“Well, he’s a miracle worker. I just have to see him before the wedding!” She scraped another artichoke leaf.
The waiter appeared and asked if they’d decided on dinner.
Alice waved a hand. “You guys go ahead. I can’t make up my mind.”
Rick ordered the wild salmon cooked on a plank, and Hank decided to have the same. They both looked at Alice—but Rick’s gaze drifted past her.
“Oh gosh, oh gosh, the salmon sounds so good, but I like escolar too. What do you think I should have, Rick? I—” She looked up from her menu and froze. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, uh, nothing.” Just seated at that moment in one of the booths by the window was a good-looking guy with dark hair and a touch of gray at the temples in an expensive suit escorting—no make that pawing over—Jimothy.
“Come on, Rick, you just turned white, and I thought you were going to bite through your teeth.” She followed his line of sight, but it was a big room with lots of people in it. “Did you see someone you know?”
“I thought I did for a minute. Uh, I think you should get the escolar, and then we can all have a bite.”
She frowned. “Oh no, I’ve seen the size of the bites you guys take.” She looked at the waiter. “I’ll have the salmon.”
They were all laughing, and Rick gave a soft sigh of relief when the cute blond waiter said, “Were you looking for Jimothy Castlemane? He’s at one of my tables too. He comes in a lot.” He grinned. “I’ll bet he cuts your hair. It’s just great.”
Rick swallowed. “Oh, yes, I thought I saw him, but I wasn’t sure.”
The waiter waved a hand. “Really?” He leaned conspiratorially toward Alice. “His hair is lavender.” Laughing, he said, “I’ll get your fish orders in and get you some hot towels for the artichoke cleanup.” With a memorable swish, he left the table.
Alice had pressed a hand against her chest. “Jimothy Castlemane is here? Is that what he was saying?” She scrunched around on the leather banquette and stared down into the room. “Oh my God, I see it. The lavender hair. How could you have missed that, Rick?”
“Uh yes, I guess that’s him.” Rick took a mouthful of vermouth, swallowed too fast, and choked.
Alice leaned over to pound him on the back. “Do you think I can meet him?”
Hank said, “Honey, he’s with somebody, like his husband or boyfriend. It doesn’t seem like a good time.”
Rick nodded. “Uh, right.” His brain filed away the fact that Hank had just mentioned Jimothy having a boyfriend as casually as discussing the weather. But what the fuck was with the dude with Jimothy? He was breathing all over Jimothy like he was guessing his weight.
One part of Rick wanted to crawl under the table and hide. The other preferred marching down the steps, grabbing Mr. Silver-at-the-Temples, and smashing his face into the table.
Alice was into it. “Come on, guys. I can take a trip to the ladies’ room and happen to pass his table and happen to introduce myself. Right? No harm in that.” She kept staring toward Jimothy’s table with narrowed eyes. “Besides, I don’t think that’s his boyfriend. The dude’s kind of handsy, and I don’t think Jimothy’s into it.”
“You don’t?” Rick squeaked on his last cough.
She grinned wickedly. “I’m going. I’ll be back before salmon.” She slid out of the seat and was on her feet before Rick could even protest. “Wish me luck!” She sashayed along the aisle between tables and trotted down the steps.
Hank watched her affectionately. “I guess she didn’t get where she is by being shy and retiring.” He barked a laugh.
Rick’s gaze was glued to Alice’s retreating back. Sure enough, she took the long way around to the discreet sign on the far wall saying Ladies Room and walked, bold as you please, right up to Jimothy. The pantomime was crazy. She looked toward Jimothy, a totally believable dawn of recognition washed over her face, and she stepped to the table looking embarrassed, her hand pressed to her chest all fluttery and girly.
Alice might be pretending to be embarrassed, but Rick actually was—kind of. The idea of breaking up the tête-à-tête with Silver Temples sounded damned good even though Rick also wanted to sink into the floor.
Alice was leaning over, smiling and talking, and—pointing. Oh God, she was pointing back toward their table. And Jimothy was turning around, looking where she indicated. Then he smiled and waved his fingers in that Jimothy way.
Rick swallowed hard, forced a smile on his face, and waved back. The good part was that old Silver Temples wasn’t smiling at all.
More pantomime. Alice looked surprised and happy.
Hank, who was also staring, said, “She looks pleased. I’ll bet he said he’d give her an appointment.”
“Yeah, probably.” Rick’s voice sounded breathless.
“I sure hope she isn’t messing anything up for you.”
“What? Oh, no. I mean, what could she mess up?” What the hell did he mean by that?
He shrugged. “You know Alice. She’ll be meeting his mother by Tuesday.”
Rick kept staring. “He doesn’t have a mother.”
Hank barked a laugh. “Same principal applies.”
Suddenly, there was a lot of hand-waving and movement happening at Jimothy’s table. A couple waiters were grabbing glasses, and Jimothy sailed out of his seat and began walking backward, waving his arms toward Alice. Old Silver Fox looked railroaded and not happy, but he was following along.
No, she didn’t, did she?
Hank laughed. “Yep, she’s done it. Meddled her way into two more for dinner.”
“Oh God.”
Chapter Fourteen
Rick chewed his lip as he stared toward the flurry of activity at Jimothy’s table. Hank looked concerned. “Is that okay? I was just kidding about Alice railroading your friend, but maybe this really isn’t good?”
“No, it’s fine. Uh, I don’t know Jimothy that well.” He swallowed. If you didn’t count one cock-sucking. “Like, I don’t know who the guy with him is. But I’m sure he’d have said no if he really didn’t want to join us. He’s a pretty forceful guy.”
Hank looked up and smiled as Jimothy approached. “Well, great then.”
Heads turned as Jimothy strode his way between the tables. The lights glinted off his outrageous hair; very tight black jeans hugged his long, slim thighs, and on top, instead of a jacket, he wore a brilliant purple cardigan sweater with a bright pink shawl collar, which somehow made Rick think of the world’s cutest Easter egg emerging from a multicolor basket.
A waiter had arrived steps before Jimothy and set up chairs on the side of their table, so one chair sat to Rick’s right with the other beyond it while Hank and Alice were beside each other on the long side of the banquette across from Jimothy and Silver Stud.
Jimothy threw his arms out wide. “Darling, what a surprise. Imagine not only seeing you but meeting your sister, and I’m sure you must be her fiancé I’ve heard so much about.” He stuck out his hand to Hank.
Hank grinned at the onslaught and shook Jimothy’s offered hand. “I’m Hank Martinsburg. So glad you could join us.”