They hadn’t said a word while they were there. Alec had moved to New York a good five years after the attacks on the World Trade Center and hadn’t visited the memorial himself. He’d watched her and the myriad of emotions that splayed across her pretty face before they moved on to walk down the street.
He’d been watching her since the airport. Something was different about her today, and he couldn’t figure out what. She wasn’t one to chat endlessly, but she’d been even more quiet than usual. He wondered what gears were turning in her mind.
Didn’t matter. He liked looking at her. Could do it all day. She was an interesting conundrum and atypical of the female species. Alec figured the day he’d get a handle on her, he’d discover a rash of new qualities to trip him up all over again.
Faith Armstrong was something special. And she was getting to him.
Holding her hand, he walked into the deli he’d discovered his first year in the Big Apple and grinned at Zelig, who was behind the counter. He and his wife had started the business more than forty years ago. The place was still busy as hell. The scents of fresh bread, cabbage, and corned beef hit him at once. Zelig was a large, robust man, but his black hair had grown more and more gray since Alec last saw him.
“Alec!” Zelig shouted, wiping his large hands on an apron. “Long time no see. How are you?” He came around the counter and wrapped Alec in a hug.
“I’m great, thanks. This is Faith.”
“Faith,” he repeated, hugging her, too. “Pretty name for a pretty lady. What can I get you two? Anything you want.”
Faith smiled at Alec and shrugged. “What do you suggest?”
Alec barked a laugh. “Everything.” He turned to Zelig. “Give us the tabbouleh platter with the pita and chocolate babka for dessert.”
“You got it!” Zelig jerked a thumb at Alec and addressed Faith. “This one here can eat me out of babka.”
When Zelig went back behind the counter, Alec found a corner booth and slid into it across from Faith. “Wait until you try their food. It’s an orgasm in your mouth.”
Faith laughed, the skin around the corners of her eyes crinkling. “I believe you. How’d you find this place?”
After Laura’s accident, he’d been wandering around the city trying to ease the guilt and stumbled into the deli late one night. Zelig fed him some chicken soup and sourdough bread, saying nothing about closing time to an obviously distraught Alec.
Alec shook his head. “Don’t remember, but I’m glad I did.”
Her amber eyes told him she didn’t believe him, but she let it drop. “When we walked in, that was the first time I’ve seen you smile or laugh since we landed.”
Observant, wasn’t she? “I have a love/hate relationship with the city.”
Before he could clarify, Zelig brought their order. “The babka’s coming. You want a loaf of cinnamon to take home, too? For breakfast?”
Alec grinned. “That would be awesome.”
With Zelig gone, Alec spread some of the tabbouleh onto a pita wedge and held it up to Faith’s mouth.
She glanced at the tomato, roasted peppers, and herb combination before opening her mouth. She bit down and moaned. “That is good.”
“Told you,” Alec said. “I’d mention the corned beef was to die for, but you wouldn’t eat it.” Not with all the healthy consumption rules she lived under. Now that he knew part of her story, he couldn’t blame her.
“In moderation is okay. Maybe we can try it next time.”
Next time. There would be no next time. They were in New York for one night and then heading back to Wilmington. Where she’d stay. And he’d eventually leave. An ache formed in his gut. Heartburn, he figured.
Like she was so apt to do, Faith changed to a safer subject. “What can I expect from this party tonight?”
God, he wanted out of it. Wanted to take her back to his apartment and drive her as insane as she was making him. Repeatedly. All damn night long.
He loaded more tabbouleh onto a pita wedge for himself. “A lot of people, for one. The publicists and editors will have the press there. After some schmoozing, I’ll read a passage from the book and then do a signing. It’s really an excuse to make the publisher feel important. Drinking, socializing. You know, torture for a writer.”
She grinned. “Should we develop a secret signal for when you want to escape? I could rub my ear and blink three times.”
He laughed. “Tempting.” Staring at her a moment while he chewed, he realized how uncomfortable she’d be as well. She didn’t seem fond of crowds. “I should’ve asked you before now. Will you be okay tonight?” He didn’t know how much attention he’d be able to pay her once the throng arrived. The last thing he wanted was to drag her all the way to New York only to ignore her after dumping her in among strangers.
The look she gave him was long and impossible to read. After a few moments, she blinked rapidly and took a sip of water. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for asking.”
What in the hell was that about? The tears. Or how close she was to tears anyway. “What’s wrong, Faith?” He tried for a gentle tone but his voice just came out gruff.
“It was nice of you to ask, that’s all.” She cleared her throat and glanced out the window before looking back at him. “I’ll be fine tonight. You do what you need to do and be the charming author. Don’t worry about me.”
The words were out before he could stop them. “Does anyone ever? Worry about you, I mean.”
Christ. She had no connections, no family back in Charlotte. Her parents showed her little affection. She barely knew what to do with herself when anyone paid her any kind of attention. And fuck . . . he was caring too much.
As if he could stop.
Her gaze lifted to his, her expression as shocked and hesitant as he imagined his was. Those amber eyes were filled with tears, but she seemed determined to fight them back. To her credit, and his peace of mind, she did. Her teeth worked her lower lip until the urge to drag her across the table and kiss her became almost too much.
Blowing out a breath, she broke the connection and stared at her plate. “What’s babka?” she asked quietly, fiddling with her napkin.
Alec had to swallow several times before speaking, and even then it hurt to force words out. “It’s a coffee cake type of bread. Dessert, sort of.”
She nodded slowly, still not meeting his eyes. Still looking hollow. She was too damn good for hollow.
“I worry about you.” All the time. All the damn time.
Her eyes pinched closed. “Don’t do that.”
“Faith.” He tried to take her hand across the table, but she pulled away.
“Stop it. Don’t act like I matter.”
Of all the damn things she’d said to him, this one took the cake. Hell, it took the whole bakery. Under the table, his fists clenched. “What does that mean? Of course you matter.”
Shaking her head, her jaw clenched. Her eyes flared with hurt and anger.
And it dawned on him maybe she didn’t matter to anyone. Before now. But he understood. Too well, he understood. Their relationship was temporary, and her mattering to him meant it would make things that much harder come summer’s end.
He sat back and scrubbed his hands over his face. He never should’ve gone down this road. All he’d ever done in life was screw up. People. Relationships. After Laura, he should’ve known better. Did know better.
“Do we have time for the Statue of Liberty before we have to get ready for the party?”
Face still buried in his hands, Alec laughed. It bordered on hysterical before he managed to rein it in. “Sure, Faith.”