Make A Wish--A novel

"Hi." Jas looked up as she walked to the table.  For some reason this little brown rabbit had been on his mind all week.  When he had finished his route for the night, he decided to take a chance and see if she would be working the same shift.  He was glad to see her, but now that he was here he couldn't think of a thing to say.

"What can I get for you tonight sir?"

Oh yeah, here I am coming back to see this sister, and she doesn't even remember me.  "How about a cup of coffee while I decide."

"Coming right up, how do you like it?"  Oh my god, how stupid can you get Taryn.  He's going to think you're coming on to him.

"Golden brown with just a touch of sugar." He replied.  Cat's eyes, dancing at her over his menu.  He would liked to have told her that he wanted his coffee the same honey brown color of her skin, if she could accomplish it.  From the look in her eyes at his response, he was glad he hadn't.  He could just about see her dashing off to jump in a burrow, leaving her tail quivering in fright.

It was enough for him at the present just to watch her tail bounce as she walked back to the front counter.  Whoever invented waitress' uniforms, knew what would make customers hungry - at least the male ones.  When Jas looked at the menu again, he knew exactly what he wanted.  Steak and eggs with biscuits and gravy sounded real good right now.

"Here's your coffee sir, have you decided what you wanted to eat yet?"  Taryn knew that if she just kept this routine she would be able to get through this without making a fool of herself.  This brother just looked too good. If she had thought his back looked good, his front was even better.  Where his jacket boasted of a broad back, now without his jacket on, his turtleneck displayed an even broader chest.  If body paint had a texture to it, she would swear that's what he was wearing.

As she bent over to hand him his coffee cup he reached up to take it from her.  When their hands touched, Taryn jumped as if someone had been dragging their feet through carpet and touched her on the spine. 

The tingling in her fingers went clear through to her toes.  The man looked up at her, locking his gaze on her face as if trying to read something illegible.

"The coffee is on me, thank you for paying for the broken dishes last week.  You didn't have to do that."  She let her smile briefly reach her eyes, as her wary expression slipped away.

"I didn't think you would remember me, you never came back out so that I could apologize. I hope you didn't get into much trouble." He replied as he handed back the menu.

"That's okay, they know a good thing when they see it."  Taryn replied offhandedly.

"So do I." Jas mumbled under his breath.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Oh, I said 'So do I. . " he continued.  "That's why I'll take the Steak and eggs please." He tried to smile innocently.  The flush creeping up her neck as she turned around, told him that she had heard him the first time.  Nevertheless, she didn't reply as she went back to the counter, to give Joe his order.

Taryns' knees were weak as she sat back down on her stool behind the counter.  Without even looking, she knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on her assignment.  Her mind was too busy trying to analyze her reaction to the man in table one.  Taryn had been attracted to a few men before, but never had she felt such an intense attraction as the one she was beginning to harbor for this unknown stranger.  Ever since the date rape resulting in Reggie, she hadn't even noticed that those feelings were no longer present towards men.  They weren't directed to women, she just wasn't interested.  Now all of a sudden, here she is acting as if she was a dog looking at a freshly cooked T-bone steak.

"Hey baby, remember me?"

Taryn had been so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't hear the front door jingle.  When she looked up into the green eyes, that still gave her nightmares, she instantly backed away.  Forgetting that she was sitting down, she just barely caught herself from falling off the stool.