Amy Vastine - The Hardest Fight

“Well, you heard the lady,” Dylan said. “We’re going to lunch. With them. Let’s go.”

“I promise not to get us kicked out of anywhere this time,” she added in an attempt to reassure Eugene. That seemed to do the trick. His shoulders relaxed and he slid his hammer into a loop on his tool belt.

“This time? Oh, that sounds like a story,” Paige said, closing her office door.

Paige, and her need to know things. Some stories weren’t worth being told. The endings were too depressing.

* * *

CITY VEGAN WAS one of Lucy’s favorite restaurants. In her mind, there wasn’t a bad thing on the menu, but she could tell Dylan and Eugene were having a hard time finding something they dared to try.

“What’s soy chicken?” Eugene asked Paige. “I thought this place was vegetarian.”

“It’s fake chicken. It’s soy made to look and taste like chicken,” Dylan answered for her.

Eugene’s nose scrunched up and he set down his menu. “If vegetarians don’t like meat, why would they want to eat something that looks and tastes like chicken?”

Lucy was used to fielding this kind of question. The animal rights activist inside her pushed her to skip meat more often than not, but being a child raised on midwestern beef and Chicago hot dogs, she hadn’t given it up completely.

“There are a lot of people out there who don’t eat meat because they believe it’s wrong. That doesn’t mean they don’t miss the taste and texture of it. Soy chicken allows them to pretend to eat meat without harming any animals in the process.”

“Well, you learn something new every day,” Eugene said, picking his menu back up.

“If you aren’t used to eating this way, I suggest these noodles.” Paige leaned in, reaching across Eugene to show him what she was talking about. Her hand brushed against his arm and he smiled at the contact.

Lucy cocked her head and stared at the two of them. Was Paige flirting with this guy? She giggled at something Eugene said and playfully pushed his shoulder.

Oh, she was definitely flirting.

It was still unclear how Dylan and Eugene knew one another. Theirs seemed an unlikely friendship. Lucy couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with the boy, whom she deduced was Eugene’s grandson. It sounded as if he lived with Eugene but was spending the weekend with an aunt and uncle. Perhaps Dylan had known the boy’s parents. Why else would he attend the eight-year-old’s basketball game?

They ordered lunch and Dylan joined in the conversation between Eugene and Paige. The three of them laughed and socialized while Lucy sat in silent objection to this ridiculous game Dylan was obviously playing. She fought an eye roll when he showed off his skill at reading people.

The waitress became his unwitting subject. He guessed she was newly engaged, a student at DePaul University and not originally from Chicago. Paige hung on every word but doubted he could have gathered that much information from the few interactions they had had with the young woman.

“If I’m right, lunch is on you. If I’m wrong, I’ll buy,” he offered.

“Don’t make any bets with this man,” Lucy warned. She had seen Dylan swindle too many people in the time they were together to let her friend become his next victim.

Paige wouldn’t listen. “There’s no way he’s right about all of that. I’m in.”

“You have to swear you don’t know that girl, though,” Eugene said. “Don’t be cheating this nice lady. If you know her, fess up right now.”

Dylan raised his hands. “I swear I have never seen her before in my life. Ask her when she comes back to the table. I don’t have to cheat to win. I promise you that.”

This was true. Dylan Hunt did not cheat and he almost always won. It used to drive Lucy crazy. Still did, apparently.

The waitress came back to refill their drinks, and she confirmed for Eugene that she had never met Dylan. She was surprised to be asked but happy to share that she actually was recently engaged, showing everyone her ring and gushing about how romantic the proposal had been. She also admitted to being a student at DePaul, studying library science. Spitefully, Lucy thought there was no way Dylan would have guessed the woman wanted to be a librarian. Last, the waitress informed Paige that she was originally from South Carolina. Lucy had picked up on her slight accent earlier and had known Dylan was right about that one.

“That totally freaks me out.” Paige’s eyes were wide and her mouth hung open. “How did you know all that?”

“My grandmother was a psychic,” Dylan said straight-faced. “She taught me how to read minds.”

“Seriously?” Eugene asked, his expression a mirror image of Paige’s.

Lucy snorted. Dylan had a way of turning even the most intelligent people into naive nitwits. “He can’t read minds.”

“Well, not hers,” Dylan said, jerking a thumb in Lucy’s direction. “It’s the metal plates in her skull. Blocks me out.”

“You have metal plates in your skull?” Paige’s jaw dropped farther.

Lucy sighed heavily. “No, I do not have metal plates in my skull. And no, he cannot read minds. He pays attention. That’s it. He heard her Southern accent. He noticed her showing off her ring to someone else. He probably just guessed based on her age that she’s a student. He can’t read my mind or anyone else’s.”

“Actually, she has a DePaul lanyard sticking out of her back pocket. That’s how I knew. I didn’t guess. I rarely guess.” The way he glared at her made Lucy’s cheeks flush.

“Of course. I should have figured you got a good look at her backside.”

“Excuse me?” Dylan’s voice rose slightly.

“Oh, please. You always notice a beautiful woman’s assets.”

“I think all men appreciate a beautiful woman. You make me sound like some sort of creep.”

The heat of her anger warmed Lucy’s whole body. She didn’t even care about his stupid mind tricks. Five years of built-up feelings were hitting her all at once. He had let her leave him. He would have left her when he found out she would be permanently scarred. He never would have wanted to be with someone whose curves weren’t real.

She did her best to tamp her emotions back down. “If the shoe fits...”

Eugene cleared his throat and Lucy noticed the other diners in their section of the restaurant were gaping at her.

“I was told no one was going to get us thrown out of here,” Eugene said. “If you two can’t be civil, that’s exactly what will happen.”

Lucy and Dylan each took a deep breath and kept their mouths shut so no more words could sneak out. This was a huge mistake. Thinking they could spend an amicable lunch together was laughable. Lucy was about to get up and leave when the food arrived. Eating would thankfully keep their mouths busy.

All conversation ceased at their small, square table. Eugene let Paige know her noodle recommendation was a good one, but that was pretty much all anyone said until it was time to go. Dylan pulled out his wallet to pay the bill.

“Put that away,” Paige said, reaching for her purse. “I lost the bet. Lunch is on me.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t really read her mind. It was all simple observation, like Lucy said.”

“The bet wasn’t about whether or not you could read minds, it was about whether or not you were right. You were definitely right. Lunch is on me,” Paige insisted.

Dylan stole a glance in Lucy’s direction. He was probably afraid of being verbally assaulted if he let Paige pay. With a full belly and some self-reflection, Lucy could admit she had been harder on him than he deserved. Eugene must think she was crazy.

“How about you all let me pay? I’m the one who ruined everyone’s lunch.” She had also made it clear to Dylan that he was affecting her more than she wanted him to know. She pulled out some cash and slipped it in the bill folder. “Tell our waitress to keep the change. I’m going to head home to finish some work.”