Page 19 of Blind Bite
He waved down a server who disappeared to procure another one of Martha’s fruity concoctions.
“What do you do, Jamie?”
“I work in finance. Investments, primarily.”
“Sounds...”
“Boring?” he laughed, “it can be. But it affords me certain freedoms I’ve grown accustomed to.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Travel. Fine dining. Meeting fascinating purple-haired women at questionable dating events.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “What’s the most interesting place you’ve traveled?”
“Venice, at night. The last time I went, there was a masquerade held by some dignitary. The masks, the mystery...” He trailed off, lost in thought. “There’s something magical about anonymity in a crowd. The thrill of anonymity that surges through your veins. It’s like ambrosia.”
“I’ve never left the country,” I admitted.
“We should remedy that.” He said it so casually, like whisking me off to Europe was the most natural suggestion in the world towards a stranger you just met.
“Are you always so forward?”
“Only when I’m running out of time.” He nodded toward the timer. “Two minutes left.”
“That can’t be right. We just started talking.”
“Time flies when you’re captivated.”
“I think the phrase is ‘when you’re having fun’.”
“That too.”
“Now you’re just laying it on thick.”
“I assure you, I’m being quite sincere.” His fingers brushed mine across the table. His cool touch unexpectedly ignited a rush of heat within me.
“What’s your favorite book?” I blurted, desperate to maintain some semblance of normal conversation.
“Dorian Gray. Yours?”
“Pride and Prejudice.”
“Ah, a romantic.”
“Says the man who likes a book about eternal youth and beauty.”
His laugh was rich and genuine. “Touché. What’s your greatest fear, Lilith?”
“That’s deep for speed dating.”
“I prefer to skip the small talk.”
I considered his question. “Being alone forever, I think. Living a pointless, lonely life.”
Something flashed in his eyes—recognition, maybe. “I can’t imagine someone like you would befall to such a fate.”
The one-minute warning bell rang, and panic seized me. I wasn’t ready for this to end.
