Page 31 of Forever Mine
Chapter 11
Scott arrived at Jam-Indian Delight before I did. The interior was a fusion of Indian and Jamaican décor. Bamboo furniture complemented walls hung with paintings of Indian deities. The muted light and burnt-orange walls and gave the room an air of mystery.
While talking to the hostess, I scanned the tables looking for Scott. My gaze landed on him as he shook his head. The tiny motion hinted at his irritation. The frown lines on his forehead deepened and his lips moved as if he was talking to himself. Swearwords, I’d guess.
This evening, he wore another deep-blue shirt. He knew the color intensified his eyes. Smart man.
When I reached his table, after threading my way through a roomful of diners, Scott looked up. His face cleared as he got to his feet.
“This is becoming a habit,” I said, as he came around to help me into the seat.
“What?” he asked with a lopsided grin as he sat and pushed the phone aside.
“You getting to our rendezvous spot before me.”
He shrugged. “I finished work on time today and I was eager to see you, so … ”
“That’s good to know,” I said, glancing around the room.
Scott's eyes widened. “Is eating all we’re going to do?”
My gaze settled on him but I shelved what I was about to say because the waitress stood next to us. She introduced herself as Denise and gave us a spiel about the food. After handing us menus, she took our drink order and left.
I ran down the items on the menu before acknowledging Scott, who was waiting for me to respond. “In a word: No.”
“What else d’you have planned?”
I looked at my watch. “I thought we’d go to The Creative Club for a little sip and paint afterward. I missed lunch, so I figured I’d better eat before we go.”
“Anything else?” Scott sat forward, as if eager to hear my answer.
Denise returned with our Red Stripe Light Beer and left with our order.
“Tomorrow’s a work day, so I wasn’t sure if you’d also want to do some dancing.”
“I’m not exactly an old fart, so I should be able to keep up.”
I suppressed a grin. “Maybe we will, maybe we won’t. Let’s play it by ear.”
We both laughed and suspended our conversation when our shrimp platter came. We had an assortment of breaded, curried, and jerked shrimp.
“This looks delicious,” Scott said before we dug in.
“Be wary of the curry,” I said. “It has quite a kick.”
“Remember Ty?”
I nodded and my lips twisted in a smirk. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Scott poked a spoon into the curried shrimp and nodded with confidence. “Thanks, but I think I can handle it.”
He dished portions for both of us before sampling the shrimp. Thirty seconds later, he reached for his glass and swigged some beer. His face went ruddy and his eyes were weepy.
I looked away, stifling a grin. Then, I asked, “You okay?”
He sniffed and blinked several times. “I think so.”
I bit my lip, and he stared at me, squinting a little.