“Can I come in?”
“Oh, right. Wait. Why?” she asked as she motioned for River to come in. “Sorry, that sounded rude. I just meant that this isn’t really my house. I can give you the tour if you want, but it’s not my stuff. Just my clothes and things like that. Did you want a drink here or something? I have wine and some soda, I think. My assistant shopped for me. I’ve been keeping a low profile.”
“Nope. I was hoping you’d let me in so that we could have our date.” River turned then, bent down, and when she turned back around, she was holding a picnic basket in front of her. “I thought we could have a picnic if you have a blanket and a backyard.”
“What? River…”
“I know we can’t exactly go out and beusjust yet. I also know that with you inanydress, I’d want my hands all over you. Considering how good it felt to touch you at the shop, I didn’t want to risk doing something stupid until we can be out thereand be ourselves. So, I made us something to eat, and I thought we could keep a low profile together… here… tonight… on our date.”
Kennedy smiled and said, “That is the best idea. Thank you for doing this. For the record, it won’t be for long. And I don’t want to hide this. You know that, right?”
“I do now,” River replied and walked inside.
Kennedy closed the door behind her, locked it, and then nodded for River to follow her through the foyer, into the living room, and toward the sliding glass doors
“We should talk about that. Not tonight; it’s a first date. But what do you want to do?”
“About what?” River asked.
“Us.”
“I want us to date,” River said. “And if that works out, maybe I’ll get to be your girlfriend.”
“And you know what that would mean, right? We don’t have to get ahead of ourselves here, but when I start working again, I’ll have things I have to go to, and sometimes, I might want my girlfriend or partner there. Then, there’s the fact that just walking around together would get cameras aimed in our direction, and it can be a lot for someone who is not in this business to deal with.”
Kennedy went to pull open the back door after unlocking it.
“I’ve got it,” River said and pulled the door open for her before she opened the screen door next.
Kennedy remembered what Lacey had said about River being chivalrous, and she liked it.
“And I don’t care about that, Kennedy,” River added. “I’ll stand back and hold your purse. I can do the pictures or whatever, if you need me to, but I’m good being out of the spotlight and letting you have all of it. I bet I’d be one hell ofa purse holder.” River set the picnic basket down on the grass beyond the small patio and looked up. “Shit. There’s a pool?”
“Yeah. I haven’t used it yet,” Kennedy said. “But if you want to later, you can go for it.”
“I didn’t bring my suit because you didn’t tell me you had a freaking pool here, Kennedy,” River replied.
“Silly me. I thought our first date would be dinner and a movie, and I didn’t think to tell you about the kidney-shaped pool in the backyard of the house I’m renting.”
“I’m very disappointed in you,” River teased.
Kennedy chuckled and remembered, “Shit. The blanket. I’ll be right back. I’ll steal the one from the couch. Drinks?”
“In here.” River pointed to the basket. “Champagne and water. If you want something else, though, you can grab it.”
“You got champagne?”
“Ken, what about this being a very important first date for me is confusing to you?” River asked with a lifted eyebrow.
“Maybe I should change… A dress on a blanket might not–”
“Don’t you dare,” River interrupted.
“Okay,” Kennedy replied with a smile and hurried back inside to grab a blanket.
Minutes later, they were sitting on it, and River was pulling containers out of the picnic basket.
“You made all of this?”
