demeanor that she felt coming over her as her blood pressure rose.
Really. She knew men weren’t beating down her door to ask her out, but this was a new and humiliating low.
He studied her intently with his soulful dark eyes and her heart nearly beat right out of her chest. She opened her mouth to tell him ‘No, thanks.’ To tell him where he could put his forced dinner, and all his über-delicious pastries while he was at it. To tell him she didn’t find him the teensy-eensiest bit attractive, that her body didn’t thrum with electricity whenever he was within ten feet, that he hadn’t complicated her life by a thousand-fold . . . but his words stopped her cold.
“You look beautiful, by the way. I forgot to tell you that this morning.” He smiled shyly. “Like a perfect white orchid.”
And just like that, she was a goner. Stupid her.
Naomi managed to slip out on her pseudo-date without Vi knowing because Sam had already swooped her off for a romantic night of Bingo.
As she drove to meet Eli at the appointed time in front of the diner, she wondered just how much of a “date” this dinner really was. She glanced down at her outfit. She’d exchanged her white sundress for a gauzy peasant skirt and form-fitting emerald blouse. Was that overkill? He’d only mentioned getting together to finish their festival discussion.
She pulled up and he was waiting for her in the same drool-worthy outfit he had on earlier. He sauntered up to her door and she rolled down the window.
The scent of him—soap, a subtle woodsy aftershave, baked goods—drifted into the car as he leaned in. “Hello.”
She inhaled. “Hi.”
“I was beginning to worry you wouldn’t come.”
She glanced at the dash clock. She wasn’t late. “Really? Why?”
His eyes never left hers. “Because I’d angered you. I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t make me mad.” Well, maybe a little, but she got over it. Hurt and embarrassed was more like it. Again, she got over it. Especially as she anticipated spending an evening looking at him.
He reached over and brushed his thumb across her cheek. Quicker than she could react, he drew it back and inspected his finger. “Something on your face. Got it.”
Her fingers traced the spot that was still warm and tingly from his touch. “Oh.”
He smiled. “Shall we?”
“Shall we?”
“Go to dinner?”
“Dinner.” She shook her head once to clear it. “Right. Sounds good.”
He stepped back to wait for her to step out. When she didn’t, he peered at her quizzically. “Aren’t you coming?”
“The diner?”
“Well, it’s just about the only place to eat around here and I don’t have a car to drive anywhere else, so . . .” He shrugged apologetically.
She grimaced. “There’s a great little steak place the next town over. Hop in.”
His face lit up like the Fourth of July as he ran to jump in the passenger’s seat. “Thank you.” He grinned at her. “That is the one thing Sharla has limited me on preparing, and I have to say I’ve been dreaming of a good steak.”
She backed up into traffic and laughed. “Glad I can be of service.”
They drove in silence for a while, Eli staring out the window like he was seeing Arizona for the first time. She suddenly realized how little she really knew about him. “So, where are you from?”
He glanced at her, startled, almost as if he didn’t know how to answer the question. But as she averted her eyes back to the road, she wondered if she had imagined it. He shifted in his seat. “Here and there. But I just moved from New York.”
“Wow. I’ve always wanted to visit New York. What’s it like?”
“Crowded. Loud.”
She shot him a quick glance. Somehow she’d known, or at least suspected those things, but she’d expected him to extol the virtues of his home state. Surely there was something good he could share with her.
When he didn’t continue, she frowned. “That’s it?”
He turned thoughtful. “Sometimes. But
Really. She knew men weren’t beating down her door to ask her out, but this was a new and humiliating low.
He studied her intently with his soulful dark eyes and her heart nearly beat right out of her chest. She opened her mouth to tell him ‘No, thanks.’ To tell him where he could put his forced dinner, and all his über-delicious pastries while he was at it. To tell him she didn’t find him the teensy-eensiest bit attractive, that her body didn’t thrum with electricity whenever he was within ten feet, that he hadn’t complicated her life by a thousand-fold . . . but his words stopped her cold.
“You look beautiful, by the way. I forgot to tell you that this morning.” He smiled shyly. “Like a perfect white orchid.”
And just like that, she was a goner. Stupid her.
Naomi managed to slip out on her pseudo-date without Vi knowing because Sam had already swooped her off for a romantic night of Bingo.
As she drove to meet Eli at the appointed time in front of the diner, she wondered just how much of a “date” this dinner really was. She glanced down at her outfit. She’d exchanged her white sundress for a gauzy peasant skirt and form-fitting emerald blouse. Was that overkill? He’d only mentioned getting together to finish their festival discussion.
She pulled up and he was waiting for her in the same drool-worthy outfit he had on earlier. He sauntered up to her door and she rolled down the window.
The scent of him—soap, a subtle woodsy aftershave, baked goods—drifted into the car as he leaned in. “Hello.”
She inhaled. “Hi.”
“I was beginning to worry you wouldn’t come.”
She glanced at the dash clock. She wasn’t late. “Really? Why?”
His eyes never left hers. “Because I’d angered you. I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t make me mad.” Well, maybe a little, but she got over it. Hurt and embarrassed was more like it. Again, she got over it. Especially as she anticipated spending an evening looking at him.
He reached over and brushed his thumb across her cheek. Quicker than she could react, he drew it back and inspected his finger. “Something on your face. Got it.”
Her fingers traced the spot that was still warm and tingly from his touch. “Oh.”
He smiled. “Shall we?”
“Shall we?”
“Go to dinner?”
“Dinner.” She shook her head once to clear it. “Right. Sounds good.”
He stepped back to wait for her to step out. When she didn’t, he peered at her quizzically. “Aren’t you coming?”
“The diner?”
“Well, it’s just about the only place to eat around here and I don’t have a car to drive anywhere else, so . . .” He shrugged apologetically.
She grimaced. “There’s a great little steak place the next town over. Hop in.”
His face lit up like the Fourth of July as he ran to jump in the passenger’s seat. “Thank you.” He grinned at her. “That is the one thing Sharla has limited me on preparing, and I have to say I’ve been dreaming of a good steak.”
She backed up into traffic and laughed. “Glad I can be of service.”
They drove in silence for a while, Eli staring out the window like he was seeing Arizona for the first time. She suddenly realized how little she really knew about him. “So, where are you from?”
He glanced at her, startled, almost as if he didn’t know how to answer the question. But as she averted her eyes back to the road, she wondered if she had imagined it. He shifted in his seat. “Here and there. But I just moved from New York.”
“Wow. I’ve always wanted to visit New York. What’s it like?”
“Crowded. Loud.”
She shot him a quick glance. Somehow she’d known, or at least suspected those things, but she’d expected him to extol the virtues of his home state. Surely there was something good he could share with her.
When he didn’t continue, she frowned. “That’s it?”
He turned thoughtful. “Sometimes. But
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