until Iâm ready to collapse in a corner. I want calorie-laden carbs. Can you find me some?â
She wagged her finger at him. âSure I can. But Iâm warning you, this is blackmail material.â
His eyes twinkled. âWell, I canât think of anyone Iâd rather have blackmail me.â
* * *
Five minutes later they reached a pizza place and slid into a booth. The smell was enough to make him keel over. Food. He needed food.
He clocked a buffet in the corner. âLetâs not wait. How about we just go to the buffet?â
He could see the ready-cooked pizzas under the heat lamps. They were practically calling out his name. His hand was poised on the table, ready to get back up again.
Katsuko laughed and shook her head. âWhat do you want to drink?â
He looked around. âA beer. Iâll have a beer. Iâll probably sleep for a week.â
She gestured to one of the waitresses. âJust make sure youâre ready for your shift tomorrow. If you donât appear on time, rememberââ she pointed to the key that was still in his hand ââI know where you live.â
He couldnât help the instant grin that appeared. He paused for a second and stared at the key dangling from his hand. âYeah, you do, donât you?â
He hadnât quite meant to say it like that. But it had just naturally come out that way. He locked gazes with those dark brown eyes. He wanted to get closer. He wanted to see if they were flecked with gold, or if the dark brown was as intense as it looked from here.
She licked her lips and his feet instantly shifted. The waitress appeared next to them, talking rapidly in Japanese. Avery pulled down his jacket and moved over to the buffet. He couldnât help but shake his head. He hadnât slept and had barely eaten in nearly two days. He was flirting with a colleague. No, he was getting fresh with the base commanderâs daughter. He was clearly losing his mind.
He picked up a heated plate and put two slices on it.
Katsuko appeared at his side. âDid you even look?â She was smiling and had a glass of wine in her hand.
She picked up a plate and put two slices of pizza and some salad on it. âRemember your five a day,â she whispered, then added a spoonful of salad to his plate.
Avery stared down at his plate. âSorry,â he murmured. âAt last count it was around forty-eight hours since I had some proper food.â
She gave a knowing nod. âIs it the joys of being an ER doctor, or the joys of being in the air force?â
They returned to the booth and he spent the next few minutes eating. It appeared heâd picked two slices of pepperoni and mushroom pizza and they hit all the right spots. After a few minutes he rested back in the booth and picked up his bottle of beer.
The cold liquid felt like nectar sliding down his throat.
Katsuko was sipping her wine and eating her pizza with a knife and fork. She raised her eyebrows at him. âFinally feeling human again?â
He nodded. The horrible churning feeling in his stomach had abated. After the long travel, the working hours and the fast eating, he should be ready to lie down and go straight to sleep.
But there was no way he wanted to sleep when he had the sparkiest woman heâd ever met in front of him.
âYou know, we havenât even been properly introduced.â
She frowned for a second. âYes, we have.â
He shook his head. âOh, no, we havenât. You threatened to break my hand.â
The expression on her face softened a little. âYes, I did.â It was as if she were reliving the memory.
He held out his hand towards her. âCaptain Avery Flynn, doctor. Iâm from Ohio but have been stationed in just about every air force base thatâs ever existed. Joined as soon as I qualified. Been in the service now for eight years.â
He held his breath. She waited a few seconds,