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“I’m feeling lucky this evening.”
That gets me another laugh from behind her menu. She lifts her chin in my direction. “Tell me what to order.”
“You want me to order for you?”
“Sure,” she wrinkles her nose and puts the heavy folder aside. “You know what I like. Save me the guesswork.”
I love this playful side of her. “Do you still hate salads?”
“Ugh!” She pretends to cough. “Lettuce is what my food eats.”
“Still like clams?”
“Les fruits de mer!” she exclaims, and I decide.
The waitress returns, and I order us both the linguini aux vongoles. Kass’s eyebrows rise behind those dark shades, and a smart little grin curves her lips.
“We always wanted to go to Campania,” she says once the woman has gone. “Spaghetti alle vongole is one of the most popular dishes there.”
“Did you ever go?”
A little head shake. “We only talked about going there together. Remember?”
I want to say I remember everything we dreamed of doing together, but I don’t. Instead, I say what’s been on my mind since the stairwell. “Do you have to wear those sunglasses?”
“Oh…” Her lips part, and she hesitates before continuing. “I-um… They’re prescription.”
My eyebrows rise. “Something new.” Thinking back, I remember last night at the casino and the slim glasses perched on her nose.
Shifting in her seat, now she does a little shrug. “Apparently, I always needed them. I never knew.”
“So you’re Monet?”
I watch as her fingers slide over the tablecloth until they collide with the stem of her champagne flute. She spreads them over the base before lifting the glass to her lips.
“Something like that.” Her smile is sad again. “If only my world were as beautiful as his.”
“I thought it was his myopia that created the beauty.”
“Myopia…” Her white teeth press together in a smile. “That’s an unusual word.”
Sitting forward in my chair, I slide my hand across the table to cover her slim one. She flinches slightly before relaxing, threading her fingers through mine. I love the sight of her slim, pale hand captured by my larger, darker one. It’s like she glows.
“Myopia isn’t so unusual,” I say gently, watching her pink lips press together. I wonder if she’s thinking of our kiss in the stairwell like I am. I wonder if she’ll let me have her tonight.
A young man with a large tray of our food appears at the table, breaking our moment. Small plates are set in front of each of us containing the flat noodles with opened clams, red sauce, and slivers of zucchini garnish. I assure him we need nothing more, and he disappears.
Kass leans forward, a conspiratorial smile on her face. “It smells delicious. I might eat every bite!”
I don’t stop my laugh. It’s been a while since I’ve felt happy. “I hope you do. God knows you can afford it.” She’s as thin as she always was.
Her soft laugh surrounds me, and I watch as she slides her fingers over the silverware before lifting her knife and fork and digging in. I don’t waste time following suit. The sooner we eat, the sooner I can decide whether I want to take her to the ocean or back to my apartment.
Floodgates
Kass
My mind is still on Cam when I grab my dark shades and slide them over my eyes. I instantly regret my decision when I dash out into the stairwell. I might as well have shut off the lights altogether. Stifling a swear, I make my way fast down the stairs, knowing the sun will still be blasting full force once I get outside.
