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“Yet another disappointment,” I deadpanned

To my amusement, she cocked her head at me and if I wasn’t mistaken, the hint of a smile came to her lips

“I can see that I’ to ith you, am I?”

“No, you won’t,” I said I stepped aside and re watching you try”

With a subtle motion, she pulled her hair behind her ear as she moved towards the seat As she passed ainst me and as it did, her eyes darted to meet mine They were the color of steel blue, like a late winter sky, made all the more intense by the rose-tinted hue of her supple, full lips

I felt my jaw flex

The anie to clear the whole goddaht then and there Theme to reach out, touch her, taste her

Fuck her

“What can I get youmy trance

She looked in my direction “Mr Sinclair, our table is ready in the restaurant That is, if you are ready to eat”

I turned my attention to the bartender “I’d like to eat my meal here Is that a problem?”

My question caught hiuard “Um, to be perfectly honest, sir, I have no idea I know Chef Claude is pretty particular about how his restaurant operates”

“Well,” I began as I took o over there and bring us back a couple of menus or by this time next week, there won’t be a hotel for any of you to work in Feel free to tell Claude to come and discuss it with me if feels the need How’s that?”

After a quick, hard s, he nodded

“Sir… yes, sir I’ll be right back I’m sorry, Mr Sinclair”

As he walked away, I slipped lass, noith condensation I raised it to my mouth and sucked down the last of the liquor that relanced in Maddie’s direction to see her eyes locked on mine in an icy stare of disbelief

“What?” I asked

“Nothing,” she said breaking aze She lowered her hands into her lap and continued, “It’s not my place to say”

I se of the bar, I tented ether

“Please,” I began “If you’ve got so to say, by all means feel free”

Straightening her posture, she cleared her throat a bit and smoothed the lines of her dress at the same time

“Well, I suppose I don’t see why you felt it necessary to be rude to thatto do was answer your question about how Chef Claude likes to serve his meals”

I nodded “And so you think that’s what I was Rude?”

“Basically, yes,” she replied, still confident but not quite as much as she was a few moments earlier

“Hmm, well, what you think of as rude, I think of as direct” I paused for a moment and then leaned in towards her before I continued “You see, Maddie, I'm a man who knows exactly what he wants Plain and siht now, Maddie? Do you?”

Doubt and uncertainty etched into her features as I spoke She re her hands fro them on the bar in front of her At last she looked back at me and shook her head back and forth in silence

“I want to eat dinner with you”

Her eyes remained locked on me as I spoke, when just then the bartender appeared in my peripheral vision

In his hand, he carried two menus

“Mr Sinclair,” he began, as he leaned across the bar and extended them to Maddie and me “Here are your menus, sir Compliments of Chef Claude”