She wore tight black leather pants, high-heeled black leather boots, and a white shirt that lay off her shoulders and drifted down to somewhere beyond her hips. She’d pulled her hair to the side and secured it with a black ribbon covered in little white polka-dots. Silver hoop earrings hung from her ears.
“Hi,” she said with a smile. “Ready?”
“Uh, yeah. I think so.” She smiled. He took another step back and made a bow while gesturing toward his car. “Your chariot.”
She used the key to bolt the door. Three steps down the walk, she said, “Wait!” He expected her to run inside and grab something, but instead she checked the door, used the key to unlock it then lock it again, and tested the door one more time.
Witnessing this, he realized he’d have to dissect that later. Right now, he didn’t want anything distracting him.
As they walked down her drive, he looked down at her. “You look amazing.”
Her eyes skimmed the black shirt that he’d left unbuttoned at the collar and his charcoal gray pants. “You do, too. It’s like we coordinated on purpose.”
“Must be some kind of telepathic communication.” He’d considered wearing jeans, not wanting to overdress, but had changed clothes at the last minute. Now he was really glad he’d changed. He opened the car door for her and waited for her to get settled into the seat before closing it. As he walked around the front of the car, he took a deep, calming breath and let it out just as he got to his side.
He felt steady as he slipped into the car. Backing out of her driveway, he asked, “Have you ever been to a restaurant opening?”
“Uh, no, actually. I don’t even know what to expect.” He left her neighborhood as she said, “You know, I think the last time we were alone in a car was the night of your senior prom.”
The smell of her filled the car. It made him think of sun-ripened strawberries. His mind flashed back twelve years. She’d worn a bright blue, sleeveless dress with a sequined top and a long, flowing chiffon skirt. A silver clip had secured her hair in a twist on the top of her head, leaving her shoulders bare. He remembered how smooth her skin had looked and how nervous he’d felt all night long.
Refusing to let that same nervousness invade tonight, he just chuckled and glanced at her. “Did you have fun that night?”
“I’ll never forget it. It felt so good to be back in the fold like that. I can’t tell you what it meant to me. I know you could have asked anyone to prom, and you picked me. It meant the world at the time.”
“Valerie,” he said, very softly, “I didn’t want to ask anyone but you.” He glanced in her direction and saw her watching him. “I’d planned to ask you to prom from the moment I knew what a prom was. Maybe I was ten. I don’t really remember.”
“That long, huh?” Her laughter filled the car. “I think that was about the time you asked me to marry you.”
His grin came quick. “So, you do remember. Actually, we were eight.”
Putting a hand over her heart, she said with an exaggerated drawl, “How could I forget a marriage proposal from one of the Dixon Brothers?”
Even though he laughed, he couldn’t help but think about how she still grouped him with his brothers. “I meant what I said, too, with all the seriousness that an eight-year-old could muster,” he said dryly.
“I’m sure.” Her laughter filled the car.
“As I recall, you accepted so I guess we’ve been engaged for twenty years now.”
“Where’s my ring?”
They chatted about childhood memories and the prom for several minutes, both of them laughing almost continuously. Valerie pressed her palms to her cheeks and leaned back against her seat. “I needed to laugh like that,” she said as the conversation died down.
“Me, too.” He tried to remember when he’d laughed for so long. In a way, he felt a little sad that they were almost to the restaurant. He would love to freeze this time with her smiling and relaxed.
“Brad, what did you mean by a romantic date?”
He slowed as he approached the parking lot of the restaurant, spotting the entrance for the valet. As he idled and waited in line for their turn at the valet stand, he glanced over at her. “I’m not sure I understand your question.”
She toyed with the edge of her shirt, rubbing it against the leather fabric of her pants. She did not look up at him. “I mean, why did you ask me on a date?”
“Because, Valerie Flynn,” he said as he pulled up to the door and put the car in park, “I wanted to take you out. I wanted to takeyouout on a date withme.”
The valet opened her door before he could finish his thought. He slid out of the car and took the offered claim ticket, joining Valerie at her side of the car. He put a hand on her arm and stepped a little closer. “I’ve always wanted to date you. I’ve never pretended otherwise.”
“You dated other girls, Brad.”
Brad’s eyebrows shot up. “Like who? No, I didn’t. I’ve never went out with anyone except you.”
