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“That’s going to take some willpower,” she quipped. “Is it because they’d kind of be like your boss? What with the board and stuff?”
“Not really,” David said, shrugging his shoulders to illustrate the point. “I take my position seriously. If I am acting as a person’s spiritual advisor, it would be pretty gross, ethically speaking. That’s a big power imbalance.”
“Wow,” Shoshana said, surprise robbing her of anything pithy she could possibly say. The statement was delivered with just a hint of anger, as though it was something he’d given a lot of thought. She supposed perhaps he had. It wasn’t something she’d ever considered closely, but it made sense.
“I apologize, that got dark,” David said, a small, rueful smile on his lips. “Apparently this shul’s last few rabbis were already married so it wasn’t an issue.”
“I certainly hope not,” Shoshana said, though she didn’t particularly want to think too closely about the rabbi from her childhood being a skirt chaser. It was too ookie. She shivered, then made a point to say something just to get the conversation somewhere else. “So in the meantime you’re just, what, spreading it around that your model train hobby keeps you too busy to date?”
“It hasn’t quite come to that yet, but let’s just say it’s nice to have a conversation with someone truly attractive who hasn’t been pushed into my lap,” he said, his teeth flashing in a grin that she was going to think about later. The man had dimples.
Of course he had dimples.
What the hell kind of Rabbi Sexy Pants would he be if he didn’t have dimples for days?
“Give us time, we can push her into your lap if you want,” Abigail said, cutting smoothly into the conversation. Her twin was right beside her, Leah’s amused smirk saying they’d heard more than just Shoshana’s barnyard bray.
“Sho’d probably be into it, she’s a really great sport,” Leah agreed. She shrugged at the look Shoshana gave her and gestured to the kitchen. “Sorry that took me a minute. That coffee machine is way more complicated than people give it credit for.”
“Yeah. We’re going to get dinner, right? I’m starving,” Shoshana said, crossing her arms, then immediately letting them drop at her sides because that caused the neck of her wrap dress to dip lower than propriety allowed. She didn’t need to flash her friends.
“I can tell,” Abi said archly, and opened her mouth to say more but David lifted his hand, reaching to touch Shoshana’s elbow. She jumped as though he’d burned her and felt like a special kind of twit.
Why was she suddenly responding like they were in grade school and her friends caught him trying to kiss her on the playground? Abigail and Leah were well aware she was past theboys... yuckstage.
“Do you mind sharing your phone number? I’d like to meet you later to finish our discussion, if that’s okay?” David said pointedly, soldiering on even though she’d practically slapped his hand away. Shoshana felt her cheeks redden, knowing she was going to hear about this later whether she wanted to or not.
“Oh really--”
“Leah,” Shoshana said, a warning in her voice. She turned to face him more fully, effectively cutting her friends out of the conversation. “Are you asking because you want to pitch active membership, or...?”
There was that laugh again. It started a tingle at the base of her spine that curled around and pooled in her lower belly. She felt her skin break into gooseflesh in spite of herself and was just glad she didn’t shiver. His eyes were serious as he regarded her, producing his phone from the pocket of his suit jacket.
“If I wanted to pitch active membership, I would refer you to the head of the membership committee.”
“Oh, I see. So this is…” she said, dipping her chin to watch as he pulled up his contacts and tapped her name into the blank address form.
“Nothing to do with the shul,” he said, eyes flicking up from his phone screen to look at her. His expression was meaningful as he continued, “I would like to have your number because I was enjoying our talk. And I would like to ask you to dinner.”
“Really? Is the actual invitation going to be better than that? Because that was pretty good,” Shoshana said. A quick glance at Abi and Leah said they were enjoying the show and she didn’t blame them. In their position she would be too.
“Could be,” he said, turning the phone so that she was presented with the screen, “You never know till you go for it.”
“Get it, rabbi,” Leah said under her breath and Abi snorted.
“Rabbi Freedman,” Shoshana said, taking the phone from his hand because she recognized a double-dog-dare when she was presented with one, “you are downright scandalous.”
* * *
“I can’t believe he asked you out!” Leah crowed as the waiter filled her wine glass. Abigail snorted into her menu. This was the fifth or sixth time her sister had announced this same thing and her surprise didn’t get less funny. Shoshana tossed a crumpled paper napkin at her friend.
“You keep saying it like that and I’m going to get offended. Why shouldn’t a hot guy ask me out?”
“I mean,” Abi muttered, then told the waiter her order as if it was going to be different this week. They had a standing reservation at this restaurant for Friday for a reason.
“Oh come on, you know what I mean!” Leah said, her tone saying they were both being too sensitive. She told the waiter her order as well, she wasn’t quite as consistent as her sister, but she also didn’t make a point to pore over the menu every week like she might do something different this go-round.
“No, tell me what you mean, I want to hear this,” Shoshana said. Her phone buzzed in the deep pocket of the wrap dress and she resisted the urge to fish it out. There was no way the man was texting her already.
