Missing Linc by Kori Roberts (i can read books .TXT) 📗

held it open for them.

“Buenas noches.” The smiling hostess greeted them at the door.

“Hola, Selena.” Linc returned her smile. “We have an eight forty-five dinner

reservation.”

“Sí.” She grabbed three menus. “Right this way.” She led them to a quiet table in the

corner of the restaurant. Linc waited until Tomi and Mitch sat down before he took a seat.

“Would you please let Alejandro know that we”re here?”

“Sí, Señor Castillo. I”ll tell him.” Once she walked away, he turned to Mitch and Tomi.

They sat studying the menu.

“I have no idea what to order.” Mitch stared blankly at his menu.

“You should try the mofongo relleno de camarones o langosta,” Linc recommended.

Mitch glanced up at him. “What”s that?”

“It”s stuffed plantain. You can get it with shrimp or lobster inside. Mofongo is common

in Puerto Rican cuisine, and it”s one of the specialties here. The arroz con pollo is chicken

with rice. It”s excellent as well.”

“Why don”t I get that, and you get the mofongo.” Tomi looked at Mitch. “We”ll share.”

Mitch closed his menu and placed it on the table. “Sounds good to me.”

Once the waiter arrived and took their orders, they settled into an easy conversation.

“Thanks again for inviting me to dinner,” Linc told them. “I don”t think I”ve ever had

customers extend an invitation like this before.” He”d had plenty of customers offer to let

him eat something, but none of it ever involved food. “It was the least we could do after subjecting you to our impromptu show earlier.”

Mitch”s words brought back images of him and Tomi fucking in the backseat of the limo. The

memory made Linc”s groin tighten.

“Like I said, it was definitely no hardship on my part. The two of you are incredible

together.”

Tomi smiled. “Well, I”m just glad that you were able to join us on such short notice.”

Her expression suddenly became concerned. “I hope you didn”t cancel any plans you already

had in order to be here with us.”

“Not at all.” Linc shook his head dismissively. “I didn”t have any particular plans for

tonight. Before your invitation, I was going to have an unexciting evening at home alone.”

“I guess it was our lucky night,” Tomi said softly, a suggestive smile on her lips. “I

suspect it”s very rare that you”re alone, especially on a Friday evening.”

“You give me too much credit.” Linc laughed. In truth, she was correct. Linc typically

had something — and someone — to do most weekends. Tonight was no different. When the

day began, he”d promised to attend a hotel party with a hot young thing that he”d met at

another hotel party a couple of weeks before.

Somewhere between breakfast and lunch, he”d lost all interest in going, willing to risk

missing out on a guaranteed piece of ass if it meant not having to suffer through another

party filled with pretentious people walking around trying to be seen, when they weren”t in

the restroom getting high. As far as Linc was concerned, he couldn”t have picked a better

night to cancel his plans.

“So, do you live here in San Juan or one of the surrounding cities?” Mitch asked him.

“San Juan,” he confirmed. “I stay in Punta Las Marias. It”s about twenty minutes from

the hotel where you”re staying.”

The waiter arrived with their food, and their conversation slowed some as they focused

on their meals. A full dinner plus dessert, a pitcher of sangria, and several beers later, they sat back

laughing and talking. Linc noticed how comfortable, how good it felt to be in their company.

Their conversation flowed easily and naturally, as if they”d known each other for years

instead of hours.

Tomi sighed. “That was one of the best meals I”ve had in a long time.”

“I”m glad you enjoyed it.” Linc looked up as his cousin Alejandro approached their

table. “Here comes the person responsible for it now.” He stood and embraced Alejandro

before he introduced him to Tomi and Mitch.

“Gracias por una cena maravillosa, Alejandro.” Linc looked at Tomi in surprise. He had

no idea she spoke Spanish.

Alejandro brought Tomi”s hand to his lips. “Es un honor a cocinar para una señora tan

hermosa.” Alejandro released her hand and shook Mitch”s. “I trust your dinner was enjoyable

as well?”

“Oh, yeah.” Mitch smiled. “This place is great. It more than lived up to its reputation.”

“I”m happy to hear that. Any friend of my cousin is always welcome here. Enjoy the

rest of your evening.”

Once Alejandro left, Linc looked at Tomi. “Your Spanish is perfect.”

“It should be.” Mitch chuckled and rested his arm around the back of Tomi”s chair.

“She makes a living teaching it to others.”

“Oh, you”re a teacher?”

Tomi nodded. “A professor. I teach foreign languages at New York University.”

“NYU is my alma mater.” Linc smiled. “I completed undergrad and grad school there.”

He paused. “Although I”m certain that none of my finance and economics professors ever

looked anything like you.” “That”s what I told her.” Mitch looked down at Tomi. “But she doesn”t believe me. You

should see all those young kids in her classes, watching her with hopeful eyes, hanging on to

her every word.”

The picture Mitch painted made Linc laugh. Looking at Tomi, he understood their

reaction.

“I can”t blame them. You look young enough to still be in college yourself.” He looked

at Mitch. “You both do.”

“Not so young.” Tomi smiled, glancing at Mitch. “We”re both thirty.”

Linc laughed. “Compared to me, that”s young.”

“Like you”re so old.” It was Mitch”s turn to chuckle. “What are you, thirty-two, thirty-three?”

“Try thirty-nine.” Linc tried to pretend that Mitch”s words didn”t flatter him, but he

couldn”t hold back the grin that spread across his face.

“Damn.” Mitch looked at him appraisingly. “I would never have guessed that. I just

hope I look as good as you when I get that age.”

“Something tells me that you won”t have anything to worry about,” Linc murmured.

He looked at Tomi. “Neither of you.” He decided to change the subject and stick to safer, less

suggestive topics. “So, do you only teach Spanish?”

She shook her head. “I alternate between Spanish, French, Japanese, and Russian.”

“So you speak five languages, including English?” At her nod, he said, “Damn, that”s

impressive.”

“Thanks.” Her smile was tinged with the embarrassment of a person who knew she was

incredible,