truckers that was non-smoking. Sliding her sandals over the worn brown tile, she took her time going from the entryway to the cashier’s station at the front of the restaurant.
After their run-in in the parking lot, she’d had lots of feelings about Davis that she wanted to be able to control, but she hadn’t been able to. It wasn’t possible for those feelings to lead to anything good. The logical part of her knew that. In fact, she was starting to regret asking him to be her date to the wedding. Still, there was the feeling of his skin under hers again. And Lenny Kravitz. It was dangerous to want the things she wanted. She knew that. That didn’t make her want them any less.
Low watt bulbs lit the place. They cast a dim glow over the green booths and dull wooden tables. The low lighting didn’t really hide the worn and greasy look of the dining room.
A petite blonde with obvious bleach damage to her hair stood behind the cash register. She smiled and welcomed Jemma to the restaurant.
“I think my friends are already seated. Tall, brown-haired guy with three women?” Jemma said.
She nodded, pointing to the back of the non-trucker section. “Right back there, hon.” Jemma walked to a table near the back where Michael, Emily Rose, Carolina, and Meg sat. She took the only empty seat, which happened to be next to Carolina, said hello to everyone, and picked up her menu.
Carolina said, “So everything’s set for dinner tonight, Em Rose?”
Emily Rose nodded, her blonde hair bouncing with every vigorous movement of her head. “Yes. We have to go over to the community center after this. Oh, and we’ll need to make a little stop by the church before that. But everything is pretty much good to go.” She placed her hand over Michael’s.
Michael looked greener than he had all week. He smiled weakly back at her and nodded. Jemma had a bad feeling about Michael. Granted, she hadn’t known him long, but he had a shifty look about him. Maybe it was because he was under a lot of pressure from his mom. Ms. Fletcher was admittedly intense, but Jemma wasn’t sure that was it. Or maybe it was the stress of his job search. Still, there seemed to be more going on between them than Emily Rose was willing to admit.
After that, Michael turned the conversation away from wedding talk and to himself and the fabulous job he was sure he had in the bag.
Carolina leaned toward Jemma. “Michael can be a little full of himself sometimes, huh?” she murmured.
Jemma was surprised to find herself agreeing with Carolina for once. “Yeah.” Maybe Carolina wasn’t so bad after all.
“He’s not always like that. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t let Em Rose marry a total jerk.”
Jemma smiled. “She’s lucky to have a friend like you.” She fought the urge to get defensive. It wasn’t like Carolina had implied that Jemma was a bad friend. Jemma’s guilt was causing her to jump to that conclusion. The rational left side of her brain knew that.
Carolina laughed. “It’s a hard job, but what can I say? I’m a superstar.”
Jemma agreed, going along with the joke.
“You guys ready to order?” Davis broke in. Jemma looked up. Her heart pounded as she watched him standing there, tapping his pencil against his order pad. He wore a white collared shirt with grease stains at the cuffs and black pants. Even in his shabby uniform, he was sexy. His upbeat manner was clearly forced, but only someone who knew him well could tell. He’d always been pretty good at masking his real feelings.
She shifted in her seat and hid her trembling hands beneath the table. He was right behind her chair, so close they were almost touching.
“Yeah. You can take my order,” Carolina said, beckoning to Davis with her index finger and a sexy grin. Jemma tensed. Davis stepped closer to Carolina.
Jemma watched Carolina flirt with Davis as she asked questions about the menu. He grinned back and answered her, but it seemed he was just trying to be nice.
After their run-in in the parking lot, she’d had lots of feelings about Davis that she wanted to be able to control, but she hadn’t been able to. It wasn’t possible for those feelings to lead to anything good. The logical part of her knew that. In fact, she was starting to regret asking him to be her date to the wedding. Still, there was the feeling of his skin under hers again. And Lenny Kravitz. It was dangerous to want the things she wanted. She knew that. That didn’t make her want them any less.
Low watt bulbs lit the place. They cast a dim glow over the green booths and dull wooden tables. The low lighting didn’t really hide the worn and greasy look of the dining room.
A petite blonde with obvious bleach damage to her hair stood behind the cash register. She smiled and welcomed Jemma to the restaurant.
“I think my friends are already seated. Tall, brown-haired guy with three women?” Jemma said.
She nodded, pointing to the back of the non-trucker section. “Right back there, hon.” Jemma walked to a table near the back where Michael, Emily Rose, Carolina, and Meg sat. She took the only empty seat, which happened to be next to Carolina, said hello to everyone, and picked up her menu.
Carolina said, “So everything’s set for dinner tonight, Em Rose?”
Emily Rose nodded, her blonde hair bouncing with every vigorous movement of her head. “Yes. We have to go over to the community center after this. Oh, and we’ll need to make a little stop by the church before that. But everything is pretty much good to go.” She placed her hand over Michael’s.
Michael looked greener than he had all week. He smiled weakly back at her and nodded. Jemma had a bad feeling about Michael. Granted, she hadn’t known him long, but he had a shifty look about him. Maybe it was because he was under a lot of pressure from his mom. Ms. Fletcher was admittedly intense, but Jemma wasn’t sure that was it. Or maybe it was the stress of his job search. Still, there seemed to be more going on between them than Emily Rose was willing to admit.
After that, Michael turned the conversation away from wedding talk and to himself and the fabulous job he was sure he had in the bag.
Carolina leaned toward Jemma. “Michael can be a little full of himself sometimes, huh?” she murmured.
Jemma was surprised to find herself agreeing with Carolina for once. “Yeah.” Maybe Carolina wasn’t so bad after all.
“He’s not always like that. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t let Em Rose marry a total jerk.”
Jemma smiled. “She’s lucky to have a friend like you.” She fought the urge to get defensive. It wasn’t like Carolina had implied that Jemma was a bad friend. Jemma’s guilt was causing her to jump to that conclusion. The rational left side of her brain knew that.
Carolina laughed. “It’s a hard job, but what can I say? I’m a superstar.”
Jemma agreed, going along with the joke.
“You guys ready to order?” Davis broke in. Jemma looked up. Her heart pounded as she watched him standing there, tapping his pencil against his order pad. He wore a white collared shirt with grease stains at the cuffs and black pants. Even in his shabby uniform, he was sexy. His upbeat manner was clearly forced, but only someone who knew him well could tell. He’d always been pretty good at masking his real feelings.
She shifted in her seat and hid her trembling hands beneath the table. He was right behind her chair, so close they were almost touching.
“Yeah. You can take my order,” Carolina said, beckoning to Davis with her index finger and a sexy grin. Jemma tensed. Davis stepped closer to Carolina.
Jemma watched Carolina flirt with Davis as she asked questions about the menu. He grinned back and answered her, but it seemed he was just trying to be nice.
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