AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Me neither.”
“Decide what you want.”
“Are you always this bossy?”
“Are you always this talkative?” he countered.
Frowning, I snatched one of the menus, acting like some schoolgirl by staring at him over the top. “I guess they can’t destroy chicken.”
He didn’t bother looking, remaining quiet until surly woman returned.
“Chicken sandwich and fries,” I ordered.
“Curly or straight?” she quipped.
“Straight.”
He suddenly pierced my eyes with his. “A full rack of ribs, baby backs if you have them. Slaw. Fries. Macaroni salad and cornbread. And a half chicken.”
She coughed as she wrote the items down. “That’s a lot of food, mister.”
“He’s a lot of man,” I answered.
At least she got the picture, backing away after envisioning him naked. What woman in their right mind wouldn’t?
There was such heat and fire in his eyes that I was immediately fidgety, trying to look everywhere but at him. When I noticed some dude approaching the stage, I craned my neck. “An Elvis impersonator?”
“We’re near Las Vegas, sweet cheeks. Impersonators are a dime a dozen.”
“Are you from the area?”
“Are you?”
“You don’t have to be such an asshole. I’m just trying to…”
“Make conversation?” he finished. “Don’t try so hard. You’ll burn too many brain cells.”
If he was trying to make me angry, it was working, but I chose not to take the bait. “You’re not around people very often. Are you?”
“That’s the way I prefer it and as you mighta guessed by now, everybody else feels the same way about me.”
“Talking isn’t difficult. You just open your heart.” I offered a smile, trying to break through his icy demeanor but he was having none of it.
“I don’t have a heart, Sassy. It was ripped from me a few years ago.”
I’d been around a hell of a lot of men who’d served in the military, many saying they’d served their time imprisoned with the danger and terror they were forced to face, the horrors that men inflicted on others. I admired men and women who served more than I was about to say to him. Whatever he’d endured had stripped away at his humanity. Maybe he was a good soul who’d gotten a raw deal. I was no psychiatrist, and he certainly didn’t want comfort.
We sat without talking while our dinner was being prepared and all throughout eating. He’d consumed every bite of his food, which shocked me. I’d picked at mine, my stomach churning, the anxiety kicking my ass. Maybe the mechanics shop had a payment plan. Without it, I was doomed. I guessed I could check on buses. Right. Like a big Greyhound came through this one-horse town.
As the impersonator began to sing, I was thankful he didn’t sound too bad. Unfortunately, he seemed locked on our table since everybody else in the restaurant was sitting several yards away. Maybe now I knew why.
With the plates taken away, I’d expected him to be ready to pay the bill. Instead, he ordered another whiskey for me and one for himself. At least the thick cords in his neck didn’t seem so tense after consuming an entire picture of beer. Not that he was any more talkative.
“I left Virginia to find a new life.” I had no idea why I was bothering trying to talk to him.
He slowly turned his head, and I could swear there was smoke swirling around him. His nostrils flared and the look in his eyes was entirely different than before.
As if the man would consume me for dessert.
