I crossed my arms beneath my chest and narrowed my eyes at Michael as he sat comfortably across from me in the booth. Truthfully, this setting danced on the border of ridiculous.
First of all, I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d been out to lunch with a guy, and certainly not one this good-looking. The man certainly wasn’t hard on the eyes, but by now I was quite immune to his appearance. Practice.
Second of all, I hadn’t been outside of Albany in damn near forever. My life was oddly self-contained, maybe even confined, to my apartment, the restaurant, and the park. Sure, I’d been to the homes, workplaces, and graves of many ghosts, but none of them had been cause for me to vacate the city’s towering structures. Clean air. Green grass. Critters. It was friggin’ weird.
Third of all, discovering how my mother spent her last days before the demons got her murdered was the final nail in the crazy coffin. It would be worth the four-hour drive and the many weeks it had taken to save up to pay for food and gas. Except for some reason, Michael insisted on paying for this meal, even though we had arranged for him to pay for the rental car and hotel. Therein lay my current dilemma.
Our perky waitress Krystal appeared, smiling as she caught the tail end of the argument.
“Newlyweds?”
I adopted an insulted look. “He wishes.”
Michael chuckled. “How can I not when you sweet-talk me like that?”
My eyes immediately rolled and she giggled before continuing onward. “Can I get you two anything else?”
“No, you can bring us the check.”
The blonde waitress reached into her frock and withdrew the bill. I reached for it but Michael snatched it out of her hand, flashing me a challenging smirk. I kicked him in the shin.
“Ow!” He winced, rubbing the injured spot. “Why am I being punished for being a gentleman?”
“Because I’m not a lady, dammit. Now give it here.”
“You paid for breakfast in Atlantic City. It’s only fair.”
“Since when has fair ever been a factor in this relationship?”
Krystal glanced between the two of us. “…are you sure you’re not married?”
“If by ‘married’ you mean me hating him, then yes.”
Michael rolled his eyes and handed her his Visa card. “Here you go.”
“Thanks, I’ll be right back.” She walked away, shaking her head with an amused look on her face.
I sighed and leaned my head backward, trying to stifle my irritation. At least the meal had been good. I hadn’t eaten pancakes in ages. Michael had offered to make them once, but I declined the offer because it was too damned domestic. Our arrangement had been going on for nearly two months now. It didn’t need to become any more complicated.
“How far are we from our destination?”
“Not far. Maybe another hour’s drive,” Michael said, his voice less humorous this time. We didn’t have much of a plan for when we arrived in New Jersey, but that had never stopped us before. We were nothing if not determined.
I sat up straight and regarded him with a bemused look. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you sound worried.”
His brows knit together in the beginnings of a frown. “For good reason.”
His green eyes lowered their gaze to the spot over my heart where a faded scar lay hidden beneath my black t-shirt. I had gotten the stitches out, but the skin was still a light brown that didn’t match the rest of my chocolate complexion.
Two months. It’d be two months in a couple of days. I tried not to think about it too much.
“Don’t get your feathers all ruffled,” I scolded. “We’re being much more careful than we were before.”
“Being careful is never enough. You know that,” Michael replied.
I shrugged. “Being worried isn’t going to help any either.”
He seemed to take my words to heart this time, but it didn’t matter because Krystal reappeared with Michael’s debit card in one hand and a tray full of empty glasses balanced on the other.
“Thanks for coming out. Have a nice day!”
“You too.” I slid out of the booth and stretched my arms above my head before patting the pockets of my grey duster to make sure everything was in place. Just when I turned to go, Krystal’s tray started to slide out of her hand. Michael miraculously caught it in mid-air, saving the dishes from peril. He handed it back to the relieved girl, who sighed heavily and said:
“Thanks. You’re an angel.”
I laughed so hard that Michael had to shove me out the door.