Second Chances(21)

"Can I start you off with a cocktail?" she asked with a huge grin, as she handed them menus.

"Yes," said Paige. "I definitely think I am going to need a drink."

"One of those days, eh? I know exactly what you mean," Sally said, though Nathan doubted the woman had a clue.

"Frozen strawberry margarita and I'll have a Diet Coke," he said, wanting Ms. Cheerful away as soon as possible.

Sally looked over at Paige, who was staring at Nathan. She glanced up at the waitress and nodded.

"Super! Be back in a jiffy."

Nathan folded his hands together, resting his elbows on the table and leaned over pretending to study the menu. He waited for what was to come.

"Please," Paige said. "Please do not do that. You have no idea how that makes me feel."

"Sorry," he whispered.

Sally returned quickly, though whether or not her speed had indeed qualified as a genuine jiffy, Nathan couldn't say, but he was thankful just the same as her arrival at least broke the silence temporarily.

"Can I tell you the specials?"

Neither of them had time to respond before she had launched into the list of specials for the evening. Nathan tuned her out and stared at Paige across the table. She was listening to Sally with feigned interest. He had seen her do it countless times before. It was just one of the special things about her.

"I think we are going to need a few minutes," she told Sally, when the waitress finished her spiel.

"Take your time," she said, looking very much like a poster child for the Have a Nice Day Foundation.

"I am sorry. I really didn't...think, I guess. Old Habits."

"For you maybe," Paige said. "But for me it is..."

He nodded, understanding her unfinished statement.

"I'll try my best."

"Thank you."

They lapsed back into silence again, both feigning interest in their menus.

When Sally returned they both ended up ordering cheeseburgers and fries, Nathan allowing Paige to order first and for herself. The news seemed to excite Sally to no end and he wondered exactly what it would take to put the woman in a bad mood. When Sally was out of earshot, Nathan let out a short laugh and shook his head.

"What? Her?"

"No, but I do wonder if her personality is natural or chemically enhanced."

Paige smiled. "She's too coordinated for it to be chemical. So what was so funny?"

He scratched his chin, debating.

"Go ahead," she insisted.

"Okay," Nathan said. "You and me. An entire menu of things to choose from and we end up ordering more or less from the kids section. So typical."

Paige smiled, but it was a little forced. "So, you and...she did that a lot?"

Nathan didn't try and correct her statement, he simply nodded and said, "Often enough."

"Hmm. Well I was not actually sure of what to get. I was actually leaning towards the scallops."

He nodded. "Either that or the garden salad with ranch dressing on the side"

She didn't try to hide her emotions. She licked her lips and made an effort to swallow. Paige began to reach for her drink, but saw her trembling hands and placed them back in her lap.

"Is...is there a reason I did not go with either of those?"

Nathan debated, he didn't like upsetting her, but she motioned for him to continue. He nodded.

"Travel day."

She remained quiet.

"As much as you'd have enjoyed either of those dishes, they wouldn't have gone with the rest of the day. Those would have qualified as real food and you..."

"Never eat real food when I travel," she finished for him.

"Yeah," Nathan said quietly. "Exactly."

"So," Paige said with a hint of nervous laughter. "She did that too?"

Again Nathan didn't correct her, didn't insist that the 'she' that Paige was speaking of was in fact herself.

Dinner arrived shortly. Nathan's stomach growled when the plate was placed before him and he was surprised to find he was famished. He popped a crisp french fry into his mouth immediately. He began to reach out, but stopped himself.

"Umm...salt or pepper?"

"Pepper," Paige said quietly, knowing full well that he had meant to simply hand her the pepper without asking.

They lapsed into silence as they began to eat. At first an uncomfortable silence due to his comments and actions, but then it was just them being lost in the meal. Sally returned halfway through and asked if Paige wanted another margarita. Nathan could tell she wanted to say yes. Actually, he thought what she wanted was a shot of something a little stronger, even though she really didn't drink much hard liquor. In the end she declined and switched to water.

The margarita had at least relaxed her a little. Nathan could tell by the way she was sitting, a little more laid-back, though still a bit on edge. He decided he wouldn't push, but he didn't have to. Paige was the one who started things up again.