True North

Chapter 60

"Yeah, well watch where you're going next time!" Gage grumbled as he handed his payment over to Stormy. She shot him a warning look, which he mistook as some sort of commiseration on her part. "Geez, what's his problem?"

"I don't know," Stormy shrugged, handing him his change. "But if I were you, I wouldn't stick around to find out."

Gage snorted derisively, although he cast a wary glance in the direction that Brian had gone before turning on his heel and heading out the door. Stormy glanced around the dining room to make sure that her customers were all set for the moment, and then poked her head into the kitchen.

"Bathroom break, Boss?"

"Sure, go ahead," Peggy said. "Make it quick, though; you've got an order coming up."

Stormy darted out from behind the counter and moved swiftly to the back of the dining area. She ducked into the short hallway where the restrooms were located and waited, glad that the nearby tables were all empty. She heard the toilet flush, followed closely by the sound of running water and the whoosh of the hand dryer. She heard the click of the button lock, and as the door cracked open, she stepped forward and forced her way inside.

"What the—" Brian said, jumping back in surprise before he realized it was her. "Stormy. What are you doing?"

"What was that all about?" Stormy breathed, locking the door behind her. "For a second there, I thought you were actually going to clobber Gage!"

"It's nothing," Brian said, moving to open the door. "He just caught me off guard, that's all."

"Well, wait a minute. You don't need to rush off," Stormy purred, blocking his way and snaking her arms around his waist. "I wanted to see you."

"In the men's room?" Brian said distastefully, sliding from her grasp. "Yeah, that's real classy. Besides, don't you have customers?"

"Peggy will keep an eye on them," Stormy said, inching toward him. "Besides, this is the only place we can be alone."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to be seen, now would we?" Brian bit off.

Stormy took a step back as the smile slid from her lips. She stared up at him, but he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Brian, what's going on?"

"Nothing. Nothing's going on, at least as far as anyone else is concerned," Brian shot back, his eyes dark and flinty. "That's how you want it, right?"

Stormy's chin drew back as her eyebrows knit together. "Are you...mad?" she asked.

"That depends which definition of 'mad' you're using," he said. "If you mean 'mad' as in crazy, then, yes, I'm pretty damn close!"

"I don't understand..."

"No, I don't understand!" he barked. "I don't understand whatever it is that we're doing here! I don't understand this game that you've got going on!"

"Game?" Stormy repeated. "What 'game'?"

"You tell me," Brian insisted hotly. "One minute you're all over me, and the next you won't even look me in the eye! You're the one making all the rules here, Stormy, so you tell me what the game is!"

Stormy stared back at him for a moment, and the light suddenly dawned on her. He turned away, and she sighed up at the ceiling as she waited for the right words to come.

"Brian, this isn't a game, I swear," she promised. "I'm sorry. It's hard for me too..."

"Is it?" Brian asked. "Because it doesn't seem like it is! Or maybe I just can't switch it on and off the way that you can..."