I chuckled. “A trip to city hall isn’t complete without running into you, Little Dragon. Here to chap some asses?”
She shook her head, the action causing the small purple studs in her ears to twinkle. “Just dropping off some more paperwork.”
I stepped aside. “Don’t let me hold you up.”
She sidled past me, the scent of her drifting by. It was floral but not heavy, with an undertone of something citrusy and light. It was lovely and suited her well.
“Thank you,” she murmured and kept walking.
I stared after her, shocked.
No quips, no needling, no teasing. She was withdrawn and…sad was the only word I could think of.
I was surprised how much that bothered me.
I headed to the truck and climbed in. But I didn’t start it. I sat, watching the door for some reason.
Waiting, I realized with a jolt, for Ava to reappear.
When she did, I observed her. Even her walk was different today. Slower, as if the act of moving forward was almost too much. Before I could stop myself, I was out of the truck and by her SUV.
“Ava.”
She looked up, blinking, surprised to see me there.
“Hunter?” she asked. “Is there something I can do for you?”
The tone of her voice told me everything. She’d been doing things for everyone, and she was more than sad. She was exhausted. Drained.
I stepped closer. “Yes.”
I saw her struggling to stay polite. Be kind. Because if there was one thing I knew about her, it was that she was always kind.
“What might that be?” she asked, trying to sound upbeat. “I don’t have much to give, but I can try.”
“Have dinner with me.”
“Pardon me?”
I stepped closer. “Have dinner with me.”
“Why?” she breathed out.
I couldn’t explain it to her. I had no idea how to tell her what I was feeling. That seeing her this way, fatigued and weary, made my chest ache in an odd way. It brought out a sensation of wanting to help her. Something I had never experienced until this very moment.
“I felt like Chinese, and it’s never fun eating that alone. I like to have a few dishes. Come eat with me. Relax a little. You look like you could use it.”
She glanced at my casual clothes and down at her outfit. I laughed. “You can go change if you want. Or stay dressed up. I don’t mind.”
Suddenly, her eyes were bright again, the fog from earlier disappearing. “Hold up.” She rounded her little SUV and opened the trunk. She reached in and pulled out a pair of flat shoes, kicking off her high heels. She undid the buttons of her vest, sliding it off and tossing it in the trunk with her discarded heels. She pulled the silky fabric of her blouse out of her waistband, letting the material hang loose around her hips. Then she reached up and unclasped her hair, running her fingers through the dark silk that hung straight to her shoulders.
She sighed in happiness and looked at me, lifting her arms. “Will that do?”
She was artlessly sexy, her hair not perfect, her blouse wrinkled, and her pants a touch too long with the flats. But her shoulders were straight, the light back in her eyes, and she was smiling.
“Perfect,” I assured her. “I assume you know a good Chinese place?”
“The best. You want to follow me?”
“Yeah, Little Dragon, I’ll follow you.”
She paused before sliding behind the wheel. “Hunter?”
“Hmm?” I asked, looking over my shoulder.
“Thanks.” She smiled at me, the wattage that of the bright afternoon sun in the summer. Its warmth hit my chest, lighting me up.
I got into my truck, shaking my head. Adorable didn’t begin to cover it. Neither did sexy.
Dangerous, maybe. Addictive, for sure.
What the hell was I doing?
The restaurant was about fifteen minutes away, hidden away in a small strip mall. You would miss it if you blinked. I pulled up my truck beside Ava’s and slid from the vehicle, eyeing the small weather-beaten sign.
I scratched my head. “You sure this is the right place?”
She tugged on my hand. “Trust me.”
We walked into the restaurant, and the aroma hit me. Spice, garlic, ginger, and soy. Pungent and rich. There were only six tables and the two sides lined with eight booths. A couple of tables were taken, but Ava headed to the far side and slid into a booth. I followed her, my stomach growling. If the food tasted half as good as the place smelled, I was going to enjoy our dinner.
Ava plucked a plastic-covered menu from the holder and slid it my way.
“The dinner for two is good, but I usually order the dinner for four. The spicy one.”
I glanced at the list. Hot and sour soup with sizzling rice, spring rolls, sliced barbecue pork with hot Chinese mustard to start. Sizzling spicy beef, General Tso chicken, vegetables with almonds, crispy house noodles, and salt and pepper shrimp were the main dishes.
My mouth was watering.
“You take it home and share it with your family?” I guessed.
She shook her head. “I take home the leftovers, but I eat in usually. I prefer it hot and fresh.” She wrinkled her nose in amusement. “I love it when they drop the sizzling rice into the hot and sour soup. It makes lots of popping noises.”
I gaped at her. “You order a dinner for four just for yourself?”
“They’re my favorites.” she defended herself. “I take most of it home. And Mrs. Yeo only brings me one soup. She packs the rest of them up for me to take home.” She grinned. “Trust me, if I’m taking it home to my family, I need at least double that order. My dad could eat most of the one dinner by himself.”
I had to laugh at this crazy woman. She was so natural. She liked all the dishes, so she ordered a dinner for four by herself. She didn’t care. I couldn’t think of another woman I’d ever known who would be so carefree about something like this. One woman I’d dated used to count the number of bites of everything she ate. It drove me crazy since she’d rather starve herself or waste the food than take one more bite. We hadn’t lasted long. No one ever did.
Not that this was a date.
Having dinner with Ava didn’t count as dating her. I was simply returning the favor from the other day. That was all, I assured myself.
I slipped the menu back into the holder. “Sounds good.”
A young woman appeared by the table. “Hi, Ava.” She glanced my way, and her eyes widened. “And hello, stranger.”
Ava chuckled. “That’s Hunter. Hunter, this is Jade.” She turned to Jade. “How is your mom?”
“Much better. She’ll be back soon. Her hip is healing well.” Jade smiled. “Thank your family again for the gift basket and the meals. Mom said she was spoiled.”
Ava waved her hand. “It was our pleasure. She’s cooked enough meals for us, it was nice to give her a treat.”
Jade looked pleased. “Do you know what you want?”
Ava nodded. “The usual, but two soups.”
“I’ll probably eat two bowls,” I interjected. I loved hot and sour soup. “And bring all the appetizer things.”
Jade laughed. “Okay, then. Drinks?”
“White wine, please,” Ava said.