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He began to sweat. Was it obvious he kind of liked her? Should he have just offered to give her some in a take-out box? Why was he feeling so awkward all of a sudden? “I mean, you don’t have to eat with me if you don’t want to,” he said quickly, hoping to dispel the odd tension in the room.
She smiled. “I’d love to eat with you. I must admit I’m starving.”
He relaxed. Maybe it hadn’t been awkward. It could have been in his head. He did tend to overthink things. He pulled both chairs to the desk. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks.”
After he dished up the food, he grabbed a fork and sat down. “This looks delicious.”
“I asked them what their bestselling dinner plate was, and they said this one. I figured I couldn’t go wrong with shrimp scampi and grilled asparagus.”
He stabbed a shrimp. “Good thinking.” The flavor burst in his mouth, and he couldn’t help but moan. He was going to have to restrain himself, or he’d start shoveling it in like a slob. “This is delicious.”
She smiled in response.
“So, what is it you do, Riley? What brings you to the Cayman Islands?”
She shrugged. “I do a little of this and that.”
Hmm. She was being evasive. That wasn’t good. He studied her. “What does that mean?”
She laughed, but it felt forced. “It means I’m working at a temp agency because I couldn’t get any other job.”
Ah, she was embarrassed about being a temp. He shook his head. “Nothing to be ashamed of. It’s honest work.”
A look flitted across her face, but it was gone just as fast. “I guess.” She picked up her napkin. “How about you? Do you like being Shadow Walker’s manager?”
“No one ever asks me that.”
She gave him a funny look. “They don’t?”
“No.” They ask him all kinds of questions about Shadow. That was about it. No one really cared about him.
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “Probably because all people really want to know is Shadow’s real identity.” He studied her reaction.
Riley took a bite and chewed it slowly. “I guess the mystery of it intrigues people.”
“You’re probably right.” He was so used to people only paying attention to him because of Shadow that it felt weird to sit and have a normal conversation. Did he enjoy being Shadow’s manager? That was a hard question to answer because that was a front. Even though he did all the duties a manager would do, the thrilling part of his job was getting to go out on stage and sing. But he couldn’t tell her that.
“So? What’s your job like?”
Jalen had to choose his words carefully. “It’s crazy sometimes. Shadow gets way too much attention when we go places, which can be tiring. But it’s also fun. I enjoy the work I do. I get to help him make music, which makes people happy. That’s fulfilling.”
She smiled. “I can see you love music.”
She was perceptive. And pretty. And everything he should be staying away from. That’s why his next sentence surprised even himself. “Shadow will need an assistant on the schooner boat ride tomorrow.”
“Oh, sure.” She pulled out her phone. “What time?”
He almost took it back but didn’t see how he could do that and not look like an insane person. He had no use for an assistant on the boat ride. What would he tell her to do? He was stupid. All he wanted was to spend more time with her. Which was really dumb because he would be dressed as Shadow and wouldn’t even be able to talk to her like he knew her. But he was now stuck.
He sighed. “Nine in the morning. The boat will leave from the west dock.”
“Sounds good. Should I meet him at the dock or at his room?”
If he said room, he could chat with her while they walked. It was probably the stupidest thing for him to say, and he would regret it later on, but he smiled and said, “Meet him at his room.”
