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“Of course, sir.” She smiled, and with two menus in her hand, she gestured toward the large open room filled with diners. “Please follow me.”
After she seated us, she told us our server would be with us shortly and walked away. Leaning forward, I lowered my voice. “Your name is Watson?”
Tank jerked up his chin. “My last name is Watson.”
“What’s your first name?”
“Shawn.”
“Shawn Watson,” I repeated. “It fits you.”
“Haven’t been called by my real name in a long time.” He grinned. “At least not since the Army and then it was usually just someone hollering my last name.”
I smiled, his grin almost mesmerizing me. “Did you like being in the military?”
“Yeah. It actually changed my life.”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t grow up in a good place. The military gave me the escape I needed. If I stayed there, I’d probably be doin’ time by now.”
My eyes widened. “Prison?”
“Yeah, princess, prison.”
I studied him closely, allowing that warm feeling his nickname for me brought, before shaking my head. “I don’t think you would have. That’s not who you are, not in your soul.”
When he didn’t reply, I began to feel uncomfortable almost as if I said something he didn’t appreciate. To distract myself, I looked around the restaurant, admiring the décor until my eyes landed on the artwork hanging on the wall a few tables from where we sat. I studied it for a moment before I grinned.
“What are you smiling about?”
I nodded toward the piece of artwork behind Tank’s head. “I recognize that art from a class I took in college.”
He looked behind him and studied it for a moment before meeting my gaze again. “It’s just a bunch of lines and shapes.”
“To the naked eye.” She smiled. “But if you study it and follow the abstract elements, you can see what the artist was trying to hide in plain sight.”
“What do you see?”
“Motorcycles. A line of motorcycles watching the sunset.”
He twisted in his seat, but frustrated with the lack of view, he stood and pulled his chair around the table until he sat beside me. “Show me.”
Leaning against his shoulder, I lifted my finger and pointed. “Do you see the circles?” When he nodded, I continued. “Follow them. Trace the lines with your eyes.”
When he was silent, I dropped my finger and glanced his way. He leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. “I’ll be damned.”
“Do you see them?”
He sat back and laid his palms flat on the table. “Can’t believe it, but I can.”
I smiled at the awe in his voice, and he turned his head to face me. I wanted to know what he was thinking at that moment but we heard a voice before he had a chance to speak.
“Brother, I know you aren’t familiar with restaurants, but typically when it’s a two-person table, they sit across from each other.” When Tank glanced at him, he continued. “Unless they’re on a date.” Ritz looked at me and winked. “Hi, Jane.”
“Hi, Ritz.”
Tank crossed his arms over his chest. “Aren’t you supposed to be in the kitchen?”
