Page 13 of Fearless Encounter
Before they finished their drinks, a table was ready. They moved into the dining room by the windows, where it was much quieter.
Glasses of water and a plate of crusty bread were promptly delivered. Conversation lagged as they ate chunks of bread slathered with butter. The waitress came by to take their orders.
“I’ll have the lasagna,” Brooke said.
“A woman after my own heart,” Gabriel said, then handed his menu to the waitress. “I’ll have the same.”
After the waitress brought drink refills, the silence was palpable. The main subject of the evening loomed, so Brooke brought it up. “My problem hasn’t gone away, has it? I think you would have told me right away if it had.”
“There hasn’t been a report of a missing person connected with last night’s parade,” Gabriel said. “But don’t be discouraged. It’s early. I did some digging on my own, but I haven’t learned anything new. I have Amalie on social media, looking for any clue. If anyone can find something there, she will.”
“You’re being very encouraging,” Brooke said. “But I have my doubts. It’s worrisome not to hear anything. I’d rather know. But I suppose if we don’t hear more that might be a good thing. Possibly, the woman is okay and there won’t be any report.”
“I wouldn’t count on that,” Gabriel said. “This type of thing doesn’t just go away. It’s really a matter of how long it will take for a report to surface.”
“Waiting is difficult,” Brooke said.
Gabriel swigged his beer, without taking his eyes off her. Brooke felt the spark of electricity between them. The more she knew him, the more she was attracted to him. She hadn’t envisioned romance this late in life. It wasn’t not like she wasancient, so it was possible.
As if reading her mind, Gabriel said, “Are you on good terms with your ex?”
That touched a sore spot. The meals were delivered to the table, giving Brooke a chance to consider her answer.
Gabriel carved a bite of the steaming lasagna and ate it with pleasure. Seeing him do so ignited a feeling of pleasure within her. A man digging into a delicious meal was sexy.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” Gabriel said, with a wave of his fork. “It might be the best lasagna I’ve had, and that’s saying a lot.”
Brooke took a bite and had to agree. While she chewed, she pondered what to tell Gabriel. The trouble was that he was such a good listener, so she found herself telling him more than she intended. The truth was that her marriage hadn’t gone well. It hadn’t worked on many levels, and for a long while, Brooke had thought it was mostly her fault. “When he left, it was a crushing blow,” she said. “He’d found another woman, so what did that say about me? I tortured myself over what was wrong with me. I wasn’t pretty enough, fun enough, or—the list went on.”
“And now?”
“I’m over that stage,” she said. “I’ve realized that marriage isn’t a one-way street. I wasn’t perfect, but that didn’t justify his actions. We grew distant, but that wasn’t because I didn’t try. An attorney’s life is busy, with late hours, appointments, and commitments. I felt like I was an ornament, someone to take to the company parties.” She finished the last of her cocktail. The bartender must have made it stronger, because she couldn’t believe she was telling Gabriel about such intimate feelings.
Brooke hadn’t felt recognized or listened to. She hadn’t felt loved. But she wasn’t about to sharethat.
“Do you date?”
“It’s not that Idon’t,” Brooke said. “I’ve tried, but…it’s been difficult. I might be past figuring out the dating scene.”
Gabriel smiled. “I understand that.”
For a few minutes, they ate and drank. When the waitress came by, Brooke declined a cocktail refill. She’d had plenty, if baring her soul to a man she barely knew was any indication. The plates were cleared and dessert offered.
“Sweet treats are my passion,” Brooke said. “I want to try the pistachio baklava to see how the chef makes it. That’s one item that’s not yet on my dessert list at Jasper’s.”
Gabriel smiled. “I think pastry chefs are the unsung heroes of the restaurant world.”
“Okay, now you’re really on my good side.” When the waitress came over, Brooke requested the baklava with the addition of citrus and white chocolate. Gabriel ordered crème brûlée.
“I have to say that there is no shortage of amazing pastry chefs in New Orleans,” Brooke said. “They make everything from baked Alaska to bananas Foster. And if you haven’t had that flaming tableside dessert of bananas, rum, and brown sugar over vanilla ice cream, you haven’t lived.”
“Can’t say that I’ve had the pleasure,” Gabriel said with a grin.
“We’ll have to change that.” Brooke realized too late what that implied. Had she really just asked him on a date? She was falling for Gabriel more by the minute, surely headed for disappointment—if she didn’t slow down.
Chapter 4
Gabriel delighted in Brooke’s enthusiasm. “I have a feeling I’ll taste a variety of desserts, if you have anything to say about it.” He realized that implied a future to the relationship, a welcome thought. Although he couldn’t assume that Brooke felt the same. But friendship was possible, if nothing else. It had been a long time since he’d had a good time on a date—longer than he could recall.