Surrender

chapter 10

Chapter 10

            They settled into a table for two under the shade of a peppermint-striped umbrella with a killer view of windsurfers taking advantage of the beautiful weather. Sophie reached over and snagged a French fry from Chris's plate. They were having lunch at one of the best burger joints in town. Leaning her elbows against the table, she stared at Chris intently, eager to uncover the man behind the disguise, like a detective on a hot case. She'd revealed so much of her past today, more than she was willing, in fact, in hopes that he would do the same. But she still hadn't heard a word from him. Why did he move to L.A.? Why had he come here, to Cape Coral? She could barely sit still with this curiosity bubbling inside of her like a bottle of shaken champagne. It simply wasn't fair.

            "Tell me about your most embarrassing moment." Sophie fiddled with the straw of her lemon water, gently swirling the melting cubes of ice.

            Chris chuckled and leaned back into his chair. "Wow, you don't hold back, do you?"

            She shrugged casually. "I like to keep things interesting."

            "What do I get in return?" He clasped his hands in a very serious manner.

            "What do you mean?" She chuckled, her nerves getting the better of her. Although she couldn’t see his eyes, she could feel them watching her.

            There was that inexplicable feeling again, her insides brimming with a cocktail of giddy uneasiness. She hadn't experienced this feeling in so long that it almost felt foreign, sitting across from someone new, learning about what made him tick, making connections, sharing experiences. It made her feel human again. But being human came with a plethora of responsibilities like empathy, compassion, understanding, attachment; things that Sophie had been avoiding because she knew all too well that hearts were made to be broken, and hers was a shattered eggshell, damaged beyond repair and oozing through the cracks.

            In the past year, she'd lived in isolation, limiting contact with people other than her family and Jade, her coworker and trusted friend. She'd learned that there was no room for hope, faith, love, or any form of attachment in a world where its inhabitants were subjected to the suffering of events over which they had no control. And at that very moment, as she sat across from Chris, she found herself looking down upon the two of them like an outsider. She suddenly realized she had no idea what she was getting herself into.

            "If I reveal a valuable piece of information about myself, I expect to receive something in return." He smirked, flashing his pearly whites.

            "Valuable piece of information?" she echoed, barely holding back a scoff. Who did he think he was?

            "Some people would believe so," he answered smugly.

            Willing to play ball, she said, "What did you have in mind?"

            After a moment of deliberation, as though he were taste-testing an idea, he said, "I want you to dance for me."

            A rock settled in her throat. The burger she'd enjoyed just a few minutes ago had turned  sour in her stomach. Her mouth became dry. "No deal," she declared firmly. How dare he turn a light-hearted conversation into a game where he could pray on her weakness?

            He raised his brow in surprise, taking a gulp of his ice water. "I didn't think you'd back down so easily."

            "I'm not backing down. I only want to level the playing field."