His Appeal

Chapter Five

“I’m not letting you get behind the wheel of a car right now,” Doug found himself telling her and tugging her forward.  He didn’t know what got into him, but sympathy and concern were replacing the earlier feelings of inadequacy and rage.  

For a brief moment he found himself hating his caring nature, but a glance at Eve squashed that.  It was obvious that no matter how much shit she’d put him through, she was suffering right now.  It softened his heart even further to know that her suffering was all for the benefit of her sister.

He turned the car off in front of a diner and went around to assist her out, unsure if she could make it on her own.  Doug was having trouble connecting the woman in front of him with the girl from his past.  Her features were the same, but the perfection of the past had been replaced with lines of weariness and self-sacrifice.

“What can I get you folks to drink?” an aged waitress asked when they sat down at a self-serve booth.

“Coffee?” Doug asked Eve.  At her nod, Doug indicated two coffees to the waitress.  When the waitress walked away, he addressed Eve again.  “Do you want to talk about it?”

Eve jumped, startled by his soft tone.  She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting after his angry demeanor this morning, but it wasn’t the gentle treatment she was receiving now.  Unsure of exactly what to say, Eve shrugged.

“Okay,” he said.  “Well then what would you like to eat?  It’s lunchtime, but I’m pretty sure you can still get breakfast food if that’s what you want.”

“I’m not very hungry,” Eve said softly.  If she’d have told him the truth, she couldn’t afford even the most inexpensive food here.  For the last three months she’d been living on ramen noodles, boxed macaroni and cheese, and cereal so that every spare penny could go to her sister’s treatment.

“You’re going to eat something,” Doug insisted.  “I’m not going to eat in front of you and I need sustenance after my adventures last night.”  At Eve’s heavy sigh, he said, “if you won’t choose, I’ll order for you.”

“Fine,” she snapped picking up her menu.  Scanning prices rather than food made her decision easy and Eve was ready when the waitress came back with their coffee.  “I’ll have the tomato soup with cheese topping, please.”

“That’s it?” Doug asked incredulously.  At her glare, he shook his head.  “I’ll have the scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries, and french toast please.”  He handed his menu to the waitress, “oh and several glasses of water please.”

Eve stared at him with a combination of horror and morbid fascination.  The food he’d just requested would feed her for several days and he was going to eat it all in one meal!  Even though they were sitting, she unconsciously examined him for hidden fat.

“High metabolism,” Doug smirked.

Eve looked down at the chipped Formica of the table as a blush crept into her cheeks.  She had never been this ill-at-ease with someone before, used to being in control and confident.  She wasn’t sure if it was because of the past she assumed they shared or because he was so much higher in social status than she, but Eve felt the need to fidget in her seat.  

“Why am I here?” Eve finally blurted out after the silence had stretched an uncomfortably long period of time.

“To eat,” Doug answered her just as their food was being brought out of the kitchen.

Eve waited until their food was in front of them and the waitress out of earshot to speak again.  “That’s not what I meant,” her agitation was rapidly becoming evident.  “Was there something specific you wanted to discuss with me?  Why did you bring me here?”  She couldn’t control the need to shift in her seat now and her leg was jumping furiously beneath the table.