“Great, we can’t wait to spend the evening with you.”
When they ended the call, Kendra pulled out a blue, silky, ankle-length A-line dress, perfect for dancing.
“Now I like that. What should I wear?” Grayson pulled out a blue blazer, a white dress shirt, and black trousers, and showed them to her.
“Now that’s smart. I completely am all for it. Love it.”
“I love you.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
They got dressed before arriving late at the restaurant, just as it began storming again.
29
When they arrived at Brannigans, the rain was coming down hard. Grayson drove his SUV up to the front door. “I can walk with you from the parking lot,” Kendra said, certainly not afraid of a little rain.
“No way,” Grayson said, and she appreciated his thoughtfulness. They threw on their raincoats over their nice clothes, and he dropped her off at the entrance. She waited for him until he joined her. He ran across the parking lot, took hold of her hand, and they entered the restaurant. Inside, music was playing, and people were dancing.
At the entrance, they removed their raincoats and Cedric and Amy greeted them, Amy wearing a blue dress and heels, and Cedric in a suit. Cedric had never met Grayson before. Grayson thought he, Marcus, and Cedric could have been brothers; they were so similar in build and stature.
Cedric smiled and shook his hand, then pulled him into a bear hug. "We're bears after all."
Grayson laughed. "I agree."
Amy hugged Kendra and then Grayson.
The hostess seated them at a window seat, which was really nice. Grayson hung up Kendra’s and his raincoats on the back of their chairs. Cedric did the same with his and Amy’s coats.
Kendra asked, “With the storm going on, are you okay with sitting by the window, Amy?”
“Oh, yes, every chance I can get.” Amy explained to Grayson that she had been terrified of storms because her parents had died in one. “But with Cedric’s guidance, I’ve been able to manage them just fine.”
The late-evening light pooled in through the window on the polished wood, the faint scent of pine and slow-cooked brisket, steaks, and prime rib scenting the air. Antique snowshoes and paintings of grizzlies and black bears lined the walls. It was both an elegant and rustic restaurant, cocktail lounge, and dance club. Some couples were dressed to the nines, while some men wore corduroy jackets and khaki pants for a more rustic look.
“Upscale” in the Brannigan’s sense meant leather-bound menus and a bourbon list that ran to twenty single malts, but the clientele—all of them, at the moment, locals—many of them bears, were having a great time.
They took their seats, and the hostess left them leather-bound menus.
"I recommend the prime rib or the T-bone steak," Cedric said.
"I love the filet mignon," Amy told them.
"I'll have the petite version of the filet mignon," Kendra said.
"T-bone for me," Grayson said.
"I'm having the prime rib." Cedric closed his menu, and when the hostess returned, everyone ordered their meat, sides, and a bottle of red wine.
“We’re going to dance,” Grayson said, offering his hand to Kendra.
“Oh, absolutely.” She took his hand and rose from her seat.
Kendra let herself be spun through shadow and light, the world around her dissolving into a watercolor blur of faces and laughter. On the creaking parquet floor, Grayson’s palm pressed against the small of her back, closing the gap between them. She felt so good to be close to Grayson like this. He guided her expertly, as if they had been practicing these steps for years instead of hours.
They whirled as a couple, her right hand clutching his shoulder, her left intertwined with his. The music—a wavering, vaguely sentimental tune—filtered through their blood. She gazed past his ear to the golden lights hanging from the rafters, the soft haze of their glow warming the room.
She matched his rhythm, letting him lead, but not ceding all control; every pivot or dip, bringing them snuggly together. When the tempo slowed, he pulled her closer, his breath warm on her temple, and she rested her cheek against the lapel of his jacket, inhaling his masculine scent.
