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Not a drop of wine had passed over her lips yet a drunken dizziness held Kenna captive as Dr. Merino carried their drinks to a two-seater booth.
Alcohol, a splendid idea while in the company of her morally gray mentor.
Her fear had peaked and been demoted to dread. No longer did she fear his presence as she slid into the booth seat across from him but rather she doubted her ability to entice him, to lure him, to get closer in order to uncover the truth.
The confines of the booth created a more intimate atmosphere than the openness of the bar. Dr. Merino still sported his work clothes: a boysenberry button-down and graphite slacks. His attractiveness had not waned since she saw him at the office.
Kenna’s fingertips quivered in her lap, preventing her from sampling the wine and acting casual.
She relied on humor.
“If this is your idea of keeping our relationship professional, you may need to reacquaint yourself with the definition.”
His knees brushed against hers beneath the table and she involuntarily looked away, the slight contact dredging up unwanted memories.
Liam’s hand on her thigh.
How Reid Emerson’s absence of remorse had almost been worse than what he’d put her through.
The contact was so miniscule, it likely went unregistered by Dr. Merino. His sluggish movement upon retrieving his glass alluded to the fact that he was at least tipsy from whatever he’d consumed at the previous bar, and that made it easier to write off the contact as accidental.
“It’s the weekend. I don’t think anyone here is binding us to any degree of professionalism.” His lowered voice contradicted his words.
He stared into her eyes, seeming to study other details of her face. The way his dark, lifeless gaze concentrated on Kenna sent her heart racing.
Shoulders going slack, his head lolled. It was the same easy-going intoxicated demeanor she had observed every week at trivia. “How long have you played guitar?”
Talk of their personal lives was something she should’ve been prepared for but the election of the topic hit her like a ton of bricks. She had built a life of her own in Oregon, a testament to her independence.
Any reflection, however small, of her 18 years in New York overshadowed that progress.
“Since I was 9, 10? Something like that.” She shrugged, finally tasting the wine if only to dissolve the truth welling on her tongue. He didn’t need to know what her childhood had actually been like. “I would play at get-togethers after Mass, sometimes, growing up. When I was in high school, I played at weddings, cafes, anywhere that would have me, really.”
“Your voice blew me away. I have to say, I never would’ve expected it. Ever think about L.A.?”
If Kenna’s parents caught wind of even a hypothetical conversation about her venturing out to snake-infested Los Angeles, they would have demanded she return to the farm. That was something she loved about being so far away.
The distance made their demands empty threats.
“No, not for a second. I’m where I’m meant to be.”
He inhaled a considerable portion of his drink. Forehead wrinkling, he asked, “Why so on edge? It’s just a question.”
Her hands slid across her tights. She needed a lie, quick.
“I’m not used to this.” Kenna gestured between them. “Being out with … someone like you.”
“Someone like me? Well, I certainly hope you don’t have a habit of going out to shoddy bars with university staff. I’dhopethis is the exception.”
The moment her empty glass hit the table, Dr. Merino signaled two fingers to Olivia. Kenna was one pour of wine away from wrecking her bike into a bush on the way home.
“Would it make you more comfortable if I shared something?” A trace of a smile flashed on his face and she found something comforting, something safe in that illusory warmth. Now, as Dr. Merino’s eyes settled on her, she didn’t feel scrutinized by their gaze, but protected. “Why don’t you extend the question? You’ve always had a penchant for inquisition.”
“What were you like in high school?”
“I was quiet. Read a lot. Those two qualities didn’t do me any favors with my teammates.”
“You were an athlete? Which sport?”
