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My father gives me a knowing grin. “You like him.”
I shrug, trying to play it cool. “He’s all right.”
“Did he really drive the truck across town to get a haircut from you?”
Shaking my head, I sigh. “Word travels fast.”
“He drew attention to himself by blowing the horn all the way back to the station.”
“He didnot.”
“He did.” Dad nods several times. “Seems Jack Perkins has a little crush on you.”
“We just met. I don’t know much about him.”Except that he’s sexy, gorgeous, and an incorrigible flirt.
“So, get to know him! He could use a friend.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Do you know how he ended up here?”
I can’t exactly confess that I was too busy lusting and fantasizing about him to ask any questions.
“No, tell me.”
He motions with his chin in Jack’s direction. “Ask him yourself.”
I glance over and see him squatting down, cradling a larger dog between his legs while the same woman from before strokes another in a calming manner. Judging by their mutual smiles, Jack and the woman are on friendly terms. Before she walks away, I notice they both pull their phones out, tap the screens, and smile.
I’m not a jealous person. I have nothing to be jealous about, but my God, the green-eyed monster has taken hold of me and is whispering envious, bitter thoughts in my ear.
After cocktail hour, my mother suggests we sit. I nod and follow her. Jack takes the vacant seat between Kylie and me. Thankfully her date is sitting at another table.
Leaning over, Jack whispers in my ear, “I’m a lucky man to be sitting between two beauties.”
I return a tight smile, still bitter about his exchange with the other woman. I inhale sharply and let the unwarranted envious feeling dissipate on a slow breath through rounded lips.
Within minutes, salads and then entrees are delivered. Jack notices my struggle to remove lobster meat from its shell.
“Can I help you?”
Grateful because I’m famished, I nod and slide my dish over.
When he returns my meal, plated is the decadent lobster, melted butter, whipped potatoes, and a medley of vegetables. The shell has been discarded and left on his bread dish.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he says as he stabs a piece of lobster with his fork, dips it into the butter then pops it into his mouth. “And if you need help getting out of that dress later, let me know.”
I laugh when he winks.
Throughout dinner, Jack Perkins charms, not only me but everyone else at the table. My mother and Kylie can’t contain their amusement and my father seems tickled pink at the idea of Jack and me. I wrinkle my nose at Kylie when I notice her looking for her date. She needs to find a nice guy like Jack- just a younger version of him.
“Dance with me,” Jack says after the tableware has been cleared away.
I look at him wide-eyed. “No one’s dancing yet.”
“So, we’ll be the first.”
