Inner Harbor
Page 12
Her heart bounded hard into her throat. Taking her time, she picked up her glass again. Her hand remained steady, her voice even and easy. "I don't think so."
"No, I do. I know that face. It didn't click before, when you were wearing sunglasses. Something about…" He reached out, put a hand under her chin and angled her head again. "That look right there."
His fingertips were just a bit rough, his touch very confident and firm. The gesture itself warned her that this was a man used to touching women. And she was a woman unused to being touched.
In defense, Sybill arched an eyebrow. "A woman with a cynical bent would suspect that's a line, and not a very original one."
"I don't use lines," he murmured, concentrating on her face. "Except originals. I'm good with images, and I've seen that one. Clear, intelligent eyes, slightly amused smile. Sybill…" His gaze skimmed over her face, then his lips curved slowly. "Griffin. Doctor Sybill Griffin. Familiar Strangers."
She let out the breath that had clogged in her lungs. Her success was still very new, and having her face recognized continued to surprise her. And, in this case, relieve her. There was no connection between Dr. Griffin and Seth DeLauter.
"You are good," she said lightly. "So, did you read the book or just look at my picture on the dust jacket?"
"I read it. Fascinating stuff. In fact, I liked it enough to go out and buy your first one. Haven't read it yet though."
"I'm flattered."
"You're good. Thanks, Marsha," he added when she set his beer in front of him.
"Y'all just holler if you need anything." Marsha winked. "Holler loud. This band's breaking sound records tonight."
Which gave him an excuse to edge his chair closer and lean in. Her scent was subtle, he noted. A man had to get very close to catch its message.
"Tell me, Dr. Griffin, what's a renowned urbanite doing in an unapologetically rural water town like St. Chris?"
"Research. Behavioral patterns and traditions," she said, lifting her glass in a half toast. "Of small towns and rural communities."
"Quite a change of pace for you."
"Sociology and cultural interest aren't, and shouldn't be, limited to cities."
"Taking notes?"
"A few. The local tavern," she began, more comfortable now. "The regulars. The trio at the bar, obsessed with the ritual of male-dominated sports to the exclusion of the noise and activities around them. They could be home, kicked back in their Barcaloungers, but they prefer the bonding experience of passive participation in the event. In this way they have companionship, partners with whom to share the interest, who will either argue or agree. It doesn't matter which. It's the pattern that matters."
He found he enjoyed the way her voice took on a lecturing tone that brought out brisk Yankee. "The O's are in a hot pennant race, and you're deep in Orioles' territory. Maybe it's the game."
"The game is the vehicle. The pattern would remain fairly constant whether the vehicle was football or basketball." She shrugged. "The typical male gains more enjoyment from sports if he has at least one like-minded male companion with him. You have only to observe commercials aimed primarily at the male consumer. Beer, for instance," she said, tapping a finger on his glass. "It's quite often sold by showcasing a group of attractive men sharing some common experience. A man then buys that brand of beer because he's been programmed to believe that it will enhance his standing with his peer group."
Because he was grinning, she lifted her eyebrows. "You disagree?"
"Not at all. I'm in advertising, and that pretty much hit the nail."
"Advertising?" She ignored the little tug of guilt at the pretense. "I wouldn't think there would be much call for that here."
"I work in Baltimore. I'm back here on weekends for a while. A family thing. Long story."
"I'd like to hear it."
"Later." There was something, he thought, about those nearly translucent blue eyes framed by long, inky lashes that made it nearly impossible to look anywhere else. "Tell me what else you see."
"Well…" It was a fine skill, she decided. A masterwork. The way he could look at a woman as if she were the most vital thing in the world at that one moment. It made her heart bump pleasantly. "You see the other waitress?"
Phillip glanced over, watched the frivolous bow on the back of the woman's skirt swivel as she walked to the bar. "Hard to miss her."
"Yes. She fulfills certain primitive and typical male-fantasy requirements. But I'm referring to personality, not physicality."
"Okay." Phillip ran his tongue around his teeth. "What do you see?"
"She's efficient, but she's already calculating the time until closing. She knows how to size up the better tippers and play to them. She all but ignores the table of college students there. They won't add much to her bill. You'd see the same survival techniques from an experienced and cynical waitress in a New York bar."
"Linda Brewster," Phillip supplied. "Recently divorced, on the prowl for a new, improved husband. Her family owns the pizza place, so she's been waitressing off and on for years. Doesn't care for it. Do you want to dance?"
"What?" Then that's not Grace either, she thought and struggled to tune back in. "I'm sorry?"
"The band's slowed it down if they haven't turned it down. Would you like to dance?"
"All right." She let him take her hand to lead her through the tables to the dance floor, where they shoehorned themselves into the crowd.
"I think this is supposed to be a version of 'Angie,' " Phillip murmured.
"If Mick and the boys heard what they're doing to it, they'd shoot the entire band on sight."
"You like the Stones?"
"What's not to like?" Since they could do no more than sway, she tilted her head back to look at him. It wasn't a hardship to find his face so close to hers, or to be forced to press her body firmly to his.
"Down-and-dirty rock and roll, no frills, no fuss. All sex."
"You like sex?"
