Page 42 of Natalie's Nighthawk

Jolene joined them just as they were finishing up their meals. Finch, of course, rose instantly to his feet, nearly knocking his chair over backward in the process. The guys were used to Finch’s old-fashioned manners, but this somehow seemed different. Instead of the suave, confidant Finch that usually made a show of his impeccable etiquette, this Finch behaved awkwardly and seemed unsure. Graham studied Jolene more closely. She was pretty in her own way. Her auburn hair was pulled back at the sides and held with a fancy clip at the back of her head. She had pale skin, like Natalie’s, but hers was more covered with freckles. That was redheads for you. And … Was she blushing? She chatted with Natalie and Maddie, but Graham noticed she kept stealing glances at Finch. Mutual attraction? He certainly hoped so for Finch’s sake.

“You remember everyone, don’t you?” Natalie was asking Jolene.

She nodded, waving hello to the group. “Are you all staying for the band?” Jolene asked the group as a whole.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Finch rushed to answer, earning a smile from the redhead. Surprisingly, he blushed and lowered his head, a curl of hair flopping into his eyes.

“Well, bless your heart,” she said with a wink in her deepest southern drawl. Jolene told him she had grown up in Georgia but went to college in Michigan and had liked it so much that she'd stayed. For the most part, he hardly heard her southern twang, but now and then, she brought it out. But now and then, she brought it out. ‘Bless your heart’ in Jolene’s world could mean either ‘you’re sweet’ or ‘you’re an idiot.’

“The band starts in five. Hope you enjoy it.” She gave a wink to Finch as she walked to the stage to the right of the bar, to check in with the band, already plugging in instruments and arranging things to their liking.

The guys noticed Finch’s preoccupation with the bar owner, and the ribbing started up once again with him as the target causing him to blush even more. Once the band started playing, everyone grew quiet to listen.

“You know, at the rate you Nighthawks are going, we’ll have you all paired off in no time. I do have a few other single girlfriends,” Natalie teased when the band took their first break.

“See, I knew I should have looked you up long ago. We could have all been married with kids by now and have gotten into far less trouble over the years.” He leaned closer to Natalie to give her a quick kiss. “Not that I wouldn’t love to get into a bit of trouble with you right now,” he whispered in her ear suggestively. Natalie blushed. Graham then felt eyes on him, and he looked across the table to see Lauren watching them. He sent her a wink.

“Did you have a good weekend, Phillips?” he called across the table to Lauren. He always called her by her last name. He wasn’t entirely sure why. It had just become habit over the years.

“Yes. You?”

He glanced briefly towards Natalie, chatting with Maddie and David, and replied, “The best.” A strange look passed over Lauren’s features which she masked quickly. He was momentarily curious about it but shrugged it off. “Were you able to dig out from the snow?”

“Yes. It was nothing. It will probably mostly be gone by tomorrow.”

“If the temperatures stay this mild, it will be gone in no time,” he agreed. “Did you get my email about that group from Ohio?” Their conversation turned briefly to business until the band went back on stage. When the band finished their last set of the night, Jolene took the mic to announce she was running a special the next day for Halloween.

Natalie groaned. “Oh crap. I forgot tomorrow is Halloween.”

“What’s wrong with Halloween?” David wondered.

“She’s a teacher,” Maddie supplied. “All teachers hate Halloween.”

“Kids are hyper enough without the added sugar. Every class tomorrow will have a party that will involve way too much sugar,” she groaned. Everyone laughed.

“But at least you get to send the little ones home at the end of the day for their parents to deal with the sugar crash,” Jolene said.

“But then they go trick-or-treating and start the sugar high all over again,” Maddie remarked.

“Tuesday will be even worse,” Natalie informed them. “They will have had an epic crash from the amounts of sugar consumed and be useless.”

“They really should make the day after Halloween a holiday,” Finch added.

Evan joined in with, “Or always put Halloween on a weekend.”

“Yes, an equally good idea,” Finch agreed.

Conversations started up around them again as Natalie leaned over to Graham to say, “I really should get home. I still need to dig out my costume for tomorrow.”

“You’re going to wear a costume?”

“Most of the teachers do. It’s kind of a requirement when you teach elementary school.” He grinned at her. He’d like to see her in a costume. But the ones he had in mind were not very kid-friendly. If she was a sci-fi geek like him, maybe someday he could talk her into a certain costume from a certain Sci-Fi film. The thought had possibilities.

“What’s that expression?” Natalie asked him curiously.

“Oh nothing,” he smiled slyly at her. “Just imagining you in a certain costume.” He draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him to whisper in her ear. “Two words … Star Wars.” She blushed, and he laughed. He could have teased her some more, made her blush deepen, but he decided to let her off the hook in front of everyone. They were being watched too intently. He thought for sure Lauren knew exactly the direction his mind had gone and nowhewas blushing.

“Come on, let’s go home.”

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