Page 68 of Christmas in Whitehorn
“Long. Janie called me in at eight because they were shorthanded. My feet hurt.”
“I’ll bet. I didn’t know you’d been there that long.”
“The good news is that I got overtime today. Janie felt so bad that I don’t have to go in until ten, but she’ll pay me for my usual time. So that will help.” Darcy nibbled on a piece of chicken. “I really like my job. The people are good and the tips add up. But I hate working nights. I’m glad it’s not my regular shift. Closing up a restaurant takes a lot of time. I’d much rather open.”
“Were you the last one there?”
She nodded. “One of the busboys was supposed to stay and help me, but he had a hot date so I let him go early.”
“I think I’ve just been insulted,” Mark told her.
Darcy didn’t get it. “How?”
“You let that other guy go early because he had a hot date. What am I? Chopped liver?”
She forced herself to smile because that’s what he expected. Great joke. Life was a laugh a minute. But suddenly she felt like crying. Logic told her that she and Mark hadn’t been together for very long. Neither of them was willing to define their relationship, so she didn’t know if they were still friends or had moved on to something more. If she was the least bit brave, she would ask. The thing was—she didn’t want to hear the answer. Not if it was bad.
“You’re completely hot,” she said at last. “However, we’re older and I figured we would have the patience to wait to see each other.”
She shifted in her seat. Everything hurt. Part of her wanted to ask Mark for a massage. However the thought of his hands on her body sent her thoughts in a direction that was far from medicinal. Besides, if he wasn’t interested in her that way, she was hardly going to force things. Maybe he was getting tired of her. Maybe—
She shook her head to clear it of all those negative thoughts. “I’ve been cooped up inside for too long,” she said impulsively. “Do you want to take a drive? It’s still snowing, but there are patches of clearing and the stars look amazing tonight.”
“Great idea. You bundle up and I’ll go warm the truck cab.”
He helped her clear the table, then left. Darcy quickly changed into jeans and a warm sweater, then pulled on her parka. Mark had parked in front of her place and was waiting when she closed and locked her front door.
“Where to?” he asked as she slid onto the bench seat.
“It’s your town. You pick.”
He grinned. “I know a great lookout place. We used to go park there in high school.”
“Is the view nice?”
“Darcy, no one cares about the view.”
Was he suggesting something? She sucked in a breath. Lord, she hated being so conflicted about a man. “It sounds like fun,” she said lightly.
“I’ll take you to the best spot,” he promised.
The light snow slowed as more patches of sky were visible in the parting clouds. There was a hint of moon and dozens of stars. She huddled in her jacket, waiting for the truck’s heater to warm the cab.
“What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?” he asked, speaking into the quiet.
“Gee, I usually have a party in Paris for a couple dozen of my closest friends. We fly over in a chartered jet and ring in the New Year with caviar and champagne.”
He glanced at her. “Really? Have you ever tasted caviar? I did once. It’s really salty.”
“Mark!”
“Okay. So you don’t have plans. Want to do something with me?”
“Yes.”
She pressed her lips together. There was so much more she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him that he’d become very important to her. She wanted to ask him why he’d stopped making love with her and did he know that it was slowly killing her inside. She wanted to admit that she loved him and find out if there was a chance that he might have feelings for her as well. If he wasn’t completely over Sylvia, she would wait—as long as there was a chance for them.
But she didn’t say the words. For one thing, she didn’t know his feelings about Dirk. Liking her brother was one thing—being willing to get involved with someone responsible for Dirk was another. Her second reason for hesitating was that she thought he would be more comfortable if he made the first move. Wasn’t that how guys liked it?
