“So, the white picket fence and two point five babies?”
She shakes her head. “Not necessarily. A high-rise condo in London or a shack on a beach in Tahiti—it’s all the same to me as long as the man I’m with loves me unconditionally. And I refuse to settle.”
Wow, she’s sweeter than sweet and cuter than…almost anything. Too bad I’m not anyone’s knight in shining armor. “Bet your mom will take issue with the hut in Tahiti,” I quip, grinning down at her.
“I’m an adult, though she always reminds me I live under her roof.”
“Not when you’re in college, though.”
She sighs. “I commute every day. She wouldn’t let me live on campus.”
“Damn, honey, that sounds awful. Are you a senior?”
“A junior. So, a little over a year until I’m free.”
“Then what?”
“Then I’m going to walk up to the first cute guy I see and kiss him.”
I laugh. I can’t help it. “How come?”
She blushes again. “I have to start somewhere and I’ve never kissed anyone before.”
My mouth nearly falls open. “But…”
“I know. Believe me. It’s just never been worth the hassle. Teenage boys were…gross. I tried once during a game of spin the bottle and it was not worth risking my mother’s wrath. And now that my dad’s a senator, well, I never know what a guy’s intentions are. I want my first kiss to be for me, not them. I don’t know if that makes sense.”
Holy shit. A sweet, smart, sheltered little virgin. I’m falling in love right here on the dance floor.
“I’m a little surprised, but it makes total sense.”
“I was embarrassed my father asked you here tonight to be a kind of unofficial date for me, but I’m glad now. You’re not what I was expecting.”
“I had no idea you father had an ulterior motive, but you’re not what I was expecting either. And I’m glad too. Want to get a glass of wine?”
“Absolutely.”
We talk and dance for the next couple of hours. She’s the kind of woman who makes me wish I’m not leaving for the Middle East in a couple of days. My job in intelligence is going to take me all over the world, and I’m the last guy a girl like her needs. I indulge in a momentary fantasy, though, imagining being the man of her dreams.
Because she’s special.
A delightful breath of fresh air that makes me yearn a little.
Just a little.
“It’s almost midnight,” she says, bringing me back to the present.
“What happens at midnight? Do you turn into a pumpkin?”
“Mother says nothing good ever happens after midnight, so a lady should take her leave.”
This time I roll my eyes. “Your mother is a pain in my ass.”
“You have no idea.”
We laugh together, but I grab her hand. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?” she asks, allowing me to pull her toward the exit.
