Madison,
I think we got off to the wrong start and I’d like to make it up to you. If you would do me the honor of meeting me for lunch, I would appreciate it. Meet me at Joe’s Crab Shack on the boardwalk at noon, it’s a hole in the wall, but they have the best seafood in town.
Rowan
Son of a bitch, the man was going to do her in. She didn’t want to see him she tried to convince herself. That’s why she stayed holed up in her house all week, wasn’t it? As a matter of fact, she didn’t want to have anything to do with him at all; at least that’s what she kept telling herself throughout the week. Hell, maybe she
should
just meet him for lunch, what did she have to lose, other than possibly her pride and what little self esteem she had left. He was right though, they had gotten off to a bad start and it was partly her fault. He’d only asked her to lunch, nothing more, and they’d be in a restaurant full of people. What was the harm in that? She’d meet him, but if she was going to meet him in time she needed to get a move on it. She put her earplugs in, cranked the music, and headed up the beach at a steady jog.
The morning breeze drifted across Madison’s face while the wet sand gave way to every step she took. As she ran, it reminded her of the movie Chariots of Fire making her feel like she could conquer the world, at least the world that was Rowan. She’d meet him and she’d stop acting as if she knew nothing about the opposite sex.
Madison made it back to her house just in time to jump in the shower so she could make herself decent. She pulled her long dark hair into a ponytail, after pulling on a pair of faded denim jeans and a navy blue polo shirt that tapered at the waist. Slipping on her pink flip flops that found their place by the front door, she snatched up her keys, heading out as quickly as she could to the boardwalk. She knew where she was going, she just wasn’t sure of where Joe’s Crab Shack sat. It took her longer to find a parking space than it did to find Joe’s. She hadn’t expected it to be so busy during the week, but she figured tourists made their way here year round, so that must have contributed to the full parking lot. Rowan was right, it did look like a hole in the wall and it sat smack dab in the middle of the boardwalk.
Madison pressed her hands against her jeans, trying to wipe away the nervousness that coated her palms. As soon as she caught sight of Rowan, everything and everyone around her blurred out of focus while her breath caught in her throat. Standing tall, he sported a pair of khakis with a black button up shirt that stretched tight against his muscled chest. His blonde hair stood on end making him look like he could grace the front cover of a GQ magazine. Suddenly, she felt underdressed. Apparently, hole in the wall in California meant something completely different than in Kansas. In Kansas, it meant hurry the hell up and throw something on, but in California it meant look as damn hot as you possibly can, standing around while every woman that glances your way fucks you with their eyes.
What the hell was she getting herself into? This man was too much for her. If she knew what was best for her, she’d turn around before he noticed her and forget about him all together. She never was one to know what was good for her though. So, there she stood staring at him with the same fuck me eyes as all the other women on the boardwalk. She wasn’t certain how long she’d been standing there before she realized he was looking right at her, smiling and walking towards her. The smile on his face melted her heart, making her want to do nothing other than to fall at his feet and worship him for it.
“You made it. Thank you for coming.”
“I did, but I wish you would have let me know the dress code, I’m a little underdressed, apparently.”
Rowan looked down at himself and realized what it must look like. Normally, he wouldn’t dress like this for Joe’s, but one of the doctors called in so he went in for a few hours to help out this morning. He didn’t have time to go home to change, otherwise, he would have.
“You are perfect the way you are. I, unfortunately, am the one that is a little overdressed. I had to go in to work this morning for a few hours. So much for my vacation, huh?”
“Oh.” Madison felt her cheeks flush with heat. She could only imagine that the blood rushing to her face was setting off a bright red glow, which only made her more embarrassed.
Rowan drew on every ounce of self control that he had to keep himself from stroking Madison’s cheek. He absolutely loved when her face lit up with embarrassment. Her beauty was magnified by the color in her cheeks and he wanted to place his lips on each one.
Slow, Rowan. Take this slow and don’t screw it up.
“Shall we go in? This place looks like it should be condemned, but they have the best seafood on the West Coast.”
“Great. Thank you for the invitation.”
“It’s my pleasure,” Rowan nodded as he put his hand on the small of her back to lead her into the restaurant.
Madison felt a tingle make its way up her spine from the gentle touch of his fingers. Heat pooled between her thighs, making her face flush once again. She couldn’t remember ever having such a reaction from a simple touch, hell, she couldn’t even remember if any other man had ever made her feel heat in the vicinity of her nether region. She was afraid Rowan would notice, but apparently he hadn’t because he kept walking with his hand on her back. She was jerked from thoughts of her over-heating core when he opened the door to an aroma like she’d never experienced before. The multitude of fragrances of served seafood filled her nostrils, making her stomach ache. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she walked through the door, finding her body reacting to the aroma. A beautiful young blonde gave them a square electronic coaster to signal when their table would be ready. She let them know they’d have a thirty minute wait, which was going to be an eternity of utter awkwardness for Madison. She was never good at talking to men in a group much less one on one. To top it off, a man who made her feel things she never felt before. Rowan led them to a red bench running along the wall, taking his place next to her on the bench. He turned to her as if to say something when an older man walked up to them.
