His thoughts of her felt like a mental roller coaster ride of passionate emotions—compelling sensations he found hard to fathom, along with a dilemma: his commitment to his number one rule … or letting his feelings lead him along. This is crazy! What if she isn’t interested? Focus, Cohen! Assignment first. This is dinner, a simple dinner. Don’t go off the deep end. He checked his watch and decided to have a coffee in the hotel restaurant while he waited for Ann. Soon enough, while in line to pay for his coffee, Dean watched two customers pay their bills. The payment exchange was intriguing. The first customer slipped his right hand into an oversized plastic mold. Tiny pulsing beams of light scanned his hand. The transaction was instantaneous. The second customer then handed the cashier a card. She waved it in front of a scanner. Then the customer touched a screen with her thumb. Their payments, Dean noted, required no signature or ID.
