“No J tonight?”
“He’s with the kids. The sitter got sick.” Nyla sighs tiredly.
“I wanted to tell you two together but this will do. We’re having a baby.”
I instantly flush and Nyla’s tip-tilted eyes widen, inspecting me closer. “Oh my God!” She throws her arms around me in a tight hug. “It’s about time!” she shouts, glaring at Dane.
“No more excuses now. You two are comin’ to New York to visit.”
“I’d love to. As soon as you find me someone to take care of five kids, a dog, two cats, two parakeets, and a restaurant.”
Dane shakes his head. “My condolences.”
Nyla slaps his arm. “You’re having dinner, right?”
“We sure are.”
“Let me get you a table.” Nyla motions a young woman over, the hostess I assume. The young lady beams up at Dane. Typical.
“Save it, Denise. He’s nothin’ but trouble.” Nyla smirks, catching my eyes with a wink. “Take them to table twelve. I’m going to order the chef’s menu. Any allergies?” she asks us. I shake my head. “Great. I’ll be by later to make sure he’s behaving, Stella. I can’t wait to tell you all of the embarrassing stories I know about Dane.”
“Okay, time to break this up. Bro code, Nyla.”
She plants a hand on her shapely hip. “Do I look like a bro to you?”
“You’re an honorary member. Respect the rules,” he tells her and she swats him again. With that, the hostess leads us to our table.
As soon as she departs things get a little weird. The tension is back, the awareness that we’re no longer hiding under the pretense that we’re spending time together for the sake of the baby. And like every other date I’ve been on, I feel awkward and unsure how to proceed.
A new song comes on, the lyrics familiar while the voice singing is different.
“Jolene, by Ray LaMontagne?” I ask the very serious man sitting across from me, so intense I hardly recognize him.
His gaze is all heat and sin. The good kind, the kind that promises to keep me up at night yearning for more. My eyes veer away, across the busy dining room.
“This cover is by Eric Church…I love this song,” he says quietly. It compels me to look at him. Goose bumps break out over my arms and snake up the back of my neck.
He looks away first, to the dance floor, and my gaze follows. A few couples hold each other, barely moving to the sound, no past or present––lost in this one perfect moment.
“Wanna dance?”
He doesn’t blink. He doesn’t repeat himself. He simply waits me out, those soulful eyes trained on me as if I’m all that exists.
“I’m…you know I don’t dance.”
One side of his mouth curves up. “It’s real easy. You move your feet back and forth.”
“Don’t be an ass. I mean I’m not good at it.”
His eyes narrow, crinkling on the sides the way they do when he’s trying not to laugh or smile. Which is almost always. A beat later they soften.
He gets up from the table and holds out his hand. Without hesitation, I take it and he pulls me up, smoothly navigating us between the wait staff and tables.
For a man his size, he’s incredibly coordinated. No surprise he made a living out of it. This of course gives birth to a whole host of filthy thoughts about what else he can do with all this natural-born talent.
Guiding me onto the dance floor, he steps closer, close enough that I have to tip my head back to look at him––even in my heels.
I’m not sure how long we stand there motionless, holding hands and staring at each other. What I do know is a surge of unspoiled joy rises up in me.
“When in doubt, lean on me.” Voice heavy with emotion, the rasp is more pronounced. “I’ll take care of the rest.”
Before I can make excuses, his warmth and strength wraps around me. One large hand on my lower back. The other covering my hand over his heart. His head dips, his lips near my ear, and my breath catches.
“I knew you’d feel like this,” he murmurs, raw desire hanging on every single syllable.
Telling myself that I shouldn’t be encouraging this, whatever this is, isn’t cutting it anymore. Nothing has ever felt better. I’m so tired of denying myself because I may wind up hurt. The hurt happens anyway. Might as well enjoy the ride.
“Like how?” Breathless, the words barely carry.
Expression solemn, he takes his time answering. “Perfect in my arms.”
