Lost but not Forgotten

“Royce.” Mitch stuck out his hand in greeting and worked to keep his voice level. “Long time no see. I talked to your wife a week or so ago. She asked if I’d be interested in a possible contract job. Never got back to me. I guess her department wouldn’t kick loose with the funds. You know how that goes. Say, have you met Flo and Bert’s new waitress?” He eased far enough to one side to reveal Gillian, who still clutched their empty dishes.

“We haven’t actually met.” Royce grudgingly transferred his attention from Mitch to Gillian. The ploy worked to defuse some of his bluster.

“Gillian, Royce Jones. Royce, Gillian Stevens,” Mitch segued right into formal introductions. Unleashing a chuckle, he lightly tapped the man in uniform on the shoulder. “Frankly, buddy, your timing stinks. You interrupted me in the middle of asking this lady for a date. Now, maybe being an old married man and all, you might’ve forgotten how long it takes a guy to get up the courage to ask out somebody new. I’m here to tell you it hasn’t gotten any easier. Since you did interrupt, the least you can do is vouch for my character.”

Gillian shifted the dishes, almost dropping them. Mitch Valetti had amazing nerve. Apparently Royce Jones thought so too, judging by the way his jaw went slack.

Mitch waited, his face carefully masked.

The charade dragged on for several minutes; Gillian regained her poise and sense of humor. Donning a properly cynical smile, she let her gaze travel between the two men. “If you have to work that hard on an endorsement,” she told Royce, “it’s probably just as well if I turn him down now and give him time to ask someone else to be his date at the Knights’ dinner party.”

“What? I thought you’d agreed to go.” It was obvious from Mitch’s face that he hadn’t expected his machinations to backfire.

Royce suddenly found the whole situation amusing. He laughed, lording it over Mitch and his predicament. “Well, Valetti, ’pears to me your reign as Desert City’s stud has come to an end.”

“Come on, Jones. Fun is fun. I’m trying to be serious here. Ethan said you think I made a pass at Christy. I didn’t. Never have. Never would.”

Royce tucked his hands under his bulging biceps and scowled. “Don Billings said he saw you two right here, tight as termites. Said you were coming on to the waitress, but the minute Christy walked in, things changed.”

“Excuse me.” Gillian regained their attention. “Mitch was drinking coffee at the counter. I was eating lunch. Two separate entities. Christy asked to talk to him about a job. Mitch carried his cup over and sat at her table. In the center of a packed room. There was nothing private about their meeting. You asked me that day to clarify what happened. I said the same thing then. It was strictly business.”

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