TUESDAY TALES - FROM WIP THE RENOVATED HEART

Thank you so much for stopping by. This scene between Jim and Sarah takes place on a rare night when they go out on a date. Jim takes her into town to the chicest restaurant in Willow Falls, Bon Appetit, where he knows the proprietor, Don, and his wife, Sunny.

 "The Renovated Heart"
“Hey, Jim. Long time, no see,” Don said, drying glasses behind the bar.

“Hi, Don. This is Sarah Morgan, Sarah, Don Rosen.”

“Your taste is improving, Jim,” Don said.

“Thanks,” Jim said, red rising up his neck, “can we get a table?”

“Sure, sure. Sunny!” he called.

“How many women have you brought here?” Sarah asked.

“Just a couple…I guess.” A flush stole up his neck showing slightly above the collar of his shirt.

Sunny came forward with two menus under her arm and a big smile. She motioned them to a small table in a corner. Sunny nodded to Jim, thinking Sarah couldn’t see, but she did see and blushed.

“Who are these people, your relatives?” Sarah whispered to Jim.

“Just friends…friends who were with me through hard times,” he said, laughing.

“You had hard times?”

“Losing Nancy was the worst.”

“Sorry, yes, of course.”

“It didn’t stop there…” he admitted.

“What else happened?”

“I had an engagement that…that…didn’t work out.”

“Did you break up with her?”

“She left me for someone else,” he said, lowering his gaze to his hands.

“She must have been stupid,” Sarah blurted out. Jim took her hand.

“What’s good to eat here? I’m starving.” Sarah removed her hand from his and opened the menu.

Drinks arrived, food orders were place and Jim and Sarah were deep in conversation about writing.

“How do you find the time to write with teaching and running the English department?”

“I have time…too much time. This might not be a problem if I had a beautiful woman…like you in my life.”  Jim laced his fingers and rested his hands on the table.

“Well, then, I wouldn’t want to interfere with your career.”

“Interfere, please, it would be a pleasure.” Jim took her hand in both of his and turned it over. His thumb traced a small scar on her palm.

“Where’d you get this?”

“Knife…in the kitchen, chopping.” Sarah tried to ease her hand away but he held on to it.

“Looks like what they call on TV a ‘defensive wound’.” He bent his head to place a soft kiss on the one-inch scar then released her hand.

 This will be my last post using The Renovated Heart as it has been contracted by Secret Cravings and will soon be a published work. Next week I will be starting a new WIP, based on the story that began as my picture prompt.  
Find more info about my books on my website.