“You’ll be fine. You know, if you survive your nervousness and make it all the way until six.” Beverly gave her a quick side hug and turned and headed away, shaking her head.
Beverly was probably right. They’d have a good time tonight and all this nervousness would be for nothing. Right?
CHAPTER16
Dale stood in front of the mirror hanging over his dresser, adjusting the unruly collar of his blue button-down shirt. His aunt used to say this shirt brought out the color of his eyes. Did it? He stared at his reflection for a moment, undecided. Then he frowned, wondering if he should wear something more casual than this shirt. He could roll up the sleeves. That would give it a more casual look. He unbuttoned the cuffs and flipped up the sleeves, carefully rolling them up a couple of times. There, that looked better. Didn’t it? Or did it?
“It’s just dinner at Magic Cafe, not some kind of formal gala like the one over in Moonbeam when The Cabot Hotel had its grand opening. Get over yourself.” He shook his head as he left the bedroom, glancing at his watch. Still too early to head over to Maxine’s.
He picked up his wallet and keys and paced the floor, watching the minutes tick away on the clock. Nervousness swelled through him. The evening loomed ahead with a definite feeling of severe importance. The next step in his relationship with Maxine. A make-it-or-break-it night.
He admitted he had to caution himself around her, always afraid he was going to step on her toes. She so desperately wanted to make it on her own, fiercely guarding her independence. He got that. He did. He just didn’t want to make a misstep. Especially when their relationship was so new.
Could he overthink this evening any more? The question hung in the empty room.
He grabbed the bouquet of flowers he’d gotten for Maxine and questioned that decision, too. It was a simple bouquet, nothing elegant or fancy, but their bright colors had caught his attention when he’d seen them in the window of the general store.
He stepped outside and took a deep breath, looking across the courtyard to Maxine’s door. He counted his steps as he crossed the distance. One. Two. Three…
“For Pete’s sake. Get over yourself,” he scolded himself under his breath. “It’s just a date.”
But tonight was different. A date. A subtle shift in their relationship. That must be why he felt so nervous. He climbed the steps to the guest house and heard the sound of music coming from inside. It sounded like classical music. Huh. That was something he didn’t know about her. Her taste in music. How much did he really know about her, anyway? But wasn’t this date a step in the direction of getting to know her better?
Grasping the flowers tightly, he lifted his hand and knocked, the sound much louder than he intended. He shifted back, anticipating her opening the door…
* * *
Maxine startled at the sound of the knock. Was it six already? She finished closing the clasp on her necklace and took one last look in the mirror. At her—what was it—third change of clothes?
Shaking her head at her indecision, she crossed to the door and opened it. Dale stood in the doorway, his hair still damp from a shower, wearing a crisp blue shirt that brought out the blue of his eyes. Did guys ever notice stuff like that?
“Hi, I brought you these.” He thrust a bouquet of colorful flowers toward her.
“Thank you, they’re beautiful. Come inside while I put them in a vase.”
He followed her over to the kitchen, and she found a mason jar and filled it with water. She carefully arranged the blooms—were her hands shaking?—and set the jar on the table. “There, that looks nice.” She pulled her hands back and twisted the bracelet on her wrist. Twice.
“It does.” He nodded.
“They’re pretty.” So much small talk, but she couldn’t quite mask the nervousness in her voice.
“I was hoping you’d like them. I wasn’t sure if guys still brought things like flowers when they picked a woman up for a date. I guess it’s old-fashioned.” His eyes darted over to the arrangement, then back to her.
“I love them. It was very thoughtful.”
Tension crackled between them in the ensuing silence.
“I guess?—”
“We should probably?—”
They both laughed. “You go first,” Dale said.
“I was just saying we should probably go.”
“You ready for our big adventure to Magic Cafe?”
“Adventure. I like that word better than… date.” She laughed sheepishly. “I’ve worked myself up into quite a state worrying about this date with you. It’s been a really long time since I’ve been on one.”
