Page 22 of Trust Me
“Your server will be with you shortly,” she says with a small smile as she turns to quickly walk away.
Maddox still has his hand on the small of my back as he pulls my chair out for me and offers me the seat. He takes the seat across from me and hands me a worn menu. As I open up the menu, our server arrives and delivers a couple of glasses of water. “Good evening,” he says. “What can I get you guys to drink?”
Maddox nods at me, so I answer, “Amaretto Stone Sour, please.”
“Bud Light bottle for me. Thanks.”
“I’ll be back in just a few moments withyour drinks and a bread basket.”
As he walks away, I skim over the menu. Seafood is one of my favorite foods so I’m in heaven with all the fish and shrimp floating around this place.
“What looks good?” he asks as he browses over his menu.
“I’m thinking the coconut butterfly shrimp smothered in a rich pina colada sauce sounds delicious. I’m going with that. What about you?”
“I’m a steak and shrimp guy, myself,” he says as he lays his menu back down on the table. He reaches across the table for my hand and gently starts to rub the tops of my fingers with his.
“So tell me about what your family has been up to? I haven’t seen them in forever.”
He dives right in and tells me all about his mom and dad, who still live in Rivers Edge. His younger brother, Aiden, moved into the city when he started college and never really came back to our small, rural town. “Aiden was always into the lights and sounds of the city. Doesn’t surprise me that he’s stayed there to live and work. He’s more suited for the fast pace than I am. And Jessica is still in California chasing her dream.”
Our server returns to deliver our drinksand take our orders. Conversation flows from both of us as we get to know each other on a more personal level. I’ve known Maddox most of my life, but he was Jake’s friend and so much older than me, so I never really got to know him personally.
When our food arrives, we dive right into the delicious food. “Oh my God, these shrimp are so delicious,” I say as my eyes flutter closed and a small moan slips from my mouth. When I open my eyes, he’s staring at my mouth.
“You have a little sauce right here,” he says as he drags his index finger across my bottom lip.
My tongue slips out to remove any remaining trace of the sauce and grazes against his finger. His eyes darken and he swallows hard as he watches my tongue. I spear a shrimp with my fork and hold it out for him to try. He leans forward and gently eats the shrimp off my fork. “You’re right. That is damn good,” he says as he looks deep into my eyes.
Our playful banter continues throughout our meal and before I know it, the server is removing our empty plates.
“Dessert?” he offers.
“I couldn’t eat another bite. Thank you though,” I reply.
Maddox shakes his head to the man who has served us throughoutour meal. “I’ll be right back with your check then.”
We head out the front door of what could very well be my new favorite restaurant, Maddox’s hand is once again resting on my lower back so close to touching my rear. We head toward the pier to check out all the little souvenir shops, coffee nooks, and quaint stands selling homemade goods like jewelry and purses. We wander in and out of shops and browse through all their different offerings. As we wander down the pier, I start to feel the cooler air through my sweater, giving me a slight chill. Maddox must notice my small shivers and gently places his arm protectively around my shoulders, pulling me into his broad, warm embrace.
We reach the end of the pier in no time. Both of us stop and stare out at the majestic Missouri River, filled with fishing boats and shipping vessels. I’ve always thought there was something calming about the Missouri River. Here, it’s wide and full of traffic. Thirty minutes east, there’s a fork in the river that swings to the south while a narrower path veers to the north. That’s where you find Rivers Edge. There’s no large vessel traffic on that part of the river, and generally only local fishing boats can be found in the water. But it’s just as majestic there as it is right here.
“You’re getting cold. Let’s head back up and stop by a coffee shop.” We head back up the pier, hand in hand, and pick the first little coffee shop we find. Inside, I order a vanilla latte while Maddox orders black coffee. We snag a little table by the window and sit down to sip our drinks.
“I think I want to stop by that little jewelry place across the way.”
“Okay, let’s warm up for a few minutes, and then we’ll head over,” he agrees.
After the feeling returns to our fingertips, we set out toward the little jewelry shop across the pier. I was drawn immediately to the beautiful crystals hanging in the decorative front windows. As we step inside, I see a breathtaking suncatcher made with little blue-and-silver Swarovski crystals. The center is a big crystal sun with sparkling rays that extend around the colored crystals. I gently remove it from the hanging display and fall in love with the striking little piece of art.
“It’s beautiful,” I say out loud, though not really speaking to anyone in particular.
“The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Maddox confirms, though when I look up at him, I realize he’s not looking at the suncatcher at all.He’s looking at me with an expression I’ve never seen on Maddox’s face.
Longing. Attraction. Desire.
I smile again, not really knowing what to say. I’ve never had someone pay me so many compliments before in my life. Well, besides my mother, but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t count.
“I want to get this for Brooklyn’s window,” I say as I start to walk toward the front counter to ring up my purchase. As we approach the counter, my attention is caught by another glass case filled with more crystals; this time necklaces. I spot a beautiful piece that has the same blue-and-silver crystals in it. The necklace has silver charms on it, and upon closer inspection, I see a sun, boat, and crescent moon.
