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“Nothing. I plan to enjoy every second of it,” she said with a silly grin. “Call me Cindy.”
“Then I hope you’ll call me Levi. Have a nice evening.”
“You two enjoy yourselves,” Cindy said, practically shoving Grace out the door.
Grace cast one more warning look at her friend, then stepped into the hallway, leading the way to the stairs. Levi walked a few steps behind her, enjoying the way her hair and hips swayed as she walked down the steps and across the lobby.
He hurried to push open the door and hold it for her. Another whiff of her decadent fragrance nearly scrambled his thoughts as she passed by him. How could something as simple as her perfume make him long for sandy beaches and a fruity drink in his hand? He was the last person anyone would find lounging on a beach or drinking out of a coconut. In fact, the vision of him doing such a thing almost made him chuckle as he followed Grace outside and pointed to his pickup, which he’d taken time to wash earlier that afternoon. He’d wiped down the inside until it was spotless and the glass in the windows sparkled.
Grace gave him a gracious nod as he opened the pickup door for her. She didn’t need his assistance to slide onto the seat, but he sure wanted to reach out and touch her hand, just to make sure she was real and not a dream he’d been lost in since Monday.
It had been hard to concentrate on farmwork or work at his house, with an image of Grace’s smile firmly planted in his mind.
His mother had nagged him incessantly about what he planned to wear and where he planned to take Grace and then offered endless advice about how to make a good impression on her, all of which he ignored. A suit, something he generally only donned for weddings or funerals, wasn’t appropriate for a casual dinner and a movie, no matter how much his mother argued otherwise.
Levi had polished his best pair of boots, bought a new pair of jeans and washed them three times so they wouldn’t be too stiff to wear, and then relented and let his mother press every last wrinkle out of one of his favorite shirts. She wouldn’t let him leave without a tie on, which looked absurd and out of place with the western shirt. As soon as he drove down the driveway, he yanked it off and stuffed it into the jockey box.
Now, seeing Grace look so lovely and sophisticated in her dress, he wondered if he should have worn something else.
“You look quite handsome, kind sir,” Grace said as she settled her skirt around her on the seat.
He smiled at her. “You look breathtaking, Grace,” he said, then closed the pickup door.
A blush burned up his neck and over his cheeks as he walked around the pickup and got behind the wheel. Was that a good thing to say? Or a dumb thing? He was so out of practice when it came to dating, he felt like he was starting all over again. His stomach was tied in knots, his palms might start dripping sweat at any moment, and he fought the urge to create a flimsy excuse to race back home.
Grace was the first girl who’d caught his interest in a long time. He’d be an idiot and a fool to waste this opportunity to get to spend time with her, to get to know her better.
“It’s warm today, isn’t it?” she asked, rolling down the window and letting the fresh air blow into the cab as he pulled out of the apartment parking lot and drove up the street.
As he drove, the breeze carried that tropical scent to his nose again. Her fragrance tantalized him to the point he wanted to draw in great lungfuls of it, but he somehow refrained.
“It is warm,” he eventually agreed, realizing he’d been staring at her instead of replying. How long of a pause between a question and answer was considered acceptable before it moved into the territory of being completely lame? He was fairly certain he’d reached birdbrain status when he finally yanked his thoughts together. “I heard about a new place that opened a few months ago. Would you like to try it for dinner, or do you have anything in mind?”
“I’m willing to try somewhere new. I’m not hard to please when it comes to food. As long as it tastes good, I’m happy with it.”
“Good to know,” he said, turning onto a side street, then glancing over at Grace. She was looking out the window, studying the passing scenery with her profile to him, appearing at ease. He could envision dozens of trips with her, going out to eat or to the movies, off on a fun adventure. Would a baby or two fit on the seat between them?
Slow that horse down, hoss, he admonished himself. This was only their first date. He didn’t need to start planning a future that would likely never happen, especially if he didn’t get his act together.
“What about you?” she asked as he slowed and pulled into the parking lot at the new diner. Orange and yellow plaid curtains hung in the windows, and a big sign advertised it was now open for business. A neon coffee cup sign stood over the top of the building.
“What about me?” he asked as he eyed a parking spot and pulled into it.
“What do you like to eat, or what won’t you eat?”
He shrugged. “I’m not terribly picky, but I am no longer fond of rice, and I detest any kind of meat that comes in a can, especially if it’s cold.”
She gave him a studying glance, then nodded in understanding. “So, no Chinese food for you.”
“Not if there is any other option available.” He grinned and got out of the pickup, then hurried around to open her door for her. When he held out his hand, she took it and gave it a light squeeze, causing an electrical current to dance up his arm. It was almost like grabbing a hot fence wire, but instead of experiencing the urge to release it and jump back, he never wanted to let go.
He glanced down at her delicate, long fingers and then up to her face that was near enough to his he could have easily leaned forward and kissed her. Would her lips taste as honeyed as he imagined? Or would she slap him so hard that his ears would still be ringing a week from now?
Unwilling to find out, he moved back and shut the pickup door with his elbow.
“Is your pickup new?” she asked as they walked across the parking lot. He’d felt encouraged when she held onto his hand instead of moving away from him.
“I’ve had it about a month. I’d planned to buy a new pickup before I enlisted, but I’m glad I waited. This one is just what I was looking for.”
