A Whisper of Eternity - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,20
the corner to the entrance.
Bryan Longstreet was waiting for her on the sidewalk in front of the bar. He was dressed in a green shirt, a pair of beige Dockers, and tan loafers.
"Am I late?" she asked.
"No." He smiled a little sheepishly as he took her arm. "I was early."
He was a handsome young man, tall and lean with a great tan. It didn't take more than a few minutes in his presence to realize he was just what the doctor ordered.
The Driftwood was a nice place. Catering mostly to tourists, it was decorated with seashells, pieces of the wood from which it derived its name, and colorful paper lanterns.
Sitting in a booth sharing a Mai Tai with Bryan,Tracy learned that he loved movies and that he was a big Star Wars fan, as was she. He liked Elvis and rock and roll, his favorite color was red, and he confessed that, if he had to, he could live on pizza and Coke forever. His father was a police officer inWashington , D.C , and his mother was an accountant. He had four brothers - all older and all cops - and an older sister who was in the Air Force. He had just turned twenty-one to her twenty-six.
"Does it bother you?" he asked."My being younger?"
"I guess not. It's only five years." She grinned at him. "When I'm eighty and you're seventy-five, it will hardly matter."
There was a pause in their conversation while the waitress brought them another drink.Tracy glanced out the window. The street was crowded with men and women. She thought it odd that most of them wore black,then shrugged. Maybe they were into the Goth thing. She saw very few teenagers, practically no children. But, as she had toldBryan earlier, this was an artsy town, not a family community, so maybe it wasn't so strange after all.
As the evening wore on,Tracy found herself liking Bryan Longstreet more and more. He was easy to be with, easy to talk to. Not like Dominic, she thought. There was something about Dominic that bothered her, and it was more than the strong sexual attraction that sizzled between them. It was unsettling, the way he sometimes went still, his gaze resting on her face, his dark eyes hot. At such times, she felt like a very small mouse being stalked by a very large, very hungry cat.
But there was nothing aboutBryan to arouse either fear or suspicion. He was as open and outgoing as a puppy. She couldn't remember when she'd had a more pleasant evening.
Later, they went to an outdoor cafe and ordered cheeseburgers and French fries and talked about their favorite movies.
He likedBullitt andAirplane andRambo . AndStar Wars , of course.
She liked Ladyhawke andThe Princess Bride andGladiator . AndStar Wars , of course.
"All right," he said, waving a French fry in the air. "Who's your favorite character?"
"Han Solo, of course," she replied, wiggling her eyebrows. "What a silly question."
"Figures," he muttered.
"Who's yours?"
"Obi-Wan."
"In which episode?"
"All of them," he said with a wide grin. He swung an imaginary light saber over his head. "You have much to learn, young Jedi."
"So tell me, oh wise one, how do we get rid of Jar Jar ?"
"Any way we can!"
She laughed at that and so did he.
Later, they went window shopping, stopping to point out which things they would buy if they had a million dollars.
They were nearing the end of the block whenTracy felt a prickling down her spine. Someone was watching her! Casually, she glanced up and down both sides of the street, but saw no one. Still, the feeling persisted.
Bryantook her arm as they crossed the street.
The feeling of being watched grew stronger.
And then Dominic materialized out of the shadows. "Good evening," he murmured. He spoke toTracy but his gaze was fixed onBryan , and there was nothing friendly in it.
Tracyswallowed a sudden sense of guilt, though she had no idea why she should feel guilty. She wasn't doing anything wrong. "Hi."
She glanced from Dominic toBryan and back again. The tension between the two men was thick enough to cut. "Dominic, this is Bryan Longstreet .Bryan , this is Dominic St. John."
Bryanstuck his hand out."Pleased to meet you, Mr. St. John."
"Indeed." Dominic hesitated only briefly before taking the other man's hand.
"Bryan's a lifeguard,"Tracy said. "I met him on the beach this afternoon."
"How fortunate."There was no mistaking the sarcasm in Dominic's voice, or the fact that he was making an effort to control his anger. "I went by your house earlier."