turned slightly and stared at Hawa, half-hidden in the corner at an awkwardly placed two-top. “Yep. That’s her. Thanks.” He walked to the table and sat.
Hawa leaned back in her chair, tapping her polished, purple fingernails on the table. “I seriously need a cup of coffee.” Her gaze followed every waiter who passed. Her eyes narrowed when the third waiter walked by without stopping to take their order.
“Okay,” Jayden said. “Just…chill out.” He made eye contact with a waiter and flagged him over.
“Hey, sorry about that.” The middle-aged man wearing a bluish apron took out a pad and pen. “What can I get ya for?”
“Two coffees,” he said, holding up two fingers. “And a stack of blueberry pancakes, three eggs—over medium—a big glass of orange juice, two orders of turkey sausage, and some biscuits…with apple butter.”
The waiter jotted the order down and then closed his notepad. “Be right—”
“Wait.” He looked at Hawa. “Don’t you want anything besides coffee?”
She arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Hungry, are we?” She skimmed over her menu. “Low fat yogurt with granola and a fruit bowl.” She extended her menu to the waiter.
“Got it.” He took her menu and walked into the kitchen.
“You don’t eat much, do you?” Jayden stretched his legs under the table and propped his feet on the chair beside Hawa.
She glanced at his sneakers and scrunched her nose. “Just because I’m not scarfing five-thousand calories doesn’t mean I don’t eat.”
He had almost forgotten some girls actually thought about the whole calorie thing. Zanya had never—
He exhaled and slouched in his chair. It wouldn’t do him any good to keep thinking about her. Not right now anyway. He needed some space. Some time to figure out how the hell he was going to still be her friend while being forced to watch her and Arwan live happily ever after like Cinderella and Prince-Fucking-Charming.
Hawa cleared her throat, snapping him out of his thoughts. “So.” She unfolded her napkin and laid it in her lap. “What are we doing after this?” He analyzed her movements—so careless and easy. Strands of hair had fallen out of her ponytail and were scattered on either side of her angled cheekbones. She didn’t seem even a little concerned that she’d taken off with him in a stolen cab, or that everyone would be worried about her. And they would be worried. She may be snarky, short-tempered, and the way she rolled her eyes at him plucked every nerve in his body, but she was Renato’s niece. Unlike Jayden, she was part of the family, and they would want her back, sooner or later.
She picked up the dessert menu and scanned through the pages.
Jayden watched her read through a list of chocolate cakes and raspberry toppings, like she would actually eat any of it. “What’s your deal?”
Her head bobbed up as if his question caught her off guard. “What do you mean?”
“Why come with me? I hardly know you, and your uncle and the rest of his groupies are probably wondering where you are.”
She shrugged. “I needed to get away, and I saw an opportunity.”
He peered at her. “That’s it?”
“Yeah. That’s it. So don’t go reading into it, okay?” She pushed away the menu and sat back, mumbling in Spanish.
The waiter returned with two steaming cups of coffee. “The food should be up in about ten minutes.”
Jayden nodded, and the waiter vanished back into the kitchen.
“Thank God.” Hawa poured some cream into her cup. She cradled the coffee with both hands and inhaled the aroma before lifting it to her lips. Her shoulders visibly relaxed.
Good. Now maybe she wouldn’t rip his throat out.
As he reached for the creamer, a deep tremor ran up his arm, over his shoulder, and crawled up his neck, exploding in a flash of light, stripping him of his vision.
He closed his eyes and ground his teeth. An image of Contessa appeared. The evil witch cradled a book under one arm.
Hawa leaned back in her chair, tapping her polished, purple fingernails on the table. “I seriously need a cup of coffee.” Her gaze followed every waiter who passed. Her eyes narrowed when the third waiter walked by without stopping to take their order.
“Okay,” Jayden said. “Just…chill out.” He made eye contact with a waiter and flagged him over.
“Hey, sorry about that.” The middle-aged man wearing a bluish apron took out a pad and pen. “What can I get ya for?”
“Two coffees,” he said, holding up two fingers. “And a stack of blueberry pancakes, three eggs—over medium—a big glass of orange juice, two orders of turkey sausage, and some biscuits…with apple butter.”
The waiter jotted the order down and then closed his notepad. “Be right—”
“Wait.” He looked at Hawa. “Don’t you want anything besides coffee?”
She arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Hungry, are we?” She skimmed over her menu. “Low fat yogurt with granola and a fruit bowl.” She extended her menu to the waiter.
“Got it.” He took her menu and walked into the kitchen.
“You don’t eat much, do you?” Jayden stretched his legs under the table and propped his feet on the chair beside Hawa.
She glanced at his sneakers and scrunched her nose. “Just because I’m not scarfing five-thousand calories doesn’t mean I don’t eat.”
He had almost forgotten some girls actually thought about the whole calorie thing. Zanya had never—
He exhaled and slouched in his chair. It wouldn’t do him any good to keep thinking about her. Not right now anyway. He needed some space. Some time to figure out how the hell he was going to still be her friend while being forced to watch her and Arwan live happily ever after like Cinderella and Prince-Fucking-Charming.
Hawa cleared her throat, snapping him out of his thoughts. “So.” She unfolded her napkin and laid it in her lap. “What are we doing after this?” He analyzed her movements—so careless and easy. Strands of hair had fallen out of her ponytail and were scattered on either side of her angled cheekbones. She didn’t seem even a little concerned that she’d taken off with him in a stolen cab, or that everyone would be worried about her. And they would be worried. She may be snarky, short-tempered, and the way she rolled her eyes at him plucked every nerve in his body, but she was Renato’s niece. Unlike Jayden, she was part of the family, and they would want her back, sooner or later.
She picked up the dessert menu and scanned through the pages.
Jayden watched her read through a list of chocolate cakes and raspberry toppings, like she would actually eat any of it. “What’s your deal?”
Her head bobbed up as if his question caught her off guard. “What do you mean?”
“Why come with me? I hardly know you, and your uncle and the rest of his groupies are probably wondering where you are.”
She shrugged. “I needed to get away, and I saw an opportunity.”
He peered at her. “That’s it?”
“Yeah. That’s it. So don’t go reading into it, okay?” She pushed away the menu and sat back, mumbling in Spanish.
The waiter returned with two steaming cups of coffee. “The food should be up in about ten minutes.”
Jayden nodded, and the waiter vanished back into the kitchen.
“Thank God.” Hawa poured some cream into her cup. She cradled the coffee with both hands and inhaled the aroma before lifting it to her lips. Her shoulders visibly relaxed.
Good. Now maybe she wouldn’t rip his throat out.
As he reached for the creamer, a deep tremor ran up his arm, over his shoulder, and crawled up his neck, exploding in a flash of light, stripping him of his vision.
He closed his eyes and ground his teeth. An image of Contessa appeared. The evil witch cradled a book under one arm.
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