Free Hot Flash by Kathy Carmichael Page B

beginning to wonder if there’s some genetic flaw at work here, but I’ll check.”
    I heard the sound of him tapping on a door. “Your mom’s on the phone. Can you take the call?”
    I heard mumbling.
    “He asked to call you back in about ten minutes. Okay?”
    “Nah. Tell him not to bother. I was just checking in.”
    “You’re okay?
    “Just fine! Having the time of my life!” There was no way I was going to admit that my date with Tony was a dud. And what I said to Wesley wasn’t a lie if you consider counting bathroom ceiling cracks a ton of laughs. “Gotta run now. Bye!”
    I hung up before he could ask more nosy questions. The only thing worrying me was the point he made about the amount of time I seemed to be spending in bathrooms lately. I girded my panties—because I’m not sure if women have loins—and left the restroom.
    A quick glance at my table assured me I’d killed enough time in the restroom for Tony to give up and leave without me. My tense shoulders relaxed. I headed toward the exit, only to stop in my tracks. Tension was coiled up so tightly inside of me that I felt like an over-wound spring. There was Tony, blocking the aisle, and a particularly harried-looking waitress.
    Each time she tried to slip past him, he stopped her and made her look at another photograph from his nearly endless supply. At least he wasn’t crying anymore but the waitress would be soon.
    Carlos gestured at me from the restaurant entrance to get Tony outta here. Like I was his keeper? Hell, if it was a choice between me or the waitress, she was Kleenex fodder. I reversed in my tracks and headed for the kitchen and the rear exit.
    Unfortunately, a group of angry waitpersons met me and I felt like Beauty’s Beast during his run-in with the angry townspeople.
    “You gotta get that guy out of here,” one called.
    I tried to back away.
    “Stop her!”
    Another cried, “Why the hell did you bring him here?”
    Even Kurt joined in. “Out of all the restaurants in all the world, why did you have to bring him into mine?”
    So much for my escape route.
    I made a swift about-face, lunged for the photo Tony was about to force on the whimpering waitress, and said, “It’s time to go.”
    “But—”
    “No buts. I have to go home now.” I grabbed his arm and dragged him to the restaurant entrance. Carlos was making get-lost motions with his arms and didn’t seem to much care if Tony saw. I didn’t much care, either. “And you have to go home now, too.”
    “You don’t want to—”
    Again I cut him off as I forced him out the door. “I need to check on my kid.”
    “Thanks for dinner.”
    Why was he thanking me? Oh, hell. “Did you pay the bill?”
    “No. I thought you did.” He started to go back into Patisserie, and I knew if he did I’d never be allowed to eat there again.
    “I’ll take care of it.” I placed my body between him and the entrance. “Don’t worry about it. Go. Home. Now.”
    “You sure?”
    “Positive.” I was never so positive about anything in my life. When I’d imagined the evening, I’d expected to at least get a free meal out of it, and now all I wanted was to take off my sexy, strappy shoes and go home myself.
    “You never saw the rest of my pictures. Want to see them now?” He held out the stack of photos and I could have sworn it had grown taller by another inch.
    I shook my head.
    “You sure don’t want to miss this one. It’s one of Charlie dumping a bucket—”
    “I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life. Good night, Tony.”
    “Night.” When he leaned forward to kiss me, I turned my head.
    “Well, I’ll call you then,” he said.
    “You do that.” And I’d be sure to screen all my calls. Caller ID would be my closest friend and confidant. After he walked away, I reentered Patisserie expecting the worst.
    Carlos looked worried until he saw I was alone. “I thought you were going to stiff me, too. I told you the guy was a jerk.”
    “Actually, you