"Oh, no, that's not necessary. I..." Christian let his words trail off. The woman had just walked away with the drink.
Carolyn chuckled at his vexed expression. "It won't go on the bill."
"But I ordered it," he pointed out.
"On the bartender's recommendation and you didn't like it," she argued.
"She didn't know that."
"Yeah, but they're all about service here, and considering the prices, they can afford to be," she said with a shrug.
Christian peered at her silently. It was pricey here, and it made him wonder how she afforded it. She'd started life poor and worked hard to get a degree and a good job, but had the money situation changed that much through her hard work? Or had she married money? Unfortunately, he couldn't ask without touching on her marriage, which was a subject he had to avoid to prevent her from withdrawing again. Or, at least, he'd have to approach it like disarming a bomb, delicately and with a prayer on his lips.
"What's this?" Carolyn asked curiously, examining the rolled sandwich and chips on her plate.
"The bartender called it a wrap."
"I can see it's a wrap," she said with amusement. "What kind is it?"
"Oh." He hesitated but then grimaced. "I'm not sure.
He said it was the house specialty and popular, so I ordered us both one," Christian answered and then smiled wryly and pointed out, "Mind you, considering the lack of success of his recommended drink, however, this could be a mistake."
Carolyn chuckled, but shook her head. "I don't know.
It smells delicious."
Christian had to agree. The wrap was looking more promising than the drink had turned out to be. His stomach apparently agreed. Deprived of anything but blood for centuries and not complaining about it before this, it now gave a rumble loud enough that Carolyn actually heard it.
She laughed at his embarrassed expression. "You'd better feed that beast or it might crawl up your throat and do it for you."
Christian smiled faintly, and picked up one half of the sliced wrap. He peered curiously at the pinwheel opening, trying to sort out what was in it. It looked like chicken, rice, peas, and other vegetables.
"Mmmm." That moan from Carolyn drew his gaze to see that she'd taken a bite and was now rolling her eyes with apparent pleasure. "Try it. It's good."
Christian needed no further prompting. He took a bite, and immediately closed his eyes as flavor drenched his tongue. Food. Dear God, it had been centuries since food had appealed to him, but even when he'd been eating, he didn't recall anything having tasted this good.
"Good, huh?" Carolyn asked with amusement.
Christian opened his eyes and stared at her, knowing she was the only reason the wrap tasted as good as it did.
She'd not only reawakened all his appetites, but added an extra sparkle and excitement to them... and all with the simple fact of her existence.
It was rather bewildering really, Christian thought.
He had no idea how the nanos chose mates, or how his mother seemed to sense when someone was a possible lifemate for an immortal... and really, Carolyn was the most unlikely lifemate he could have imagined. A wounded bird. But then, so had he been until little more than a year ago. Not as wounded as Carolyn perhaps, but wounded just the same. A son without a mother until Marguerite reentered his life. And Carolyn was a woman without a family. He could give her that. Parents-in-law, grandparents, and even brothers and sisters and a niece, as well as all the cousins and aunts and uncles anyone could want. Probably more family than any sane person would want to interfere in their life, he thought wryly.
"What are you smiling about?" Carolyn asked curiously.
"My family," he admitted honestly, and when her eyebrows rose, he shrugged. "You make me think of them."
She blinked and then chuckled. "If you were straight, I think I'd be insulted. Fortunately, you aren't, so..." She shrugged. "I think I understand. You make me think of Brent too, and he's the closest thing I have to family."
Great, Christian thought on a sigh. He reminded her of her g*y buddy. Wow, was that sexy or what?
"I didn't realize how much I've missed him until now," Carolyn said suddenly.
"Do you see him at all?" Christian asked.