staff. In best case scenario, I am given an intern who will follow me like a shadow to learn every crook and cranny there is to know so that when I leave, the transaction will be a comfortable affair. The intern will take over where I leave off.”
“That must require a lot of relocating.” The other man asked.
“Usually,” Daniel confirmed. “But I don’t really mind. I enjoy the work and the new surroundings.
Otherwise, I’m sure, it could get monotonous.”
“Relocate?” Sonya straightened her back. She hadn’t heard anything about Daniel relocating. “You mean your job isn’t permanent?”
He chuckled. “No, it’s quite permanent. However, my company’s services are employed all over the country.”
“Your company?” Audrey asked beside Tristan. “You own the company?”
He nodded and seemed to appear suddenly uncomfortable with the assault of questioning from around the table.
“What do you mean you relocate?” Sonya still couldn’t decipher his meaning. The fact that he owned his own company surprised her, for he never disclosed that piece of information about himself before. Granted, she never encouraged him to discuss his work. If anything, she cut him off quicker than lightning in fear of being bored to death.
At the moment, however, she couldn’t seem to soak up enough information. “How many times have you relocated?”
He appeared to be doing a mental calculation in his head. “About eight or nine times.”
Her eyes grew wide and she literally slumped back in her seat in surprise. Then asking the question most demanding at the forefront of her mind, “When is the next time you relocate?”
Daniel shot her a frown, his features wrinkled in puzzlement. Obviously her sudden interest in his job taking him by surprise. She never cared to hear about the details before, why now was she overwhelmed with an urgent need to know. “When I’m done down at the Institute.”
“Oh, what university is that?” Maura asked.
He opened his mouth to answer, but Sonya interrupted him. “When is that?”
His eyes slid back to her face and studied her before answering, “Hard to say, but probably around November if not sooner.”
Something happened to Sonya that was as foreign to her as sunbathing in the Arctic. Hurt. So sudden and swift it caught her off guard. She attempted to get it under control, but to no avail. Swallowing a sudden lump in her throat, she pushed back her chair with force and excused herself from the table.
Out on the boardwalk, she hit the wooden planks hard, needing to burn off this unexplained emotion. She didn’t like it. Not one little bit.
* * *
