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She gave him a crooked smile. "I suppose I do know you have it to spare, so I’ll let you get away with it this time, but I didn’t agree to come out to dinner just so you could spend as much money on me as you could."
"It never even occurred to me." He was kept from anything further by the arrival of a male server with a freestanding ice bucket and the bottle of chilled wine he had requested. The man proffered the bottle to Raf to confirm the vintage, and then opened it once given an approving nod. He poured a taste into Raf’s wineglass and then stood patiently while Rafael sniffed and tasted it. Raf nodded again. "Yes, thank you."
The waiter poured Ashley’s glass, filled Raf’s, and then inclined his head. "May I start you off with an appetizer?"
Raf nodded at Ashley when she glanced his way. "The mushroom and brie pastries sound delicious. I’ll share if you do," she added with a smile.
He chuckled. "Of course. I would have the dates."
"Would you like to hear our specials for the evening?"
Raf glanced from the waiter to Ashley and back. "Why don’t you give us a little while to look over the menu. We’re not in any hurry."
"Of course, sir." The server made himself scarce.
Rafael smiled at Ashley as she sipped her Chardonnay. "What do you think?"
"It’s delicious. I don’t usually drink that much, but I recognize good wine when I taste it." She opened her menu after setting down the crystal wineglass, but her eyes kept bouncing up to meet his. "Any recommendations?"
"I admit I haven’t been here before; it was recommended by a friend who loves to sample every restaurant in the area." He smiled at her and leaned in as though imparting a secret. "I’m something of a steak man, myself, but not when it’s a tiny cut with frilly bits."
That made her laugh and him sigh in pleasure. He could listen to her laugh all day. "I was looking at the filet mignon, but you’re right, it does look a bit… frilly." She didn’t seem to have a better word than the teasing one he had used, though perhaps she was simply repeating it for amusement’s sake.
"I believe their herb-roasted chicken is supposed to be something special," he told her when she went back to the menu. "But I’m in no hurry." In an attempt to start a conversation about more than just the menu, he thought back to the car. "Are you working on any new contracts that are interesting? I hope you’re not stuck with something else for the same company."
Her eyes were smiling when she looked up at him next. "No, thank goodness. I’ve put in a request not to have to work for them again. They’d likely cause a male lawyer less trouble, old fu—fogies that they are." Pink brushed her cheeks lightly as she stumbled over the word.
He was torn between getting angry over her apparent mistreatment or smiling at her entirely accurate description of the company’s officers. The smile won. "I’m sorry they were so much trouble. I’m honestly surprised they can get away with that kind of thing."
"So was I," she agreed, nodding. "It happens every so often, but not usually with such… I don’t know. It’s not often so blatant, I guess."
Without thinking, he reached across the table to touch her hand. "If you ever want to consider working for a company that won’t give you grief, let Zach know. He had great things to say about you. I wouldn’t hesitate to hire you in a heartbeat." Was it entirely because she was a competent lawyer? No, not really. But knowing she was made it easy to offer.
Her sharp look softened after a moment, but she still shook her head. "I’m on track for partner. If I can keep up with the harder cases they assign me for another couple of years, I expect I’ll make junior partner soon." Something shifted behind her eyes as she mentioned a 'couple of years', but he couldn’t figure out what it might be.
He was probably watching her too closely as it was, so he didn’t press. "Impressive. I’m certain you’ll exceed their expectations at every turn." It was too bad she wasn’t going to let him lay the world at her feet as he would in a heartbeat, but at the same time it sounded like she wanted to conquer it herself. Perhaps she’d let him help her. He decided to lightly probe for other hopes she might have, though he didn’t jump right in. There was plenty of time to eat and get to some deeper subjects tonight.
Chapter 10 - Ashley
After a lovely dinner where Ashley had eaten far more than she should of the delicious cuisine, a brief tap into her date’s phone summoned the car back again; the driver must have been waiting nearby at the speed he pulled up out front. She hadn’t quite known how to react when Rafael offered his arm to escort her outside, but with the wine they’d shared, she didn’t mind having him there to support her—she had limited herself to one glass with food, since she knew moderation while pregnant was key, but she didn’t think he noticed her reluctance. The urge to snuggle into his side was amazingly strong for a man she had been telling herself was out of her league and wouldn’t want anything to do with her pregnancy.
Raf had shared a love of the outdoors that had immediately made her think of active dates like white-water rafting or hiking, bringing images of romantic getaways either camping or exploring an area they didn’t know from a bed and breakfast to mind, and it was only in the car that she realized she was no longer questioning that there would be another date.
"You have a very thoughtful look on your face," Raf commented from beside her.
She laughed dryly, caught. "I was trying to figure out when I’d come to the conclusion that I’d like to have a second date and more beyond that." She glanced at him and tried not to blush. "Not that I wasn’t going to see where this went, that is, just that I had told myself I wasn’t going to make assumptions."
His hand reached out, sliding against her thigh as he took her hand. The touch startled her with the intensity of the jittery energy that raced up her leg. "I knew what you meant." That seemed to be the biggest thing she could take away from their dinner conversation, in all honesty, because the few times she had stumbled over the words to explain what she meant after her first thought came out sounding strange, he’d caught on so fast it was like he was in her head. "I’m glad you agree, because I definitely want to see you again."
The car came to a stop and Raf jumped out to hurry around and open her door, offering a hand to help her out. She took it, and a good thing, too, since the moment she stepped out of the car she stumbled at the beautiful sunset across the park, a lake right next to the parking lot they’d pulled into.
When Raf had mentioned a walk in a park early on, Ashley hadn’t quite been able to picture it on a romantic level. Her mind went to a playground and grassy area, which wasn’t the most idyllic setting to end their wonderful evening. Her first sight of where they’d ended up banished that notion in favor of tree-lined paths, a boathouse on the lake, even a pair of bikers talking and laughing as they whirred past.
"I don’t really have a destination in mind," Raf admitted as they walked along the edge of the lake, something more colorful coming into view through the trees—gardens. "I just wanted to spend more time with you."
She squeezed his arm, which she’d taken again without thinking about it, wanting to be close to him with an almost magnetic tug deep in her body or soul—she wasn’t sure which. Could even have been a maternal instinct to hang onto him forever for all she knew. "This was a great idea. The weather is perfect for a walk outside, even if I am stuffed."
He laughed, a rich, rolling sound which did things to her insides. "We don’t need to stay long if you don’t want to, but walking is supposed to aid digestion, I think." They walked as far as a bench and then sat, closer together than they had been in the car. "Are you a woman who likes flowers?" he asked after a moment.
