Goddess of the Rose (Goddess Summoning #4)(12)

"Oh-mi-god, excuse me," Blair said. "Something tickled my throat."

"Blair, honey, you can bring me a glass of my usual chianti." She glanced back at the still-smiling Arnold. "Are you hungry? I skipped lunch and would love an hors d'oeuvre."

"Sounds good to me."

"Fantastic. How about the olive bread? It always makes me think of Italy."

Arnold nodded and Blair hurried away.

"So you're a Conroy fan," he said. "Which is your favorite?"

"Probably The Prince of Tides, but I love them all." Mikki stroked the cover of the book before passing it back across the table. "I haven't read that one yet."

"You have to! He gives amazing insight into his life."

"I'll be sure to get it." They shared a look of complete understanding, and Mikki felt another lovely flutter of hope. "You said he was one of your top ten favorite authors. Who are some of the others?"

Arnold leaned forward, obviously warming to the subject as only a true booklover could. Mikki studied him as he talked. No, he was not traditionally handsome, and she did tend to prefer her men taller - and younger. But there was definitely something about him, something intelligent and experienced and sexy.

"It's hard to narrow them down to ten. I suppose with Conroy I'd have to add Herman Wouk."

"The Winds of War. What a fabulous book!" Mikki said.

"And don't forget War and Remembrance."

"Couldn't do that."

"Then I'd have to go from there to James Clavell," he said.

"King Rat, Tai-Pan and the best, Shogun," she said, barely nodding at Blair as he brought her wine and their olive bread.

"I didn't like the miniseries, though."

"Richard Chamberlain as Blackthorne? Please. No, no, no. I really hate it when a great book is turned into a cheesy miniseries."

"Unlike one of my other top ten picks - Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove."

Mikki paused mid-bite of her olive bread. "I loved the book and adored the miniseries."

And from there they launched into a lively discussion of the settings depicted by their most beloved authors, from McMurtry's West to Wilbur Smith's Africa and Egypt. Somewhere in the middle of their conversation they managed to order and eat dinner. Mikki felt like she wanted to pinch herself. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had such great dinner conversation with a man. With girlfriends it was the norm to have easy, interesting discussions. With men it seemed - at least to Mikki - almost impossible. Yet before she knew it, she'd killed three glasses of chianti, eaten an excellent meal and was just ordering an Irish coffee for dessert instead of the Death by Chocolate Cake that had been tempting her. She was nicely buzzed and having a great time - and was completely surprised when she glanced at her watch and saw that almost two hours had passed.

She sipped her coffee and felt his eyes studying her. The question on his face was so clear she smiled and said, "What?"

"It's just so amazing."

"Actually, I was thinking the same thing," she said a little shyly.

"I can't believe I found a woman who has actually read, and can appreciate, more than a trashy romance novel."

Mikki felt the beginning of cold water being dashed on her warm, happy buzz. Had he actually said "trashy romance novel"? As in the wonderful Nora Roberts, and the ever-delightful MaryJanice Davidson, Susan Grant, Gena Showalter, Sharon Sala, Merline Lovelace, and a host of other fabulous women authors who had kept her company on long nights and made her laugh and cry and sigh happily?

"What do you mean by that?"

Oblivious to her change in tone, he went on enthusiastically. "I mean that it's unusual that an attractive, available woman has read and comprehended some interesting books."

"I've made it a point to read a wide range of authors and genres. I think it gives an important added perspective to what might be an otherwise narrow view of life," she said carefully, trying to keep her tone neutral. "I was wondering, Arnold, have you ever read any of Anne Tyler's work?"

"Tyler? No, I don't think so," he said.

"She won a Pulitzer for Breathing Lessons, you know."

"Did she?" He flashed his smile again. "Good for her."

Mikki cringed internally at his patronizing tone. "How about The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova?"

"No."

"I thought you liked historicals," she said.

"I do."

"Hmm. Then how about The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley?"

"The Arthurian myth told from a woman's point of view?" His laugh was sarcastic and condescending. "I wouldn't consider that historical."

"Did you read it?"

"No, of course not. I choose to stick with Tennyson or T. H. White." His hand rubbed his forehead as if she was causing his head to hurt. "I like things that are tried and true."

"Okay, then what about any of Nora Roberts's books? I read a statistic once that said that every sixty seconds someone buys a Nora Roberts novel. Sounds as if she is definitely tried and true. And statistically, at least, you might have read her - maybe even on accident."

"Nora Roberts? Doesn't she write those bodice rippers?"