him an opportunity if he wanted one, she told herself.
Frank unbuckled his seat belt and twisted so he could face her. “Thank you for tonight. I had a wonderful time.”
“Me too.”
“I can hardly wait for our next date. And that chocolate pie,” he added.
“It’ll be worth the wait,” Aimee promised. Her voice sounded breathless. Was he leaning towards her? She could smell the fresh scent of his shaving gel, and she held herself still, waiting to see what he would do.
He bent forward. She closed her eyes and lifted her face, and his lips brushed her cheek. “Good night, Aimee. See you soon.”
Then he was getting out of the car, and Aimee could see Edwina at the entranceway to the building, like an over-anxious mother waiting for her teenage daughter to come home from her first date. Did the woman do this for all her clients, or was Frank special? And what would Frank have done if Edwina wasn’t watching?
She’d have to wait until the next date to find out, but the unanswered question left her feeling unsettled as she drove home.
“Hey, Aimee!”
Tish was getting out of her car as Aimee pulled into a space near the apartment building’s front door. Aimee wasn’t really in the mood to talk, but she knew she couldn’t avoid Tish without appearing antisocial. And her friend meant well.
“I just dropped Lucas off, and I’m not ready to go to bed. Want to come in for a little girl talk?”
“Okay.” Aimee knew her tone didn’t sound enthusiastic, and she forced a smile. “Did you have a good evening?”
“Yes. Just dinner and a movie, but it was nice. There was a wreck on the interstate, though, and we sat in traffic for almost an hour.” Tish rolled her shoulders as they headed up the stairs. “I thought my hands would never unclench from the wheel.”
“Lucas doesn’t drive?” Aimee asked.
“He doesn’t have his Missouri license, and he’s not comfortable driving here yet.”
“That’s funny,” Aimee frowned. “Frank doesn’t drive either. Not that I’ve seen, anyway.”
Tish unlocked the door to her airy studio apartment. “Have a seat in the living room. Want a coffee, soft drink, water?”
“Water, please. With lemon, if you have it.”
Aimee took her favorite spot on the overstuffed couch. As always, she admired her friend’s decorating style and wished she had such a talent. A past renovation had turned the apartment into a single large area, and Tish used strategically placed dividers to create “rooms,” each decorated with a casual sophistication that made the most of the space’s limitations.
If I ever get a house of my own, I’ll hire Tish as my decorator, Aimee promised herself.
A house of her own, or a house with Frank? He would be handy with small repairs and lifting heavy objects. She could just picture him moving a large box, muscles bulging as he waited for her directions.
“Here.” Tish broke into Aimee’s thoughts and handed her a glass of water.
“Thanks.”
“How’re things going with Frank?”
“Great. I think. We had a wonderful time tonight.” She described the date and finished, “But he had a couple of chances to kiss me, and he didn’t go for it. What do you think that means?”
Tish shrugged. “Maybe he’s just being cautious. Edwina does emphasize couples should get to know each other, not focus on the physical chemistry.”
“Then how will I know if we have chemistry?” Aimee complained.
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Tish advised. “Just focus on finding out whether he’s the type of person you could see yourself with. If not, the chemistry doesn’t matter. If so, attraction can grow as you get to know him.”
“Is that what happened to you and Lucas?”
“Oh, no. We had a spark from the very beginning. If I’d paid attention in high school chemistry, I would compare it to some chemical interaction, but all I can say is, he isn’t the handsomest or richest or best-dressed man I’ve ever dated, but
Frank unbuckled his seat belt and twisted so he could face her. “Thank you for tonight. I had a wonderful time.”
“Me too.”
“I can hardly wait for our next date. And that chocolate pie,” he added.
“It’ll be worth the wait,” Aimee promised. Her voice sounded breathless. Was he leaning towards her? She could smell the fresh scent of his shaving gel, and she held herself still, waiting to see what he would do.
He bent forward. She closed her eyes and lifted her face, and his lips brushed her cheek. “Good night, Aimee. See you soon.”
Then he was getting out of the car, and Aimee could see Edwina at the entranceway to the building, like an over-anxious mother waiting for her teenage daughter to come home from her first date. Did the woman do this for all her clients, or was Frank special? And what would Frank have done if Edwina wasn’t watching?
She’d have to wait until the next date to find out, but the unanswered question left her feeling unsettled as she drove home.
“Hey, Aimee!”
Tish was getting out of her car as Aimee pulled into a space near the apartment building’s front door. Aimee wasn’t really in the mood to talk, but she knew she couldn’t avoid Tish without appearing antisocial. And her friend meant well.
“I just dropped Lucas off, and I’m not ready to go to bed. Want to come in for a little girl talk?”
“Okay.” Aimee knew her tone didn’t sound enthusiastic, and she forced a smile. “Did you have a good evening?”
“Yes. Just dinner and a movie, but it was nice. There was a wreck on the interstate, though, and we sat in traffic for almost an hour.” Tish rolled her shoulders as they headed up the stairs. “I thought my hands would never unclench from the wheel.”
“Lucas doesn’t drive?” Aimee asked.
“He doesn’t have his Missouri license, and he’s not comfortable driving here yet.”
“That’s funny,” Aimee frowned. “Frank doesn’t drive either. Not that I’ve seen, anyway.”
Tish unlocked the door to her airy studio apartment. “Have a seat in the living room. Want a coffee, soft drink, water?”
“Water, please. With lemon, if you have it.”
Aimee took her favorite spot on the overstuffed couch. As always, she admired her friend’s decorating style and wished she had such a talent. A past renovation had turned the apartment into a single large area, and Tish used strategically placed dividers to create “rooms,” each decorated with a casual sophistication that made the most of the space’s limitations.
If I ever get a house of my own, I’ll hire Tish as my decorator, Aimee promised herself.
A house of her own, or a house with Frank? He would be handy with small repairs and lifting heavy objects. She could just picture him moving a large box, muscles bulging as he waited for her directions.
“Here.” Tish broke into Aimee’s thoughts and handed her a glass of water.
“Thanks.”
“How’re things going with Frank?”
“Great. I think. We had a wonderful time tonight.” She described the date and finished, “But he had a couple of chances to kiss me, and he didn’t go for it. What do you think that means?”
Tish shrugged. “Maybe he’s just being cautious. Edwina does emphasize couples should get to know each other, not focus on the physical chemistry.”
“Then how will I know if we have chemistry?” Aimee complained.
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Tish advised. “Just focus on finding out whether he’s the type of person you could see yourself with. If not, the chemistry doesn’t matter. If so, attraction can grow as you get to know him.”
“Is that what happened to you and Lucas?”
“Oh, no. We had a spark from the very beginning. If I’d paid attention in high school chemistry, I would compare it to some chemical interaction, but all I can say is, he isn’t the handsomest or richest or best-dressed man I’ve ever dated, but
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