Love Me Sweet (Love Me book 1)

Chapter 19

         

Lia sat at the bar with her wine, so far neither Dr. DeGraff nor Connor Butler had arrived, but she was fifteen minutes early. She took a sip of her wine and people watched as she waited. Since the decision had been made, she had recovered some of her common sense. It was something that always happened to her; whenever a stressful decision had to be made, she tended to focus on it to the exclusion of everything else, and because of that sometimes the important questions didn't get asked. Sometimes she also said insensitive things because she wasn't paying attention to what she said.

She would have to apologize to Faye tomorrow, she had offered to help, and she had brushed her off, and it was only after the fact that she realized she had done it.

"Miss Haven," Dr. DeGraff greeted as he took the bar stool next to her.

"Please call me Lia," she insisted.

"Lia," he agreed.

"This is the part where you invite me to call you Silas," she explained as he ordered a beer.

"Forgive me, please call me Silas," he offered, but she had the feeling that if she hadn't of made a point of it, he wouldn't have offered. Perhaps it was because he was a doctor and there was an unspoken rule that nurses call doctors by their sir names. Maybe it made him concerned that she would call him Silas at the hospital. Some doctors objected strongly to being called by their first names.

"Of course, if it makes you uncomfortable..." she offered.

"It's fine," he said paying for his beer.

Lia watched him as he took a sip of his drink, looking around the crowd, gauging the atmosphere. She noticed he was starting to get some looks from a few of the women, but he appeared unaware of it. There had been something about him that Lia had been trying to figure out, and she only just realized it was that he reeked of money, old money. She had been in Savannah long enough to know the look, and that was part of what drew people to him. It was an understated sophistication, and it made him more of a mystery.

"Why did you offer to come with me tonight? We've only met a few times, hardly enough for you to stick your neck out for me?" She suddenly had to know the answer to the question.

"Stick my neck out?" he asked.

"Yes, put yourself in a bad situation or at risk," Lia explained.

He gave a small smile. "I know what the phrase means, but I don't understand how I'm putting myself at risk. I won't be part of the conversation, will I?" he asked.

Lia shook her head. "But it still seems odd to me."

"You're a friend of a friend, and since you won't let your fiancé join you, I thought he might appreciate it if I was here. I know if the situation was reversed and someone I loved was trying to keep something from me I would wish for a friend to step up if they were able."

Lia looked at him, was it really that simple? Was he really just a nice guy with a chivalrous streak?

Lia felt someone on her other side and saw Connor leaning in to order a drink.

"Lia," he greeted.

Silas turned towards the television over the bar, separating himself from the conversation.
"Mr. Butler," she greeted, trying some of Silas's formality. She swore she saw Silas's lip twitch. Should we go find a table?" she suggested.

"Sure." He grabbed his beer and waved his hand for her to proceed him. Lia picked a table away from the bar near the window and within Silas's sightline. There was no use in having him there if he couldn't see her.