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Daniel felt the subtext in Lorelei’s statement. She didn’t seem like the sort of person who would exaggerate and the tension in her tone spoke volumes. If he knew her a little better he would prod her for a bit more information, but as it was, he was still trying to fight his way back from making such a poor impression on her when they’d first met. The last thing he wanted was for Lorelei to view him as nosy or prying, especially when he was trying to make a decent impression on her.
“Makes sense,” Daniel said. “I value my private time. Not that anyone is looking for my autograph or to take a picture with me,” he said in a teasing voice.
“Speaking of which, I don’t want to interrupt your run,” she said, looking down at his running shoes. “I’ll let you get back at it.”
“No worries on that score. I was pretty much done.” He put his hands on his hips and let out a huff. “Running isn’t as easy as it used to be. I’m a bit out of shape.”
“I give you a lot of credit for running on the beach,” Lorelei said with a shake of her head. “I don’t run,” she added with a chuckle. “I do yoga and Zumba to stay in shape.”
Clearly it was working, Daniel noted. Lorelei was in amazing shape. Everything about her appealed to him. Life didn’t give him a lot of opportunities to meet interesting women like Lorelei. He needed to seize the opportunity to get to know her better.
“I’m glad we ran into each other. I’ve been wanting to tell you how great you did at the photo shoot. You and Nash make a great team.”
Her face lit up at his praise. “Your brother is amazing. He’s going to have a great career. He was really kind and patient. Those are great skills for a photographer. Sometimes those shoots can get really tedious.”
Daniel filed away that information so he could share it later on with Nash. Since his brother was new to being a professional photographer, Daniel knew he needed all of the praise he could get.
“I’m going to be honest. I would love to see you again without having to run into you on the beach or at a photo shoot.” He shifted from one foot to the other and studied her expression. She was the very opposite of an open book. There was no way of gauging her feelings by her expression.
Don’t stop now. You’re too far in to chicken out.
He continued. “Would you like to go out with me? On a date?” He pushed the words out of his mouth before he lost his confidence. Seconds ticked by without her saying a word. It was as if she was thinking it over right before his eyes. This was never easy for him. It didn’t matter how successful he was or the fact that he was building an empire. He still felt like an awkward middle school kid who’d been mocked and ignored. People thought money and success changed a person, but Daniel didn’t feel any more confident because of his status. He felt as if he was holding his breath waiting for her reply. Ouch! This was a bit awkward, which was the main reason he didn’t put himself out there romantically.
“It’s funny. When we first met I thought you were the last man on earth I would ever want to sit down with for a meal or anything else for that matter. But, later on that day, you showed me your humility. You proved me wrong. You showed me it isn’t right to judge someone based on one encounter. Judge not lest ye be judged. I’d love to go out with you, Daniel.”
His first instinct was to do a back flip right there on the beach in front of her. His second instinct was to pick up her up by the waist and spin her around. He decided to do neither. Keep it cool! Act like you have some sense!
“Great!” he said, grinning at Lorelei. “How about Friday at seven? I can pick you up at your place.”
“Works for me,” Lorelei said. “I’ll be looking forward to it,” she said with a wave as she continued down the beach. He stood for a moment and stared after her, marveling at how he’d ended up getting her to agree to a date with him.
He felt on top of the world as he continued his light jog down the beach then doubled back and headed down the path toward his house. Maybe he should have invited Lorelei over for coffee. Nah. He was sweaty and gross from running. He just needed to be patient and wait until their date on Friday so he could see her again. He wasn’t used to feeling this type of adrenaline coursing through his veins. It was euphoria, plain and simple. And he knew it had everything to do with Lorelei James and their upcoming date. Perhaps he was being overly optimistic, but he couldn’t help but think his life was about to change for the better.
**
After leaving Daniel at the beach, Lorelei headed home to gather her things for a photo shoot just outside town for a major clothing campaign. She knew from a text Micah had sent her earlier in the week that he too was going to be on the shoot today, along with Faith, who was making the most out of her summer break from her teaching position and accompanying her fiancé to his gigs. Lorelei knew Micah loved the support and companionship. For a moment she felt a bit envious. It would be amazing to have a man in her life who provided her with such great company and encouragement.
Please, Lord, let it happen for me too. Let me find that special someone who will open up my heart and provide me with love and devotion. I promise to give him the same in return. I vow to love him for a lifetime.
Could Daniel be that special someone? It was way too early to know the answer to that question, but she couldn’t deny how good she felt about him. She felt like a dying ember of a fire that had come back to life. Being stalked by James Ellis had cost her so much. Being victimized by him had turned her into a person who no longer believed in happy endings. At her core she knew she still thought those things were possible, but it had
been hard to keep the faith. Through it all, she had leaned on God for support. Through His love, Lorelei had come back to the world after her hellish experience. Although fear was still present in her life, it didn’t rule her. She hadn’t allowed it to swallow her up whole.
When Lorelei arrived at the studio, it wasn’t long before Micah came to find her. She had a dilemma regarding Daniel. It felt kind of awkward to tell Micah she was going out on a date with his brother. What if it just ended up being one date and nothing further? What if Daniel was really private and didn’t want his brother to know anything about their date? It would appear as if she’d blabbed about it to Micah.
“I haven’t seen you for a while. What’s new?” Micah asked, reaching out and giving her a hug. When he released her, Faith stepped forward and kissed Lorelei on the cheek. Ever since Micah had introduced Lorelei to his fiancée, they had been as thick as thieves. Lorelei couldn’t be happier about their impending wedding. She would be one of the first people to volunteer for babysitting duties when their little ones began coming into the world.
Lorelei was bursting to tell them the joyful news about her job with DD Studios. “Well, I don’t know if Daniel told you, but he cast me as Rhiannon in his new video game series.”
“That’s excellent news!” Faith said. “Congratulations!”
“Daniel did tell us and we’re thrilled for you, especially after the interview went so badly,” Micah said. “I’m glad he came to his senses. You’re the perfect Rhiannon.”
“I’m really grateful to Daniel,” Lorelei said, her tone gushing. “He’s been incredible.”
Faith looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Lorelei looked away from Faith’s intense stare. Had she sensed something about her feelings for her brother-in-law? Perhaps she’d gone overboard in praising him. Faith was a very perceptive woman. Suddenly, Lorelei felt as if she was keeping secrets.
“I’m going out to dinner with Daniel.” Lorelei blurted out the words before she could stop herself. Because of her friendship with Micah and Faith it would feel too much like keeping a secret to stay silent. And Lorelei wasn’t very fond of secrets.
