“It’s perfect.You don’t get to go out much, and I can’t remember the last time I had a date, so I thought it would be fun to have a big dinner.I’m sure that you’ll have as much fun as I will.”He got out when the door opened.Then, when he put his hand to help her out, she felt like a faerie princess.“Here we go.And something I’ve wanted to do since you first opened the door is to kiss you.Wouldthat be all right with you?”
Nodding, he leaned in and kissed her with just a brush of his lips over hers.Then, when he deepened the kiss, she held onto him so that she wouldn’t fall.When he lifted his head but didn’t let her go, she was glad for the extra support.He smiled at her, and she smiled back.There was something very charming about Penrod, and she was glad that she’d gone out with him.
They had a wonderful time.When he ordered for the two of them something that she would normally hate, she couldn’t believe that he’d gotten it so perfect.Even to have her dressing put on the side.Once their appetizers came to the table, they sat close enough that she could touch him.It was the best night she’d ever had, and she was going to enjoy it to the very end.
“That was magnificent.I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a meal so much as I did this one.”She told him that she had fun as well.“I’m sure you would like to tell me what the staff did wrong, but I don’t think I want to know.It was perfection as far as I’m concerned.”
“It really was.I didn’t notice the staff at all, which is what you want to do when you’re eating at fine dining like this.And the food was amazing.I loved the grilled salmon.They have it at work sometimes, but I’ve never been able to afford it for my half-price meal.”
“That place sounds like a terrible place to work nowadays.”She said that it had paid the bills.“I talked to Axel about you.He said you were smart and savvy, and when he went to represent you for something, you had it all lined up so that it didn’t take him very long.He didn’t tell me what he was representing you about, he’d never do that, but he did say you saved him a lot of time.”
“I had read up on him to see if he was trustworthy.”She looked around the restaurant and then back at Penrod.She trusted him for some reason.“I won the lottery about six months ago.The biggest one in history.”He whistled.
“If I remember correctly, only one ticket was sold.”She nodded and told him that she always played the same numbers and had won.“Congratulations.So you did it so that no one would know it was you.I’m betting that you’ve not told anyone else but me that you’ve won either.Not even your mom.”
“Never her.She’d have me broke in no time.I don’t trust her with my home either.”She’d never said that aloud before.“She’s forever borrowing money from me and not paying me back.I know that thirty billion sounds like a lot of money, but I have plans for it.I’m going to wait a year and buy myself a new car.I’ve never had one of those before.Then a house.”
“I just bought myself a house the other day.It’s a heady feeling.”She said that she was waiting until the speculation died down.“For that much money, it might take a while.Is that why you didn’t want your mom in your place after we left?You don’t trust her.”
“I know that sounds horrible, but I don’t.She’ll have everyone she knows hitting me up for some cash.Not to mention she’ll be wanting me to finance everything she does from now on.I didn’t work hard for that money, but I’ve worked hard in not to let anyone else know.You’re the only person that I’ve told besides your brother.”
“Thank you for having that kind of trust in me.”He asked her a few questions about the money, always careful that there was no one around them when he did.She told him how she wanted to invest her money because she knew that in order to have it, she was going to have to make sure that something was going to be coming in forever.“I’m sure you understand that people will find out if you’re not careful.I’m glad to see that you’ve been smart with your money so far.But if you want to invest in things, I’ve been doing it for a while now, and I’ve gotten really good.I could teach you how to make your money work for you.”
“I have a feeling that I’m going to be working harder at being wealthy than I ever did as being a waitress.”He told her that it was hard work.“I figured as much.I just want to bask in the glory of having enough money that I won’t have to worry about paying my rent or having food in the house.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about that for a while now.Just be careful.There are all kinds of people out there who would take advantage of you.I thank you for trusting me, but just be careful from now on.”They talked about investments for a little while, and she was glad to know that she’dnot been screwing up by going slow.“And I don’t know if anyone told you this, hire yourself an accountant, but don’t allow him access to your money.Sign all your own checks so that you can know where your money is going.”
“Axel said that same thing.”When he took her home, she was hoping for a good night’s kiss before he left.When he pulled her into his arms, she decided that dating someone was kind of fun.She had to find a job soon, but she might date more often than she’d been doing before.Which wasn’t saying much; she hardly dated at all.
