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Louis gave me a disappointed look.
“I’ll try it on, but I can’t keep it,” I said firmly. I shouldn’t have even taken it in the first place. It was too expensive. I didn’t even know this guy. But even as I thought it, I knew I was going to put it on and it was going to be amazing.
“I’ll be right back,” I told him, walking to the back room. We had a small space for changing in the back since most of the waitresses didn’t want to wear their dresses on the subway. I closed the door behind me.
It didn’t take me long to slip out of my dress, clean up a little, and get into the new one. I gazed at myself in the mirror on the back of the door. The dress was a rich black satin with a pencil cut that hugged my curves. Crossing over my chest, the V-neck dipped low and showed off my cleavage. The sleeves were ruffled, and more ruffles dropped along one side of the skirt. It was gorgeous.
I knew that I shouldn’t keep it, but I couldn’t help being flattered. My ex wouldn’t even pay for dinner, and Louis had bought me a replacement dress after knowing me for five minutes. Pulling my lipstick from my bag, I reapplied it.
Then I smiled at myself and headed back out to the floor. Louis grinned when he saw me, striding forward and taking my arms. “You look lovely.”
My cheeks felt hot, again. “I can’t—” I tried again.
“I insist,” Louis said. “Now, I’ll let you get back to work, but if I hang around, maybe we can talk more later?”
I smiled back. “Sure.”
The rest of the night went by faster than I could ever have imagined. I served customers, chatted, and bussed the dishes, and every time I looked up, Louis watched me from the bar. He had eyes for no one else.
“He’s hot for you,” Jed said, leaning on the bar top. The night had slowed, and my shift was almost over.
I bit my lip. “But after Larry, I’m not ready . . .”
“Just enjoy the night,” Jed said. “Not everything has to be forever.”
“I was trying to tell myself that,” I said, still unsure. This shouldn’t be that complicated. A handsome and rich guy wanted to spend some time with me. Why did I care if it lasted a night or a week? Who knew how long he’d be in town anyway?
Jed gave me a nudge to go hang with Louis and I did.
“My shift’s over,” I said. “Do you want to go for a walk?”
“Sounds good,” he said, gesturing to his burly friend.
I glanced at the other guy. “Are you his ride?”
“Yeah, kinda,” Louis said, then he shook his head. “He’s my assistant,” he admitted.
Louis must be lonely if he brought his assistant in for a night of karaoke, or maybe that made him a cool boss. “Oh?”
“So he’ll wait with my car,” he said.
“He won’t mind?” Or not so cool a boss if the guy was on call twenty-four-seven.
“It’ll be fine,” Louis said.
“Okay,” I said. It wasn’t any of my business. “Let me get my things.”
I headed into the back room to get my purse and looked at the tee shirt and jeans I’d worn to work. They were too slummy for a date. I tucked them back in my locker along with my ruined dress, and just took my keys and wallet. I’d deal with them tomorrow.
As we stepped out onto the street, Louis took my hand. It felt natural, like we’d been doing it forever, and my heart beat faster.
The area around the karaoke club was busy with people, even this late at night. There were several outdoor restaurants and bars, and voices called to one another. I’d always appreciated working in such a safe area. I’d never had to worry about getting out of work so late.
We walked down the street, Louis leading us along the way, his fingers intertwined with mine. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so wanted. Larry had gotten complacent about our relationship long before I found out his secret.
We talked about everything and nothing, just enjoying each other’s company. Louis was charming and funny, and I found myself laughing at his jokes. I had never felt this comfortable with someone so quickly, and it was a thrilling feeling.
We stopped at a pretty grassy area and we sat down on a bench. The moon was full and cast a beautiful glow over the city. Louis put his arm around my shoulder, and I leaned into him. It felt right, like I belonged there with him.
