gone, Nathan's money in his pocket. This horn belonged to a silver Toyota Camry. The man behind the wheel waved his hand at Nathan, who got the message loud and clear. Get the hell out of the road you nut!
Nathan stepped back up onto the sidewalk, not remembering ever having stepped off it. He turned back toward the restaurant and saw Paige was looking at him. He did his best to act natural and smiled. She returned it, but there was an unquestionable look of puzzlement in her eyes. Even at this distance it was unmistakable. It was a look she had given him many times in the past.
Well someone that looked like her had given you that look before.
"Aw, shut up," he muttered to himself as he started after her.
"Yeah? Well screw you too buddy. Next time I'll just run you over," the man from the Camry yelled out his window at Nathan, who didn't even try to explain he hadn't been talking to him.
He sighed and moved to join Paige. He glanced briefly at the woman on the patio, but not long enough to draw her attention. Not that he thought he could. She was still sitting there alone, her gaze locked on Paige. Nathan had a sickening feeling he knew exactly who she was waiting for. And if he was right, then this meeting was only going to leave him with even more questions.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
"Yes, your party is waiting for you," the hostess told them. "Right this way."
Nathan did not realize that a single person constituted a party, but he wasn't about to argue. He walked beside Paige, following the hostess as she led them through the restaurant. His stomach turned as he saw where they were being lead. He'd known the patio was where they would end up, just as he knew who the rest of their party was, yet he'd still been holding out hope that he'd been wrong.
He kept his eyes in constant motion as they walked. Paige. The restaurant patrons. Paige. The door to the patio. Back to Paige. He could see just how nervous she was, though he doubted anyone else could.
They emerged out onto the patio and instantly he sought out the woman in the red pantsuit. He stole a quick glance at Paige and then his attention snapped back on the woman. She appeared to be a few years older than Paige, though exactly how much older Nathan was not sure. He'd never been good at estimating ages, especially in the age of plastic surgery, not to mention the magic some women seemed to be able to perform with makeup. However neither surgery nor makeup could change the fact that they weren't the same age and something about that gnawed at Nathan and he filed it away in the back of his mind. She was an attractive woman, not overly thin, but by no means chunky.
She saw them approaching, had been watching for them for the last few minutes. She began to rise. Nathan made himself take his eyes off the woman and swing his attention back to Paige. His stomach did another backflip.
"Paige!"
The excitement in her voice ran down his spine, chilling him. He kept his eyes on Paige.
"Linda," she called back, a smile blooming on her face.
The hostess stepped aside and let Paige rush by her. She nodded to Nathan as if to say well I guess you can find your way from here, then turned and left.
He hadn't even realized he'd stopped until Paige turned towards him, a huge smile on her face, and waved for him to hurry over. Reluctantly and by no means in a hurry, he joined them.
"Nathan, I would like you to meet my best friend from college. Linda, this is Nathan."
Linda smiled at him, nice and big. It was too well practiced to be genuine. It was a politician's smile.
Nathan reached out and shook her hand.
"Hello, best friend from college."
She gave an easy, gentle laugh. That too sounded long practiced. She was meeting him for the first time, a total stranger who she'd only learned about in the last day. A stranger who had caused her friend to blow her off at the airport and perhaps had placed the job she'd arranged in jeopardy, yet Linda's reaction seemed to
Nathan stepped back up onto the sidewalk, not remembering ever having stepped off it. He turned back toward the restaurant and saw Paige was looking at him. He did his best to act natural and smiled. She returned it, but there was an unquestionable look of puzzlement in her eyes. Even at this distance it was unmistakable. It was a look she had given him many times in the past.
Well someone that looked like her had given you that look before.
"Aw, shut up," he muttered to himself as he started after her.
"Yeah? Well screw you too buddy. Next time I'll just run you over," the man from the Camry yelled out his window at Nathan, who didn't even try to explain he hadn't been talking to him.
He sighed and moved to join Paige. He glanced briefly at the woman on the patio, but not long enough to draw her attention. Not that he thought he could. She was still sitting there alone, her gaze locked on Paige. Nathan had a sickening feeling he knew exactly who she was waiting for. And if he was right, then this meeting was only going to leave him with even more questions.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
"Yes, your party is waiting for you," the hostess told them. "Right this way."
Nathan did not realize that a single person constituted a party, but he wasn't about to argue. He walked beside Paige, following the hostess as she led them through the restaurant. His stomach turned as he saw where they were being lead. He'd known the patio was where they would end up, just as he knew who the rest of their party was, yet he'd still been holding out hope that he'd been wrong.
He kept his eyes in constant motion as they walked. Paige. The restaurant patrons. Paige. The door to the patio. Back to Paige. He could see just how nervous she was, though he doubted anyone else could.
They emerged out onto the patio and instantly he sought out the woman in the red pantsuit. He stole a quick glance at Paige and then his attention snapped back on the woman. She appeared to be a few years older than Paige, though exactly how much older Nathan was not sure. He'd never been good at estimating ages, especially in the age of plastic surgery, not to mention the magic some women seemed to be able to perform with makeup. However neither surgery nor makeup could change the fact that they weren't the same age and something about that gnawed at Nathan and he filed it away in the back of his mind. She was an attractive woman, not overly thin, but by no means chunky.
She saw them approaching, had been watching for them for the last few minutes. She began to rise. Nathan made himself take his eyes off the woman and swing his attention back to Paige. His stomach did another backflip.
"Paige!"
The excitement in her voice ran down his spine, chilling him. He kept his eyes on Paige.
"Linda," she called back, a smile blooming on her face.
The hostess stepped aside and let Paige rush by her. She nodded to Nathan as if to say well I guess you can find your way from here, then turned and left.
He hadn't even realized he'd stopped until Paige turned towards him, a huge smile on her face, and waved for him to hurry over. Reluctantly and by no means in a hurry, he joined them.
"Nathan, I would like you to meet my best friend from college. Linda, this is Nathan."
Linda smiled at him, nice and big. It was too well practiced to be genuine. It was a politician's smile.
Nathan reached out and shook her hand.
"Hello, best friend from college."
She gave an easy, gentle laugh. That too sounded long practiced. She was meeting him for the first time, a total stranger who she'd only learned about in the last day. A stranger who had caused her friend to blow her off at the airport and perhaps had placed the job she'd arranged in jeopardy, yet Linda's reaction seemed to
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