~*~
The kiss was more than he hoped for.Her taste seemed to call to him, and when he pulled away, her soft moan was beautiful to his ears.As he was dipping his head for another kiss, something occurred to him.She could be the one.Pulling away, he looked down at her upturned face and decided he wasn’t ready.
“I should go.”She asked him what he’d said.“I have to go.I have to work in the morning, and I don’t want to be late.I have to go.”
He left her standing there when he got into his car and drove away.Even as he was pulling into his own driveway at the condo, he realized that he wasn’t ready for any kind of commitment.He’d only just gotten his house, and he’d not slept in it yet.Why would he want to date someone who was going to move in with him and take over?He didn’t want that.
Going to his room, he took a shower.He just wasn’t ready for her.His clothing smelled like her, and he didn’t care for it.After putting his suit in the bag to be dry cleaned, he pulled on his sweats and went to the kitchen.There were things there that he could do, and he started wiping down the counters.There was no way that he was going to fall in love so quickly when he’d just gotten things the way that he liked them.
He was cleaning out his refrigerator when the sun was coming up.He was cleaning his ketchup bottle when it occurred to him that he’d been up all night.Putting the things back into the fridge, he couldn’t think of a single thing that he’d thought of all night other than that he’d gotten his kitchen cleaner than he thought that it had ever been.Just as he was going to take another shower, he tried to think why he’d done such a thing and couldn’t for the life of him reason why he’d deep-cleaned his kitchen like he was going to be having surgery in the place.
Getting ready for work, he kept his mind on the task at hand.Putting on his socks, then his pants.Putting his belt through the loops one at a time, then zipping his pants up.Once he got the button done up the way it was supposed to be, he fixed his belt.Sitting down on the side of the bed, he tried to think what was wrong with him.
“It was her.”He thought about who the her would have been, and he blamed his manic movements on Lori.“She isnt going to be my wife no matter what.I have to get myself in order before I can get her in my life.”
Going to work, he had to stop three times before he rear-ended someone.His mind wasn’t on his job, and he had to pull over and take several deep breaths before he felt like he could drive again.This was just stupid.He’d never felt this way about a woman before and didn’t understand why now.He wanted to blame it on his brother for putting such thoughts in his head, but he knew that it was all on the woman.Lori.She’d made him fall for her, and he wasn’t going to have it.
For the rest of the day at work, he seemed to be in a fog.Everyone at the stationhouse, including his brothers, asked him what was going on.It was Audon who acted like there was something wrong with him when he came by to drop off his keys.Then Axel came by to ask about his date.That was when he lost his cool.
“It was a date.No big deal.She’s not my type.”He said that he just asked.“Well, I don’t need for you to be checking up on me when I go out with a woman.It was just a date, nothing more.I doubt that I’ll ask her again.She wasn’t the type that I usually go out with.”
“Good for you.You might want to take it down a couple of notches, as you sound like a man who is protesting too much.So what happened?”He said that he didn’t want to talk about his date.Itwas nothing.“Nothingthat has you twisted up.What did she do, tell you about her winnings?Is that what has you in a tizzy?”
“She told me about it.I don’t know why she trusted me.I don’t think that we’ll go out again.In fact, Gilman wants to ask her out, and I think I’m going to tell him to go for it.She’s a nice girl and all, but not my type.”He pointed out that he’d said that three times now.“Well, it’s true.She’s not the type of woman that I go out with, and I’ll never see her again.She’s nice, like I said, but I’m not going to ask her out again.”
“I get it.She’s not your type, and you’re not going to ask her out again.Why are you so set on that?Something happened, and I intend to find out what it was.”He told his brother that nothing had happened.He’d taken her out, then took her home.“Did you at least walk her to her door and make sure she got in all right?I mean, you didn’t allow her to go into her home by herself, did you?”
“She’s a big girl.She can handle going into her home alone.”He hadn’t, and he felt terrible about it.“I should have seen her to the door, but I was upset about something.Nothing to do with her, but I had it in my head that she wasn’t the one for me and that I shouldn’t have kissed her.”
