“Who’s this?” She motions to me.
“I’m Sydney.” Smiling at her, I look down at the menu at the burger selections.
“She’s beautiful, Kane,” she whispers to him.
“She’s more than beautiful.” A gasp shoots through me, and I look at Kane who’s staring at me in a way that has me believing that he can see all the way down to my soul.
“Well, I’ll be,” Meredith says under her breath but my eyes don’t leave Kane’s. “What can I get you guys?”
Breaking my gaze from Kane’s, I scan the menu again. “I’ll just take a burger with all the fixings. Except mayo.”
“I’ll have the same,” Kane answers next.
She writes everything down and rolls away. Kane turns to me. “Tell me about you.”
"Not much to tell, really.” I shrug, but judging by Kane’s cocked up brow, my answer isn’t enough. “My mom was a single parent who worked two jobs just to keep food on the table. We moved every six months, sometimes the bills were just too much or work was slow. Me and Ethan learned early not to make friends because we knew we wouldn’t be staying in one place too long. Ethan was my best friend; I guess you could say. I was a loner, I closed myself off from the rest of world and lived in the fictional world of the books I would read.” I pick at the hem of my shirt nervously. “Ethan joined the Marines when I was a senior. I kept to myself that year. College is where I found myself and learned to live. Well sort of.” I laugh slightly and glance up at Kane who’s staring at me intently. “I learned to get out of my shell. When I wasn’t in class or studying, I would volunteer at the woman’s shelter or the veteran’s center. Now I’m an indie romance author,” I laugh under my breath as his eyes widen at the romance part.
“You write sex?” His eyes widen waiting for my answer.
“The whole book isn’t sex.” Rolling my eyes at how cliché people are.
“No social life? No boyfriends, dating, or prom?” Kane asks.
Shaking my head, I blush. “I rarely dated. The few guys I did date, I’d learn early on they weren’t the right guy for me. No point in wasting my time on someone I felt nothing for. Ethan was always very protective of me in high school, so he scared them away.”
“Good,” he mumbles.
“Hey!” I smack him on the shoulder. “I heard that.”
He just shrugs his shoulders and smirks at me cockily.
“Remind me to thank your brother the next time I see him.”
“Oh, you think I didn’t date in college?” I tease him. His smile drops.
Meredith brings our food to the table. My burger is huge, like the size of the small plate. I thank her as I lift the burger off the plate. Opening my mouth, I manage to get a small bite in, groaning at the taste.
“Shit,” Kane hisses from beside me. Glancing out of the corner of my eye I see Kane staring at me with hooded eyes. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Setting the burger back on the plate, I turn toward the window to hide my laugh.
We finish our food in silence, but my eyes keep wandering back to the noticeable bulge in his pants.
~*~
While Kane pays for our food, I walk outside. The warm Texas air hits me. Closing my eyes, I bask in the feeling. My eyes shoot open at the sound of something coming from the alley. Walking toward it, I see an old man in dirty and ripped clothing. He’s leaning with his head back against the wall. His hat says that he’s a Vietnam vet.
Walking over to him, I bend down so I’m eye level with him. His body stiffens when I sit close to him, but he doesn’t look up.
“Sir,” I start but instantly jump when he sits up and we almost butt heads.
“I’m sorry,” he says and then scoots back closer to the wall.
“Are you a vet?” I sit down on the ground in front of him. The scent of urine hits me, and I put my hand over my mouth to cover up my gagging.
“Yes, ma’am. A Vietnam vet.” He smiles at me proudly. His face is weathered.
“Thank you for your service.” I offer my hand for him to shake. He stares at for a second before putting his hand in mine. “Are you hungry?”
He jerks his hand from mine and looks at the ground. Pride. No matter what circumstances have put this man where he today, his honor and pride are things that can never be taken from him. Not waiting for an answer, I get up.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” I tell him over my shoulder. As I turn the corner to go back into the diner, Kane walks out looking around wildly.
“What’s the matter?” I ask him when I’m right beside him.