______________________________________________________
Adam stood across the street from the diner, in front of his Lexus. He raised his sunglasses over his eyes, staring at the building. Did he dare?
He hadn't been in the place for the better part of two weeks, ever since his two encounters with Amy Dumas.
He'd meant what he'd said - he wanted the woman to stay away from him. It wasn't that he wasn't attracted to her... On the contrary, he was, very much so, but he couldn't afford to have a woman in his life at the moment, especially that one. She was trouble, as he'd told her the last time they'd been face-to-face. Besides, it was for her own damn good.
His mind made up, the blond man strolled across the street. He missed the food and pleasant atmosphere here. He pushed his way through the door and glanced around quickly, relieved that she wasn't there. Sighing upon the realization, he headed for the counter up front and took an empty stool.
"Good morning, doll," Melina said, offering him a pleasant smile.
He smiled as well as he greeted her. God, but he'd missed her!
"I was beginning to wonder if you were ever coming back," the young woman remarked as she poured him some coffee.
Gratefully, the man accepted the hot beverage. Adding cream and sugar, then stirring the contents in the cup, he winked at her.
"You know me, Melina. I just can't stay away from you."
The women laughed softly, then grew a little serious as she leaned over the counter to face him. She shrugged, shaking her head.
"But seriously, Adam," she said, "why have you been away so long? Did it have anything to do with a woman?"
The tall blond man paused in mid-sip, lowering his coffee to meet her dark eyes. Melina Perez might not have been psychic like himself, but she was extremely perceptive. He shook his head as he replied.
"What makes you think that?"
"Well," the Latina began, "you're always here... Then, all of a sudden that new woman, Amy, starts coming in regularly and you just disappear. Is it anything to do with her car blowing up two weeks ago? I mean, I know that experience had to be traumatic, but don't you think you're being a little silly, blaming her for that?"
Adam eyed her strangely. Did she really think that was what it was all about? Quite simply, Melina didn't have a clue as to what was really going through his head. So much for him thinking of her as perceptive.
"No," he said, looking her squarely in the eye. "It's got nothing to do with that."
"Hold that thought," the waitress said with one forefinger held up. She moved over to a table across the way to take the order of four diners who'd just stepped in. Before she made her way back, she paused to chat a little with Mickie James, the other waitress.
Adam was enjoying his cheddar cheese omelet when someone sidled up to him, taking the empty stool to his right.
"Mornin', Adam."
It was only Shawn. The tall blond man turned his head and raised his free hand to wave a greeting to his friend. Thank goodness Amy Dumas hadn't just walked in.
"How's it going?" the mechanic asked. "Haven't seen you here in a bit." He looked up as Melina came back over. "I'll have my usual, sweetheart."
"It's going fine," Adam lied. He hadn't meant to make himself scarce to his friends, but somehow, in the middle of his troubles, that was exactly what had happened.
"I read about the rockslide in the paper, you know."
The younger man looked up sharply. However, that news didn't surprise him one bit.
"Oh."
"'Oh?' Bet you didn't know your picture was in there, huh?" Shawn asked.
This time, Adam stared at him.
"What are you talking about?"
Michaels reached into a small outer pocket of his toolbelt. He came up with a folded up piece of newpaper seconds later. Unfolding it, he presented it to his friend.
"Right there," he said as he pointed to the photo. "That's you, ain't it?"
The tall blond man stared. He nodded. It was him in the picture, all right. And, as he looked even closer, he could clearly read the caption with the photographer's name - "Amy C. Dumas." He felt his jaw setting angrily as his teeth clenched and tried to hold in his temper.
"I had no idea," he finally said.
The photograph depicted him just outside the school bus, the rockslide off in the slight distance. That bitch... He'd had no idea she'd actually taken his picture.
"Hey, great shot!" Melina exclaimed with a grin as she craned her neck to look at the page of crumpled newspaper Shawn still held out in his hands.
Adam looked up at her.
"Thanks, Melina," he muttered.
"Look at you, you're a local celebrity!" she sang.
He didn't respond to that. All he knew was that he was pissed off, and he certainly didn't feel like a celebrity. And quite frankly, he'd gotten enough of being treated like one all his years of school when he went away to college. Actually, he'd been treated more like a ticking time bomb than a celebrity, or like a freak. He'd been the only kid in school whose mother had been brutally murdered, after all.
Adam was done with his breakfast long before Shawn was finished with his own. He placed some bills on the counter for Melina and stood up.
"Look, Shawn... We'll talk more soon, I promise." He paused and then, "Do you mind if I take that?" He pointed to the newspaper page, which was sitting folded up next to Michaels' plate.
"Not at all - be my guest."
"Thanks." He took it and shoved it into the back pocket of his jeans. "I gotta go. See you soon," he said, clapping a hand to the older man's left shoulder. "You too, Melina."
"Bye, Adam," the brunette called with a wave.
The blond man was seething as he stepped outside of the restaurant. And he knew, without a shadow of a doubt,
he was going to find Miss Dumas and have some words with her.