Free More Than a Kiss by Saxon Bennett, Layce Gardner Page B

things and tandem eat sandwiches.  How could Jordan
let Amy know that she considered their mutual sandwich eating a date-date and
not just a date without scaring her off?  Then again, if it did scare Amy off
didn't that mean she didn't want to date-date?  And wouldn't it be better to
find that out on the date before it became a date-date?
    Jordan
was working herself into a headache.  This was exactly why she didn't
date-date.  Irma was so much easier.  She wished she had taken Amy up on that Vicodin
offer.  Then she could pop one right now and relax.
    Edison
scored a parking spot right in front of The Original Dinerant, which was a
miracle in itself.  Jordan even had enough change to plug the parking meter for
two hours.  Another miracle.  They got a table right away, a window seat –yet another miracle.
    “Wow. 
This place is really cool.  It’s like retro,” Amy said.  She pointed to the
staircase.  Where does that go?”
    Jordan
and Edison looked around as if seeing it for the first time.  They always ate
here so they no longer realized the grooviness of the place.
    “There’s
a lounge upstairs with couches and a floating fireplace.  It’s pretty awesome,”
Edison said.
    Edison
led the way upstairs, giving a tour of the couches and floating fireplace like
she was the owner of the place.  Jordan sat at a table and studied the menu
while Edison chatted up her date.  She hoped Amy couldn’t see her seething
behind the menu.
    Ten
minutes later, Jordan and Amy had both ordered a turkey sandwich with baked
chips and extra pickles.  Jordan took their turkey symbiosis to be an omen of
their compatibility.  She was silently pleased that Edison ordered breakfast.
    Jordan
caught Edison's eye and made head motions away from the table.  Finally, Edison
figured out what Jordan was trying to communicate in charades.  She stood and
said, "Well, ladies, if you'll excuse me now."
    "Where
are you going?" Amy asked.
    "Um…"
Edison said.  "Um…"
    Jordan
jumped in with: "She likes to eat alone.”
    “I
do?” Edison said.  She quickly changed her question to a statement, “Yes, I
do.”
    “I’ll
tell our waitress to send your crème brulee French toast up to the lounge,"
Jordan said.
    "Why?"
Amy asked.
    "She
has an eating disorder.  That’s why she’s having breakfast instead of lunch at lunchtime,"
Jordan said.
    "Oh
no, but lots of people order breakfast food for lunch," Amy said,
concerned.
    "Not
an eating disorder per se," Edison said.  "More like an eating…
phobia."
    "You're
afraid to eat?" Amy asked.
    "With
other people," Jordan answered for her.
    "It's
called masticaphobia," Edison said.
    "Never
heard of it, but I’m not a psychologist," Amy said.  "If it would
make you more comfortable we can leave.  I don't want you to feel like…"
    Jordan
interrupted, "Stay, Ed.  Sit down and eat with us."  She couldn’t
keep the disappointment out of her voice. "Please."
    "Okay,
I’ll try to overcome my fear of sandwiches and people eating sandwiches." 
Edison smiled tightly and sat back down.
    Jordan
sighed.  It was obvious Amy wanted Edison to stay.  A horrible thought struck
her.  What if Amy discovered that she liked Edison better?  Ed was cute and
very approachable.  Jordan tuned back in to their conversation just in time to
hear Amy ask Edison, "So what do you do for a living?"
    Edison
put her chin in her hand, looked at Amy and asked, "Well… Do you like
toys?"
    Jordan
cleared her throat and kicked Edison under the table. "Ow!" Edison
said and promptly kicked Jordan back, but Amy dove into her answer without
missing a beat.
    "Well,
depends on the toy, I guess.  I loved Barbies when I was a kid.  I had maybe
twenty Barbies and a dream house and a pink convertible.  Tons of clothes for
them and a cute little pink suitcase to carry them in.  The problem was I had
this puppy, his name was Humphrey, and he liked to chew on my Barbies whenever
I left them on the floor, which was most of