Page 28 of Duty and Desire

I jumped. A cute server with a bright smile stood next to my table.

I grabbed the drinks menu and scanned the list of cocktails. “A mai tai, please.” I avoided looking at the price.

“Certainly, sir.”

I couldn’t resist. “And please say hi for me to the gentleman behind the bar.”

His eyes gleamed. “Of course. Is that all the message? Just hi?”

“For now.” I couldn’t miss the sway of his hips as he made his way to the bar.

I leaned back in my chair and drank in the view. Boardwalks connected the resort’s bungalows to the shore, and there were flowers everywhere. Steamer chairs sat on the lawn that bordered the restaurant, shaded by thatched parasols, and couples sat beneaththem, enjoying the last of the day’s sunlight. Boats went to and fro, either out in the lagoon or heading to their moorings next to the properties.

Then I spotted a familiar face.

Claudia was apparently spending another day sunning herself. She lay on one of the chairs, a Kindle on her lap and a glass in her hand.

And she was looking at me over the rim of her sunglasses.

“Sir.”

Damn it, that server was way too stealthy.

I thanked him as he placed a flower-shaped mat on the table, then set the squat glass on it. He handed me a folded piece of paper, that gleam still evident. I opened it, thinking it was the bill until I spotted a scrawled message.

I finish in thirty minutes. Will you stay until then?

I smiled. “Would you deliver another message for me?”

The server grinned. “Sure. Just call me Cupid. What’s the message?”

I laughed. “One word—yes.”

That grin widened. “My favorite word.” He left a black leather folder next to my glass, then sashayed back to the bar.

I opened the folder, but there was no bill. Instead there was a single line of text.

This is on me.

I turned my head, and found Nick gazing in my direction, smiling. I raised my glass and returned the smile, then sat back and resumed the observation of my surroundings, including sneaking a glance at Claudia now and then.

She was doing the same thing, and I found her scrutiny a little disconcerting. Then I had a thought. I peered at the rest of the bar patrons.

Nick’s shadow wasn’t there.

I forced myself not to check on her. So what if she was watching me? All I was doing was having a drink, right? I focused on the sightsand sounds of the lagoon, even though I could feel her eyes boring into me.

Lady, concentrate on the cute servers. They’re way more interesting than I am.

I opened a new doc on my phone, and started typing. Claudia was going to be a side character, the ex-girlfriend who couldn’t take Nick’s rejection and was following him everywhere, scaring off the competition. I was so tempted to send her a message written on a napkin.

A word of advice. Never piss off a writer. Their revenge is to put you in their latest book—and then find ingenious ways to kill you.

“How was the mai tai?” I jumped as Nick pulled out the chair next to mine and sat.

I peered into the glass I couldn’t recall emptying. “Awful, but maybe a second might reverse that opinion.” I leveled a stern gaze at him. “Only this time, I’m buying.”

He chuckled. “Fine.” He signaled to the server, and held up two fingers. “So… what brings you here?”

---