A movement by the door caught her eye as Tom, one of their regulars, stepped inside. He was dressed in a white button down shirt and black slacks, his normal work-wear as maitre d’ at one of her favorite restaurants.
“Hello, lovelies,” Tom said.
“Hi, Tom. What can we do for you today?” Laurel asked automatically. She had not built her business by ignoring her customers. While Lee’s appearance had her off kilter, she still had a job to do.
Tom’s hand closed on her shoulder, and squeezed. She tried not to cringe. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but he regularly invaded her personal space. She shifted positions, gently knocking off his hand.
“Big night, must gather supplies,” he said, and winked. He knew his way around the store and left her side to collect his loot.
When he returned with an armload, she asked, “Are you on your way to work?”
“I am,” he said, dropping everything onto the counter. She didn’t ask what her customers did with what they bought, and in all honestly she didn’t really care. But some regulars almost frightened her with their never-ending need to restock. These people were certainly having more sex than she was.
“The new night chef does magical things with shrimp. You should drop in. I’ve always got a table with your name on it, sweet Laurel.”
“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be by soon,” she said, and left Amanda to ring him up.
She rejoined Lee, who was studying a piece of modern art she’d hung above a display case. After taking a deep breath, she asked him, “Would you like to have dinner?”
Lee’s easy smile sent her pulse racing. “Magical shrimp?”
She laughed. “Sounds good, yes?”
“Yes. It’ll give us a chance to catch up. I’d like that.”
She bit the inside of her cheek and nodded. “Me too. I’ll be right back. You’ve got this covered?” she asked Amanda, who nodded, looking high and mighty.
“I’ll be right here, boss.”
Laurel walked into her office and closed the door.
Lee. The deep baritone of his voice still turned her insides to mush. His spicy scent, mixed with the various smells of her store, was soothing, which managed to annoy and put her on edge at the same time. She clenched her legs together in response to the quivering of her feminine muscles. He still had the power to make her dizzy, and that scared the hell out of her.
She jotted a few instructions for Amanda about opening the store in the morning. With plans for a weekend off already in place, having Lee in town would make it more interesting. As a life-long resident of New Orleans, she knew tons of people in the city, but few felt like true friends. Lee was from a small town, a place where people formed friendships that lasted a lifetime, where her family and his went back generations. Having him around would be a little like going back to the place she thought of as her true home.
“Ready?” she asked, emerging from the hallway which led to her office.
“Sure,” he said, pulling his attention from the boxed sex toys next to where he stood.
He stopped, letting her exit the narrow doorway ahead of him. She paused on the sidewalk, waiting for him reach her side. “How long have you been in New Orleans?”
“A week, ten days or so.”
She realized she was at a loss, not sure what to talk about. A sales bag swung beside his leg, distracting her. She looked from the bag to his eyes, which were focused on the scenery. Maybe he didn’t know what to say, either.
There were lots of people milling around, as many places had shift changes about this time of day.
“Left next block, first place on the right,” she said loud enough to be heard over the crowd filling the sidewalk.
He nodded and continued at a steady pace, shortening his stride so she could keep up. It was a beautiful evening. Cool air blew off the river as they turned toward the restaurant.
Tom greeted them at the door. “Ah. That was quick.”
“Yes. I must try one of the new shrimp dishes,” she said, watching the two men size each other up. “Tom, this is Lee, an old friend.” The men shook hands.
She could only imagine what they thought of one another. They were completely different, not only in appearance, but in background. Lee was raised in a proper two-parent home. A home his prim and proper mother—who never had a hair out of place— reigned, while Tom’s single mother—also a regular customer—looked more like an aged hippie than Susie Homemaker. She lived in the French Quarter and as far as Laurel knew, her only source of income was tarot reading and fortune telling in Jackson Square.
Tom waved over one of the best servers, and they were seated quickly.
Once their drink orders were placed, Lee said, “The Rubber Tree? I’d have never guessed.”
“Yeah.” She smiled. She loved owning her own store, especially now it was starting to turn a good profit. “What about it?”
A low laugh escaped him. “I’m surprised. Not exactly what I’d envisioned when your grandfather said, ‘Laurel’s got this interesting little shop in the French Quarter.’”
She shifted and settled in her seat. Lee, the king of uptight, didn’t seem to be judging her. “Grandpa said that? Really?”
“Yeah, and needless to say, Beau didn’t offer much information either.”
“He’s probably still in shock over the whole thing. It’s been a couple of years, but I think it’s still hard for him to swallow. We don’t discuss it.”
“I know he’s proud of you, but maybe it’s just hard for him to see his sweet little cousin doing something so bold.”
Laurel hid her smirk. Beau would also be shocked over what his best friend Lee Carter and his sweet little cousin had done ten years ago. But as far as Laurel was concerned, that was none of Beau’s business.
The drinks arrived and Lee ordered a dozen raw oysters. When the waiter was gone she felt more settled than she had since Lee’s surprise appearance. She was on her turf, and had him to herself for the first time in years. Being a curious person, there were so many things she wanted to know, but she wasn’t sure where to start, since she had no idea where any of this might lead.
“So are you moving here? To stay? I guess I find it hard to believe.”
He paused with his water glass halfway to his lips. “I was offered a position I couldn’t pass up. Why is that so hard to believe?”
“I just... You just... New Orleans isn’t where I pictured you. But it’s great. Beau’s mentioned how much you like your work.”
“I do. And right now, New Orleans is looking better and better.”
They fell into an easy banter. Talking had never been a problem for them. He teased her about the store and offered a few lewd comments, but she knew he was only trying to work her nerves.
When the oysters arrived, Lee offered her a sample, but she refused. Watching him expertly devour the delicacy was aphrodisiac enough.
Laurel excused herself and headed to the ladies room. She splashed cool water on her flushed face. Sitting across from Lee already had her wet and needy. How could she have forgotten the way she craved him physically?
Watching her own eyes in the mirror, she admitted she hadn’t forgotten. In fact, last year she’d broken up with her boyfriend Paul because he had nothing like Lee’s potency. Maybe she should have tried harder to make