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What the fuck am I doing?Hopefully, he understood we’d eat to keep each other company. I returned a warm smile. My feelings wanted to join the party. I wouldn’t let them.
I gazed out the window at the tranquil view of the harbor. The low lighting provided a romantic ambiance throughout. I sipped the pinot grigio, returning my attention to the menu.
The waiter left a basket of rolls in the center of the table. I’m surrounded by women wearing beautiful colorful dresses and men in nice suits. I glanced between Ethan and me dressed in our T-shirts and jeans.
I leaned forward. “Ethan, aren’t we underdressed?”
“It doesn’t matter. Like I said, I frequent this place enough. All they care about is that my money is green.”
I ran my fingers over my coily hair, nodding in agreement.
“Do you ever travel?” He brought the glass of wine to his lips.
“Yes. My mother sang songs while my father drove us down the highway in our RV. Mainly, we went camping at Yellow Stone or Florida.” I smiled.
“I loved the Sunshine State. My father was shocked when I chose to attend school in California and not Florida.”
“Why didn’t you choose Florida?”
I chugged the wine. “I wanted to live on the west coast.”
I pressed my hand forward. “Don’t laugh. I didn’t choose Florida because I didn’t want to get swept away by a hurricane.”
He dropped his head, laughing. He placed his hand over his mouth then burst into laughter again. His gaze fell on me. Ethan’s face was bright red. Laughter erupted again.
“Go ahead, Ethan. Get the laughter out of your system.” I sat back in the wooden chair.
He waved his hand in front of him. “Malaysia you chose one disaster state over another. You decided against the hurricane state, settling for a multiple disaster state: wild fires, mudslides, and earthquakes.”
I twisted my lips. “Are you done now? Remember disaster can strike anywhere ya know.”
He grabbed my hand, bringing it to his lips. “Yes, I’m done. And you are right, disaster can happen anywhere. I shouldn’t have turned your life decisions into a joke.”
“It’s ok. I plan to move back to L.A., after my family is out of financial danger.”
“You hate Boston that much, huh?” His smile rose and fell.
I stared into his eyes. “No.” I brushed my fingers along my arm. No was all I had to offer. I couldn’t tell him I’d be willing to stay in Boston for him. But I didn’t have to worry. We were occasionally hooking up. There wasn’t a future for us.
“Where did you and your family travel?”
I caught a glimpse of two women sitting at a table catty-corner from us. The dark-haired lady ran her fingers across her collar bone, staring at Ethan. Her pink lips turned upward at something her friend said.
I returned my attention to Ethan.
“All over the world.” He scarfed down a buttered roll.
“What was your favorite place to visit?”
“China. I will never get over how many people live there. We often traveled to China and Japan because my father had business dealings there. Me, my sister Claire, my brother Garth, and my mother, Leslie, enjoyed the culture while my father was in meetings. People poured onto the streets. I loved watching the street vendors chop up any animal someone desired right before your eyes.”
“Sounds like quite the experience.”
The waiter appeared, placing our meals on the table. After refreshing our drinks, he stepped away.
Ethan continued. “No time to travel now. I only have time to work.”
“Excuse me.”
