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She was wearing those damned heels.
I was nervous as I knocked on her bedroom door. I’d spent the better part of fifteen years imagining this very moment. What I would say, how I would be smooth and not awkward like I’d always been. I wasn’t going to let a case of jitters ruin this shot. But then, she’d opened the door, her bottom lip pulled in between her teeth, a shy smile on her face and the nerves returned.
And as we’d stood there, both of us appraising the other, my heart had begun to pound.
Piper Kelley was stunning.
There were a million other adjectives I could use to describe the way she looked, and all of them rushed through my head at once.
I’d known her my entire life. I’d helped potty train her, giving her stickers every time she’d been successful. I remembered the day she’d finally stopped sucking her thumb for good. It had taken a bottle of hot sauce, but she’d finally kicked the habit. I’d watched as she went from a chubby toddler to an awkward kid. Big teeth in a too small mouth. I’d had a front row seat to all of her ridiculous shenanigans as a teenager, watching her grow into her own skin. She’d gone off to college and changed again, going from a wild undergrad to a serious medical student, spending more time taking care of other people than she did herself. And through it all, I’d always thought she was the prettiest girl I’d ever seen.
But this woman standing in front of me in a pink dress that showed off just enough skin to get my imagination going was something else entirely. It was like seeing her for the very first time, and damn if she didn’t knock my hypothetical socks off.
She was every fantasy I’d ever had come to life and that was before my gaze had traveled the length of her shapely legs. When my gaze had hit on her where her slender ankles had slipped into those nude peep toe heels I knew
I was completely and totally screwed.
And I couldn’t wait.
“Lawson, how did you get reservations here?” She breathed, her clear blue eyes sparkling with excitement.
We’d just walked into the nicest restaurant in town. As the hostess led us to a table in the corner, I put my hand on the small of her back, guiding her along beside me. I told myself it was the gentlemanly thing to do, but really, I just needed to touch her. I’d been disappointed when she’d been forced to drop my arm to get into my car, but the drive over had been brief.
“Did some work for the owner.” I shrugged.
The hostess set the heavy leather menus on the table and I pulled a chair out for Piper before settling into my own. After ordering a bottle of champagne, the hostess disappeared, leaving us alone. The silence that ensued was awkward and I struggled to think of something to say to fill it.
I didn’t have to wrack my brain for long.
“Lawson.” Piper looked up from the menu, her face bright. “They have escargot! Have you ever had it before?”
My stomach turned at the thought of snails drenched in butter. “That would be a no,” I told her matter-of-factly.
Her eyes lit up. “Me neither. Let’s get it.” She glanced back at her menu and then back at me. “Let’s only order the stuff we’ve never had before!” she proposed.
I didn’t want to get the escargot. I’d had my heart set on the Wagyu Filet. But I couldn’t tell her no, not when her face was more animated than I’d ever seen. I swallowed the lump of disappointment and forced a smile. “Sounds like a plan.”
She squealed and then clapped her hand over her mouth, glancing around the crowded dining room. No one so much as blinked in our directions so she pulled her hand away from her face and grinned. “This is going to be so much fun!”
The waitress returned with our drinks and Piper ordered for us. If the waitress thought our menu choices were odd, she didn’t raise a brow, just wrote it all down and then hurried away, once again leaving us to ourselves.
This time, with glasses of champagne in our hands, there was no awkward quiet between us. Piper began prattling on about the ER and her upcoming residency.
She paused and took a sip from her glass, her eyes fluttering shut when the liquid hit her tongue. “Mmm…” she moaned softly. “Where did you learn about the bubbly?”
I settled back into my seat and took my own sip, appreciating the dryness. “Living in Vegas, you have the opportunity to do and learn all sorts of things.”
She looked at me over the rim of her glass. “What else did you do in Vegas?”
I turned my gaze to my glass, pretending to ponder her question, and stroked my chin before answering. “Let’s see. I learned how to count cards, performed in a few of the Cirque du Soleil shows, was a backup dancer for the Backstreet Boys, an extra in that Hangover movie, and got into shape.” I flexed my arm with the last bit and her mouth fell open.
“You’re so full of it!”
I lifted a shoulder as I struggled to keep a straight face. “If you say so.”
Her eyes wide, she leaned across the table. “You know the Backstreet Boys?”
I shook my head. “We aren’t bros or anything, but, man, Brian has some moves that rival Magic Mike.”