This isn’t one of his throwaway lines, and I have no snappy comeback, just a lump stuck in my throat and a heavy ache in my chest and the world spinning out of control.
I lean on him, wrap my arms around his waist. Eric Church sings and we sway, body to body, my head to his heart. His beautiful heart. I can feel it beating strongly under my cheek. He’s right. Leaning on him, letting him lead––this is easy.
He tilts my chin up.
“I don’t kiss on a first date,” he says with a straight face. “But I’m gonna make an exception for you, Shorty.” His lips start to lower, and my eyes flutter shut in eager anticipation.
“Well if it isn’t the prodigal son,” a woman behind me drawls in a heavy local accent.
The man that was all soft and wrapped around me a second ago goes as stiff and cold as an ice sculpture in my arms. My eyes pop open and Dane straightens to his full height, blasting the woman who spoke with enough displeasure to turn her to stone.
I look over my shoulder to find her standing on the dance floor and she is downright gorgeous. Long chestnut hair, big blue eyes, tall and greyhound thin with huge breasts. Every feature on her face perfect. My mood falls so hard and fast it lands in a graveyard.
She cocks her head and openly inspects me, flat eyes sliding from head to toe. I become statue-like too. Under her scrutiny, I can feel my hair getting bigger by the second and my ass expanding with it, quadrupling in width.
I’ve never longed for a flat iron more in my life and silently curse the hair gods that decided to give this woman a waterfall of naturally highlighted, perfectly straight hair, and me a bush.
Not bothering to feign a smile, she thrusts a bony hand at me. “I’m Brand––”
Maren Morris’s I Wish I Was comes on and drowns out whatever else she said.
“Hi Brenda, I’m Stella.” I take her hand and after a quick shake, she yanks hers back.
“It’s Brandee––with two ees,” she corrects.
Brandee with two ees doesn’t seem too pleased to make my acquaintance. Her gaze drops me and goes straight for her original target.
“I didn’t believe it when Jodie called and said you were here.”
“Believe it,” the iceman standing next to me says.
Taking my hand, he drags me away, back to the table where we find our food waiting, the chef’s tasting menu, the presentation so beautiful my mouth waters at the mere sight of it.
Undeterred by Dane’s demeanor, Brandee follows. We sit and Dane immediately digs into his food, head down, angry-eating.
As if this isn’t awkward enough, she’s presently standing next to the table with her hands on her hips and her long pink fingernails tapping on her Hermes belt.
My eyes bounce back and forth between Dane and Brandee. It doesn’t take a congressional investigation to conclude that this was once one of his women.
“Would you like to sit?” I offer. Seems only polite.
“No!” Dane shouts while Brandee responds, “Love to.”
She slides her tiny jeans-clad ass onto the booth next to Dane. He makes an annoyed face when he’s forced to slide over to make room for her. Then, before tucking back into his food, he directs his annoyed face at me, as if I’m to blame.
“How’s your daddy?”
Dane turns to Brandee with a heavy scowl. “Does everybody know?”
“Yes.”
While they go back and forth, I eat my dinner. Not exactly the date I was hoping for.
“He’s fine,?
? he barks. I’ve never seen him this curt. Needless to say, my curiosity is piqued.
Brandee’s attention makes the trip back to me. “Who are you?”
I look at Dane and find him staring right back at me. This should be interesting. When I don’t answer fast enough, Brandee’s predatory focus returns to him. At this point I’m developing a kink in my neck.
“Who is she?”
“My girlfriend,” he says, his voice calm, his eyes soft and steady on me. “We’re having a baby.” His lips curve up slightly. “We’re pregnant.” His smile grows wider.
“Baby?” Brandee repeats, her perfect features twisting in confusion.
“Yeah,” he affirms with indisputable pride in his voice.
And my heart trips over itself, stumbles and falls a little closer to love with this man, this unexpectedly selfless, smart, funny man.