Page 13 of Missing Pieces (Men of Manhattan 3)

He didn't look at me as he started the ignition.

I turned away from him and pulled my feet up onto the seat as I wrapped my arms around my shins. The last thing I needed was some beautiful stranger judging my choices. I already felt guilty enough for leaving my dad.

He let me silently fume as he drove back toward the highway. He pulled over to a diner near the end of the road.

"Is this okay?" he asked gently.

"Yeah, this is great."

He got out of the car before I could say anything else. I scurried out behind him. He held the door of the restaurant open for me. I tried to ignore the fact that no one had done that for me in years. It's not like this was a date. He was basically my chauffeur for the next few days, nothing more.

"Table for two?" the woman asked. She seemed bored out of her mind. The diner looked like it hadn't had its decor updated since the 60's. The floor was even black and white checkered. I was surprised the waitresses weren't rolling around on roller skates.

"Yes," I said cheerily.

She looked up at me like she was annoyed by my positive attitude. "Right this way." She grabbed two menus and showed us to a table. "Emery will be right with you."

I slid into the booth and Tyler slid into the seat across from me. He picked up his menu and scanned over the options.

Yesterday I felt like there was this flirtatious vibe between us. Today, not so much. I wanted to go back to that. I didn't want to drive across the country with someone who didn't even feel comfortable looking at me.

The waitress walked over. She was young, probably in high school, and her eyes were glued on Tyler like she had never seen anyone sexier in her life.

I rolled my eyes.

"Hi, I'm Emery and I'll be taking care of you today. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"I'm ready to order if you are," Tyler said to me.

"Sure."

"Ladies first," he said.

"Could I just have an omelet with spinach and Swiss cheese. And a water."

Emery wrote it down in her notepad. "And for you?" She batted her eyelashes.

Tyler didn't seem to notice. Maybe he was gay.

"I'll just have a bagel with cream cheese. And some coffee, please."

"Sure thing. Just wave me down if you need anything else." She grabbed the menus and gave Tyler one last huge smile before she walked away with way too much shake in her hips.

"Who names their kid Emery?" I said. "It's basically like naming them Nail File."

Tyler laughed. "You sound jealous."

"Jealous of what? Some girl who works at a diner who wants in your pants? I don't think so."

He leaned back in the booth and stared at me.

"What are you looking at?" I awkwardly tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Let's play 21 questions."

"What's that?"

"You've seriously never played 21 questions?"

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