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Eyes gleaming with amusement, he watched her. “I’m guessing AAG doesn’t ever serve it.”
Just like that, she sobered. “No, they don’t.” She supposed she should thank him for reminding her of the reality of her life right now. She couldn’t let her love for a good tuna roll make her forget the entire reason she was here in Mustang Valley.
“Don’t.” He lightly touched her shoulder.
“Don’t what?”
“Dim your joy just because I mentioned AAG,” he said.
Since she couldn’t tell him that wasn’t all of it, she simply nodded and got out of the truck.
Once they were shown to a booth near the back, a waitress came and gave them menus and took their drink orders. Fiona stuck to water while Jake ordered a beer.
“It’s been so long since I had sushi, I’ll let you order for both of us,” Jake said, pushing his menu away.
She narrowed her eyes. “Have you ever even had sushi?” she asked.
His sheepish grin was answer enough. “I’m game to try it,” he said. “Since you’re such a big fan, it can’t be all that bad.”
This made her laugh. “You know what,” she mused. “I like you.”
“I like you, too.” He studied her for a moment. “I just can’t help but wonder what my mother’s motivation is for wanting us to get together. She never does anything unless it’s going to benefit her in some way.”
Here was where she should rush to Micheline’s defense, as any good little disciple would. But right now, Fiona didn’t have the heart. She just wanted to enjoy her meal and the company. She’d go back to her role once they’d returned to the AAG center.
Right now, she just wanted to enjoy a couple of good sushi rolls and the company of the handsome cowboy sitting across from her.
Instead of responding to Jake’s statement, she smiled at the waitress, which brought her over to see if they’d decided. Fiona ordered an assortment for them, wanting to give Jake a chance to sample several of her favorites.
Through it all, Jake sipped his beer and watched her, his expression contemplative.
Once the waitress had gone, Fiona eyed Jake. She wanted to see if she could find out how much he knew. “Since we’re getting to know each other, what’s the deal with you and your mother? Is it true you haven’t seen her for years?”
“Yep. All true.” He eyed her. “I’m sure you probably won’t agree with me, but Micheline is not a good person.”
Now they were getting somewhere. “Why do you say that?” she asked mildly, clasping her hands on the table in front of her.
Instead of answering, he leaned across the table, his intense stare locking on her. “My turn,” he said. “What made you decide to join AAG?”
“They found me roami
ng the streets,” she said simply. “They offered me a place to stay and a hot meal. They were kind to me when no one else was. I owe them for that.”
He took another sip of his beer, clearly considering what he should say next. She could tell he badly wanted to talk to her about leaving the cult, getting some help. While she found this admirable—hell, it was something she would do herself were the situations reversed—she couldn’t tell him the truth and risk blowing her cover.
Luckily, their food arrived. Happily, she eyed everything, enjoying the colorful artistry of the two elaborate sushi towers. Jake eyed them, too, his expression a mixture of curiosity and confusion. “Do we eat those?” he asked. “It seems a shame to mess up the artwork.”
This made her laugh. “It kind of does, doesn’t it? Just wait until you taste it.”
They passed the serving platters around, taking samples of each. She waited for Jake to try one, wanting to see his reaction when he had his first bite. In her experience, people either loved or detested sushi. She had to see in which camp Jake would fall.
He chose a crab roll. “Good choice,” she said, nodding in approval as he popped it into his mouth.
Chewing slowly, he appeared to be savoring the taste. He swallowed and inclined his head. “That was pretty good, actually.”
“Only pretty good?” she challenged. “Try the California roll. Most people like that one.”
“Why aren’t you eating?” he asked instead.
