We walked on, slowing. The sidewalk ended just ahead as
the bank fel off much harder down to the river. Across the
street were a couple of restaurants.
'Let's stop at Taco Bel,' I said suddenly, unable to resist.
Eric gave me a quick glance, but though I sought a smile or
some sign he was thinking about the last note I'd left, I saw
nothing to give it away. He nodded, though, and when
there was a break in the traffic, we headed across to walk
on the other side of the street.
The pause had slowed us both, so by the time we crossed
the parking lot to the restaurant I was cooling down. The
sun, so fiercely bright, had gone behind some clouds again,
and the wind off the river whipped us. It felt good, though,
drying my sweaty face. Eric held the door open for me.
Once again, the gesture from anyone else wouldn't have
Once again, the gesture from anyone else wouldn't have
given me a second thought, but I wondered if he'd done it
to be polite or from some other, secret need.
I was going to drive myself nuts thinking of this stuff, so I
shoved it aside as best I could and concentrated on the
menu board. It had been so long since I'd been to Taco
Bel they'd added a whole list of new items. I'd practicaly
lived off fast food for years because it was cheap, but
nothing up there realy looked appealing even when I
figured in the fact I'd walked al the way here and would
walk back.
'Go ahead,' Eric offered.
I ordered a large diet cola and there was a moment of
awkwardness when he insisted on paying and I tried to
stop him but ended up conceding with a laugh. It was nice,
that gesture. I hadn't expected it.
'A soda's not going to break me, Paige.' Eric flipped a
twenty at the cashier, who stared at it suspiciously and did
some strange things to it with a marker.
'Thank you, anyway.' I took the drink, which I hadn't
realized was going to contain enough soda to fil a
realized was going to contain enough soda to fil a
fishbowl. The sweetness and carbonation hit the back of
my throat in a bubbly, fizzy splash of utter joy.
Folowing me to a table toward the front, Eric laughed at
my sound of delight. 'That's the sigh of a true addict.'
I lifted the humongous cup. 'Is it that obvious?'
He waited for me to sit before he did. Pleasure, not
exactly sexual, purred through me. I could definitely get
used to this. He set his tray on the table and took the seat
across from me. Our knees bumped.
'Only to a former caffeine addict.' He unwrapped his taco
and spread out the paper with his fingertips. 'You sure you
don't want anything to eat?'
