Page 21 of Ashley
He shrugged, stopping in front of a restaurant. "Why travel, when I live in the greatest city on Earth?"
Ashley rolled her eyes and gave his hand a tug. "That's pretty conceited," she teased, and he laughed.
"Not if it's the truth." He nodded at the door they stood in front of and then offered her his arm. "Come on, I'm about to blow you away with the best Korean BBQ you've ever had."
"That should be easy since I've never had Korean BBQ," she told him, taking his arm and following him inside the restaurant. She glanced around, taking in the sight of tables lining the walls and forming rows inside the restaurant. A grill sat inside each table, and the smell of savory meats cooking hit her nose and made her mouth water. All around her, servers bustled, carrying trays of meat, boiling soups, and what looked like enough side dishes to be the actual meal. Laughter and chatter from the packed tables lifted her spirits even further. This was a happy place; she could feel it, and after her welcome home and long day at work, she could use a little more happy.
"It smells amazing," she told him, sniffing the air and stifling a moan.
"It tastes even better," James said and motioned for her to sit at an empty table near the back of the restaurant.
"Thank you for bringing me here. I didn't eat much today."
He pursed his lips disapprovingly at that. "Why not? You have to take care of yourself." His voice was stern, and it made her stomach flip flop in a way that had her squeezing her thighs together.
"I was nervous," she replied, squirming under the laser like focus James speared her with.
"What?" He leaned closer across the table as if he hadn't heard her. "What do you mean, you were nervous?"
"I…" She dropped her gaze to her hands and shrugged. "I was just very nervous about seeing you. I couldn't eat."
The waiter appeared just then, and James sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a pinched look on his face. "We don't need menus. We need one of everything, please," he told the server.
Ashley and the server's eyes both widened. "One of everything?" they said in unison.
"Well, not one of everything, I guess," James sighed, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, gray eyes steady on Ashley. "Everything I can grill and she can eat."
"You don't have to—"
"Girls need food," James replied, cutting her off and looking back at the waiter. "Don't you agree?"
The man bobbed his head but looked unsure at the question. "I mean, yes, everyone does."
James held up a finger. "But especially little girls. So bring as much as you think she can eat."
"Right away." The server looked at Ashley and then asked, "Do you like pork?"
She nodded. "Love it."
"Awesome. Just wait!" He exclaimed and hightailed it away from their table before Ashley could ask what he meant. She bit her lip and shifted in her seat, looking at James.
"You didn't have to do that," she told him.
He shrugged and poured a glass of water from the jug that sat on the table. "You've never had it. We may as well find out what you do and don't like, right?" His question was innocent, but it kicked Ashley's brain into hyper drive because, yes, they should know what she liked or, rather,sheshould know.
"That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about," she told him, fiddling with her glass of water.
"Oh?" James fixed her with a knowing look, and Ashley ducked her head.
"Yes. I, ah, well, I wanted to talk to you about us." She took a hasty sip of her water and then looked back up at him to see that he was still silently regarding her, not looking like he'd moved an inch. "I want something more."
He leaned forward, elbows on the table. "I do, too."
"But," she licked her lips, and her eyes slid away again, "not a relationship."
He frowned. "Then, what?"
"I want you to teach me, but not be my—"
