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“Nancy Parsons. The star of Sultry Suburbs.” She shook her head. “But she wasn’t here today.”
“And you know her?”
“Well – yes. She was a few years below me at school.”
“Then call her. Tell her. She’s from Marietta, isn’t she? She didn’t come back here to be embarrassed. I imagine she came back here to show people how well she’s done.”
Lisa stopped for a second and took a few breaths. They could see the floor now. The bridal store was finally starting to look tidy again. There were still a few pieces of bridal underwear adorning chairs and counters but he didn’t really feel like retrieving all those.
Lisa nodded slowly. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I just couldn’t believe it when two grown women started acting like a pair of brats. It took me a few moments to actually get my head around it.” She glanced at her watch and realization swept her face. “Oh, Adam. I’m sorry. We’re late for dinner.”
He smiled and shook his head. “I think we’ll be okay. I don’t expect the Long River Cookhouse to be so busy we can’t get in.” He paused for a second. “Are you sure you still want to go?”
She looked around. “Of course I still want to go. But this place is still a mess.” She looked down at herself. “And I haven’t even got changed yet.”
He stepped forward, close enough to put a hand on her hip. “You’re getting changed?” She was wearing a black skirt and slim-fitting black shirt. The look was…professional.
She nodded and tipped her head towards him, looking kind of rueful. “I brought a black dress to wear to dinner.”
“A black dress?” He couldn’t wipe the smile from his face.
“Yep.”
He held out his hands around him. “How about you pick something else to wear?” He took a few steps towards another rail. These dresses weren’t full length. There was a whole variety of colors and style. He lifted up a strapless knee length red dress. “How about this one? This color would look gorgeous on you.”
Her instant reaction was to pull back a little then she stepped forward and touched the fabric. Like all her dresses it was gorgeous.
“Adam, are you trying to tell me what to wear?” There was a tiny edge to her voice.
She was standing right next to him. Shoulder to shoulder. He rested his hand at the bottom of her back. “I want you to wear whatever you feel comfortable in. If that’s the black dress you’ve got hidden somewhere then I’m sure you will be gorgeous in it.” He gave a little shrug. “I’ve just never seen you in anything colorful. How do you feel about breaking a habit?”
She threw back her head and laughed. “After today? That’s not all I could break.” She reached over and grabbed the dress. “You know what? I’ll give this a try. I might hate it. But if I don’t try, I’ll never know.”
She disappeared behind one of the curtains. Adam walked slowly around the salon. It was bigger than he’d expected, with a huge amount of bouffant white and cream dresses. Everywhere he looked there was sparkle, flounce and lace. On an old-fashioned coat stand in the corner was a whole host of glittering veils. A shelf on the wall held a multitude of tiaras and on another, a whole variety of shoes and sandals. He gave a little smile. This shop was really every guy’s nightmare.
He’d never really bought into the old wedding day fiasco. A few women he’d dated could have spent his million dollars on a wedding alone. But Lisa’s shop held a little more than wedding products. On a white noticeboard she had lots of photos of happy brides – who he expected, were all wearing her dresses. He moved closer to take a look. He had to be fair. There wasn’t a bad bride amongst them.
A hand reached up and touched his shoulder. Lisa was right behind him. She leaned around a little. “That’s Sage Carrigan. And that’s Bailey Jenkins, she got married in October, then there’s Payton Hollis and McKenna Douglas.” She gave a little laugh. “McKenna decided to change her dress up a little. But they’ve all come here for their dresses. I love having pictures up of brides in dresses I’ve helped them choose. Every one of them is beautiful.”
Adam gave a little nod. It was odd but he could see exactly what she meant. The brides didn’t just look happy. They glowed. Adam gave a shudder and a little laugh. This wasn’t him at all.
He spun around and his breath caught in his throat. Lisa Renee was beautiful in black. Professional, somber it did suit her. But in red…she was a knockout. The color enhanced her skin tone, darkened her hair and made her eyes stand out even more.
“You should wear red every day,” he said quietly.
She looked down, obviously still a little unsure. “You think? I don’t know. It just seems so…so…,”
“So what?” He was amused. The color was making her self-conscious – even though she didn’t need to be.
She smiled again. “So…out there,” she finished.
He spun her around towards the free-standing mirror. “Well, I think you look perfect.” He crooked his elbow towards her. “Let’s go. Long River Cookhouse awaits.”
*
The two mile journey didn’t take long and Adam was a careful driver. She should have expected that from a doctor really. But she was finding it difficult to relax and kept tugging at her red dress as it crept up her thighs while sitting in the car.
The sound of melodic tunes met them as they pulled into the parking lot. The cookhouse was one of the classiest places around. Plate-glass windows overlooking Marietta River, a permanent piano player and yellow roses on every white-covered table. The seating was more relaxed than traditional restaurants with comfortable upholstered chairs at every table.
They were shown to their table and the waiter left them menus. Adam obviously wasn’t accustomed to the fare around here, his eyebrows shot upwards. He peered around the menu at her and smiled. “So, it’s ribs then?”
She laughed. “Or you can have ribs if you prefer.” She leaned over and flicked through the pages. “Ribs are the specialty here and all the ingredients are locally sourced. There are other food options closer to the back. Chicken, steak, fish. It’s all there.” She sat her menu on the table. “But I’ll be having the ribs.”
“You make it sound like a challenge.”
She glanced down at her red dress. “Oh believe me, it will be.” She wrinkled her nose. “I guess ribs aren’t really a fi
rst date kind of food.”
“Is that what this is? A first date?”
Heat flooded her cheeks. Oh no. Had she totally misread the situation? He was staring at her with those brown eyes of his. Totally unreadable.
The skin on her shoulders and arms felt as if a thousand little caterpillars were stomping all over it. “What do you think it is?” Even her voice sounded awkward. She didn’t even want to contemplate what her stomach was currently doing.
Adam’s face broke into a smile. “I guess it is. It’s been a little while since I played the whole dating game. I think I’m out of practice.”
“The dating game? Is that what this is to you?”
The waiter had just appeared. He put a jug of water on the table along with some glasses and made a hasty exit.
She tried not to smile as she watched him shift in his seat.
“Well, no, I didn’t quite mean that. What I meant was–”
He caught sight of the expression on her face and relaxed back into the seat. “You’re joking, right?”
She laughed as she reached for the water jug. “I just wanted to see you squirm for a second. See how you handle pressure.” She filled her glass and his and lifted one towards him. “Not bad, Dr. Brady. Not bad at all.”
His fingers brushed against hers as he took the glass. “Do you want some wine?”
She nodded. “With ribs? No way. I want a beer.” She glanced at the napkin laid across her lap. “You do realize I’m going to have to tuck this into the top of my dress? This might not be the most glamorous date in the world.”
Their gazes meshed. “You’re wrong,” he said quickly. “I think this is going to be the most glamorous date I’ve ever had.”
*
Two hours later she’d drunk one beer, two sodas and did her best to eat ribs without getting sauce on her chin or in her hair. She hoped she’d succeeded.
Adam Brady was intriguing. He talked freely about his work and medical training, but was cagey about his past. Not the kid stuff. Just the adult stuff. It made her wonder if he was trying to hide something.
