David.”
“Hi, Swan.”
“Your tan looks nice.”
He chuckled. “So does yours.”
She grinned. “Yes, but mine’s permanent.”
“I know and I like it.”
She didn’t say anything to that because she understood what he was implying. He was letting her know he had no problem with interracial dating. She didn’t have a problem with it either. Neither had her father, although his family had had conniptions about his marriage to Swan’s mother. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind, refusing to dwell on an extended family that had never accepted her or her mother.
She reached behind the counter and retrieved a box. “I hope you like the way the earrings came out.” She opened it to show him the final earrings.
“Wow!” He ran his finger over the stone that came closest to matching the color of his eyes. “You’re very gifted.”
“Thank you, and I believe your mother will love them.”
“I’m sure she will. I think I’ve outdone my brothers this time.”
She closed the box and placed it, along with the one containing the necklace, into a shopping bag. “You have brothers?”
“Yes, four of them. I’m the youngest.”
“My goodness. Any sisters?”
“Not a one. Three of my four brothers are married, so I have sisters-in-law. They are the best.”
“And the fourth brother is still single?”
“He’s divorced but has a beautiful little girl. And she’s my parents’ only granddaughter. They have six grandsons.”
“Sounds like a nice family. Is your father still alive?”
“Yes, Dad is still alive. He and Mom own a medical supply store.”
She nodded as she offered him the bag. “Here you are, David. Thanks again for your business.”
He accepted the bag. “Thanks. Now that this is taken care of, there’s something I want to ask you, Swan.”
She lifted a brow. “What?”
“Would you go out to dinner with me tonight?”
* * *
Normally Flipper was good at reading people, but he was having a hard time reading Swan. He definitely needed to remedy that. Although both Commanding Officer Shields and Admiral Martin were convinced of her innocence, the jury was still out for him. He had to remain impartial and deal with the facts, not speculations.
For two nights, he’d searched the area around her shop. Getting inside without triggering her alarm hadn’t been easy, but he’d done it. Once he’d picked up the location of the interior security cameras, it was a small matter to make sure he stayed out of their range and within a certain perimeter until he could deactivate them and do what he needed to.
“Go to dinner with you?”
“Yes.”
She was apparently mulling over his invitation in her mind and he would give her time to do that. He had no problems studying her while he waited for her answer. Today she looked even prettier than the other day. He figured it had to be the lighting in this place.
“Yes, David. I’ll go to dinner with you. You name the restaurant and I’ll meet you there.”
She wasn’t going to give him her address and he had no problem with her being cautious. Little did she know he already knew where she lived and had visited yesterday while she’d been here at her shop. She had a beautiful home on the ocean. Inside it was as neat as a pin with no clutter. She’d even made up her bed before leaving.
“I noticed a restaurant off the pier. Summer Moon. I’ve heard only good things about it since I’ve been here.” And he knew the place was within walking distance from her home.
“Everything you’ve heard is true. Summer Moon is fabulous and one of my favorite eating places. I’d love to join you there. What time?”
“What about seven? Will that be a good time for you?” He figured since it didn’t get dark until close to nine, he wouldn’t have to worry about her walking to the restaurant in the dark. After dinner, he would walk her home or put her in a cab regardless of the fact that she lived only a few blocks away.
“Seven is perfect.”
“Good. I’ll see you then.”
* * *
Swan watched him walk out of the shop.
David had the kind of tush that made a woman want to squeeze it...after doing all kinds of other things with it.
She jumped when fingers snapped in her face. Frowning, she looked at Jamila. “What did you do that for?”
“To keep you from having an orgasm in the middle of your shop.”
Swan rolled her eyes. Jamila, the attractive twenty-two-year-old green-eyed blonde, evidently thought reaching a climactic state was that easy. “It would take more than ogling a man for that to happen, Jamila.”
“I don’t know. Your eyes were about to pop out of their sockets and your breathing sounded funny.”
“You’re imagining things.”
“Denial can be good for the soul, I guess. So who is he?”
Swan and Jamila had more than an employer-and-employee relationship. Their friendship had started when Jamila first moved to the island a couple of years ago and patronized Swan’s. It didn’t take long to discover that Jamila liked nice things and decided Swan’s was one of her favorite places to shop. Last year, Jamila had been looking for work after she lost her job as a day cruise ship captain.
As far as Swan was concerned, it hadn’t been Jamila’s fault when an intoxicated customer had tried coming on to her and she’d kicked him in the balls. Surgery had to be performed and the man had sued the ship company. They’d settled out of court but not before firing Jamila for all the trouble she’d caused.
Jamila had gotten an attorney herself so she could not only sue her former employer for an unfair firing but also sue the intoxicated customer. To avoid negative publicity, her former employer wanted to settle out of court with her as well. The intoxicated customer was also trying to settle since the woman he’d been with on the ship hadn’t been his wife. If things worked out in Jamila’s favor, she wouldn’t need a job at Swan’s much longer.
“He is a customer who came into the shop a couple of days ago to buy a gift for his mother.”
“His mother and not his wife?”
“He says his mother.”
Jamila snorted.
