A Love Like This (Book 1) (41 page)

“
What would you like to drink?
”
 
She said after he was seated.

He folded his hands on the table and leaned forward narrowing his eyes at her.
 
“
What
’
s your name?
”
 
 
He asked as if she was being questioned by the authorities.

She raised an
eyebrow
instantly on the defense.
 
“
Why do you want to know?
”

He leaned back against the booth and shook his head.
 
The restaurant was nearly empty and Dana had time to kill so she tilted her head to the side pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest.
 
“
Are you going to tell me what you want to drink?
”
 

“
You
’
re a hostess right?
”
 
 
He said with a slight look of amusement.
 
 
“
Wouldn
’
t it be appropriate for you to be hospitable?
”

Dana suppressed a smile.
 
He was smart and she liked that,
 
“
I
’
m sorry sir.
 
My name is Dana Watseka your hostess.
 
How may I serve you?
”
 
Dana said with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

Xavier leaned forward and
 
licked his lips
 
looking her up and down.
 
Dana rolled her eyes.
 
“
I
’
ll bring you a coke,
”
 
she said as she walked away.
 
She
 
quickly retrieved
his
 
drink and sat it
 
in front of him.
 
 
“
Your server will be with you shortly,
”
 
She said and turned to leave.

“
Why are you reading an architecture magazine?
”
 
He called out to her.

She straitened her posture and looked back
 
at him
 
“
I
’
m going to be an architect.
”

He nodded thoughtfully.
 
 
“
There aren
’
t very many women architects are there?
”

“
Nope but that
’
s not going to stop me,
”
 
she said raising her chin defiantly.

“
I believe you,
”
 
he said.
 
They smiled at each other and Dana
’
s heart fluttered.

For the next hour
 
Dana made sure to walk into Xavier
’
s line of vision as often as possible.
 
She sat other patrons near his booth and she cleaned tables, which wasn
’
t her job.
 
 
He watched her while he slowly ate his pancakes.
 
Martha an older
 
white woman wore a bright red wig that was always crooked
 
and
 
knee high stockings that
 
were
 
always rolled down around her ankle said,
 
“
Do you know that young man?
 
He
’
s been watching you ever since he sat down.
”

Dana felt
 
a
 
little flush.
 
“
Yeah I know him,
”
 
she lied.

When Xavier was ready to leave she stood by the hostess station pretending to focus on the magazine.
 
Martha took his payment but when Dana looked up he had vanished.
 
She looked around thinking he must have gone to the bathroom.
 
She just knew he wouldn
’
t leave
 
without asking for her number. He didn
’
t return. She
 
finished her shift and left disappointed.
 
She clocked out to go home for the day and Xavier
was
 
standing
 
outside talking to a man wearing similar
 
work clothes.
 
He was even more handsome in the day li
ght.
 
She strolled by
him and headed towards the bus stop.

“
Hey wait up,
”
 
He said running past
his friend and reaching for her arm.
 
“
Why don
’
t you let me take you home?
”

“
What are you my new stalker,
”
 
She said.
”

“
Nope
 
I
’
m going to be your new man,
”
 
He said matter-of-factly.
 
She stopped and swirled around on the heels of
 
her feet.
 
She looked up at him.
 
He was so good-looking that she had to smile.

“
I
 
don
’
t think you
’
re ready for that job.
 
It won
’
t be as easy as you might think,
”
 
She said turning to leave.
 
He didn
’
t follow her this time.

He called out
 
as she walked,
 
“
I
’
m sure it won
’
t be easy but it
’
ll happen.
”

She smiled at his bravado.

Xavier started coming
 
to Denny
’
s every day after
 
his shift at the construction
 
site.
 
Sometimes he would
 
order coffee and wait for Dana to come by and talk to him.
 
Other times he would sit outside reading the paper and
 
wait to walk her home.
 
 
They had long conversations on their walks.
 
 
He told her about his plan to go to the army and to take over his uncle
’
s construction company someday.
 
She
 
told him that she was an only child raised by her single father and that her mother left when she was very young.
 
Dana also told him about her future plans to become an architect.
 
She liked that he listened to her and didn
’
t belittle her dreams because she was young.
 
She also
 
liked
that he never tried to
 
do any more than hold her hand on their walks home.
 
Dana
 
always
 
made
 
Xavier
 
stop about
 
a block away from her house to avoid running into her father.

*****

Dana heard the bell on the door chime around the time Xavier normally came into the restaurant.
 
 
She looked up and saw that he was with three girls and her mouth went dry.
 
She stared each of the girls up and down and wondered which one was Xavier
’
s girlfriend. She wanted to punch Xavier for making her like him then flaunting his girlfriend right in front of her.
 
She was just as pretty as any of them she thought as she snatched four menus from the stack and stomped to a booth in the corner.
 
 
“
May I take your drink orders?
”
 
She
 
asked without looking at any of them.
 

“
Yes
 
Dana is it,
”
 
Xavier said smiling.
 

Dana narrowed her eyes at him,
 
“
Yes its Dana
 
what would you like to drink?
”
 
She hissed.

“
Ladies what would you like,
”
 
he asked stretching his long arms and resting them on the shoulders of the two girls sitting next to him.

One of the girls
 
reached over and slapped him on the back of his head.
 
 
“
Stop playing with that girl.
 
Look at her face, you
’
re upsetting her.
 
We
’
ll all have Coke
’
s,
”
 
She said.

Dana smiled and walked off towards the kitchen.
 
Xavier
 
got up and followed her.
 
Dana turned around and crossed her arms over her chest.
 
 
“
Why are you following me?
 
Why don
’
t you get back to your girlfriend?
”
 

He smiled, tilted his head and bit his bottom lip.
 
 
“
So you do like me?
 
“

“
I didn
’
t say that,
”
 
She said turning red and looking away.

“
My family
’
s having a party tonight come with me.
”

“
I don
’
t even know
 
you,
”
 
She said walking towards the soda machine.

He reached for her hand and pulled her close.
 
 
“
You know that my name is Xavier Peterson, that I was born in Florida and my family moved here when I was nine.
 
You know that I
’
ll be nineteen in a few months and I
’
m planning to join the army.
 
Let me see what haven
’
t I told you?
”
 
 
He snaps his finger.
 
My favorite color
’
s blue and those girls over there are my sisters.
 
I asked them to come with me and convince you to go to the party.
”

She smiled relieved and looked down at the dingy carpet.
 
 
“
Why me,
”
 
She asked?
 
Why are you so interested in me?
”

He brushed a finger over the palm of her hand brought it up to his lips and kissed it gently.
 
 
“
Sometimes you just know,
”
 
He said looking into her eyes.
 
Her face felt like it was on fire
 
and there was an unfamiliar twinge
 
in the pit of her stomach.
 
His long legged stride just oozed confidence.