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“That’s awful. At least they’re reasonably courteous in this neighborhood.”
Chelsea nodded, but despite his reassurance, she seemed uncertain and Barton wondered what made her so tentative at times. During the excitement of the game, she’d come out of herself; now she was more guarded. Perhaps that was to be expected, especially when making a new acquaintance.
Something Terri had said in passing made him think Chelsea had recently gone through a bad breakup. Maybe she was still picking up the pieces. He could definitely sympathize.
In the meantime, he would to do his best to get to know her better. He was sure she was worth the effort.
* * *
NICOLE ENJOYED THE perfectly prepared shrimp scampi she’d ordered, trying to ignore the raw tension inside of her. Perhaps she shouldn’t have told Jordan about that long-ago kiss, but it had seemed silly not to mention it. The same with the time Jordan had knocked her down when she was trying to skate. The events had been meaningless kid stuff, yet his eyes had flared in a very un-kidlike way when she’d explained about them kissing.
It didn’t help that the restaurant’s atmosphere made the meal feel like part of a romantic tryst…low lights, flowers and candles on the linen-covered table topped by fine china and crystal. But she and Jordan didn’t want anything together, despite whatever physical attraction existed between them.
“Would you care for dessert?” he asked as the waiter cleared their dishes.
“Not for me, but go ahead.”
“I’m fine. With luck, the traffic has eased up by now.”
“I hope your meal was adequate, Ms. George,” the maître d’ said in calm understatement as they neared the door.
“Everything was delicious,” Nicole assured him.
“As always,” Jordan added.
She breathed a sigh of relief when they stepped outside and the aura of romance vanished. As they walked toward the car she drew a calming breath and glanced around, appreciating the evening light. “Seattle is a beautiful city. I’m looking forward to the long days during summer.”
“Short winter days are the downside.”
“True,” she conceded. “But while it may not be your idea of a great evening, I love curling up with a good book by the fire. And this year I’ll have Toby lying near the hearth. I suppose you pop off to Hawaii or the southern hemisphere when the worst of winter approaches.”
“I spend a fair amount of time away,” he conceded. “As I’ve mentioned, I can work from anywhere, even in a hammock under a palm tree.”
“A rare and pleasant circumstance.”
“But you chose a second career that keeps you tied to the same place most of the time. I know we’ve talked about this a little already, but weren’t you tempted to retire and enjoy a leisurely life style?”
Nicole shrugged. If they were two other people, someone might think they were innocently chatting, getting to know one another as friends or potential lovers. Instead, anything she said would have a good chance of finding its way into a PostModern article.
“I was tempted,” she acknowledged, “but it didn’t seem like much of a life goal. I wanted to accomplish something.”
“So you don’t anticipate any regrets?”
“I’m not saying it wouldn’t be nice to fly off to Paris or Rome whenever the urge strikes, but I’m putting something else first. And as I’ve indicated, once my partners are all here, I’ll have more time for other things.”
Jordan inclined his head and she could practically see the wheels turning in his journalistic brain. “Aside from reading, what other hobbies do you enjoy?” he asked.
“I’m still figuring that out. I’m curious about many things and would love a pastime that I could be excited about.” She grinned. “You know that movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? I love the diary Indy’s father kept for years, filled with arcane details and lore about the Grail. It might be fun to get totally absorbed by something. Does that sound silly to you?”
They’d gotten into the car while talking and there was a funny smile playing on Jordan’s lips.
“I have to confess,” he finally said, “I have a book like that. Actually, more than one. I’ve collected every single bit of information and speculation about Sasquatch that I can find. Go ahead and poke fun at me.”
