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He looked at her in an assessing way and then placed a hand at the lower part of her back, his fingertips touching the thin strip of exposed skin. “Maybe everyone else isunderdressed. You look incredible, sexy, and you stand out. I’d be willing to bet most of these women wished they looked as good as you, and most of the men wish they were me.”
He walked ahead of her toward the counter, and for a full five seconds Desiree didn’t move because his words triggered something inside of her—a memory she had suppressed. Blinking back tears, she followed behind him.
“Thank you,” she muttered.
“I meant every word.” He pointed at the menu. “The ribs are delicious. You don’t need sauce, but if you want some they have two kinds…”
He went into a spiel about the choices, and she listened attentively, soaking up the sound of his voice and the enticing way he smelled. She did catch a few people looking at her, but instead of feeling self-conscious, she straightened her shoulders.
He was right. She looked damn good, and she was going to own it.
Lucky for them, there was an empty table outside, which is where they sat with an assortment of dishes. Brisket, ribs, chicken, sausage, sides, and an extra order of the biscuits.
“This is a lot of food,” Desiree said, her eyes wide when she took a good look at the spread.
“You weren’t shy about ordering, so don’t be shy about eating,” he said.
She laughed. “I admit to having a hearty appetite, but that doesn’t mean I can eat all this food.”
“We should at least try to put a dent in it. I’m willing to try if you are.”
“You have a deal.”
They started eating, and she sampled the different meats. Each one carried a smoky flavor, and as he promised, the ribs were so tender, they practically fell off the bone. They were well seasoned, and he was right—they didn’t need the barbecue sauce.
Desiree covered her mouth so she could talk with her mouth full. “This food is freaking delicious.”
Montez nodded vigorously as he finished chewing. “I came here when they first opened and couldn’t believe how good everything was. Inviting you was an excuse to come back.”
“I don’t get the impression that you’re the kind of person who’s concerned about sitting down and eating by himself.”
“I’m not. Are you the kind of person who is?”
Desiree tore off a piece of chicken with her fingers and paused. “I used to be, but as time wore on, I became more confident and started going to movies alone, sitting at restaurants alone—and sometimes I don’t bring a book.”
He let out an exaggerated gasp, and she laughed.
“You mean you sit there by yourself and don’t read anything?”
“Just me and my thoughts and delicious food,” she confirmed.
“That’s cool.”
They fell silent as they continued digging in. There was no way they were going to finish all these plates, but she enjoyed the process of trying.
“I need to tell you something.” Desiree wiped her hands on a napkin.
“Shoot.” He gave her his undivided attention.
“I need to explain why I got so dressed up.”
“I already know. I should’ve told you where we were going. That’s my bad.”
“It is your bad, but I also could have asked, but that’s not why I dressed up.” She paused. What she was about to tell him hadn’t been shared with a lot of people. “Like I told you before, when we were growing up, my parents didn’t have a lot of money. We never took vacations, and going out to dinner became a big event. We got dressed up in our best clothes, which we didn’t have much of, either. That’s probably why I ended up working for a retail clothing store. I can buy my clothes at a discount, and now I have way more than I need. Much different from when I was growing up—wearing out-of-fashion pieces and being made fun of because of what I wore.”
“Kids can be cruel. I’m sorry that happened to you.”
She shrugged. “It’s in the past, but when you said we were going out to dinner, I got excited—my usual response—which meant I needed to dress up. It’s kind of silly, but going out at night for a nice dinner was a big deal for me and my family, and in some ways… in a lot of ways… it still is for me.”
