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“Any food allergies or dislikes?”
She made a face. “Nope. I’m not allergic to anything and I love it all.”
“Okay, that makes it easy. I consider myself an aficionado of Greek cuisine, so I’ll point out some favorites. Souvlaki is meat served on skewers and it’s a great dish, especially since the meat is usually very tender. Moussaka is an eggplant dish served with meat and a really nice sauce on top. Gyros are made from pork and wrapped up in flatbread with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce. That would be my suggestion as a first timer. You really can’t go wrong with it.”
“Sold!” she said with a grin.
When the waiter came over to take their order, Faith ordered the gyro platter while Micah made a last minute decision to try the spanakopita. He ordered two glasses of Sangria to go with the meal and an appetizer for the two of them to share.
Even though he sensed Faith was shy, the rapport between them was easy going and natural. The conversation flowed like a river. She asked about his profession and told him how she admired him for being so photogenic. She confessed at feeling awkward sometimes in front of the camera. Micah told her he couldn’t imagine her not looking good in photos and recommended his younger brother Nash as a photographer if she ever needed some professional photos of her taken. Faith’s personality was beginning to show—she was funny and sweet and humble. He couldn’t remember ever having met someone like her before. And Micah had met a lot of women—he’d dated way more than he would like to admit.
Lately, Micah hadn’t liked the loneliness he’d felt at night when he was all by himself at home. While others were settling down, he hadn’t met a single woman who made him think about the future. And even though he truly believed Rafferty had picked the wrong woman, he envied his best friend’s fervent desire to pledge himself to another human being. He knew Rafferty would uphold those vows without reservation. It was just a shame Pamela would be the one to benefit from such love and devotion.
Once the food arrived, Micah and Faith paused in their conversation to dig in to their meals. When Micah tasted the spanakopita and the crispy, flaky dough hit his tongue he knew he’d made an excellent choice. As always, the chef had outdone himself.
“Mmm. You were right about the food. It’s amazing,” Faith said as she bit into the gyro.
She was eating the Greek cuisine with gusto which he appreciated.
He put a finger up to his lips. “Don’t tell my parents I eat the occasional meal here.”
She chuckled. “I won’t. Although personally, I like the Silver Spoon better. For sentimental reasons.”
“I’m glad it brought back some good memories.” It had touched his heart to know his family’s restaurant had held such an esteemed place in Faith’s childhood memories. She’d had so much tragedy in her young life. It was nice to know there had been happy times as well.
She took another bite of her gyro and swallowed. She chewed for a few moments then said, “It really did. When a tragedy happens, it’s natural to try and block out the things that might make you miss your loved ones. But, in the end, those good memories help with the healing. Even all these years later, I’m still healing.”
On impulse, he reached across the table and squeezed her hand. For the first time he noticed little scars by her wrists. Burn scars. They were raised and discolored. Noticing his scrutiny, she quickly pulled her hand away and tugged her sleeves down over her wrists.
Micah felt as if he’d gone twenty steps backward with Faith. “I didn’t mean to stare.”
She looked down at her plate. “It’s okay. I know it’s hard not to stare. They’re not pretty.”
“They’re very faint. I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t notice them, but it’s only because I notice everything about you.”
He watched as Faith’s cheeks turned pink. “You’re just being nice.”
Micah chuckled. “No, I’m not. I’m not that nice.”
She met his gaze head-on. He saw raw emotion flickering in her beautiful blue eyes. “I was burned over twenty percent of my body, Micah. After the fire I was in a burn unit for months recovering. And yes, I did recover, moment by moment, bit by bit. I got well enough so I could be released.” She winced, as if remembering all she’d endured. “But the burns will never totally fade. I had revision scar surgery and it helped a little bit, but burns are hard to treat. And the treatments are painful.”
Just the thought of Faith enduring such pain made him ache for her. At sixteen years old, Micah had been self-absorbed and something of a jokester. He couldn’t imagine being cooped up in a hospital for months on end and undergoing painful treatments. He knew enou
gh about burn injuries from Rafferty to understand the implications of Faith’s words. She hadn’t just endured physical torment. There had been a psychological component as well. He needed to tread carefully with Faith. She’d been through more than most people endured in a lifetime.
“Okay. I understand you’ve been through a lot. Forgive me if I’m putting my foot in my mouth or overstepping, but you don’t have to feel badly about your scars, Faith. I say that knowing I haven’t walked in your shoes. It just seems to me that those marks are battle scars. You survived something really horrible. By God’s grace, you’re still with us.”
Faith simply stared at him with big eyes. Had he gone too far? They really didn’t know one another and perhaps it sounded like he was preaching to her.
“End of sermon,” he announced, taking another bite of his meal.
A smile played around her lips, and although she didn’t say anything, Micah had the sense she was all right with what he’d said to her. She seemed to be pondering it. Maybe, in some small way, his words had been reassuring.
As they finished their meal, the waiter came over to collect their plates and show them a dessert menu. Faith suggested they order baklava and vanilla ice cream. Micah loved the idea since both items were favorites of his. When the check came, Faith put up a fuss about him paying for their meal. Rather than fight her on it, Micah acquiesced to her request to pay half. He knew it wasn’t a real date, so he let her get away with it. He had an ulterior motive. If Faith was allowed to get her way in this matter perhaps she’d be more amenable to going out on an actual date with him.
Maybe tonight he’d managed to make a tiny bit of an impression on her.
Perhaps she was just as impressed with him as he was with her.
