Chapter 4
Jade-colored walls and polished cherry wood furniture adorned P.F. Chang's. White linen tablecloths and petite oriental lamps added a pinch of elegance to the eatery. The Chinese bistro represented one of the upscale restaurants.
Escorted to their table by a blond hostess in a white pleated shirt and black slacks, Keir and Ryan followed the woman through the near-empty restaurant. With a hand at the base of her spine, Keir led Ryan across the hardwood floor. A mushroom-colored suit with a scarlet scoop-necked silk shell, Ryan's outfit complemented Keir's beige cashmere sweater and cocoa silk trousers.
The trio halted at a secluded corner table. Keir helped Ryan into a chair and seated himself opposite her. For the tenth time, Ryan wondered what she had gotten herself into. Why put her career and reputation on the line? If Glo discovered the truth, there'd be hell to pay.
The other part of her blew it all off. It was only one dinner. Plus, it felt great for her ego to be out with this handsome, powerful man who could have his pick of women. Keir had chosen her.
The server approached their table. “Welcome to P.F. Chang's. My name is Jim. I'll be your server tonight. Can I start you out with a cocktail or an appetizer?”
“Ryan?” Keir prompted. “Would you like something to drink?”
She spread the white linen napkin over her lap, pondering the question for a moment before answering. “Riesling works for me.”
“Any brand in particular?” Keir asked. He copied her gesture, tossing the linen cloth across his lap.
“I tend to lean toward German wines. Is that all right with you?”
Keir smiled back at her and accepted the wine list from the server, studying the selection. “We can do that. How about Mosel-Saar-Ruwer?”
“Excellent choice, sir,” Jim complimented.
Ryan nodded, absently drumming her fingers against the tabletop to the soft Asian-themed music playing in the background, while a hint of ginger and onions filled the air.
Keir reached for her hand, held it in both of his, and stroked it reassuringly. Ryan's skin tingled everywhere his fingers touched her. “Relax. It's just dinner,” he said. “We're here for fun, food, and adult conversation. I'm not expecting anything more. Okay?”
His words soothed her. Ryan smiled back at him. “I know.”
“Great.” Keir released her hand and began to flip through the menu. “How about an appetizer? Have you tried Crab Wontons?”
“No. What is it?”
“Crab meat mixed with cream cheese, garlic, and green onions wrapped in a fried wonton skin.” Keir ran his tongue across his lips. “It's delicious!”
Laughing softly, Ryan said, “You sound like a commercial. Are you on P.F. Chang's payroll?”
He shut the menu. “No. I happen to truly love Chinese food. Crab Wontons is one of my favorites. Want to try it?”
“You've convinced me,” she answered, picking up her water glass.
After placing the appetizer and wine orders, Keir returned his attention to her. “Now we can relax, enjoy our food, and watch the crowd.”
With a skeptical eye, Ryan glanced around the sparsely occupied restaurant. “I don't think we're going to do much people watching on a Monday night.” She pointed a finger at the empty nearby tables. “Look at this place. It's practically empty.”
“Is that a problem for you?”
“No.”
“Good. Enough of my life is spent in the limelight. I crave privacy,” Keir said.
“I'm not a woman that needs to be the center of attention.”
“I'm not surprised. You seem like a very confident, self-composed woman who doesn't want to be placed center stage.”
“My privacy is as important to me as yours is to you.”
The server returned with the wine, uncorked the bottle, and poured a small portion into Keir's glass. After a quick sip, Keir nodded. The server filled their glasses and placed the bottle in a clay carafe on the edge of the table before quietly disappearing.
For several minutes they sat, sipping their wine and taking note of the goings-on at the restaurant. As if he'd come to a decision, Keir put down his glass and turned to Ryan. “Here's my suggestion for the evening. Let's skip the awkward, getting to know each other phase and hop right into the personal stuff. Agreed?”
Instantly, his suggestion hit a cord within Ryan and put her at ease. “Sounds good.”
Settling farther into his chair, Keir admitted, “I hate all those forced silences while you're trying to figure out something clever to say. Let's just skip that. You can ask me anything. I don't want there to be secrets between us.”
Intrigued by Keir's offer, Ryan lifted her wineglass and took a sip, stalling for a moment. “I'm going for it. How did you decide to become a director?”
Grinning at her, he said, “Oh, come on. Couldn't you think of something better than that? Like, what were you trying to say in the scene with Viki and Gary at the end of your last movie?”
“No. I'm really interested in how people end up where they do.”
“Fair enough. Did you miss the part where I'm bossy and want everything done my way?”
Giggling, Ryan responded to his quip. “I have noticed. But I didn't want to point out the obvious.”
With efficient movements, Jim returned with a plate and deposited it in the center of the table, announcing, “Crab Wontons. They look great.” Keir served several star-shaped fried noodles to Ryan before putting a couple on his plate.
“Did you always know you were going to be a director?” Ryan asked while nibbling on the food.
“Yes. But I didn't accept that fact right away.”
“What do you mean?”
“I started my undergraduate studies in accounting.”
Ryan's voice rose an octave from surprise. “Really! How did that go?”
He scoffed. “My spreadsheets refused to balance. They were always off by a penny or two. That drove me nuts.”
“You're a director at heart. What were you thinking?”
“I wanted to make it all work out. I figured the easiest way to reconcile the problem was to toss in a penny and make things balance. Didn't work. My instructors wanted to know where that particular penny went, and I had to find it.” Keir's forehead wrinkled into a frown. “I hated that.”
