Real Romance - By Ginny Baird Page 0,20

their server. "I'll take coffee, too, with double cream. And bring me one of those gigantic cinnamon buns with the icing dripping all over it."

The waitress nodded, and started to turn.

"No, wait! Make that two!"

The waitress's face was an open question.

"Cinnamon buns."

"David Lake, every one of those perfect teeth is going to rot and fall out."

"Marie, now you're sounding like my mother! Have you ever tried those things? They're wicked with a capital W."

No, Marie thought. Wicked with a capital W was sitting right in front of her. She didn't know how he could really eat like that. But David Lake didn't appear to have one surplus ounce on his entire body.

"So, David," she said, trying to get things on a more intellectual tract. "Tell me more about that book you've been reading."

But somehow, it was terribly hard to think about that boring book, with the exciting Marie McCloud sitting right across from him. She looked cute in that strappy brown jumper, pulled over a tight-fitting shirt that David wished he could see more of. Her cheeks had that gorgeous glow and her eyes fixed on him in that manner that made his head spin. David noticed her glasses sat slightly off center. Most likely thanks to that nasty dent right in the center of their bridge.

"I can still fix those glasses for you, you know."

"Huh?"

Marie brought a startled hand to the edge of her frames.

"Uh, I forgot they were... What I mean is, I can still see straight." No, that was baloney. "Fine, I mean. I can see just fine! The lenses weren't damaged at all."

"You sure about that?" he asked, reaching forward and gently lifting the glasses from her face. "Because usually when the frames get bent..."

He took the turquoise frames and turned them over and over in his hands before holding them up to the light.

"Now that is odd. Not a scratch on them. How did you say this happened?"

Marie blanched. "I, uh, it was the..."

"Looks almost like a child just—"

"Yes, that's it!"

She cowered, realizing her voice had risen about the buzz of the restaurant, and made an effort to speak more softly. "One of the kids at story hour—he bent my frames."

"Wow!" David said with surprise, as the waitress set down two steaming mugs. "Never realized your work was so dangerous."

Marie nervously stirred her coffee, wishing she knew what was going on behind those crystal blue eyes.

"Oh, not really so dangerous. You know kids get a little wound up at times. He didn't mean it, I'm sure."

"And the mother didn't even offer to pay to have them fixed?" David asked, dumping four packets of sugar in his cup. "I think that's awful."

"Well, what with the guarantee and all that, I figured, why make a big deal?"

David studied her as her spoon clinked repeatedly in her black cup.

"Don't you think you want to put something in there before you stir it?"

A nervous laugh caught in her throat. "I take mine black."

The waitress rescued her from further humiliation by bring their pastries.

"Well, anyway," David said, handing back her glasses, "if you want to drop by the shop later this week, I'd be happy to try to straighten those out for you—or replace them with another pair."

Marie was so flustered at the moment that all she could think of was downing her coffee and getting to work. Children's story hour? Heavens to Betsy, what had she done? Blaming some poor, innocent, imaginary little boy. When all the while it had been her pressing her flawless frames against the ladies' room sink counter!

"You feeling all right?" David asked, unrolling a bit of cinnamon bun and dipping it in his milky coffee.

"Fine, fine." Marie took a bite of scone, hoping she wouldn't choke. "Mmm, this is delicious."

"You sure you're okay? You look a little... hot."

Now that was the understatement of the year, David told himself. Marie McCloud always looked more than a little hot. No matter where she was, no matter what she wore, when she looked at him with those big brown eyes, she positively sizzled.

But she did look uncomfortable, sitting there going crazy with that rotating spoon. A little off balance somehow. Then she picked up her mug and drained one third of the coffee out of it before setting it back on the table.

"Well, it's true I haven't been feeling myself lately. Maybe there's something going around."

David nodded sympathetically. "Maybe you should take the day off. Grab a little R & R."

She looked over at him, and—for a