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"Did you break a bottle or something?" he asked.
Ria laughed. "Or something. Try two teenaged girls and two battling scents of seduction."
"They want to dance with these guys, not kill them, right?"
"Drew," Megan squealed as she came out of her bedroom. She struck a model pose. "What do you think of my dress?"
"You're beautiful."
She blushed under his compliment. "I wouldn't go that far."
"I would. Your date is going to be knocked out. And yours, too," he added, turning to Lindsay, who was standing in the doorway. "You must be Lindsay."
"And you must be the pilot," Lindsay said, a touch of awe in her voice. She glanced at Megan. "I see what you mean."
Megan nodded. "Told you."
As the girls returned to the bedroom, Drew turned a quizzical eye in Ria's direction. "Do I want to know?"
"All you need to know is that you're a hit with the teen crowd."
"I'm more interested in being a hit with you." He gave her a quick kiss. "How soon are they leaving?"
Before she could answer, the buzzer pealed.
"Right now," Ria said, then buzzed in the boys.
The next few minutes were a blur of corsages and boutonnieres and lots of pictures. Every time Megan smiled for the camera, Ria felt a twinge of fear, but she told herself she was being foolish. And since there was no way she could stop it, she needed to just let the worry go.
Eventually, the kids made their way downstairs where a limo was waiting. Eric's father had paid for their ride to the prom. Ria stood at the window, watching as they got into the car. She felt suddenly emotional, wishing Kate could be here to see her daughter.
Drew peered over her shoulder. "Megan looks happy," he said.
"So far it's the perfect night." She blinked the tears out of her eyes and glanced back at him. "I hope it ends up that way."
"And no one throws up on her shoes," he said.
She smiled. "Exactly. So what now?"
He smiled back at her. "I'd really like to take advantage of this empty apartment, but I've made plans for us."
"You have," she said, a little surprised.
"I asked you on a date. That usually requires a plan."
"What are we going to do?"
"Grab your jacket, and you'll find out."
"I'm not dressed up." She'd put on her nicest sweater and her best pair of jeans, but they were still jeans.
"You're dressed perfectly. But it's going to get cold later, so bring a warm jacket."
She moved over to the closet and grabbed her coat, wondering where they were headed. Drew looked smug and a little too proud of his plans. She had a feeling he had more in mind than dinner and a movie.
"When is Megan expected back from the prom?" he asked as they walked out to his car.
"Tomorrow morning," she admitted, suspecting Drew was going to like her answer.
His face lit up. "Really? You're actually going to let her stay out all night?"
"Yes. I fought the battle, but I lost. They're staying at a hotel about six blocks from here. There are three couples, one room, so hopefully not a lot of—you know."
"Oh, I know," he said. "And are you that sure you've been given the right information?"
"Megan wouldn't lie about it to me."
"I lied to my parents," he said with a frank smile.
"Yeah, I did, too," she said. "But Megan knows that she can't treat this like the other kids. I have to know where she is. And she has to tell me the truth."
His expression grew more somber, but all he said was, "Okay."
She was surprised he'd let the subject drop so easily, but perhaps that was another hint that he still wasn't ready to know everything just yet. That was fine with her. She wanted time off from the worry and the danger. She just wanted to have some fun and be with Drew. Like Megan, she would pretend for a night that her life was perfectly normal.
* * *
"Where are we going?" Ria asked.
"You'll see," Drew replied as he drove past the marina, the yacht club, and eventually over the Golden Gate Bridge. He couldn't wait to see her reaction when she realized what they were going to do.
"Are we going far?" she asked.
