embrace. “It's forgotten.”
Suddenly she leaned back and looked up at him. “Wait, you never left my side the night of the ball. How did you buy the painting?”
He gave her a cryptic smile before revealing himself. “Don't you remember Marnee was there?”
Marnee had come to the ball as the date of some lawyer. They'd only spoken briefly.
“While you were dancing with Mr. Too Perfect, I sent Marnee a text telling her to purchase the painting and take it the restaurant until I could pick it up and take it home. There was quite a bidding war. Apparently someone else wanted the picture pretty badly, but not as bad as I did. I told Marnee to keep bidding until I won. Needless to say she got a hefty bonus on her following check.”
For the first time since she'd seen Randi earlier that day, she smiled.
He leaned down and kissed her again, then looked at his watch.
“Well baby, I'd better walk you home so you can start getting ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“Don't think you're about to get out of our date because of some misunderstanding that has since been forgotten.”
She laughed at him. She felt like a complete idiot for assuming the worst of him, when he'd never, in the five years they'd know each other, given her cause to before. “I should have just stayed a minute longer.”
“Hey,” he said giving her a serious look. “It's forgotten remember?”
She nodded, “Right, forgotten.”
“Good, let's get you home.”
Chapter 13
Liz could not keep still. She keep rearranging books, flicking invisible lint. She was nervous. After John returned her to her apartment, earlier he suggested she take a nap. She fell right to sleep after being emotionally spent.
Then she woke up in a panic. What am I going to wear? she thought. She'd hopped up and went through her closet.
Not knowing where they were going or what they were doing, she didn't want to over, or under dress. She'd settled on a black sweater dress with a plunging cowl neckline that stopped right above her knees and paired them with four-inch ankle boots.
Now she was waiting. She sat back down on the couch wringing her hands the way she often did when she was nervous. She didn't date often and even though this was someone she'd known for years, she felt like they'd only met for the first time days ago.
She needed to know what to do.
She picked up her cell phone and dialed her sister's number. “Hey Lizzie!” She could feel her sister's warm smile through the phone.
“I need help.”
“What is it?” Leigh asked, her voice full of concern.
“I have a date.”
“Oh is that all?”
“You know I don't regularly date. I'm in a panic. I don't know what to do or say.”
“Lizzie, you're amazing. Just relax, be yourself and let things flow. Stop pacing.”
Her sister knew her too well. The moment she'd answered the phone, Liz was up moving around. She stopped.
“Now close your eyes.” Liz did what her sister told her.
“And take a deep breath.” Liz inhaled until it felt like all of the air was gone from her lungs.
“Slowly, exhale.” Leigh listened as the phone filled with the sound of Liz's breath through the phone.
“How do you feel now?”
“Better.”
“Good. Now, tell me quickly about the guy before he shows up.”
She hesitated for a moment. That was all the time Leigh needed to zone in.
“What's his name?”
“It's John.”
“Well, it's about time.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on Lizzie, every one has been waiting for you two to get together. Mama's gonna be thrilled.”
Liz was speechless, how did everyone know that this was inevitable. Everyone, except for her.
“Look Lizzie,” Leigh continued when she said nothing, “This is John we're talking about. He adores you. You two already act like an old married couple. Just do what you've always done, you'll be fine.”
Suddenly, she heard a knock on the
Suddenly she leaned back and looked up at him. “Wait, you never left my side the night of the ball. How did you buy the painting?”
He gave her a cryptic smile before revealing himself. “Don't you remember Marnee was there?”
Marnee had come to the ball as the date of some lawyer. They'd only spoken briefly.
“While you were dancing with Mr. Too Perfect, I sent Marnee a text telling her to purchase the painting and take it the restaurant until I could pick it up and take it home. There was quite a bidding war. Apparently someone else wanted the picture pretty badly, but not as bad as I did. I told Marnee to keep bidding until I won. Needless to say she got a hefty bonus on her following check.”
For the first time since she'd seen Randi earlier that day, she smiled.
He leaned down and kissed her again, then looked at his watch.
“Well baby, I'd better walk you home so you can start getting ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“Don't think you're about to get out of our date because of some misunderstanding that has since been forgotten.”
She laughed at him. She felt like a complete idiot for assuming the worst of him, when he'd never, in the five years they'd know each other, given her cause to before. “I should have just stayed a minute longer.”
“Hey,” he said giving her a serious look. “It's forgotten remember?”
She nodded, “Right, forgotten.”
“Good, let's get you home.”
Chapter 13
Liz could not keep still. She keep rearranging books, flicking invisible lint. She was nervous. After John returned her to her apartment, earlier he suggested she take a nap. She fell right to sleep after being emotionally spent.
Then she woke up in a panic. What am I going to wear? she thought. She'd hopped up and went through her closet.
Not knowing where they were going or what they were doing, she didn't want to over, or under dress. She'd settled on a black sweater dress with a plunging cowl neckline that stopped right above her knees and paired them with four-inch ankle boots.
Now she was waiting. She sat back down on the couch wringing her hands the way she often did when she was nervous. She didn't date often and even though this was someone she'd known for years, she felt like they'd only met for the first time days ago.
She needed to know what to do.
She picked up her cell phone and dialed her sister's number. “Hey Lizzie!” She could feel her sister's warm smile through the phone.
“I need help.”
“What is it?” Leigh asked, her voice full of concern.
“I have a date.”
“Oh is that all?”
“You know I don't regularly date. I'm in a panic. I don't know what to do or say.”
“Lizzie, you're amazing. Just relax, be yourself and let things flow. Stop pacing.”
Her sister knew her too well. The moment she'd answered the phone, Liz was up moving around. She stopped.
“Now close your eyes.” Liz did what her sister told her.
“And take a deep breath.” Liz inhaled until it felt like all of the air was gone from her lungs.
“Slowly, exhale.” Leigh listened as the phone filled with the sound of Liz's breath through the phone.
“How do you feel now?”
“Better.”
“Good. Now, tell me quickly about the guy before he shows up.”
She hesitated for a moment. That was all the time Leigh needed to zone in.
“What's his name?”
“It's John.”
“Well, it's about time.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on Lizzie, every one has been waiting for you two to get together. Mama's gonna be thrilled.”
Liz was speechless, how did everyone know that this was inevitable. Everyone, except for her.
“Look Lizzie,” Leigh continued when she said nothing, “This is John we're talking about. He adores you. You two already act like an old married couple. Just do what you've always done, you'll be fine.”
Suddenly, she heard a knock on the
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