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As I skim the menu, I’m reeling from my encounter on the dock with Jason. I can still feel his strong arms around me as he held me close and saved me from falling into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan. I wanted to lose myself in his gaze. I wanted him to… I don’t know.Kiss me? Touch me?
I’ve never felt this way before, not about any guy. We haven’t known each other that long, and yet I feel like I’ve known him forever.
I feel like Iknowhim.
Is that even possible? How can I feel that way about someone I’ve just met? This has never happened to me before, and I don’t know what to make of it. Is this what they mean by love at first sight? Is that even a thing?
Our server comes back to the table to take our orders. I ask for a bottle of sparkling water because I want to save my carbs for my meal. Jason orders the same. He tends to drink the same thing I do. I think he’s doing it to be nice.
While we’re waiting for our drinks and perusing the menu, he picks up his phone and glances at the screen. “Your glucose level is kinda low,” he says. “Do you feel all right?”
“Now that you mention it, I do feel a bit light-headed, but it’s nothing serious.”
Our server returns almost immediately with our chilled bottles of sparkling water and silverware wrapped in paper napkins. “Do you know what you want?” she asks, her overly-curious gaze lingering on me first, and then on Jason.
I opt for the lunch special, which is a grilled turkey and cheese on wholegrain bread, served with homemade potato chips and a cup of fresh fruit. Jason orders a burger and fries.
“Would you mind bringing her fruit out right now?” Jason asks our server.
“Sure, that’s no problem,” she says as she jots down our orders. Her gaze bounces back and forth between the two of us. Then she looks right at me. “I don’t mean to be nosy, but you’re Layla Alexander, aren’t you?”
My pulse slams into my throat. “Yes.”
Her blue eyes widen. “I thought so.” Then she looks at Jason. “And this is your new bodyguard? I read you had a new one.” She grows a bit flustered as her gaze returns to me. “I follow your Instagram account. I read about what happened to Sean. That’s so horrible. I can’t believe you saw that with your own eyes. You must have been scared to death.”
I don’t have an Instagram account, but there is a fan-made account that pretends to be me. My heart starts pounding. This is exactly what I’m afraid of—unending questions.
“Excuse me, it’s Amy, right?” Jason asks as he points toward our server’s name tag.
Amy’s gaze bounces eagerly back to him. “Yeah?”
He gives her a polite smile. “Layla would like to eat her lunch in private. Do you mind?”
“Oh, sure.” Blushing, she nods. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve never seen you in public before. You’re even prettier than you are on social media.” Flustered, she tucks her notepad and pen into her apron pocket. “I’ll go put your orders in. And I’ll bring her fruit right away.” After one last look, Amy hurries off toward the kitchen.
“That wasn’t too bad,” Jason says. When his phone chimes with an incoming message, he checks the screen and smiles. “It’s your brother, checking up on you.”
“Tell him I’m doing great.”
That girl is still staring at you.
I turn to look behind me, and sure enough, our server is watching us from behind the lunch counter. She quickly turns away and busies herself with folding napkins.
She saw your face. The bruises. She thinks they’re ugly. You’re ugly.
I sit so that she can’t see my face. And then I notice that Jason’s frowning as he watches me.
She lied. You’re not pretty. You’re ugly.
I do my best to ignore her. Jason’s still watching me closely, as if he knows what’s going on inside my head. It’s only making me even more self-conscious.
“Everything okay?” he asks.
I nod. “I’m fine.” Nervously, I unwrap my silverware—a fork, spoon, and a knife—and lay the utensils on the napkin, mostly just to have something to do.
Grab the knife. Take it. Hide it.
I glance down at the serrated knife at my place setting. Then I notice Jason watching me. “I’m fine,” I snap, then regret talking to him that way. “Sorry.”
