Page 2 of Wham Line
“But it looked like a—” Millie glanced at Indira and flushed.“Um, and the text was very explicit.”
“I said I apologized!”
“I think we’re done now,” Bobby said.“Dash, you’re a wonderful boyfriend.”
I beamed.
“Keme,” Bobby said, “stop trying to make Dash feel insecure.”
Believe it or not,Kemebeamed.
“And I,” Fox declaimed—and it was obvious to all of us, in that moment, that they wished they had a cloak they could fling dramatically over one shoulder—“shall refrain for the rest of the evening.Butonlyso that I can eat my weight in shrimp.”
“Okay,” Bobby said, resting a hand at the small of my back before I could step into a puddle.“Here we go.”
Indira’s niece was standing at the hostess station when we stepped inside (there’s probably a less sexist name for it—I’m going to look it up).She was beautiful: slender, with a Cupid’s bow mouth and a cascade of dark hair that came almost to her waist and shimmered in the restaurant’s low light.Even in her uniform of black pants and white shirt, she could have tempted a saint.(Well, not the gay ones.)
And temptation, as I’d learned over the last few weeks of Nalini’s stay, was definitely on the menu.
“Oh my God, you’re here!”The words emerged with an enormous—and perfect—smile.Nalini darted around the hostess stand (I’m going to call it an attendant stand!) to hug Indira and kiss her on the cheek.
Then she did the same to Keme.
Here’s the thing about Keme.He’s a savvy young man.He’s taken care of himself for a long time.For the most part, up until a few weeks ago, I would have told you that he knows which side his bread is buttered on.(God, I immediately regretted writing that—does it have another meaning?) So, it was physically painful to watch the silly grin spread across his face as Nalini hugged him.
Bobby nudged me, and I stopped my subvocal groaning.
“You look so handsome,” Nalini was saying, running her hands down the sleeves of Keme’s bomber (on loan from Bobby).“Doesn’t he look handsome, Millie?You’re so lucky to have such a handsome boyfriend.”
Millie didn’t look like she felt particularly lucky.Millie looked like she was thinking about reenacting that scene from that movie when someone screams and everything made of glass within a mile radius spontaneously shatters.
“I saved you the best table.”And without waiting for a response, Nalini looped her arm through Keme’s and led him deeper into the restaurant.
Millie’s feet didn’t actually leave the floor, but if you’ve ever seen a representation of a dark goddess—you know, the rage and the smiting and the lightning in their hair—that was pretty much the vibe.
“How much longer is she here?”Bobby murmured.
“God, don’t even ask,” I said as I started after them.“It’s like a fairy tale, or a dentist’s visit—if you think about it, it lasts a hundred times longer.”
“I’m going to have to talk to Keme.”
“Great.That sounds wonderful.While you’re at it, mention that my Pop-Tarts aremine.They’re not community property.”
Bobby, as usual, didn’t even bother engaging with that last bit.“I mean, he’s got to know, doesn’t he?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but Nalini’s enchanting giggle floated up, and I caught a glimpse of her collapsing against Keme so that he had to hold her up.Keme wore a rare smile, somewhere between embarrassed and delighted.
I did a quick scan of the area around Millie for knives.“You tell me.”
Fortunately, Nalini recovered from whatever bout of witticism had left her helpless, and she managed to stand on her own two feet again and keep moving.
Indira touched my arm, dragging my attention back to our group.“You two go ahead,” she said.“I want to take a quick look around.”
And before I could answer, she was gone.Fox—who had dressed tonight in a black cardigan, a wreath of paisley scarves, and one of those World War I helmets with the spikes on them—trailed after her.They had tucked the helmet under one arm, presumably out of good manners, and the whole thing was like Professor Trelawney meets the Kaiser.
So, Bobby and I headed after Nalini and the others.
The restaurant was larger than it had appeared from outside, and it had the comfortably low lighting that made anyone over forty reach for their reading glasses.The nautical theme wasn’t exactly original, but it was tasteful, and the little glimmers of brass and the black-and-white photos of old ships went well with the crisp white table linens and the dark-stained beams.The bar was near the door, on the inland side, followed by a large stone hearth where a fire was burning—gas, but still cheery and warm.The rest of the space had been given over to tables and booths, with the premium seats located near the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out on the water.