“Rowan, how are you my man?” The man said as he heartily shook Rowan’s hand.
“Joe. Looks like business is treating you well.”
“That it is, that it is.”
Joe reminded Madison of her own father. He stood a good six one, with salt and pepper hair and a demeanor that made her want to wrap her arms around him. She noticed when he spoke to Rowan his face lit up, causing her to wonder about the relationship the two shared. Before she knew it, she and Rowan were being led to a secluded table sitting in the very back of the small restaurant. Joe shook Rowan’s hand before the two of them slid into the red vinyl lined booth, one on each side. He placed two small tri-fold, worn menus in front of them, winked at Madison before telling them to enjoy their meal then quickly strolling out of the back room leaving them alone. Madison watched him until he was out of her line of sight, turning back to Rowan to find him watching her. The heated look he gave her, made her squirm in her seat. She absently twirled the end of her silk dark hair, nervously trying to figure out an intelligent conversation to have with him.
“He seems like a pleasant man,” she finally got out trying to cool herself down somewhat.
“Joe? Yeah, he’s a great guy. I used to work here during medical school. He was very understanding when I needed time off to study and always made sure this struggling student was fed.”
“He reminds me of my dad. He was that kind of man too.”
“Was?” Rowan asked with caution in his voice.
“Yeah, he passed away a few years ago.” Madison hoped that he hadn’t heard the tremble in her voice. Talking about her dad without getting emotional had always been hard for her.
Rowan reached over, grabbing her fingers from her hair and resting their hands on the center of the table. Gently stroking the skin between her thumb and index finger, his gaze bore into hers. “I’m sorry for your loss. It’s never easy losing someone you love.”
Madison was taken aback by the compassion that filled his words and voice. Something deep inside told her he had himself experienced such a loss. She sat and waited for him to elaborate, but it never happened. A million things ran through her mind as to what kind of loss he experienced. Was it a lover, a wife? God, she realized how much she didn’t know about him and how much she wanted to know.
A waitress, who looked to be in her mid forties, leisurely strolled over to them with two glasses of water placing them down haphazardly, spilling a few drops on the countertop table. Her name tag read Flo and Madison couldn’t stop the smile that was now plastered on her face. It reminded her of the times she would sit watching old re-runs of Mel’s Dinner with her dad as a kid. Hell, most of her friends had never heard of the show, but she loved watching with him, enjoying his laughter at all the shenanigans the wait staff got into. After Flo took their order, hurrying off a lot faster than she came over, Madison realized her fingers were still intertwined with Rowan’s. She began to pull away when his grip gently tightened.
“So, you must have been pretty close to your dad,” he said more as a statement than a question.
“I was. He was more than my dad. He was my world; my best friend, my biggest fan. What about your parents? Do they live here?”
“My dad does, though, I don’t see him much. My mom passed away a long time ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
He gave her a smile that made her heart melt. She wanted to go deeper to find out truly who Rowan was, but in the middle of a restaurant was not the place for it. Besides, he didn’t seem as though he wanted to offer her too much more.
Their food came much quicker than Madison anticipated and she was glad for the distraction. Sitting across from this man, trying to figure out what to say was more than nerve wracking. There was so much she wanted to ask him; wanted to find out about him. But not talking to him was more for the benefit of him not realizing what an idiot she could be. She didn’t want to scare him off.
The smell of the shrimp and crab cakes platter sitting before Madison engulfed her senses. Food as delicious as this was not something she’d ever get in Kansas. Although she felt out of her element, she was glad Rowan had invited her; not only because the food smelled amazing, but because of the company that sat across from her. She stabbed her fork into the crab bringing it to her mouth. The flavor burst on her tongue, putting her mouth in a state of euphoria. She’d never tasted something so wonderful; it was so unexpected from a dive like this. As she devoured her food without thought, she peeked up to find Rowan watching her as he ate. Suddenly, she felt self-conscious of the way she was eating. God, what must he think of her? She felt her face flush, wanting nothing more than to hide under the table or run for the nearest exit. She set her fork down picking up her water glass to take a refreshing sip. Her mother had always told her to eat like a lady. She’d said men don’t like women who eat as if there were no tomorrow. Maybe she should have ordered a salad, she thought, then dismissed it. This food was entirely too good to pass up just so that she could make an impression on Rowan. If he didn’t like the way she enjoyed her food, then he didn’t need to ask her out again. She picked up her fork and continued to devour the food on her plate.
“What do you think?” He asked.
“About what?” She asked absently.
With a low chuckle, “The food. How is it?”
“It’s absolutely amazing. I’ve never tasted anything so delicious. I certainly wasn’t expecting it to taste this good when I saw the outside of this place. Thank you for inviting me here.”