Once Upon Stilettos
Page 24

So our resident superhero was a reluctant one. That was a sobering realization. “I guess we all do our parts, huh?”
“We don’t have much choice.”
After that, we both concentrated on eating for a while. I had a lot to think about. On one level, I hadn’t learned much new about him for my mental fact file other than where he grew up. But on another, it was like I’d gained a whole new insight into his personality.
“It was an interesting day at work, wasn’t it?” he said after a while.
“Oh yeah. Was there anything important on those papers?”
“It was something I was working on directly related to the Idris situation. Now, of course, I’ll have to go a different direction with it.” He shuddered slightly. “I don’t like the idea of someone going through my desk. Not that I have much to hide in there, but still…”
“It’s your space.”
He looked me in the eye. “Exactly.” He held my glance for a while. This time, I was the one who had to duck and look away.
“You know what’s really sad? When my roommates ask me what happened at work today, I’ll have to say, ‘Nothing interesting.’”
He laughed. “Can you imagine what they’d do if you told them the truth?”
“They’d think I was making things up so my work wouldn’t sound too boring. I’m not sure I’d believe it if someone told me these stories.”
“I suppose I’m lucky not to have any relationships outside this world. I seldom have anything to hide.”
The part of my heart where the crush resided took a victory lap. I hadn’t heard any rumors about him dating anyone at the company, and if he didn’t have any relationships away from work, that meant he wasn’t seeing anyone. Then my brain reminded my heart that he’d said “world,” not “work.” There were magical people who didn’t work at MSI, and he could very well be dating one of them.
“Maybe you’ve got the right idea, though,” he added thoughtfully. “You’ve got a sense of perspective. This world is all-consuming, and a taste of something normal must help keep you grounded.”
I snorted. “If I were any more grounded, they’d have to dig me up.”
“And that’s what makes you so valuable to us. Are you hungry for dessert?” he continued, totally changing the subject. He had a habit of doing that. “They have the best cheesecake here. It’s not chocolate, but it’s still good.” If he’d learned one thing about me, it was that I had a minor addiction to chocolate. I was flattered that he remembered.
“I’m stuffed,” I moaned.
“We could share a slice.”
“You’re tempting me.”
He gave me a mischievous grin and leaned forward. “Rich, creamy cheesecake.”
I put my hands over my ears. “Stop it. I give in. We can split a slice.”
The waitress came by with her pad handy. Her sixth sense must have been almost as good as Owen’s. “Any dessert for you?” she asked.
“We’ll split a slice of cheesecake.”
“Coffee?”
“Decaf,” I said.
“Me, too,” Owen added.
“If my thighs are bigger tomorrow, it’s your fault,” I told him when the waitress left to get our dessert.
“I hope you’re not fishing for me to tell you I don’t think you’re fat.”
“Why, do you think I’m fat?”
“No. But you don’t need to fish for compliments. Trust me.” I wished I knew how to take that.
The waitress quickly returned with a slice of cheesecake, two forks, and two coffees. After one bite of cheesecake I was glad he’d convinced me to try it. I let him have most of it, though. I wasn’t as worried about calories as I was about popping a button off my clothes. While he ate, I gathered the nerve to ask a personal question. It seemed a shame to finally be with him away from work and spend the whole time talking about work. But what did you ask a guy like this? “Read any good books lately?” The last book he’d read was probably written in something like Ancient Transylvanian.
“So if your work tends to suck you in and take over your life, what do you do when you’re not working at all? Do you ever really get away from it?”
He frowned like he was contemplating the bite of cheesecake he’d just taken, then he took a sip of coffee. Finally he said, “I do the kinds of things anyone else does, I guess. I’ll admit to reading work-related material in my spare time, but only because that’s what I enjoy reading. Otherwise, I watch baseball, listen to music, go to movies. Mostly quiet things. I don’t like noise and crowds, but I sometimes go out with Rod on the rare occasion when he doesn’t have a date. Or two.”