“Poor baby.”
Nodding, Keir muttered, “I was. Anyway, that's how I started out. I finally owned up to the fact that I wanted to direct and transferred to film school in New York. Best thing I ever did. What about you? Did you always want to do set designing?”
“Nope. I started out with the plan to be the next straight Versace or African American Vera Wang.”
“Ambitious. You still have time to make that dream a reality,” he said.
“It's crossed my mind. Anywho, I also went to New York for fame and fortune and an education. Instead, I found myself involved in set design for one of the soap operas.”
“Wow!” Amusement flickered in the eyes that met hers. “Soaps. âI just fell in love with my sister's boyfriend's cousin who's my secret half brother that my mother never told me about.'”
“Something like that. It paid the bills while I finished college. The good part was my work caught the eye of Joel Collins, and when he started selecting crew for
SWAT Command
, his people gave me a call.”
“Got you an Emmy, too.”
Embarrassed, Ryan brushed a hand through her short hair. She always felt uncomfortable talking about the Emmy. “There's that. Believe me, that nomination came as quite a surprise. And that's how my career went from zero to two hundred overnight.”
“Yeah. I know exactly what you mean.”
“Let's turn the spotlight on you. I'll dim it a bit so you won't feel so pressured. Talk to me. You're the one with the Oscar.”
“You thought you were surprised. I can't describe how shocked I was. I hadn't finished film school.
Children in Brothels
launched my career and put me on the map with the industry giants. Also gave me an opportunity to collaborate with a few of my idols.”
“Like who?”
“Spielberg, for one. John Singleton was another. My all-time favorite, Robert Altman, was the icing on the cake.” Keir's green eyes shimmered with admiration. Ryan was impressed by his passion for his work. “That man can capture the essence of a scene better than anyone I know. I loved working with him because I learned so much.”
The aroma of garlic and onions filled the immediate area as Jim put in an appearance with their entrees. Moo Goo Gai Pan with chicken, shrimp, and vegetables was set in front of Ryan. The server placed a covered silver tray in front of Keir and removed the lid, presenting a dish of crispy slices of fresh fish in a Sichuan sauce, decorated with stir-fried vegetables.
“Dig in,” said Ryan as he scooped a portion of the fish onto his plate. “Do you want a taste before I devour this?”
Her lips pursed as she considered his food, and then she reached for the serving spoon, planning to add a bit of his fish to her plate. “Sure.”
Instead, Keir speared a piece of fish and swished it in the sauce before bringing the tasty morsel to her lips. “Here you are. Eat up.”
Surprised, Ryan opened her mouth. The Sichuan sauce added a spicy twang to the wonderful piece of tender sea bass. A dab of sauce covered the corner of her mouth. Ryan captured it with the tip of her tongue as Keir's hot gaze followed the gesture with more than the usual interest.
Recovering swiftly, Keir asked, “Good, isn't it?”
“Mm-hmm. Do you want to try some of mine?”
He considered her question for a nanosecond and then nodded.
Ryan deposited some garlic-seasoned chicken and shrimp into his open mouth.
“Yours is good, too. Next time I'll order it.” Keir waved his fork over his plate. “Feel free to get more if you want.”
“Thanks. But I think I have enough here to keep me busy.”
Nodding, Keir concentrated on the food in front of him, and Ryan did the same. “You said you went to school in New York. Is that where you met your husband?”
Her heart slammed against her chest. Another ticking time bomb had just been detonated. She knew they might enter this emotional territory, but she refused to think about her husband and marriage in connection with this new relationship. “Actually, I met him here, at a travel club outing.”
“Travel club?”
Ryan drew in a deep breath and explained. “I like to check out different locales, and so did Galen. We hooked up during a one-day excursion to Mexico.”
“That's a different way to meet. How long were you married?”
“Three years. What about you? How many years were you and your wife together?”
Keir put down his fork and pushed his near-empty plate away. “Together two. Married thirteen. Total of fifteen years.”
“I'm sorry.”
“No need. I think our divorce was the right thing to do.” A faraway gleam entered his eyes, and Ryan got the impression his next words weren't directed at her. She felt as if Keir might be sorting the situation out in his mind by voicing his concerns out loud. “Although I miss my kids, Shannon and I are not the same people we were when we got married. Both of us want and need different things.”
Reaching out to him, Ryan agreed. “That happens sometimes. I think the smart and truly brave people realize this and get on with their lives.”
“If I'm treading on territory that's too painful for you, tell me. I know you're a widow. What happened to your husband?”
Taking a moment to compose herself and decide on the proper words, Ryan said, “Something utterly avoidable. Galen liked to cycle to work every morning. He was on his bike when a lady on a cell phone hit him with her car.”
“I'm so sorry.”
“Me, too. Sometimes I wonder if I could have saved him.” Her voice softened as the painful memories played in her mind like a video recording. “Kept him at home five minutes longer. Stopped nagging him. I don't know. Done something that would have changed the outcome of that day. Needless to say, I get real antsy around people that do everything with a cell phone attached to their ear.”
Keir nodded. “I understand. Do you mind if I take us in another direction?”
“Not at all.” She took a sip from her water goblet as she struggled to get her emotions under control. In this moment she felt as if she'd revealed too much about her past. “I think I need it.”
“Where do you see yourself going from here? Any big plans for your future?”