Page 50 of Sacrifice
His hand drops to my knee at red lights, thumb stroking absently like he doesn't even realize he's doing it.
I hate that I find it attractive.
The restaurant is small, family-owned from the look of it.
Not the kind of place I expected him to know about.
Photos cover one wall—military groups, families, celebrations.
Thai decorations mix with American flags in a way that shouldn't work but does.
"Emil!" A woman emerges from the kitchen, tiny and beaming. "Long time!"
"Hey, Mrs. Suwannarat." He accepts her hug, careful not to squeeze too hard. "This is Saga."
Her eyes light up. "The Saga? Oh, she's even prettier than you said!"
"When did he—" I start, but Emil's already steering me to a corner booth.
"She likes to embellish," he says.
"She seems to know a lot about me for someone who's embellishing."
"I may have mentioned you. Once or twice."
"To your military buddy's wife?"
"Suwannarat saved my life in Afghanistan. Took a bullet that was meant for me." He slides into the booth across from me. "His family became mine. So yeah, I mentioned the woman who's been driving me crazy for months."
"Have you been coming here long?" I ask as we're seated.
"Suwannarat and his wife opened it after he got out, so I usually come once every couple of weeks. Things have kept me busy at the club, so last time I was here was a month ago. They needed investors as they were opening, so I’m more than just a random customer." He shrugs.
"You invested in their restaurant?"
"It was that or watch them lose everything." He looks uncomfortable with the topic. "They'd have done the same for me."
"So that's why she knows about me. You talk about me when you come here."
"Among other places."
"Emil—"
"Best pad thai in Florida," he says, clearly changing the subject. "Trust me?"
I want to push, to ask who else he's told about me, what he's said.
Instead, I nod. "Surprise me."
He orders for both of us in what sounds like Thai, making Mrs. Suwannarat laugh and pat his cheek before disappearing into the kitchen.
"You speak Thai?"
"Enough to order food and ask for directions." He pauses. "And curse. Suwannarat taught me the important stuff."
"What else don't I know about you?"
"Plenty." He leans back, studying me. "What do you want to know?"
