“That’s what we are doing.” She giggled, a sound so rare I barely recognised it.
“No. Properly dancing. To a club.”
“But…”
“What are your reasons not to?”
“You’re my employee. I’m your boss. I have to change…”. The third reason told me that the first two weren’t so important.
“You’re fine as you are. I need to change, but I have spares here. Let’s go for an hour then I’ll take you home.”
She looked at me, her body still moving to the music. “Okay.”
It sounded as if she’d just undergone some huge battle in her head at making that choice.
“So it’s a date?” There was nothing like pushing my fucking luck.
“A date?”
I remembered what Sophie had said. “I’m taking a pretty girl out dancing. I think I’d like that to be a date.”
“But I’m your boss?”
“You don’t have a no dating policy in your restaurants.” I knew this to be true given that at least three couples worked for her and flings weren’t uncommon in this industry. “And I’m not the sort of man who feels threatened by the fact a woman is more successful than him, or richer or has more power. And right now, you’re a fucking gorgeous woman in my arms and I want to keep you there for a little longer.”
Her smile twisted something in me. “I never put you down as a sweet talker.”
“Is that a yes to our date?”
“It isn’t a date.”
“If it makes you feel better it doesn’t have to be a date.” But it was. In my mind it was a date. Even if all we did was grab a drink at the bar and didn’t even dance, it would be a victory in my mind because I’d managed to persuade her out of her comfort zone and away from work. It would be a date. One to remember.
“I should change.”
“We can stop by yours on the way if you want, but you look…” I studied her, aware of the places I was staring and trying not to be so obvious.
“I would rather feel fresher. I know two dances in and I’ll be sweating like a pig in summer, but…Do you mind?”
I shook my head. “If I can get changed at yours that’s easy. Then we’ll hit this Cuban place. It’s pretty much a shack but it’s good.” It wasn’t far from where she lived, down a side street a few blocks away and it had a good Wednesday night crowd that were regulars. Given that Wednesday was the one night when I had pretty much always been guaranteed a babysitter for Lauren, I’d learned where I could go to chill out and relax.
“Sure.” She gave me a look that I read as being similar to the ones I’d been giving her and I felt my skin grow goose bumps.
This wasn’t one sided. Whatever attraction I had started to discover towards her wasn’t just one way.
“Let’s go. I have keys.”
She gave a nod that was barely perceptible. “All sorted for tomorrow?”
“I have a day off. Lauren has a show tomorrow night so I’m required to watch. Dad duties.” I headed to the staff room to grab the change of clothes I kept there. There was nothing attractive about chef’s whites after gutting fish in them.
“What’s the show?”
“Sleeping Beauty. She’s the lead. Which was a relief, because the other girl up for the part has been her arch enemy since they were five. If she had got it, I wouldn’t have heard the end of it.” I’d rarely said much about Lauren at work. Keeping the two separate was important, or it had been. I’d worked for a restaurant owner in the past that had found the fact I was a single dad a problem, as if it would hinder my ability to work. I didn’t stay there long, but it did stop me from talking about my daughter.
“I had that role once. Just a dance school production. Before I got boobs.” She glanced down at the them.
My eyes followed.
