Page 16 of Wolves' Midlife Reunion
“Thank you.” Her cheeks flushed slightly pink. “You look pretty darn good yourself.”
A young waitress came by to take their orders, pausing their conversation for a moment.
“I never thought I’d miss that crabby old woman who used to work here when we were kids,” Tina commented. “Do you remember her? All those kids coming here after school had to be keeping the place open, but she always acted like we were annoying the hell out of her.”
“Even you?” Dex asked. “I know she was always that way around me and the guys, but we probablywereannoying. I can’t imagine you were.”
She considered this for a moment. “Maybe she didn’t like the idea of someone reading while they ate. It must not’ve been the ambience they were going for,” she laughed.
“So tell me what the girl who always brought a book to the burger joint has been doing all this time. Have you had your crystal shop for long?”
She fluttered her lids a little, looking flattered that he should ask about her history. “Close to twenty years now, which is almost embarrassing to say. That makes me sound incredibly old.”
“No, it doesn’t,” he countered. She didn’t look old. She still sounded like the same smart, quirky Tina. Maybe a little older, technically, but also more confident.
“I enjoy it, though,” she told him, twisting one of her rings as she spoke. “I get to support myself by doing what I love, and I feel like I’m part of the community, too. Not that it isn’t hard work, but it’s worth it. Granted, this time of year is always the hardest, when we’re packed with tourists.”
Dex watched her mouth and hands, enjoying the way they moved as she spoke. “And then some moron comes in there and takes up all your time asking for help picking out a simple necklace.”
“No,” she countered. “I’d rather assist with a stone necklace than listen to someone complain that we don’t have any wand-shaped glowsticks.”
Their burgers and shakes arrived, although Dex had nearly forgotten about them as he’d listened to Tina.
“What about you?” she said, peeking under her burger bun to make sure the extra pickles were on there. “I didn’t ask what you’re doing for a living.”
“I’m an EMT,” he said simply.
“Well, that’s quite a job,” she said, pausing her burger halfway to her mouth. “I had no idea you were interested in medicine.”
“I wasn’t back then,” he admitted. “I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do at all. I think that fight with Chris was what really did it for me.”
He thought back to that fateful night and the sense of complete horror that’d taken over him when he saw how still Chris’s body had become. The paramedics had swooped in, acting quickly as the situation was dire.
“I liked the idea of saving people,” Dex went on.
“It’s got to be hard,” Tina said sympathetically, “with the things you have to see.”
“It can be.” He wouldn’t lie about that. Some of the scenes they were called to could be pretty grisly. “I like being the calmand reasonable one in the situation, though. There are these people who are absolutely freaking out over themselves or their loved ones, but I’m the voice and hand of reason. It’s kind of a way of taking care of people, and it’s pretty satisfying.”
“That’s incredible, Dex. How long have you been doing that?”
Their conversation continued as they ate, flowing so easily that Dex hardly even remembered emptying his plate. It was just so good to spend time with her, to really talk.
He was just finishing his shake when the waitress returned and slapped their check on the table. “We’re getting ready to close in ten minutes, by the way.”
“Really?” Tina glanced up at the clock on the wall, surrounded by neon tubes. “I don’t know where the time went.”
Dex handed over his debit card. “I don’t either, but I don’t really want it to end. I’m having a good time.”
“Me, too.” She bit her lower lip for a second. “It doesn’t have to end, if you don’t want it to. My place isn’t all that far. We could hang out there?”
His wolf leaped at the chance, and he dug his fingers into his leg to suppress it. “Sure, if you’d like.”
If he’d takena moment to imagine it, Dex would’ve thought Tina’s apartment would be just like this. Thick rugs dotted the hardwood floors, and a cozy blanket was thrown over the back of the couch. Several plants surrounded the picture window on one end of the living room, suspended in vintage macrame hangers. Crystals and candles were displayed on nearby shelves, along with a lot of old books.
“Nice place,” he said as they came in and took off their jackets.
“Thank you. It kind of called to me. The shop did, too. Do you want some tea?”
