Page 43 of Laying it Bare on the Run

When she walked out about ten minutes later, I all but swallowed my tongue. Her hair hung in loose curls and a turquoise dress – which made her blue eyes pop – wrapped around her curves, stopping right above her knees. She wore the brown strappy sandals we had bought too. Clicking off the television, I quickly stood and walked over to her. “You are stunning. I’m glad you ordered the dresses too. Not that you aren’t always beautiful no matter what you are wearing or not wearing but holy shit, I may forgo taking you out and just eat in.” I waggled my eyebrows at her.

Her cheeks pinkened. “Maybe we can skip dessert at the restaurant.”

“Now that is a great idea. Are you ready then?” I pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Yes.” She reached up to push a strand of my hair off of my forehead.

We headed out to the car and in the direction of a quaint little Italian place I hadn’t been to in a while. They made incredible pasta and the homemade rolls were to die for.

About fifteen minutes later, we pulled into the lot at Alessandro’s. He had owned the restaurant for almost twenty years now and even though it was hardly ever crowded, he always had a steady flow of patrons. And I didn’t mind the lack of a crowd; it made the place ideal for a first date. After hopping out of the car, I circled the front to Harper’s door and extended my hand. Then I led her into the stoned structure.

The hostess escorted us to a table toward the back of the dining area. The place was just as I remembered. Low lighting from candle like candelabras hung from the wooden trusses in the ceiling. Dark timber booths lined the walls while lighter colored tables dotted the main area. Maroon colored cushions sat atop the wooden chairs and bench seats.

Harper gazed around at our surroundings as we walked back to our booth. “This place is beautiful. Elegant and romantic.”

I slid in on one side and to my surprise Harper scooted in right beside me.

“The waitress will be right over.” The hostess handed us our menus before heading back to her stand.

“The food is delicious and I thought it gave the perfect atmosphere for our first date.” I placed my hand on her knee and squeezed. “You sitting beside me is making me think of dessert already. But don’t move. I like you right here.”

We perused the menus for a moment, even though I already knew what I was getting.

“Everything looks so yummy. But I think I know what I want.”

The waitress popped over at our table. “Do you two need a few more minutes?”

“We’re ready.” I nodded at Harper to go first.

“I’ll have the mushroom ravioli and a glass of your Merlot.”

“What kind of dressing would you like for your salad?” The waitress scribbled on her pad.

“If you have a vinaigrette, I’ll take that.”

The waitress nodded before turning to me. “And for you, Sir.”

“I’d like the chicken parmesan and a glass of Merlot. And I’ll take French dressing for my salad, thank you.”

When she walked away, I twisted to look at Harper. “I don’t want you to think you need to find a job immediately but what kind of work would you be interested in?”

“You know I am an accountant. Well, I had worked for one of our urgent care providers. But I don’t know if they will give me a recommendation since I just disappeared.” She frowned.

“Whenever there is a job opening and you want to apply for it, I’ll talk with Greg. I’m sure he can contact your prior workplace and explain the situation. Once they know the truth, I’m sure they will understand. And if not, we’ll figure something out. But we don’t need to worry about it right at the moment.”

“I kinda feel like I do. I feel like I’m mooching off of you.”

Distracting us for a moment, the waitress brought out our wine, a basket of rolls, and our salads. “Your dinners should be ready soon. Do you need anything else at the moment?”

“We’re good. Thank you.” I shifted my attention back to Harper. “I’m taking care of you. And besides, you’re my girlfriend. If the situation was reversed, would you help me out?”

She released an annoyed sigh. “Of course I would. But . . . ” Another exasperated groan fell from her lips. “Fine. I don’t even know why I bother arguing with you. Men.” She rolled her eyes. “My father and brother were the same way. Somehow they were always right.” She huffed, narrowing her eyes at me.

Smirking, I leaned in and kissed her pout. “Consider this, if we had met differently and you were finishing up college and I was already out and working, wouldn’t I be the one supporting us until you had completed your course work and could get a job?”

“I already told you you won. You don’t need any more back up.” She took a sip of her wine.

“Well, you hadn’t exactly said that I had won but I like that you admitted it just now.” I shot her a teasing grin. “And cute pun with the backup comment.” I snatched one of the rolls, smothered it in butter, and then shoved about half of it into my mouth. “You have to try these.”

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