Beautiful Mistake(28)
That feeling of dread hit the pit of my stomach. “So why does your sister think she can’t wear them? Does she not like music?”
“She has to listen for Benny.”
“What does that mean?”
“Sometimes when he’s drinking and mad, he comes into her room at night.”
Rachel
“Are you hungry?”
I’d debated asking the question in my head for the last five minutes. Even though I’d spent all day with Caine, I wasn’t ready for it to end. But I wanted my suggestion to have dinner to come off casual. He’d asked me to grab a bite to eat before, yet for some reason when it was me doing the asking, I felt like I was asking him out on a date.#p#分页标题#e#
Caine glanced over and then back to the road. He was quiet, and I got the feeling he was debating the appropriateness of our situation before answering. I was surprised when he said, “Starving. What did you have in mind?”
“I’m easy. There’s a Greek restaurant a few blocks from my place that’s good. Or there’s Chinese on Grand Street. Or we could go to O’Leary’s and then it’ll be my treat again.” I smirked at that last part.
“How about Greek, and my treat this time?”
“Sounds good. Take a left on Elwyn Street. It’s up on the right if we can find parking—Greek Delight.”
Inside the restaurant, the hostess sat us in a quiet booth in the back and brought us hummus and pita chips to snack on while we looked at the menu. I knew what I wanted, but Caine took out glasses from his pocket to read the menu. Those really worked on him, although I couldn’t help myself.
“How old are you that you need reading glasses?”
He looked up over the rim of his studious Burberry frames. “You wear glasses. Why does my needing reading glasses mean I’m old?”
“I have an astigmatism. I’ve needed them to read since I was in a training bra.”
Caine’s eyes dropped to my cleavage before returning to the menu. He grumbled something I didn’t catch. When I continued to stare at him, he took his glasses off and looked up at me. “What?”
“You didn’t answer my question. How old are you?”
“Old enough to be your professor.”
I dipped a piece of pita in the hummus and popped it in my mouth. “So, what? About sixty then?”
“I’m thirty-two, wiseass. Are you happy?”
I smiled. “I am, actually.”
Caine slipped his glasses back on and returned to the menu.
I leaned in. “You don’t look a day over thirty-one.”
He shook his head and continued reading, but I caught the corner of his lip twitch.
Why did I love that lip twitch? It felt like a little reward of some sort. I seriously needed my head examined when it came to this man.
After he seemed to have decided, he leaned back in the booth. “You’re doing a great job with your research.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s one hell of an interesting dynamic going on there.”
I remembered how awkward I’d felt sitting with the trio the first time. “I know. It was weird at the beginning, but I’ve gotten used to it now. Lydia is a pretty amazing person, isn’t she?”
“She is. Not sure I could do what she’s doing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Watch my wife sit there with another man and smile.”
“True love is selfless. She wants the best for him, even if that doesn’t include her anymore.”
The waitress brought our drinks and took our order. Caine had ordered a Greek beer, and I’d ordered my usual diet soda. I had to look away when his lips wrapped around the bottle. I was way too attracted to him to hide it very well.
“You sound like an expert on the subject. I take it you’ve been in love like that?” he asked.
“Not with a man.”
Caine’s brows jumped, and I realized what that must’ve sounded like—what he thought.
“I meant…I felt that way about my mother. Not that I’m a lesbian or anything. I like men. Not that I have anything against lesbians. I just prefer…you know…men when it comes to sex. Not that I have much of a sex life at the moment.” I was definitely babbling.#p#分页标题#e#
Caine chuckled. “You’re fucking adorable when you get embarrassed.”
I drank my cold soda to occupy my mouth and hopefully keep my skin from turning noticeably pink. “Anyway, when my mother was really sick, I wanted her to die so she wouldn’t be in pain anymore. I was going to be without a mother, but I didn’t care. I just wanted her to be at peace. That’s what Lydia and Umberto remind me of.” I set my glass down on the table. “How about you? Ever been in love like that?”