by Lee, Roz
“Okay. I’ll make a deal with you. I’m hungry. Stay while I eat – I’ll even buy you dinner. When we’re done, there’s a sporting goods store down the street. I know the owner. We’ll go there, get something suitable, and I’ll sign it for Christopher.”
Something in his tone of voice calmed her. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as she thought. “You’d do that?”
“Sure. Why wouldn’t I? Look, Megan, I’m sorry about the program. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have done that. In my defense, I don’t get all that many beautiful women trying to get my autograph.” His smile was a ray of sunshine in the dim restaurant, and Megan’s insides turned to liquid. “Not that I mind signing for kids. I like kids. But a beautiful woman? It was a calculated risk, but one I’m glad I took.”
“Well…I guess I understand, but I’m not entirely sure I believe you.” She picked up her wine glass and took a sip, glad her hand was steadier on the outside than she was on the inside. “So, what’s for dinner?”
Jeff signaled the waiter again, and a short time later they were served an authentic Italian dinner the likes of which Megan had never tasted. “This is wonderful. Do you come here often?”
He urged her to take another slab of garlic bread from the basket in the center of the table. “Once a week, when we’re in town. If I ate like this all the time, I’d be as big as a barn.”
Megan closed her eyes and savored the burst of rich flavor. She swallowed, licked her lips to get every delicious drop, then opened her eyes. Jeff sat frozen, his fork halfway to his mouth. His eyes smoldered with unmistakable desire. Every female cell in her body reacted to the barrage of pheromones coming from across the table. She reminded herself she didn’t really know this guy, and he’d lured her here, admittedly for his own reasons. It took some doing, but she wrestled her hormones under control. “I’m not sleeping with you.”
“You sure about that?” He popped the morsel on his fork into his mouth and chewed, all the while watching her watch him. “I think you’re as attracted to me as I am to you. But that can wait. Tell me something about yourself.”
“You know everything you need to know. I’m a nurse. I work with sick kids.”
He was persistent she’d give him that. It was one thing to be evasive, another to be downright rude, so when he began to ask specific questions, she answered – as vaguely as possible. Still he managed to find out more about her than he had a right, or need, to know.
“Your job must be difficult. How do you do it?”
“I like kids. I like being a nurse. The two go together.”
He sat back from his empty plate and sipped his wine while the waiter cleared the table. “It’s more than that. I think it takes a special person to do what you do. I’m sure Christopher has plenty of nurses who take care of him. None of them took their day off to hunt up an autograph for him.”
He was right about that, but that didn’t mean the other nurses were any less caring. They all put in long hours and gave up personal time in one way or another. “No, they didn’t. But they care about him every bit as much as I do.”
“I’m sure they care about his physical self, but the autograph won’t make him well.”
“There’s more to getting well than just medicine. A smile can heal too.”
Jeff signed the check and stood. “Let’s go. You held up your end of the bargain. Now it’s my turn.”