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“The house?” the waitress wanted to know.
I was getting ready to say that was fine when Pearce interrupted and said, “Bring her a glass of the Hanzell.”
“Sir, we don’t serve that by the glass.”
“Then bring a bottle. Make sure it’s appropriately chilled to fifty degrees. And bring me a Laphroaig 18 neat, please.”
Good lord! Hanzell Chardonnay sounded like something mighty fancy and Laphroaig 18. I was totally out of my element.
“Right away, sir.”
“I didn’t take you for a Scotch drinker,” I said.
“No? Tell me why.”
“You were crazy fussy about the food I just figured you’d like something less complex.”
He laughed. “It was an act to get you to pay more attention to me,” he confessed.
I looked at him and rolled my eyes. I’d figured that out already.
The waitress returned with our drink order. She uncorked the bottle of wine and poured a sample in the glass, waiting for Pearce to taste it. He looked at her in annoyance and said, “The lady should be tasting it. She’s the one drinking it.”
“Yes, sir, pardon me.” She kept ogling him and I couldn’t blame her. He was oh-so-easy on the eyes.
I took a sip, and the wine was heavenly. Rich and creamy with hints of pear, honeydew, and cloves, it was perfectly delightful.
“Mmm. This is totally delicious.”
“I thought you’d enjoy it. If you like chards that is.”
“What? You’re not a chard fan?”
“No, I like them. I was just saying that.” He leaned forward and said, “Tell me more about the beautiful Alexia.”
I stiffened. This was not on my list of conversation topics. What would I say? Oh, right. I sleep with everyone in town and I enjoy doing drugs. I rubbed my hands over my legs, and then fisted them, feeling my nails biting into my palms.
“There’s really not much to tell,” I said stiffly.
“Okaaay. I get it. You don’t want to talk about yourself. Are you a bank robber? Do you break into people’s homes when they’re on vacation and steal their valuables?”
I chuckled. “Of course not. I’m a waitress and personal assistant to the lovely Lisbeth Rutledge, whom I adore.”
“I know Lisbeth. She and my grandmother are great friends. She’s a real gem.”
“That she is. I was lucky she found me.”
“How’d she do that?”
“Well, truthfully, I answered a rental ad for her carriage house. Then when she told me the monthly fee, I had a heart attack. Afterward, she confessed she’d been on the hunt for a personal assistant that was reliable. That’s how we made a deal. I’d be at her beck and call, in exchange for rent. It’s been the best deal I’ve ever made. She’s become a wonderful friend to me and I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
He leaned back in his chair and nodded. His perfectly beautiful smile had me smiling too.
“What?” he asked.
“What what?” I tried to deflect his question.
“What’s that look about?”
