Free CAPTURED INNOCENCE by Cynthia Hickey

plate. Tantalizing smells of beef and chicken wafted across the room.
                  Jo transferred her attention to the menu, pleased to discover they had a large variety of meal selections. When the waitress returned, Conley ordered steak, medium-rare, and she ordered a large chicken salad.
                  The cardboard coaster beneath her glass of water soon lay in tattered shreds as she dug at it with her fingernails. Once she’d finished with that, she fiddled with her eating utensils, rearranging them on the table. She glanced up to catch Conley watching her.
                  “What?”
                  “Nothing.” Conley lifted his glass of soda to his mouth.
                  “What?”
                  He set the glass heavily on the table. Water sloshed over the rim. “What are you doing, Jo? If you’re this nervous, call it off. Maybe it’s a dumb idea. I just thought…since Blake has the town in the palm of his hand…well, we don’t need to this.”
                  Jo frowned. “I’m not nervous.”
                  “Yes you are. You’re biting the inside of your cheek. You do that when you’re nervous. And you’re shredding every piece of paper in sight.”
                  She stuck her nose in the air. “How do you know what I do when I’m nervous?”
                  “I’ve been studying everything about you for weeks.” He took another gulp of his soda. “You’d be surprised at what I know.”
                  “That’s creepy. Stop it.” She sat back in the booth and allowed the waitress to place her plate on the table.
                  “No,” he said. “It’s fun.” He picked up his fork and knife and sliced into the steak. When the meat was cut into bite size pieces, he twisted the plate a fraction of a turn and dug his fork into his mashed potatoes.
                  Jo held her fork suspended in mid-air as she watched him eat. “Why do you do that?”
                  “Do what?” he asked around a mouthful of food.
                  “You cut your steak then turned your plate to eat your potatoes. Then you turned your plate again to eat your vegetables.”
                  “I didn’t want my potatoes to get cold.” He speared a piece of steak. “And I like saving the best for last.”
                  Jo raised her eyebrows and shrugged. She looked around the restaurant and paid more attention to the white linen tablecloths and well-dressed patrons. “This is an expensive place? Can you afford it?”
                  “It’s our wedding dinner. Don’t worry about it.”
                  “Exactly how much does a private investigator make?”
                  “Stop being a snob.” His fork clattered against his plate.
                  “I am not, nor have I ever been, a snob.” Her voice rose. A couple sitting at a table close to them glanced their way. She lowered her voice. “How dare you say that!”
                  “How dare you assume I can’t afford a place like this.” Conley plopped back against the cushioned backrest and folded his arms across his chest. His eyes focused for a moment on a spot somewhere behind her. Finally meeting her gaze, he answered. “$75.00 an hour, plus expenses. I’m making a bundle off your parents. In fact, they’re paying for this meal.”
                  “Good.” Jo dug into her salad with a relish.
                  Conley remained silent for a minute then laughed. Softly at first then escalating into a loud guffaw. He snorted. “Sorry.”
                  Jo set her fork on the side of the plate and frowned. “What’s so funny?”
                  “You.” He wiped his eyes with his napkin. “I haven’t laughed