C.J. Urban - Julie Townsend 01 - Hidden Intent by C.J. Urban

sometimes.”
    “It’s alright,” Julie said, wanting to forget the comment altogether. “So, where are we going?”
    “There’s this restaurant called India Gardens that I’ve wanted to try for a while. I’ve heard great things about it. Does that sound good to you?”
    “That sounds great. I love Indian food.”
    “Oh, you’re going to love this, then.”
    India Gardens was set up on a hill that overlooked miles of city lights. Their illumination was captivating, and if the restaurant had not been equally so, Julie thought she could have watched them twinkle all night.
    Skye led her up the steps into the paved marble entryway, which had beautiful statues of Hindu gods in the corners of the room. Behind the front desk was a short, fast-talking hostess taking names and assisting those with reservations, so Skye walked over to tell her of theirs.
    Within a minute, they were led down a staircase into a large high-ceilinged room with small tables surrounding a beautiful garden. The hostess led them to a table near a gorgeous stone waterfall, set down their menus on the table, and politely excused herself.
    Skye pulled out Julie’s chair for her, sliding it in as she sat down. He made his way back over to the opposite side and Julie instantly felt the mood change. He was staring at her differently than he had been the past few days. This gaze was deeper, as if he was trying to see a part of her that was invisible to everyone else.
    “What is it?” Julie asked.
    “There’s just something about you. I can’t put my finger on it yet, though.”
    “Let me know when you figure it out. I’m curious as well.”
    Skye smiled widely, taking one of her hands in his, caressing her fingers with his thumb. The waiter arrived and took their orders, leaving only to return with two cups of specialty Indian tea at Skye’s request.
    Julie was extremely impressed, once again, by Skye’s suave mannerisms and speech. She took in the evening with him like a cool, refreshing drink, savoring every word he said. It was incredibly enjoyable, simply listening to him.
    But all too soon, it was Julie’s turn to do the talking. “So, tell me more about you and Sam,” Skye said.
    “There’s not too much more to tell than what you already know,” Julie said honestly. “I mean, if you’re asking if it’s rough, the answer is yes. I wouldn’t change it for anything though, except, of course, for our parents to be alive again. I love raising Sam, but I never stop thinking about how much better off he would be if they were still around.” Julie turned her eyes out into the room, feigning interest in the elegantly decorated area as she struggled to get a handle on her emotions.
    “I’m sorry if I brought up anything too painful for you,” Skye apologized.
    “It’s okay,” Julie said. “You’re curious, and I would be, too.”
    The rest of the evening passed amicably, their conversations lighter and easier than Julie had ever known them to be before.
    “So your dream is to be an inventor?” She asked.
    “Yep. I have tons of drawings and ideas. I just don’t have a way of physically building most of them.”
    “What kinds of things do you want to invent?”
    “Most of my ideas are for multi-tool items. Think Swiss army knife, but much cooler.”
    “That sounds awesome. I hope you find a way to bring your ideas to life someday.”
    “Thanks. I do too.”
    Their check was brought to the table and Julie was suddenly filled with anxiety. She had almost forgotten they were about break into City Hall in just over an hour.
    “You ready?” Skye asked when the waiter had returned his debit card.
    “As ready as I’m going to be.” Julie was trying her best to keep a look of calm on her face.
    Skye slid his hand into hers as they left the table. “We don’t have to do this. We can find a different way.”
    “Do you know of any other way to get confidential information, other than stealing it?”
    Skye paused for a moment and