Page 26 of Forever: The Companion

TEN

“Okay, now this is how we should eat everyday.”

Renzo grinned, nodding. “Absolutely.”

Lucia winked at him where she sat across the small table they currently dined at under a hut that was set a good thirty feet off from the restaurant. They had to walk to it on a path made of smooth rocks. She shoved another bite of rice into her mouth.

Part of the draw for the restaurant was the fact that one could dine either inside, or outside, in private, under one of the many huts that surrounded the place. Reservations for this place hadn’t been on the docket, but after chatting with the chef who worked at the house, the guy said he could pull some strings if Renzo made it worth his while.

Ren did.

Worth every penny of that thousand dollars.

Lucia loved it.

The soft tempo of a song reached their spot. A tune that could make anyone want to dance, though there were no lyrics. Although where it came from, Renzo couldn’t be sure. Nonetheless, the music had Lucia swaying to and fro across from him, the delicate line of her shoulders moving to the beat of the song while she finished what was left on her plate.

“I need another drink,” she said, picking up her empty glass and waving it at him. “And you need to give me a dance.”

“Oh, you think?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Which do you want first?”

Because he wasn’t entirely sure where their server went, but it seemed as though there were only a couple that worked the huts outside. Not that he minded because it allowed them more time to enjoy the place together, without worrying about someone coming to interrupt them every few minutes. Besides, he could easily go in and find a server to bring them out another round of drinks.

He didn’t mind.

Lucia eyed her glass carefully, and then her gaze darted to him over the rim. “That’s a very hard decision, Ren.”

His smile grew wider, and his tongue peeked out to lick the corner of his upper lip as he asked, “Is it really?”

“These are good drinks, but you’re a good dancer, so …”

“Think maybe you’ve had one too many drinks.”

Lucia shook her head. “Not nearly enough, actually.”

Right.

God, he loved this girl.

“One more drink,” he said, “but I thought you might want to see the Ubud Art Market, and we can’t do that if you’re so drunk that you can’t walk.”

Lucia pursed her lips, her index finger coming up to tap at her chin while she stared at the ceiling of the hut and considered his words. “Well …”

“Hmm?”

“You have a point. Maybe water would be better.”

Renzo let out a quiet laugh, because yeah, he didn’t need her to admit it for him to know exactly how buzzed she was feeling. Hell, after three of his own drinks, he felt it. Neither one of them was driving, so that wasn’t a problem. He just knew the market was something she would appreciate the most about Bali, next to the obvious beauty and magic of the place. He doubted she wanted to miss out on it because she had one too many drinks.

“Water first, then a dance,” he told her.

Lucia sighed. “Fine.”

Renzo leaned back dangerously in the chair, letting it dangle on two legs as he peered around the support beam of the hut to see if maybe the server was on his way back. Unfortunately, not from what he could see. “Stay put, hmm?”