She had to laugh. "What's not to like? And though I appreciate the thought, I don't intend to have any tonight."
"No, I do. I know that face. It didn't click before, when you were wearing sunglasses. Something about…" He reached out, put a hand under her chin and angled her head again. "That look right there."
His fingertips were just a bit rough, his touch very confident and firm. The gesture itself warned her that this was a man used to touching women. And she was a woman unused to being touched.
In defense, Sybill arched an eyebrow. "A woman with a cynical bent would suspect that's a line, and not a very original one."
"I don't use lines," he murmured, concentrating on her face. "Except originals. I'm good with images, and I've seen that one. Clear, intelligent eyes, slightly amused smile. Sybill…" His gaze skimmed over her face, then his lips curved slowly. "Griffin. Doctor Sybill Griffin. Familiar Strangers."
She let out the breath that had clogged in her lungs. Her success was still very new, and having her face recognized continued to surprise her. And, in this case, relieve her. There was no connection between Dr. Griffin and Seth DeLauter.
"You are good," she said lightly. "So, did you read the book or just look at my picture on the dust jacket?"
"I read it. Fascinating stuff. In fact, I liked it enough to go out and buy your first one. Haven't read it yet though."
"I'm flattered."
"You're good. Thanks, Marsha," he added when she set his beer in front of him.
"Y'all just holler if you need anything." Marsha winked. "Holler loud. This band's breaking sound records tonight."
Which gave him an excuse to edge his chair closer and lean in. Her scent was subtle, he noted. A man had to get very close to catch its message.
"Tell me, Dr. Griffin, what's a renowned urbanite doing in an unapologetically rural water town like St. Chris?"
"Research. Behavioral patterns and traditions," she said, lifting her glass in a half toast. "Of small towns and rural communities."
"Quite a change of pace for you."
"Sociology and cultural interest aren't, and shouldn't be, limited to cities."
"Taking notes?"
"A few. The local tavern," she began, more comfortable now. "The regulars. The trio at the bar, obsessed with the ritual of male-dominated sports to the exclusion of the noise and activities around them. They could be home, kicked back in their Barcaloungers, but they prefer the bonding experience of passive participation in the event. In this way they have companionship, partners with whom to share the interest, who will either argue or agree. It doesn't matter which. It's the pattern that matters."
He found he enjoyed the way her voice took on a lecturing tone that brought out brisk Yankee. "The O's are in a hot pennant race, and you're deep in Orioles' territory. Maybe it's the game."
"The game is the vehicle. The pattern would remain fairly constant whether the vehicle was football or basketball." She shrugged. "The typical male gains more enjoyment from sports if he has at least one like-minded male companion with him. You have only to observe commercials aimed primarily at the male consumer. Beer, for instance," she said, tapping a finger on his glass. "It's quite often sold by showcasing a group of attractive men sharing some common experience. A man then buys that brand of beer because he's been programmed to believe that it will enhance his standing with his peer group."
Because he was grinning, she lifted her eyebrows. "You disagree?"
"Not at all. I'm in advertising, and that pretty much hit the nail."
"Advertising?" She ignored the little tug of guilt at the pretense. "I wouldn't think there would be much call for that here."
"I work in Baltimore. I'm back here on weekends for a while. A family thing. Long story."
"I'd like to hear it."
"Later." There was something, he thought, about those nearly translucent blue eyes framed by long, inky lashes that made it nearly impossible to look anywhere else. "Tell me what else you see."
"Well…" It was a fine skill, she decided. A masterwork. The way he could look at a woman as if she were the most vital thing in the world at that one moment. It made her heart bump pleasantly. "You see the other waitress?"
Phillip glanced over, watched the frivolous bow on the back of the woman's skirt swivel as she walked to the bar. "Hard to miss her."
"Yes. She fulfills certain primitive and typical male-fantasy requirements. But I'm referring to personality, not physicality."
"Okay." Phillip ran his tongue around his teeth. "What do you see?"
"She's efficient, but she's already calculating the time until closing. She knows how to size up the better tippers and play to them. She all but ignores the table of college students there. They won't add much to her bill. You'd see the same survival techniques from an experienced and cynical waitress in a New York bar."
"Linda Brewster," Phillip supplied. "Recently divorced, on the prowl for a new, improved husband. Her family owns the pizza place, so she's been waitressing off and on for years. Doesn't care for it. Do you want to dance?"
"What?" Then that's not Grace either, she thought and struggled to tune back in. "I'm sorry?"
"The band's slowed it down if they haven't turned it down. Would you like to dance?"
"All right." She let him take her hand to lead her through the tables to the dance floor, where they shoehorned themselves into the crowd.
"I think this is supposed to be a version of 'Angie,' " Phillip murmured.
"If Mick and the boys heard what they're doing to it, they'd shoot the entire band on sight."
"You like the Stones?"
"What's not to like?" Since they could do no more than sway, she tilted her head back to look at him. It wasn't a hardship to find his face so close to hers, or to be forced to press her body firmly to his.
"Down-and-dirty rock and roll, no frills, no fuss. All sex."
"You like sex?"
She had to laugh. "What's not to like? And though I appreciate the thought, I don't intend to have any tonight."
