“At least when it comes to food,” she said.
“A great place to start, don’t you think?” he asked, delighted that her gaze never left his face.
“Why don’t you tell me about your job? You’re good at it, that much I know from my experience.”
“I love it most of all because of the contact with people, and especially children.”
So they shared a love of children, as well. He wondered why a woman as attractive and interesting as Peggy wasn’t already married or engaged. “Yeah, you put that little boy at ease.”
“I aim to please,” she said, color rising in her cheeks. He liked a woman who blushed when complimented.
* * *
PEGGY HADN’T SPENT such a pleasant evening with anyone in a long time. Rory was so interesting to talk to, so sexy, so sweet, so everything she wanted in a man. For him to be this perfect meant he had to have a huge flaw buried somewhere. No man was this easy to talk to, this much fun to be around and not have a female attached to him. Women loved men like Rory.
She needed time to think about this, to seek Gayle Sawyer’s advice on what had to be going on. If her feelings around him were any indication, she’d just found the man of her dreams, and the search hadn’t been easy. She’d dated a lot of men with potential, but somehow the relationship always hit a snag. Either she lost interest, or she learned something about them that turned her off completely.
Of course, she didn’t have to overcome a huge secret like Gayle did, or deal with a teenage son, but still she needed to talk to someone about this. Good advice was essential before she got in too deep with what seemed like just the right man. “Will you excuse me?” she asked as the desserts arrived.
“I’ll order coffee while you’re gone,” he said. “What would you like?”
“Cream. No sugar.”
“Hey. That’s weird. Me, too,” he said, a smile on his face, the one that made her want to smile back at him until her face cracked along the smile lines.
Definitely time to take a break from this enticing man.
Once in the ladies’ room, she glanced at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were positively rosy. Her eyes were shining. She looked like a very happy woman. Yet it felt so strange, mostly because it had happened so easily, as if they were meant to be together.
She needed some helpful advice. She dialed Gayle’s number and was so relieved when her friend picked up the phone. “Gayle, it’s me, Peggy.”
“How’s your date? Don’t tell me. You’re home already because it turned out to be a bad night. I’m sorry.”
“No! Not that at all. He seems perfect...too perfect.”
“Is there such a thing?”
She propped one hip against the restroom counter. “See. That’s it. There is no such thing as a perfect man.”
“I don’t know about that. I’ve got one sitting across the table from me.”
Her friend had gotten engaged to Nate Garrison two weeks ago and was so happy it almost hurt to watch her. “You’re biased.”
“I am. So tell me more,” Gayle said.
“Like I said, he’s perfect. So perfect I’m afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Of what has to be going on beneath his gorgeous exterior. With my luck, he’s been through a horrible divorce and is looking for a shoulder to cry on.”
“Maybe...”
A woman came into the restroom and approached the sink next to Peggy. “Can you meet me for coffee tomorrow morning?”
“Sure. I’ll come in a little early and have coffee with you. Can’t wait to hear all about him.”
“I’ll tell you when I see you.” She hung up quickly, applied more lipstick, checked that her dress was fitting right over her breasts. As she adjusted her bra, she felt a sharp pinprick of pain on the side of her right breast. She loosened the bra a little and the pain eased. She opened the door and went back down the corridor toward the dining room. As she approached the door, she looked over at Rory to see that he was watching her as if she was the only woman on the planet. How sweet was that?
How much she needed to talk this over with Gayle. There was something definitely amiss. Instant happiness hadn’t happened to her ever before.
“I got him to hold our coffee until you got back,” he said as she sat down.
“That’s really nice,” she said and meant it. “I love my coffee hot.”
“I do, too.”
She sat there feeling like a...a princess. It had a lot to do with the way he looked at her, as if she was special, even beautiful. Where had this man been hiding all her life while she kissed frogs and fought off groping hands?
She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off him, only long enough to allow the waiter to place a cup of coffee beside her untouched dessert. She took a forkful of cake and sighed at the luscious chocolate flavor.
“Good or what?” Rory asked.
“What?”
“The cake. It’s delicious, isn’t it?”
“Absolutely.” She took another forkful and tried not to groan with delight.
* * *
RORY WALKED HER to her car and waited while she unlocked the door. “Thanks for tonight. I had a good time.”
She glanced up into his eyes, her expression one of interest. “I did, too.”
He wanted to reach for her, pull her into his arms and kiss the breath from her. But he wasn’t very good at this dating thing. He definitely didn’t want to blow his chances of seeing her again by doing something she didn’t like. “You know, a braver man than me would kiss you.”
“A braver man?” she asked, tilting her head back, exposing her long neck.
He wanted to touch her neck, feel her skin under his fingers. He settled for touching her shoulder. “I... I...” He leaned down to her as his fingers caressed her shoulder.
She edged closer, her sighing breath his undoing. He kissed her lips, gently and slowly. She tasted like chocolate and coffee. He wanted more, so much more. He wanted to follow her home, carry her to her bedroom and make love to her all night long. He wanted her in a way that shook him to his core. But he vowed he’d take it slow. If he had anything to say about it, they’d be spending the rest of their lives together. Whoa! You’re not ready for this.
He eased away from her, opening her door as he did so. “Maybe I’ll see you at Ned’s.”
“Maybe you will,” she said breathlessly.
He watched her get in, start her car, wave to him and drive away. Or nearly. She drove over the corner of one of the flower beds as she left the parking lot. He grinned. “I won’t tell a soul,” he said, smiling to himself.
He drove to his apartment, feeling the best he’d felt since he’d come back home. He’d needed to go out with a beautiful woman the way a fish needed water. He’d missed that in Haiti. He’d been too exhausted after each day to wish for anything more than a chance to sleep without dreaming of the desperate lives so many people in Haiti experienced.
Rory drove the three blocks to his apartment, his mind on the evening and how much he’d enjoyed it. He especially enjoyed watching Peggy drive over the flower bed. To him it meant that she was feeling as excited as he was over their time together. Or maybe she was a really bad driver... Yet her car didn’t seem to have any visible dents, no missing fenders.
He