Page 17 of Hungry Like A Dragon
That’s as good a reason as any.
Someone jostled him from behind, and Noah moved out of the way so the guy could enter the bar. Then he slipped in behind him, careful to stay out of Petra’s line of vision. Probably wouldn’t go over well if she spotted him basically stalking her.
He claimed the last remaining empty stool at the bar and smiled when the dark-skinned bartender handed him a menu. “What would you recommend for a northerner who’s never experienced New Orleans before?” he asked.
The tender tugged the menu from his grasp. “I got you,” he said. Noah shifted in his seat so he could watch Petra and her date out of the corner of his eye.
“Hurricane,” the bartender said, placing a tall, feminine-shaped glass in front of him. It was filled with ice and pink liquid and a small, paper umbrella stuck into a slice of pineapple resting on the rim.
Noah took a sip and nodded. Sweet and strong. The tender wandered away again, and Noah went back to watching Petra and her date.
She leaned back in her chair, one arm draped across the back, one leg crossed over the other knee, while her sandal dangled from her painted toes. Brushing her hair off her shoulder, she tilted her head as she offered a coy smile to the guy seated across from her. She’d complained about her hair all the way out the door earlier, but to Noah, it was perfect, wavy with a little extra body. The guy she was dining with sure didn’t seem to have a problem with it, either.
She’s flirting with him,his dragon complained.
I can see, too, you know.
“Alligator bites,” the bartender said, sliding a plate full of steaming food in front of him. Noah shifted his attention to the appetizer. It looked like chunks of marinated, grilled beef resting on a bed of romaine lettuce. With a shrug, he used his fork to stab a piece, dipped it in the accompanying sauce, and popped it into his mouth.
“Wow,” he said. “That’s fantastic.”
The guy grinned and left him to his own devices. Noah shoved a few more bites into his mouth and glanced over his shoulder at Petra’s table.
Her date was leaning forward, his elbows on the flat surface, a bottle of beer in one hand. A platter sat between them, full of empty oyster shells. A server stepped up, swept away the dish, and replaced it with entrees. Neither Petra nor her date noticed. They were both far too involved in their conversation. The guy was doing most of the talking, and Petra seemed to be hanging on his every word.
This doesn’t look good, Noah’s dragon said.
Shut up.
He turned back to the bar when the tender appeared again to place another plate of food in front of him. “New Orleans sampler,” he said. “Little bit of everything.” He pointed at each item on the plate as he said, “Red beans and rice, jambalaya, alligator piquant, shrimp creole, crawfish étouffée, fried oysters.”
“Damn.” Maybe he needed to thank his dragon for insisting they come out and check out what Petra was up to on her date. The food and drink alone were worth it.
His new friend placed a bottle of hot sauce on the bar. “D.a.T. Sauce. If you think you can handle it.”
“Oh, hell yeah,” Noah said, snagging the bottle and sprinkling the red sauce over the entire platter. He took the first bite and closed his eyes to better savor the sensation. The bartender snorted, but when Noah opened his eyes, the guy was gone, down at the other end of the bar taking care of another customer.
The food was too damn good to neglect, so the plate was half empty by the time Noah focused on Petra and her date again. His appetite fizzled when he noticed the guy’s hand on Petra’s arm, caressing her skin. She’d adjusted her stance, too, was leaning toward him, her fingers toying with the rim of her water glass.
Get over there,his dragon demanded.
No. If I piss her off, she might not let me see Sadie.
She wouldn’t do that.
How the hell do you know?
Petra stood gracefully, said something to her date, and then hooked her purse strap over her shoulder and sauntered from the table. Noah whipped around and hunched his shoulders, holding his breath as she walked by. He turned his head slightly and noted that she was heading toward the restroom. Sliding off his stool, he pulled several bills from his wallet and tossed them onto the bar, then headed in the same direction.
He reached out and touched her arm, and her eyes widened. “What are you doing here?” she demanded while her gaze darted over his shoulder, presumably toward her date.
Noah crowded her, and she took a few steps backward until she bumped into the exposed brick wall. He nudged her to the side and she stumbled away from the restroom and down a short hall to another dining area.
“Stop it,” she said, digging in her heels.
“I’m just trying to make sure your date doesn’t see us,” Noah explained.
Was that relief in her eyes? Shit. She really liked the guy.
