Page 7 of Married to Murder
I started down the walkway, and he followed. “Any sore muscles from your lesson today?” I asked.
“My back muscles hurt a little. That arching the back thing is awkward at first.”
“Yeah, but essential if you’re going to be a successful surfer.”
He sighed. “You’re a good teacher. I actually enjoyed the experience. I thought maybe because I’m so much older than the first time I surfed, I’d be unable to get on my feet.”
“You were a good student.” I smiled at him.
“Thanks.”
We reached the restaurant. It was a small yellow building tucked between two more modern office spaces. “This is it.” I waved toward the sign. “Freddy’s Fish Shack.”
“Wow. This really was close.”
I laughed. “I eat here a lot.”
He opened the door for me, and I slid past him, acknowledging how nice it felt brushing against his hard body. The owner greeted us with menus and a big grin.
“Seth, I see you’ve brought a friend.” Freddy smiled warmly at Tanner.
“Yep.” I shook Freddy’s hand. “I know he’ll love the food here.”
“I wanted to buy Seth dinner to thank him for an amazing surfing lesson.” Tanner’s voice was smooth.
Freddy’s gaze was assessing. “What a nice gesture.”
I patted my stomach. “If only all my students would buy me meals.”
Freddy chuckled. “Follow me. I have one good table left. Let’s snag it before anyone notices.” Freddy led us to a place next to a huge picture window. The view showcased the pink-and-mustard sky hovering over the ocean as sunset rapidly approached.
Once we were seated, Freddy handed us our menus and took our drink order. He then walked away to greet another group of people who’d arrived. Tanner looked around at the inside of the restaurant. The tables were covered with red tablecloths, and the furniture was worn from years of use. Oak shelves ran around the top of the walls of the room, stuffed full of sea-themed knickknacks and shells.
“People come here for the food, not the decor.” I grimaced.
“This is nice,” he said softly. “Very… quaint.”
I laughed. “Yeah. Very.” I studied my menu, trying to calm my pulse. Every time our eyes met, my heart would speed up again. I hoped he couldn’t see the line of sweat above my upper lip, or that my hands trembled slightly from nerves.
“So what’s good here?”
“Everything. The Baja fish tacos are one of my favorites, and Freddy’s jumbo crab cakes are orgasmic.” The minute the words left my mouth, I winced inwardly.
“That sounds promising.”
I laughed awkwardly. “Maybe I’m overselling them just a bit.”
He chuckled. “I guess I’ll have to find my orgasmic pleasure some other way.”
My face warmed. “I guess I walked into that one.”
“Sorry.” He bit his bottom lip. “I’m flirting. I’ll try and behave.”
I swallowed hard as I met his amused gaze. “In case it’s not super obvious, I don’t date a lot.”
“Really?” His confident gaze roamed my face. “It’s hard to imagine you don’t get asked out a lot.”
“I get asked out. I just don’t take them up on it.”
