Page 33 of Beyond the Stroke

I could walk out of this restaurant right now and she’d probably breathe a sigh of relief. With her asthma, that would be for the best.

Maybe I should leave her alone, but Ican’t.

That’s the oddest part of this.

So, my body stays rooted here for reasons my brain doesn’t yet know why.

Suddenly, I get an idea.

“Here.” I pull my wallet out to hand her five one-hundred-dollar bills. “This is from Rich Lancaster. He forgot to give it to you the other day after all the commotion at the party.”

She stares at the money extended out to her.

“That’s not from Rich.”

"Yeah, it is,” I say confidently, even though the look she’s giving me tells me she’s already sniffed out my ploy.

She eyes the money, then me. “The job was going to pay three hundred dollars, not five hundred.”

“Because of what happened, he wanted to give you a generous tip.”

“That’s interesting. Rich already sent me payment this morning and it was two hundred dollars. He said he couldn’t pay me for the full time because I left early.” Her lips quirk to the side. “Nice try.”

Damn it.

Short of secretly putting the cash into her apron pocket when she’s not looking, I have no recourse but to tuck it back in my wallet.

Summer shoves her tip money into her apron and stands. “You want to grab some food?”

I stand to join her. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

“No, I’m asking if you want to get food from the kitchen and eat it here at the same table as me. It’s not a date.”

She doesn’t wait for me to answer, but starts walking back toward the kitchen, so I follow, because fuck yeah, I want to eat. I’m always hungry, but more than that, I want to keep hanging out with her. I’m drawn to her in a way I’ve never experienced. But then I remember her comments from earlier on the beach.

“Do you think your boyfriend would mind?” I ask.

“My who—” her brows draw down in confusion before suddenly lifting, “oh, Edgar. That’s right.”

“Yeah, Edgar.” I stretch my neck from side to side like I’m warming up for a fight. “Is he a big guy?”

She shakes her head. “Edgar isn’t the jealous type.”

“Hmm. I’d be jealous if you were my girlfriend and eating dinner with another guy.”

“Well, good thing I’m not.” She motions to the kitchen again. “You want dinner or not?”

“Only if I can drive you home after.”

“How is that a condition for dinner? I’m offering dinner, you can’t pile on another request.”

“Can’t I?”

She shakes her head. “No. It’s…demanding.”

“I’d call it persistent.”

“Call it what you want, it’s still annoying.”

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