“Ah! I remember you,” the manager said and picked up my hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. “You used to dine with Mr.
Hawthorne. We still have a private booth for you two in the back. I remember that you two lovebirds woulde here every Friday and make googly eyes over your food.”
I cleared my throat and nced over Alexander, whose eyes had narrowed into slits. The manager looked between Alexander and me, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment.
“Oh, I must have mistaken you with someone else,” the manager said, trying to smooth over the awkward moment.
But the damage was already done. As the manager led us to a private room in the back, I noticed that Alexander was walking as far away from me as possible. The smell of the delicious Thai food and the gold and aqua decor brought back memories that I’d rather stay buried. I shivered when I felt the ghost of Ethan’s hand caressing my cheek.
Alexander red at me as if he knew exactly what I was thinking about. As we walked across a tiny wooden bridge that went over a koi pond that was in the middle of the restaurant, I admired the colorful fish that were swimming. I had missed them.
“So, if you’re so familiar with this restaurant, can you tell me where the bathroom is?” Alexander asked me, and I knew him well enough to know that there was a slight undercurrent of anger in his voice.
I shrugged. “I didn’te here that much,” I answered, not wanting to y along with his games.
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“Here is our best private room,” the manager said, sweeping his hand into the room like a game show host.
The manager shot me an apologetic grimace for the trouble he had caused, and I gave him a small smile. It wasn’t his fault that he had a good memory.
In the room was a long table since this room was usually reversed for private parties. But there were only three ces set at the table. At the head of the table, Mr. Cater–Duke–was already seated. He smiled and stood when he saw us enter.
Duke and Alexander had twopletely different styles. Whereas Alexander was in a fitted ck suit, clean–shaven, with his dark hair artfully gelled back, Duke was what one could call a ‘hot mess.‘ His blonde bread was unruly, his gray dress shirt was wrinkled, and there was always a yful twinkle in his sea–green eyes.
Alexander frowned when he noticed that Duke had a lit cigarette in his hands and that the room had already reeked of smoke.
“We will need a different private room,” Alexander told the manager.
“Certainly, sir,” he answered. /
Duke went out the door, and I watched him through the window as he put out his cigarette outside.
“Sorry about that,” Duke said when he came back through the door, grinning. “I didn’t know that Chloe would be joining us. Of course, I don’t want her to inhale second–hand smoke.”
Five minutester, the three of us were sitting in a new private room that looked identical to thest one.
I noticed that when I didn’t even open my menu and I already
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announced that I knew I wanted the Red Curry, Alexander’s hands gripped his menu like he wanted to tear it in half. My cheeks heated when I realized toote that I should have pretended to look at my
menu.
After we ordered, Duke turned to us with wide eyes. “I heard about what happened with Chloe and her mother in Ld,” he said and gestured for us to exin the situation.
Alexander set down his menu and red at his friend from across the table. “Did you just ask me to lunch so that you could gossip?”
Duke gasped and put his hand to his mouth in mock offense. That was another area where he waspletely different from Alexander. Duke was much more dramatic.
“Of course not, I actually have news to deliver to you,” he revealed.
Alexander leaned forward, his eyes shing with excitement. “Okay, I’ll bite. Tell me.”
“Well, first tell me how Chloe’s moms face looked when they put handcuffs on her…” Duke trailed off when he saw Alexander’s warning look. He pouted and crossed his arms. “Fine, ruin my fun then. Did you know that Chloe’s aunt, Hana, arrived in Ld yesterday?”
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