“I thought princesses were supposed to kiss frogs.” Josh grinned up at me.
“Yuk.” Beth made a face. “Why would a princess want to kiss a frog?”
He asked the obvious. “To get a prince?”
“You don’t have to kiss a frog to get a prince,” Beth explained patiently.
Josh leaned forward, elbows on the table. “Well, what do you have to do to get a prince?”
“Be yourself.”
He nodded, smiling. “You’re a very smart girl, Beth.”
“There you are!” TJ’s voice behind me made my heart sink and I turned, already apologizing.
“Oh…I’m sorry…” I looked between them, Josh sitting, relaxed, confident, and TJ
standing, arms akimbo, surveying the scene.
“Our food’s here,” TJ prompted. I just nodded, swallowing.
“Josh Wickham.” Josh stood, holding out his hand, and TJ took it.
“TJ Mayer.” They shook like only businessmen can, firm and a little cocky, looking each other in the eye as if they could play a non-verbal game of chicken in an instant.
“I guess we should get back…” I said, not wanting there to be much conversation between these two.
We started to go, but Beth refused to move, tugging on TJ’s suit coat, whining,
“Dadd-eeee, you can’t let Mr. Josh sit here all by himself! He’s lone-leeeeee!”
TJ smiled at her. “Oh, I’m sure Mr. Wickham wants to enjoy his meal in peace and quiet, sweetie.”
“Nuh-uh!” Beth insisted, grabbing Josh’s hand. “Come on! I want to tell you the story of the princess who gives away frogs.”
“Well, I think that’s an offer I just can’t refuse.” Josh stood, putting his napkin on the table and looking at TJ. “Unless…?”
“By all means.” TJ smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Please join us.”
And that’s how we all ended up squeezed in, five of us at a four-person table, Josh situated firmly at a corner between me and Beth, who insisted she sit next to him.
“So how do you like our Janie?” Ronnie didn’t waste any time.
Josh smiled, nodding to the waiter as he set another place and poured a new glass of water. “I like her a great deal.”
I blushed, trying to hide it behind my now over-full water glass.
“She’s an amazing writer,” TJ piped up, just when I thought I couldn’t get any redder.
“I actually haven’t had the privilege yet.” Josh glanced sideways at me.
“You haven’t asked,” I retorted, resisting the urge to stick out my tongue at him. I was also resisting the urge to touch him. Our knees were already kissing under the table.
Josh laughed. “Most writers would have sent me reams by now.”
“I’m not most writers,” I replied, playing it cool.
“That’s true,” TJ agreed. “She’s much better than most.”
“TJ, stop.” I begged him with my eyes. “There are better writers out there than me.”
“Not as far as I’m concerned.” He met my gaze, steady, his eyes dark with tension.
Josh took a sip of his water. “I’m sure she’s just as amazing a writer as she is everything else.”
“That she is,” TJ assured him, also taking a drink of his water, and the two men locked eyes like rams lock horns. I thought I would fall through the floor.
“Hey look, our food’s here,” I exclaimed as the waiter came over carrying a plate-loaded tray.
That saved me for a while as TJ grilled Josh about his vocation and vice-versa.
They circled each other like two grizzlies, looking for weaknesses. It would have been funny if they weren’t so serious about it.
“You have chicken tandoori all over your face, Beth,” I said. “Use your napkin.”
“I love chicken tandoori!” she replied, following my instruction anyway.
“You’re just as adventurous as your nanny, aren’t you?” Josh took a bite of his bhel poori.
“More,” Beth bragged. “Janie’s afraid of spiders. I’m not.”
Inwardly I groaned and mumbled, “Only the really big ones.”
Josh grinned. “What else is Janie afraid of?”
“Roller coasters,” Beth said immediately. Okay, that was really true. “She hates being up high.”
“Is that so?” Josh looked over at me, smirking.
“And I think she’s afraid of the dark, like me,” Beth went on, her mouth full of chicken.
“Why do you say that?” I asked, looking at her quizzically.
“Because I go sleep in Mommy and Daddy’s room when I get scared, and I saw you—”
Oh. My. God.
My widening eyes met Ronnie’s, her own mouth gaping.
I don’t think I've ever moved so fast.
My entire glass of water went over onto the table as I pretended to reach for it, soaking my samosa, making it soggily inedible, but I didn’t care. No one got wet, the waiter gave us copious amounts of napkins to soak up the mess, and when it was cleaned up, Beth had forgotten her comment, and I hoped Josh had, too. By the time we were eating our shahi anjir-ice cream flavored with figs and honey-Beth had told Josh about her musical performance and tried to convince him to represent her instead of me.
“It was lovely meeting you, Mr. Wickham,” Ronnie said as she helped Beth with her coat.
“Please, call me Josh,” he said. “It was nice meeting all of you. Especially you, Miss Beth. You are utterly delightful.”
“I know.” She grinned toothlessly up at him and he laughed.
“Would you mind if I drove your nanny home?” He leaned down to ask Beth, all serious.
Her eyes lit up. “Can I go, too?”
“Not this time, Beth.” Ronnie intervened, putting her hands on her daughter’s shoulders and pulling her back toward her. “I think Jane and Josh want to be alone for a while.”
TJ frowned, looking between us, but I avoided his eyes.
Josh patted Beth on the head. “Next time, I promise. Okay?”
“Okay.” She pouted but got over it pretty quickly after Josh pretended to pull a quarter out of her ear and then gave it to her to keep.
“I’ll see you at home!” I called back to them as we parted ways at the front of the restaurant. Josh was parked in a garage around the corner and we ran for it because it was starting to rain. By the time we got to the car, the skies had opened up and I was soaked through to the skin.
“I think you might have the best job in the world,” Josh said as he opened my door for me.
“She’s a great kid,” I agreed. It was hard to think with him standing so close.
“Are you cold?” He looked down at the front of me. My white sundress had become suddenly see-through, my nipples standing straight up in the cold. “Do you want my coat?”
“I can think of better things to keep me warm.” I turned my eyes up to him, aching to be kissed. His eyes lingered on my mouth, but instead he smiled and stepped away, going over to the driver’s side.
I sighed, getting in beside him as he started the car and turned on the heater.
“So did you have a busy day today?” I asked as he backed out and shifted the car into gear.
“No more busy than usual,” he replied, turning into traffic.
“Oh.” I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering in spite of the heater. I slipped off my heels and tucked my feet under me.
“Why?” He glanced over at me, frowning.
I shrugged, not looking at him. “I just wondered why you hadn’t called…”
He was quiet for a moment, weaving through traffic. “Do you want to know the truth?”
I nodded, turning to look at him. His hair was wet, drops of water beading there. I resisted the urge to touch him.
“I didn’t trust myself,” he said as the Mustang snarled to life when he headed onto the freeway.