Page 51 of Diners, Damsels & Wolves

She wasn’t just going to serve him an omelet while he watched her work; she was going to spend real quality adult time with him. Stomach flipping, her mouth went dry at the thought and her skin flushed. Should she wear one of her nice sets of panties? Ones with a matching bra—the type you’d bat your eyelashes at the ‘coincidence’ of wearing them when you undressed in front of another.

Ultimately, she decided against it. Tonight was only their second real date. She knew she liked him, but right now, her mind was too befuddled to decide if her physical need was getting in the way. And God, it was a need at this point. She was beginning to worry she’d forgotten how to have sex with anyone other than her own hand.

Maybe she would wear the nice matching underwear tonight. She wanted to ensure she liked Tom for who he was before her hormones and the feeling of him inside her persuaded her decision. But it never hurt to be prepared, did it?

Thoroughly overthinking her situation, she carried plates of food to the booth in the far corner. Some of the same individuals who sat there yesterday had returned. They seemed polite enough, but didn’t try to engage in small talk. Instead, they seemed to sit in silence, watching, trying to blend into the background.

Clarissa internally frowned at the oddness of it but didn’t let it bother her too much. As long as they paid their tabs and didn’t start trouble, what did she care how they spent their time?

As she set the last plate down in front of a new arrival, they caught her eye. A young man, early twenties maybe, stared her full in the face, making eye contact and refusing to break it. His brow furrowed as he considered her. She gasped; his dark eyes changed color on the edges, his deep irises flashed yellow. The same yellow as Alister’s eyes when he attacked her.

Someone at the table shuffled, the young man broke eye contact with a grunt. She blinked furiously and left. Running to the back, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket. Her thumb hovered over Tom’s number.

“Would you consider calling me, if you were in need? Not just in dark parking lots, but if anything happened and you needed help. I want you to know you can call me.”

His words rang in her head. Was she truly in need though? She had no proof this man—or this table of rotating customers—was like Alister in his strange otherness or in his desire to harm.

No, she was just overreacting. The flash in his eyes was a trick of the light, a trick that made her remember that terrible night. Of course thinking about that was going to scare her.

“Don’t be such a ninny,” she chided herself, tucking her phone back into her pocket.

What was wrong with her? Getting startled and instantly reaching for her phone to call a man. She’d never relied on anyone like that before, no sense in starting now.

Breathing heavy, that realization hit her square in the chest. She didn’t have anyone … She was so used to figuring out her issues herself because she chose not to involve her aunt, but now she didn’t have that choice. Sure, she could call Greg, but he was there for Rachel, not her. When it came to Clarissa herself, her person, her emotions, her life, she was truly alone.

She’d known it for a while now, but the realization hadn’t sunk in. Not fully. Holding her breath, she fell against the wall. Where was she going to be in the next five years? What would happen to Rachel in that time?

After wiping her eyes, she slapped herself in the face. She couldn’t afford to think about that, about any of this right now. Pushing her emotions down, she went back to the dining room. She returned to the corner table, the man who’d stared at her was gone, his plate empty, a wad of bills tucked underneath it. The others in the booth were quieter than usual when she asked if they needed anything else. Refusing to notice their oddities, she concentrated on surviving the last three hours of her shift.

After clocking out, she rushed to her car, tossing her hoodie on the passenger seat. Anxious to get home, she wanted to check on Rachel and the home nurse. She also wanted time to shower before her mystery evening with Tom. Checking her phone on the way out she had a single message from him reading:

Don’t make dinner tonight.

Okay, obviously he was planning some sort of dinner, but did that include Rachel? Had he forgotten she needed to provide every meal for her aunt? Or maybe he simply didn’t realize. Or he had realized …

That only led to more questions. Was he taking both of them out somewhere or bringing the restaurant to them? How the hell was she supposed to dress without knowing what they were doing for the evening?

Now she thought about it, this was the second time she’d been in this situation. She was going to have to have a serious conversation with him about this and her need to prep proper outfits.

Parking in front of the double-wide, she looked at Elizabeth’s car. It was stamped with their brand logo; she’d been too flustered to notice it yesterday. Seeing it now gave her a welcome sense of relief. Rachel hadn’t spent the day alone.

“Hello?” She opened the front door cautiously, unsure what she’d find. What if Rachel had another episode when only Elizabeth was there? Would her coming home trigger her back into a violent fit?

“Claire!” Rachel sat at the kitchen table with Elizabeth, playing cards in hand. “How was school today?”

“It was good, how was your day?”

“I met our new neighbor, Elizabeth.” Rachel gestured to the nurse Clarissa had already met.

“Hello, Elizabeth.” She feigned an introduction. “I hope you two had a good day.”

“We did, thank you,” Elizabeth said, setting her cards down. “I’m afraid I lost track of the time; we were having so much fun.”

“Oh no, did I keep you?” Rachel asked.

“No, no, it’s fine, but I do need to get going. Maybe I can come back tomorrow and we can finish our game?” Elizabeth stood up, gathering her bag.

“You’re welcome any time.” Rachel walked her to the door. “It was a pleasure meeting you!” She waved as Elizabeth got in her car.