The Eye of Shiva

CHAPTER 68

The restaurant was new and good and still undiscovered. Nick and Selena sat where they could watch the entrance. Selena had picked up Nick's habit of never having your back to the door. They'd rearranged chairs so they could face out, to the waiter's disapproval.

Nick ordered a bottle of Silver Oak.

"Remember when you brought out a bottle of this in California?" he said.

"Right before we ended up in that mine."

"With the spiders and rats."

"This is a lot nicer," she said.

She gestured at the dimly lit room. The tables were set with crisp, white linen. The silverware was heavy, the plates of good china. The glassware was leaded crystal. Soft music played in the background. Once the word got out, it would be filled with self- important people wheeling and dealing. For now it was just a pleasant place to have a good meal and a glass of wine.

"Ronnie looked a lot better," she said.

"He'll be fine. It will be a while before he's ready to get back in the field, though. He was circling the drain. It doesn't get any closer than that."

"He could decide not to go back."

"That would be bad for the team," Nick said. "Might be good for him, though."

The waiter brought the wine and poured. He took their order. When he was gone, Nick said, "I was thinking."

"About what?"

"Us."

"What about us?"

"I think we should go back to that jewelry store. And as many others as you want, if you don't see what you like there."

She hadn't been expecting that.

"What if it doesn't work out? Us?"

"Then it doesn't. But we won't know unless we give it a shot."

"It will be different if we get married," Selena said.

"It could be better."

"Or not. We get on each other's nerves."

"Yeah, but then it's okay again. Isn't that how it works?"

She sipped from her glass. "I suppose so."

Nick studied his glass, looked up. "You don't want to do it."

"Honestly? I do, but I'm afraid it will change things in a way we don't like."

"We spend almost all of our time together anyway,"

"Yes, but it's not the same."

He picked up the bottle of wine and topped off their glasses.

"I wasn't thinking about anything except how much I wanted you when I asked you. Then later it seemed like you were having your own doubts. It's why I put off getting a ring."

"I was having doubts," she said.

"Do you still have them?"

"I'll probably always have them."

The food came. They stopped talking until the waiter had left.

She looked at him. I love him, she thought. He's not going to keep asking forever. You'll never know if you don't try for it.

"All right," she said.

"All right what?"

"Let's look for a ring."