James use an elusive sign
language. From the Chef’s special tasting menu of dishes she never even knew
existed, to his family’s special wine reserve, delicacies and accompanying
garnishes she didn’t recognize and didn’t want to recognize, appeared on the
table without James ever uttering a word. The entire date, she struggled to
keep up. Emily almost wanted to ask for the kiddie menu. “I couldn’t, but thank
you.” She sat up straighter, feeling as if she were on display.
“Very well.” He raised one finger. Like magic a check
appeared and without looking at the bill, he slipped the waiter a credit card.
Lindsay would never approve.
“You said you had a deposition in the morning.” The sooner
they got out of here, the sooner she could relax into a comfortable slouch. If
Ivan were there, he would be leaning back in the booth with a beer. They would
have laughed at all the different people and picked through the menu only to
both choose a steak with no sauce. Then later they would go back to her place
or his. He always preferred his place. In fact, she still had some clothes and
her extra toothbrush over there. Maybe later she should go over there and get
her favorite pink t-shirt.
“I do have a deposition, and you have to do some practicing
with your makeup.” He raised his eyebrows.
She swallowed down the lump in her throat at James
performing Ivan’s signature move.
The silent waiter snuck the check back in front of James.
“One day I would love to see what you do. Actually, I would love to watch a
tattoo as well.” He signed the check.
“Maybe with the case and all, it would be good idea to see
one.” Did she turn her date into a business meeting?
“Then let’s set that up.” He stood and offered her his arm.
“Shall we?”
James’ large, shining, silver German sedan stood waiting and
ready at the entrance for them. No need to wait in the light sprinkles for the
valet.
He opened the door for her and she slipped on to the plush
leather. Her dad, Carson, and Shane all drove vintage cars—cars with style but
few features. Ivan rode a motorcycle, only taking his late model SUV if he was
in dire need of something enclosed. The last time she and Ivan got stuck in the
rain on his bike, they went directly back to his place where he insisted they
warm up with a shower.
James joined her and they drove away.
The sprinkles turned into a light rain, and all the lights
down Sunset Boulevard sparkled like scattered jewels.
The man had given her a dream date, and still her mind
wandered to the one guy she wanted but would never truly have.
“Next time we go out, we need to plan it on a night where
neither of us have to work the next day.” He reached over and took her hand.
“For sure.” She stared down at their hands, but their
fingers didn’t fit together in that special way, a way she couldn’t even
describe. They needed chemistry, familiarity, what she had with Ivan. Maybe she
wasn’t trying hard enough.
He made the turn down her small street, gliding the car to a
stop in front of her apartment building. “Well, here we are.”
She froze. Though he put the car in park, he made no move to
open any doors. If memory served her correctly, a kiss would be in order, or in
the case of her more adult dates, the man asked to come inside. Ivan never
asked anymore, he assumed, but then again, she did as well. No, she craved him.
When they stole away one evening and drove down the coast for what she would
have called a date, she never cared what they did; all she wanted were those few
borrowed hours alone with him.
James turned to her. “I hope you had a good time tonight.”
Why couldn’t she be the giggling girl, wondering if the man
would ask her out again, instead of the heartsick one wanting to escape?
“I did, thank you very much.” Most likely a sock on the arm
and a high five wasn’t going to get her out of the goodnight kiss…or more. For
the first time in her life, she wished
language. From the Chef’s special tasting menu of dishes she never even knew
existed, to his family’s special wine reserve, delicacies and accompanying
garnishes she didn’t recognize and didn’t want to recognize, appeared on the
table without James ever uttering a word. The entire date, she struggled to
keep up. Emily almost wanted to ask for the kiddie menu. “I couldn’t, but thank
you.” She sat up straighter, feeling as if she were on display.
“Very well.” He raised one finger. Like magic a check
appeared and without looking at the bill, he slipped the waiter a credit card.
Lindsay would never approve.
“You said you had a deposition in the morning.” The sooner
they got out of here, the sooner she could relax into a comfortable slouch. If
Ivan were there, he would be leaning back in the booth with a beer. They would
have laughed at all the different people and picked through the menu only to
both choose a steak with no sauce. Then later they would go back to her place
or his. He always preferred his place. In fact, she still had some clothes and
her extra toothbrush over there. Maybe later she should go over there and get
her favorite pink t-shirt.
“I do have a deposition, and you have to do some practicing
with your makeup.” He raised his eyebrows.
She swallowed down the lump in her throat at James
performing Ivan’s signature move.
The silent waiter snuck the check back in front of James.
“One day I would love to see what you do. Actually, I would love to watch a
tattoo as well.” He signed the check.
“Maybe with the case and all, it would be good idea to see
one.” Did she turn her date into a business meeting?
“Then let’s set that up.” He stood and offered her his arm.
“Shall we?”
James’ large, shining, silver German sedan stood waiting and
ready at the entrance for them. No need to wait in the light sprinkles for the
valet.
He opened the door for her and she slipped on to the plush
leather. Her dad, Carson, and Shane all drove vintage cars—cars with style but
few features. Ivan rode a motorcycle, only taking his late model SUV if he was
in dire need of something enclosed. The last time she and Ivan got stuck in the
rain on his bike, they went directly back to his place where he insisted they
warm up with a shower.
James joined her and they drove away.
The sprinkles turned into a light rain, and all the lights
down Sunset Boulevard sparkled like scattered jewels.
The man had given her a dream date, and still her mind
wandered to the one guy she wanted but would never truly have.
“Next time we go out, we need to plan it on a night where
neither of us have to work the next day.” He reached over and took her hand.
“For sure.” She stared down at their hands, but their
fingers didn’t fit together in that special way, a way she couldn’t even
describe. They needed chemistry, familiarity, what she had with Ivan. Maybe she
wasn’t trying hard enough.
He made the turn down her small street, gliding the car to a
stop in front of her apartment building. “Well, here we are.”
She froze. Though he put the car in park, he made no move to
open any doors. If memory served her correctly, a kiss would be in order, or in
the case of her more adult dates, the man asked to come inside. Ivan never
asked anymore, he assumed, but then again, she did as well. No, she craved him.
When they stole away one evening and drove down the coast for what she would
have called a date, she never cared what they did; all she wanted were those few
borrowed hours alone with him.
James turned to her. “I hope you had a good time tonight.”
Why couldn’t she be the giggling girl, wondering if the man
would ask her out again, instead of the heartsick one wanting to escape?
“I did, thank you very much.” Most likely a sock on the arm
and a high five wasn’t going to get her out of the goodnight kiss…or more. For
the first time in her life, she wished
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