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Scott opened her car door before she could reach for the handle. Then he waited until she sat before closing the door and walking around to the to the other side. While she’d seen men do such things in old movies, she’d never had anyone do it for her. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure she liked it either. She considered herself a strong, independent, twenty-first-century woman. The type who could take care of herself no matter what obstacles might pop up. She lived alone, and took care of her own yard work, which included mowing the lawn and planting flowers. If something went wrong with her car, she brought it to the garage. She never relied on a man to handle things for her. For some reason, allowing Scott to open and close doors made her feel as if she’d slapped all those women who’d fought so hard for women’s rights across the face.
“If you’re not interested in the concert, we can do something else before the fireworks. I should’ve asked you ahead of time what kind of music you enjoy.”
Given the choice she preferred rock as well as the popular hits played on the radio. Every once in while she enjoyed something different. “You won’t find the Providence Symphony in any of my playlists, but I’m looking forward to hearing them again tonight. Last year they performed at WaterFire one weekend. They were amazing.”
Scott pulled onto the road. “That’s what I’ve heard.”
She waited for him to say something else. Before dinner, she’d shared a lot about herself. Once dinner arrived their conversation had slowed, but she’d kept waiting for him to share more about himself. So far he’d told her very little. Now seeme
d like a good time for him to hold up his end. When they arrived at The Sherbrooke Hotel, they’d be surrounded by potentially hundreds of people. It wouldn’t be the best setting for getting to know each other. And she wanted to know more than what she’d read last night.
Thinking about how she’d spent the previous night surfing the Internet for information about Scott once again pricked her conscience. She shouldn’t have done it, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and it’d been so easy to find articles, some dating back to his college years.
“Are we watching the fireworks from the hotel?” The silence in the car only made her think more about how she’d done an Internet search on the poor man. She’d dislike it if someone did the same to her.
For the first time since leaving, he looked over at her. “If you want, we can. But I planned to watch them from my house. The view from the rooftop is much better.”
He planned to take her back to his house. I hope he’s not expecting to do anything but watch fireworks tonight. She’d slept with men before meeting her ex-husband, but never on a first date. Paige had no intention of changing her track record tonight, especially considering there was no possibility of a future with Scott. Once he’d fulfilled the dates Aunt Bebe purchased, he’d disappear back to his own world. Their paths would never cross again.
“You know more about the area than me, so I’ll go with your judgment.” All night the man had been nothing but a gentleman. Her gut told her his behavior wouldn’t change. She’d be safe viewing the fireworks from his house. “If the view is better from your house, let’s go there. I want the best view possible tonight.”
For the evening’s performance, the orchestra had set up in the outdoor pavilion on the hotel’s property. When they arrived, she could hear the musicians warming up as people settled into whatever empty space they could find. Even from the curb she could see people already filled the chairs placed inside the pavilion, while others relaxed on towels and blankets. Even the benches around the area looked full. Considering how crowded the area already appeared, Paige suspected they’d be standing for the entire performance, something she’d rather not do in her heels. While they looked great, especially with this dress, they were not the most comfortable pair of shoes she owned.
After handing over his keys to the valet, Scott led her up the steps toward the hotel’s front entrance. Right away a doorman pulled open the glass door. Before they managed to escape into the air-conditioned building, someone called out, “Mr. Belmont.”
They both stopped and turned. Paige spotted the man with the large camera in his hands, but it took a half second longer for her to connect the voice with the man.
The camera flashed before she looked away.
“Mr. Belmont, I’m Linda Webster from the Providence Gazette.” A petite woman appeared next to the cameraman. “Is this the winner from the bachelor auction last month?”
The reporter turned her gaze as well as her overfriendly smile toward Paige. Heat exploded in her face and shot through her body and she wished for some extra deodorant.
“Ms. Foster is my date this evening. If you’ll please excuse us, we’re here to enjoy the music.” Scott touched her back, his hand oddly comforting as the reporter continued to smile, putting her unusually perfect bright white teeth on display.
Undeterred, the reporter spoke again before they got through the door and to safety. “Ms. Foster, is this the first of the four dates you bought at the Helping Hands auction? How is it going so far? What else does Mr. Belmont have planned for the two of you tonight?” The questions came at her in rapid-fire succession.
Paige did her best imitation of a fish opening and closing her mouth. Should she answer the woman or ignore her? If she answered, what should she say?
Scott applied more pressure to her back, a clear indication he wanted her to get moving. “We don’t have time for questions tonight. I’m sorry.” Although still polite, his voice contained some bite. “Ignore her and keep walking. It’s okay.” He whispered the words against her ear. His warm breath caused her internal temperature to go up another few degrees, and this time she couldn’t blame the change on embarrassment.
Paige heard the reporter call out another question, and she feared the woman would follow them inside. She held her breath for a few seconds and waited to hear the reporter’s voice again. It never came.
In silence, they crossed the open space toward the glass door on the opposite wall, Scott’s hand still on the small of her back. Once they stepped outside again, he escorted her to one of the small tables set up. Each of the five tables was covered with a blue linen tablecloth and placed in the center was a flickering candle surrounded by an arrangement of red and white flowers. Already individuals occupied three of the other tables; in fact, she recognized one of the couples. The former governor and his wife sat with another couple at the table furthest from them.
Next to her, Scott pulled out a chair. Well, at least my feet aren’t going to suffer.
“I arranged this when I made our dinner reservations. I expected the area would get crowded tonight.” He took his own seat as he spoke. “Sorry about the scene with the reporter. It didn’t occur to me they’d be here tonight.”
She’d spent a lot of time thinking about Scott and their evening, but she hadn’t stopped to consider the media. In hindsight, she should’ve. “It’s not your fault. Don’t worry about it.”
It might not be his fault, but he knew better. A big holiday celebration was sure to garner a lot of local media attention. Media attention equaled news teams, and those contained pushy reporters. “It might happen again when we’re together, so I apologize in advance. You don’t have to talk to them no matter how aggressive they get.”
She’d appeared both shocked and embarrassed when the reporter approached them. He suspected she’d never dealt with the media before tonight. From now on he’d do his best to keep them away from situations where reporters might bother her. Unfortunately, there were no guarantees.
“Really, it’s okay. The auction was such a big deal, it makes sense the media is still interested in it. And you.”
If any of the other women he’d dated had ever been put in a position that obviously made them so uncomfortable while with him, they would’ve blamed him for the rest of the night. He not only appreciated that she didn’t blame him, but he liked her more because of it. And although unexpected, he found he liked Paige Foster quite a lot already.
