Keith wasn’t sure it was as important as Stacy not thinking he was a weirdo, but it wasn’t worth arguing, either. “I’m not usually this bad,” he promised her. “I also haven’t usually met a woman who’s knocked me off my feet.”
“Oh?” Stacy looked bland as she swirled up a forkful of linguine. “Who’s that?”
He stared at her, and she burst out laughing. “Come on, you could have gone for a Samson and Delilah thing with the haircut, and you just took ‘knocked you off your feet?’ I had to give you a little grief.”
Keith lifted a hand to his hair, and the antler headband. She had no idea how right she was, in a way, about having cut away his strength. “Dang it, you’re right. Can I get a do-over?”
“Nope. It was right there and you walked past it, so I’m going to take that as meaning that you don’t think of me as the sort of woman who would betray you. I also don’t think of myself as someone who will betray you, so we’re all on the same page. And last I knew, you were starving, and this is delicious, so let’s eat.”
See? Keith said to the stag.She’s on our side.
I know,the stag said mournfully.But I still want to be beautiful for her.
“Yeah.” Keith spoke aloud, smiling ruefully and trying to choose his words so they made sense both to the stag and the wonderful woman across the table from him. “Yeah, I get that. Okay. Let’s eat.”
CHAPTER9
Keith Raleigh really was an odd duck, but he was also the sweetest guy Stacy had met in years. After watching him eateverything, including the entire garlic bread reindeer and four cannolis, she reached for her wallet to pay for her own dinner. Keith said, “Oh, please, no, let me, I’d feel like an ass if I didn’t, after what I subjected you to,” and she agreed with a laugh.
So he’d paid for their dinner, the dinner he’d accidentally ruined, a bottle of wine for the parents of the ruined-dinner family, and left literally several hundred dollars in tip money, with an explanation to the waitress that however much the guy’s shoes cost, that should come out of the tip money, and the rest should be split between everybody who had to clean up the mess he’d made.
“You can come back and make a mess any time,” the waitress promised him after a glance at the tip. “But you have to wear the headband.”
He put his hand to the antlers, visibly dismayed, and both Stacy and the waitress laughed. The woman said, “You’ve got yourself a good one there,” and although Stacy wasn’t sure she could quite claim him as hers, she still nodded a happy agreement.
“That wasn’t exactly the first date I’d had planned,” Keith admitted as they walked out through new-falling snow. “I’m sorry about…well, all of it.”
“No, don’t be. I don’t think anybody could have handled the aftermath better. Especially buying the waiter new shoes. That was really nice of you.”
“Let’s just hope he wasn’t wearing limited edition Air Jordans or something.”
Stacy held up a palm, circling her hand in the air in a full-stop motion. “Anybody wearing limited edition Jordans while working at a restaurant deserves whatever happens to them. I will hear no arguments.”
She had, in fact, come to a full stop herself as she made the gesture. Apparently it was effective. They were also at the end of the restaurant’s driveway, which meant a decision had to be made. She wasn’tquiteready to invite Keith home yet, but she also didn’t entirely want to end the evening.
He solved the problem by saying, “Can I walk you home?”
Her chest filled with lightness. Stacy had the impulse to stomp it all back down, grinch-like, but she felt too bubbly. “That would be great.” The new snow squeaked under their feet as they turned away from town, heading up the street toward her house. “So how long are you in town for?”
Keith looked completely startled. “Oh. Wow, you know what, I haven’t thought about going back down to Jersey since I met you. I’m here through the New Year, but I’m really only in the office two days a week now anyway, what with, you know, everything. I can put off going back a little while longer. Huh. Wow. I’m gonna have to…think about how all that’s gonna work.”
That bubbling feeling rose in her chest again. Equally nervous and hopeful, she said, “How what’s all going to work?”
He turned to her in the snow, flakes landing on his antlers and glittering briefly in his hair. “How living five hours away is going to work out with dating you, obviously.” Sudden alarm widened his eyes. “Unless tonight was so much of a disaster you’re only being polite when you asked me to walk you home—”
“I didn’t,” Stacy pointed out. “You offered.”
Keith’s eyes widened even further. “Oh, God, no, please don’t tell me you were just being polite? I mean, definitely do tell me, I don’t want to overstep, but—”
She put her hand on his arm. Even through his fluffy winter coat she could feel the strength of his biceps, and for a moment couldn’t think of anything except how wonderful being held in those strong arms would be. Before her imagination ran away with her entirely, she said, “No, I wasn’t being polite. I wanted you to walk me home. And tonight was the most interesting first date I’ve ever had.”
Keith winced with his whole body. “‘Interesting’ isn’t usually what I’m going for on a date.”
“Well, too bad. I’m not giving you a do-over. You’ll just have to see what comes of a second date.”
“After tonight I’m amazed you’re willing to go out with me again, but very grateful.”
“On one hand, I see your point. On the other, again: the most interesting first date I’ve ever had. That’s got to be worth something.” Stacy smiled up at him as they reached her driveway, and tilted her head toward the house. “This is me.”
