For Soda and Candy and my 3 other readers; prepare for disappointment in PART 10

Andie eyed the menu of a restaurant she kept passing on her walks. The French lentils had been calling to her all week. It was early still; she decided that if she was going to eat alone, she’d rather have dinner before the crowds.

She was reading her book and slowly chewing some bread at a window overlooking the ocean when a man appeared by her table, and not carrying her appetizers. Downright unappetizing, actually. “Is this seat taken?” he asked, pointing at the second at her two-person table.

She looked around at the empty restaurant, confused. He sat down.

“A woman like you should never eat alone,” he said, twitching his eyebrows knowingly as he leaned forward and set down a glass of what smelled like bourbon. She said nothing, flummoxed but starting to get angry. He looked at the cover of her book. “Jane Austen, eh? ‘Ah, I think that I shall never see, a book as lovely as a tree.’ Those Brits are all the same, eh? My name’s Rudy, by the way.” He reached his hand across the table. She didn’t move.

“Excuse me, but –”

He ignored her and gestured to the waiter to bring him two more bourbons. She looked at the server too and shook her head no. He went off to the bar anyway.

“A girl like you, you must have guys buying you drinks all the time! Hey, why don’t you smile more? Listen, let me order you the trout. Farfeltop there in the kitchen makes the best.”

She stood up abruptly just as the waiter appeared beside her at the table. Except it wasn’t the waiter; it was Gryphon.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said and kissed her. On the mouth. “I’m so sorry I’m late; I was closing on the hotel in Miami.” He looked pointedly at Rudy. “Who’s this?” He smiled and shook the man’s hand genially. Rudy was starting to look like a sweat-er. “Gryphon MacFitzhugh at your service, my good man!”

Andie’s head was still swimming from the kiss; she was barely able to take this all in.

Rudy stood up hastily as red blotches appeared on his pasty face. “Er. Ru–Rudy. Sorry, fella, I didn’t realize she was meeting someone.”

“Ah, it’s the book again, right? Fools ‘em every time. I keep a-warnin’ yeh, Cassie-lassie!” He looked like he was going to invite Rudy to join them for real when the interloper started mumbling something about fish and boats and Crockett and Tubbs and skulked away to the bar way on the other side of the room.

Andie dropped heavily onto her chair. “Ho-ly,” she said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do to get away from him. Except maybe leave the state.” She looked up at him. “Thank you …”

“Glad to be of service. Sorry about the kiss. I mean, I’m not, but …” She blushed, so he kept talking. “My neighbor comes here every Thursday for the French lentils. He really won’t shut up about it, so I thought I’d see what the deal is.” He hesitated.

“Please, please sit down,” she said, smiling and relaxed by her own relief. And still a little dizzy from the kiss.