Free Not Until You: Part VII by Roni Loren Page A

list, we won’t have a match set up for you. You’d just be staying for the cooking portion unless we have any other walk-ins.”
    No match sounded like a fantastic idea. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. “How much is it?”
    “Two hundred dollars.”
    A gasp escaped her lips.
Two hundred dollars?
She should’ve expected it, but the number still caught her off guard. And it was a number she couldn’t fund. “I’m sorry. I’ll just have to find out what happened to my original fee and do this another time. Maybe I can talk to my friend and see if she has the information.”
    He smiled kindly, but she saw it in his eyes. He knew she was bailing because she didn’t have the money. “Of course.”
    Shame tried to edge in, heating her cheeks. But she swallowed it back. She would not get teary over missing some stupid cooking class. She took a step to head toward Sam’s table, hoping that even though they were technically party crashers, her friend had some magical confirmation number. But before she could move forward, a warm hand touched her elbow.
    “I’ll cover the fee.”
    The rich timbre of the man’s voice rolled over Tessa like sun-heated ocean water. She stiffened at the contact and her body’s unexpected visceral reaction. She spun around, her gaze going up, up, up, and finally colliding with clear blue eyes and a face made for Greek sculpture. Her brain forgot to form words.
    “I’d hate for you to miss one of the best meals of your life because of a computer glitch,” the man said, a ghost of a smile touching his lips.
    Tessa simply stared back. The way he held her gaze had her thoughts scattering and her brain reaching for some memory she couldn’t quite grab ahold of. She shook her head, breaking the gaze and trying to clear her head.
No
. This stranger was offering to pay two hundred dollars for her to eat. She knew how that worked. She’d played that game before. “Really, that’s very kind of you to offer. But I’ll just come back another time.”
    He pulled his wallet from his pocket, pulled two crisp bills from it, and handed it to Jim. “I insist. And it’s no problem. I’m sure they’ll pay me back when they find your original reservation.”
    Tessa shook her head again, even though her mind was already fast-forwarding and picturing how decadent it would be to sit and sip sangrias with this stranger. But she couldn’t fall into her old habits and let him pay her way. It didn’t matter that he was gorgeous or that he didn’t seem to mind or that he was wearing a watch that said two hundred dollars was a drop in the bucket for him. “I’m sorry. I can’t take your money.”
    Before the stranger could protest, she moved past him and the few people waiting behind them to head for the door. She needed to get out—now. She knew it was ridiculous, but she had the sudden urge to cry, to scream, to pound on something. All she’d wanted tonight was to relax and have a fun girl’s night with Sam. Instead, she’d been reminded of the life she used to have, how feeble her bank account was now, and how fucked-up she was when it came to men.
    She moved through the hallway that led back to the main dining room at a rapid clip, hoping to reach the parking lot before the tears broke free, but a hand touched her shoulder. “Hey, hold up.”
    The quiet command of his voice and the gentleness of the touch had her halting her step before she could think better of it. She closed her eyes, took a breath, and turned around, speech prepared. But when she saw the genuine concern on his face, her words got stuck in her throat.
    He tucked his hands in his pockets, the move pulling his black dress shirt snug across what looked to be long, lean muscles beneath. His eyes scanned hers. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to chase you off.”
    She put her hand to her too-hot forehead, trying to catch her breath and center herself. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t you. I’m fine. This night just isn’t