beside Milán and sat back down. If the rest of the group thought the action odd, no one bothered to comment. Now they both had a vantage view of the woman-in-question’s table. He leaned his body closer to Milán so that they could converse without being overheard.
“ Mirala muy bien ,” Adrian commanded.
“ Yo soy ,” Milán said, quietly.
“No, really look carefully. You’ll notice she’s here without her girlfriends tonight. That’s because they would give a man way too many options. Tonight, it’s all about her. She wants to be the center of attention—without any distractions. It also ensures that any man thinking of taking a trip over to that table knows she’s available.” Adrian continued his observations. “You see how she’s swirling her finger around the lip of her glass?”
Milán studied the woman. “Uh-huh.”
“It’s a seductive, hypnotizing move don’t you think? Almost like a snake charmer.”
Studying the movement, Milán’s eyes never left the lady seated across the room. “I guess so.”
“Notice how bored our femme fatale looks, too. Another green light for a guy because all he’s thinking about is the things he could do to wipe that look off her face. Trust me, somewhere in this room a man is watching her like a hawk ready to pounce, but I’m betting he’ll be the one getting pounced on.”
As if on cue, a man got up and sauntered over to the femme’s table. Milán sat transfixed as he stood towering over the woman. He leaned in to say something. It was several moments before she smiled with feline precision, and then nodded. A look of relief crossed his face and a millisecond later, it was gone. In its place was an expression of confidence. The man lowered his large body onto the seat across from her. Their eyes locked.
Milán was simply unable to keep herself from staring at them. It was as though she were watching a movie. The two people she observed moved as graceful as the slow stalking characteristics of a well-choreographed tango. One would make a bold move, the other would retreat. Seconds later, that person would take the lead, and the dance would begin again in perfect symmetry.
“No question on whether they’re leaving together.”
The deep timbre of Adrian’s voice coaxed Milán from her reverie. She leaned farther back in her chair. Her eyes focused on his face. “How do you do that?”
A smile played at the corner of his lips. “What can I say? It’s a gift.”
“Is that what it’s like for you?”
“Hardly. At least not with any of the dates my mother sets up,” he replied drily. “Those tend to end a lot differently. Much less gazing and tons more explaining.”
Milán noticed his face clouded over for a minute. She wondered if he was remembering Norma Jean’s helpful hookups.
“Well, whatever it is,” she said trying to lighten the mood, “I hope you never try it on me.”
Adrian’s eyebrow shot upward. “Is that a challenge?”
“ ¿Cómo puedes estar tan seguro? ”
“Yes, Milán.” His eyes glinted with amusement. “I most definitely think you just said it was a challenge.”
“Dream on,” she retorted.
The rest of the meal was spent in jovial conversation. Their experiment forgotten, Milán and Adrian joined in the rest of the table’s conversation. After dinner, everyone congregated outside the restaurant for a moment before going their separate ways.
Adrian pulled Milán off to the side. “I’m glad you and your friend came to dinner.”
“So am I,” she replied. “It was really weird running into you in such a huge crowd. What are the odds?”
He smiled down at her. “Fate, remember?”
The way he looked at her made her skin tingle. “To fate then,” she smiled. “Thanks again. That was a great restaurant.”
“Yeah, I’ve been here a few times. You should put this on the short list if you’re ever in the market for a place to go on your next blind date.”
“You know, you’re not as
“ Mirala muy bien ,” Adrian commanded.
“ Yo soy ,” Milán said, quietly.
“No, really look carefully. You’ll notice she’s here without her girlfriends tonight. That’s because they would give a man way too many options. Tonight, it’s all about her. She wants to be the center of attention—without any distractions. It also ensures that any man thinking of taking a trip over to that table knows she’s available.” Adrian continued his observations. “You see how she’s swirling her finger around the lip of her glass?”
Milán studied the woman. “Uh-huh.”
“It’s a seductive, hypnotizing move don’t you think? Almost like a snake charmer.”
Studying the movement, Milán’s eyes never left the lady seated across the room. “I guess so.”
“Notice how bored our femme fatale looks, too. Another green light for a guy because all he’s thinking about is the things he could do to wipe that look off her face. Trust me, somewhere in this room a man is watching her like a hawk ready to pounce, but I’m betting he’ll be the one getting pounced on.”
As if on cue, a man got up and sauntered over to the femme’s table. Milán sat transfixed as he stood towering over the woman. He leaned in to say something. It was several moments before she smiled with feline precision, and then nodded. A look of relief crossed his face and a millisecond later, it was gone. In its place was an expression of confidence. The man lowered his large body onto the seat across from her. Their eyes locked.
Milán was simply unable to keep herself from staring at them. It was as though she were watching a movie. The two people she observed moved as graceful as the slow stalking characteristics of a well-choreographed tango. One would make a bold move, the other would retreat. Seconds later, that person would take the lead, and the dance would begin again in perfect symmetry.
“No question on whether they’re leaving together.”
The deep timbre of Adrian’s voice coaxed Milán from her reverie. She leaned farther back in her chair. Her eyes focused on his face. “How do you do that?”
A smile played at the corner of his lips. “What can I say? It’s a gift.”
“Is that what it’s like for you?”
“Hardly. At least not with any of the dates my mother sets up,” he replied drily. “Those tend to end a lot differently. Much less gazing and tons more explaining.”
Milán noticed his face clouded over for a minute. She wondered if he was remembering Norma Jean’s helpful hookups.
“Well, whatever it is,” she said trying to lighten the mood, “I hope you never try it on me.”
Adrian’s eyebrow shot upward. “Is that a challenge?”
“ ¿Cómo puedes estar tan seguro? ”
“Yes, Milán.” His eyes glinted with amusement. “I most definitely think you just said it was a challenge.”
“Dream on,” she retorted.
The rest of the meal was spent in jovial conversation. Their experiment forgotten, Milán and Adrian joined in the rest of the table’s conversation. After dinner, everyone congregated outside the restaurant for a moment before going their separate ways.
Adrian pulled Milán off to the side. “I’m glad you and your friend came to dinner.”
“So am I,” she replied. “It was really weird running into you in such a huge crowd. What are the odds?”
He smiled down at her. “Fate, remember?”
The way he looked at her made her skin tingle. “To fate then,” she smiled. “Thanks again. That was a great restaurant.”
“Yeah, I’ve been here a few times. You should put this on the short list if you’re ever in the market for a place to go on your next blind date.”
“You know, you’re not as
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