“How long has Taz played the piano?”
Tim laughed. “What?”
“The piano. How long has she played?”
“She doesn’t. She’d be doing good to pound out Chopsticks. Why did you think she played?”
Matthias shook his head. “Never mind. I thought you’d told me she played.”
“No. She never showed an interest. I tried her with a few lessons and she didn’t want to. She loves listening to music, appreciates it, but has no interest in playing. Why?”
“I’m tired, and it doesn’t matter. Really.”
That night, Taz slept throughout the night even though Matthias awoke repeatedly, making sure she was in bed beside him, still wondering about not just her skills, but her choice in music.
There’d been no sheet music on the piano, all of it tucked in the bench. Rafael rarely used music when he played unless learning a new piece.
They spent the next day dodging each other. More accurately, Taz dodged Matthias. She needed to decompress and wait until she felt like she could talk to him without biting his handsome head off his shoulders.
She went to the office and tried to work, feeling unsettled and generally miserable. Upon her return home, she walked in from the garage and saw a box on the kitchen table. Addressed to her, from an automotive electronics company.
She set her laptop case and purse in a chair and opened the package. It was an XM radio with CD player, adapter plate for her 1965 Mustang, and a separate MP3 player adapter kit.
What the hell?
She looked at the invoice, and then noticed the comments section.
If you need help installing it, just ask. Love, Rafe.
She dropped the paper on the table. What the fuck?
A shiver ran through her. No one in the house would have ordered it without telling her. They certainly wouldn’t play a horrific practical joke like this. Not using Rafe’s name.
She looked at the order date and time—she would have been at the office.
Did she fugue again?
Holy crap.
Bathed in cold sweat, she took it upstairs and hid it in the closet. She didn’t want to deal with this right now. Couldn’t deal with it right now. It was too much.
Chapter Fourteen
Determined to get back into some semblance of a normal routine, Taz didn’t wake Matthias up the next morning and managed to leave the house before he arose. She arrived at the office before seven, had a workout, then started on her day. They would leave for London late Thursday evening, and she had much to do before then. She was still irritated at Matthias for being a stupid man and pumping her dad for information about her, but she couldn’t fault him for her bad mood. Between the mystery voice and her worry about what would happen in London, she was feeling far from romantic.
Although it had been nice spending the time alone with Matthias on the drive back from Yellowstone, the first time they’d had to themselves without anyone around. He was being so patient. Most men would have kicked her to the curb by now for being such a friggin’ bitch. She would call him that morning and apologize.
Again.
At least she was getting pretty good at it.
Around eight she noticed she had new e-mail. There were four messages, two spam, one about a project, and one from Matthias. She knew he wasn’t in his office, so he must be e-mailing from home.
To: A. Proctor <aproctor@h-i.inc>
From: Matthias Hawthorne <mhawthorne@h-i.inc>
Subject: Dinner Meeting
Anastazia, I was wondering if you had any plans for dinner this evening?
Matthias
And that was it. She smiled and considered her reply.
From: A. Proctor <aproctor@h-i.inc>
To: Matthias Hawthorne <mhawthorne@h-i.inc>
Subject: re: Dinner Meeting
I’d have to check my calendar, but I believe I’m free. What did you have in mind?
A. Proctor
He laughed at her reply, shook his head, and typed.
To: A. Proctor <aproctor@h-i.inc>
From: Matthias Hawthorne <mhawthorne@h-i.inc>
Subject: re: re: Dinner Meeting
If you aren’t busy, I’d like to buy you dinner.
Matthias
A short while later, his inbox icon blinked.
From: A. Proctor <aproctor@h-i.inc>
To: Matthias Hawthorne <mhawthorne@h-i.inc>
Subject: re: re: re: Dinner Meeting
I think I can fit that in. What time? And where should we meet?
A.
He grinned. She would make him work for it, and he enjoyed a challenge.
After e-mailing her the address and a proposed time, she made him wait nearly an hour for her reply.
From: A. Proctor <aproctor@h-i.inc>
To: Matthias Hawthorne <mhawthorne@h-i.inc>
Subject: re: re: re: Dinner Meeting
That’s fine. I’ll see you there.
A.
He smiled. This would be fun. Perhaps she was right, that they needed to do this, to get to know each other. To date. Like normal people.
Whatever that was.
Taz grinned. Yes, it was mean making him wait for her reply, but in a normal environment she wouldn’t necessarily be checking her e-mail every five seconds for a reply. She tried to get back to work and felt a nervous flutter in her stomach.
Nerves? Hell, he knew every inch of her body, why should she be nervous?
Because it was a date.
Taz easily found the restaurant, located in a nondescript strip plaza on North Dale Mabry Highway. She spied Matthias’ car in the parking lot, and when she walked inside was surprised to see bench-style seating. It was a casual seafood restaurant, and apparently a very popular one by the looks of the full tables. Matthias raised his hand and waved to her. Her seat was on the other side of the table, fortunately at the end of the bench. He stood as she approached.
“I hope you don’t mind. They have the best clam chowder.”
She smiled. Not exactly what she expected, and certainly not a quiet, romantic place, but he got points for chutzpah. “I like clam chowder.” She sat, trying not to crowd the woman to her right.
He resumed his seat and handed her a menu. “They have excellent seafood here.”
“I would hope so.” Taz took a moment to look around. The walls were painted with caricatures of what she assumed were local celebrities.
“So, what do you think?” he asked, melting her with his half smile.
He could offer to feed her raw lizard tails and she’d eat them for that smile. “I’ll withhold judgment until I taste the food.” She scanned through the menu. “What should I stay away from?”
“I’ve never had a bad meal here. Everything is excellent.”