until the car disappeared that she took a deep breath and turned to look up at me.
"Honestly, I'm not hungry," she said.
Why had she waited for them to be gone before speaking? Did she truly want to be alone with me-even
now, after witnessing my homicidal rage?
Whether that was the case or not, she was going to eat something.
"Humor me," I said.
I held the restaurant door open for her and waited. She sighed, and walked through.
I walked beside her to the podium where the hostess waited. Bella still seemed entirely self-possessed. I
wanted to touch her hand, her forehead, to check her temperature. But my cold hand would repulse
her, as it had before.
Oh, my, the hostess's rather loud mental voice intruded into my consciousness.
My, oh my.
It seemed to be my night to turn heads. Or was I only noticing it more because I wished so much that
Bella would see me this way? We were always attractive to our prey. I'd never thought so much about it
before. Usually-unless, as with people like Shelly Cope and Jessica Stanley, there was constant repetition
to dull the horror-the fear kicked in fairly quickly after the initial attraction...
"A table for two?" I prompted when the hostess didn't speak.
"Oh, er, yes. Welcome to La Bella Italia." Mmm! What a voice! "Please follow me." Her thoughts were
preoccupied-calculating.
Maybe she's his cousin. She couldn't be his sister, they don't look anything alike. But family, definitely.
He can't be with her.
Human eyes were clouded; they saw nothing clearly. How could this small-minded woman find my
physical lures-snares for prey-so attractive, and yet be unable to see the soft perfection of the girl
beside me?
Well, no need to help her out, just in case, the hostess thought as she led us to a family-sized table in
the middle of the most crowded part of the restaurant. Can I give him my number while she's there...?
She mused.
I pulled a bill from my back pocket. People were invariably cooperative when money was involved.
Bella was already taking the seat the hostess indicated without objection. I shook my head at her, and
she hesitated, cocking her head to one side with curiosity. Yes, she would be very curious tonight. A
crowd was not the ideal place for this conversation.
"Perhaps something more private?" I requested of the hostess, handing her the money. Her eyes
widened in surprise, and then narrowed while her hand curled around the tip.
"Sure."
She peeked at the bill while she led us around a dividing wall.
Fifty dollars for a better table? Rich, too. That makes sense-I bet his jacket cost more than my last
paycheck. Damn. Why does he want privacy with her?
She offered us a booth in a quiet corner of the restaurant where no one would be able to see us-to see
Bella's reactions to whatever I would tell her. I had no clue as to what she would want from me tonight.
Or what I would give her.
How much had she guessed? What explanation of tonight's events had she told herself?
"How's this?" the hostess asked.
"Perfect," I told her and, feeling slightly annoyed by her resentful attitude toward Bella, I smiled widely
at her, baring my teeth. Let her see me clearly.
Whoa. "Um...your server will be right out." He can't be real. I must be asleep. Maybe she'll
disappear...maybe I'll write my number on his plate with ketchup... She wandered away, listing slightly
to the side.
Odd. She still wasn't frightened. I suddenly remembered Emmett teasing me in the cafeteria, so many
weeks ago. I'll bet I could have scared her better than that. Was I losing my edge?
"You really shouldn't do that to people," Bella interrupted my thoughts in a disapproving tone. "It's
hardly fair."
I stared at her critical expression. What did she mean? I hadn't frightened the hostess at all, despite my
intentions. "Do what?"
"Dazzle them like that-she's probably hyperventilating in the kitchen right now."
Hmm. Bella was very nearly right. The hostess was only semi-coherent at the moment, describing her
incorrect assessment of me to her friend on the wait staff.
"Oh, come on," Bella chided me when I didn't answer immediately. "You have to know the effect you
have on people."
"I dazzle people?" That was an interesting way of phrasing it. Accurate enough for tonight. I wondered
why the difference...
"You haven't noticed?" she asked, still critical. "Do you think everybody gets their way so easily?"#p#分页标题#e#
"Do I dazzle you?" I voiced my curiosity impulsively, and then the words were out, and it was too late to
recall them.
But before I had time to too deeply regret speaking the words aloud she answered, "Frequently." And
her cheeks took on a faint pink glow.
I dazzled her.
My silent heart swelled with a hope more intense than I could ever remember having felt before.