Kenna shrugged. “It’s probably better. Paulo is kind of a man-whore. In a good way, of course.”
“Of course,” Aleck agreed, even though he had no idea what that meant.
“And now I’m babbling. Anyway, thanks for coming tonight. It’s nice to see you.”
Aleck knew his gaze was raking her from head to toe, but he couldn’t stop himself. He’d gotten an up-close look at her ass that morning as she’d climbed up the rocks to get out of the ocean, and he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t admired the view. But somehow, seeing her in a pair of khaki shorts, a Duke’s T-shirt tied in a knot at her waist, and a sensible pair of tennis shoes was even more of a turn-on than her running shorts and sports bra had been.
Shaking his head slightly, he realized that he’d been staring at her without saying a word. “You intrigued me this morning,” he said. “I wanted to see you again.”
“And now you know I’m a simple waitress who sometimes doesn’t think before she acts,” Kenna quipped.
“And I’m even more intrigued,” Aleck admitted. “Go on,” he urged, knowing he could stand in the hallway and talk to her all night, which would surely get her in trouble. “You’ve got people waiting on you.”
Kenna took a step backward. “Thanks for being cool about tonight,” she told him.
Aleck nodded and watched as she turned and walked away from him.
He stood there for a moment longer, then headed back to the table. Things weren’t turning out as he’d expected tonight, that was for sure. He’d planned on asking if Kenna wanted to sit at a table away from his friends, so they could get to know each other before joining the group again. He hoped she would get along with Elodie and Lexie, as well as his team.
While he was disappointed he wouldn’t get to talk with her like he’d hoped, he couldn’t be upset about spending the evening with his friends.
“So?” Pid asked when he returned to the booth.
“So, what?” Aleck asked.
“What’s her deal? She’s obviously working tonight. Did you know she’s a waitress? Are you gonna get to talk to her at all?”
“Jeez. I had no idea you were that interested in my love life,” Aleck quipped.
“I’m not,” Pid protested. “It’s just weird that you asked her out and she suggested you come here, and now she can’t spend time with you.”
“It’s not weird,” Elodie said, breaking into the conversation. “It’s smart. I mean, think about it.”
“Yeah,” Lexie agreed. “I think it’s hilarious how you guys met, but you’re still a stranger. And having you come here, where she knows everyone and you don’t, is much safer than meeting you at a random restaurant.”
Elodie nodded in agreement.
“It’s fine,” Aleck said. “She said she’d pop by as much as she could. Besides, now I get to hang out with you guys.”
Jag rolled his eyes. “Right, because we haven’t gotten to see each other in soooo long. It was, what, an hour between when we last saw you on base and when we met up to come here?”
“I wonder how long it’s gonna take for food to come out. It looks pretty crowded,” Slate muttered.
Everyone laughed at his mild grumpiness. It was hilarious how their friend was so impatient about everything. Even his food.
“I’m sure you won’t waste away,” Elodie told him with a smile. “Carly will be back with our drinks soon. We’ll order some appetizers to tide you over.”
Aleck tuned his friends out as he watched Kenna, who smiled at a couple as she passed their table on the other side of the restaurant. She moved quickly and gracefully and seemed to be in her element. Her body language definitely showed that she enjoyed her work.
As he was watching, she glanced in his direction. Aleck gave her a small chin lift, and she smiled at him in return, before turning her attention to the patrons at another table.
Damn. He may not be sitting next to her, but seeing her in action and observing from afar was kind of fun. And Aleck couldn’t help but love that her gaze kept straying to him. There was something to be said for flirting like this. It was…interesting. And different. Kind of like Kenna herself. He definitely liked it.
Chapter Two
“Oh my God, you guys are giving off enough sexual tension to make me all hot and bothered,” Carly teased Kenna a while later.
Kenna did her best to hide her grin, but failed when Carly rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t seem too upset that I didn’t tell him I wouldn’t be able to hang out with him much tonight,” she said, fishing for more information.
“I don’t think he is,” Carly said, assuaging her fears immediately. “I mean, every time I go over to the table he’s super friendly.”
Kenna was relieved. And happy that he was nice to her friend. Carly was amazing and awesome, but she was still dealing with her asshole ex, so her thoughts about men in general were pretty low right about now.
Without thinking about it, her gaze flicked over to the table where Marshall and his friends were sitting. And like the other five hundred times she’d done it, she found him looking at her already.
“See? That’s what I’m talking about,” Carly said with a sigh. “But I wouldn’t be a good friend if I didn’t warn you…”
Kenna tensed a little and looked back at her friend. “About what?”
“That’s how Shawn started out too, and I thought it was about him being protective. Watching me all the time. Wanting to keep me in his line of sight. Remember that first night he came here and sat at the bar all night? We all thought it was swoon-worthy that he got all pissed when that tourist guy hit on me?”
Kenna did remember that. But if she recalled the situation right, Carly had been the one who was all swoony. Paulo and Kaleen had told her later that they thought Shawn was creepy. And it wasn’t cool of Shawn to practically start a fight in the middle of the restaurant. It was obvious Carly hadn’t been interested in the tourist she was serving, and Shawn should’ve realized it.
But she knew Carly’s heart was in the right place, and she’d much rather have a friend who was honest with her than one who got all googly-eyed over a guy. “I know, thanks,” Kenna told her.
Carly nodded.
“What about the rest of his friends? Do they seem cool?” Kenna asked.
“Oh yeah. The two girls are hilarious. Lexie spilled her entire drink on her boyfriend, but he didn’t get pissed at all. He just laughed and ordered her a new one.”
Kenna would’ve pointed out that someone accidentally tipping over a glass wasn’t cause for anyone to get pissed, but didn’t want to bring down her friend’s mood. Shawn had done a number on her, and tonight seemed to be the first time in a long while that she was mostly back to her old self.
“What about Jag…that’s his name, right?”
“The guy who looks like he could kill someone with just the intensity in his eyes?” Carly asked.
Kenna smirked.
“What?” Carly asked.
“Nothing. He’s nice too?”