Page 48 of Reluctantly Married

She glanced over at Adam, and sure enough, a frown had overtaken his face, his eyebrows drawn together. But, how was he supposed to react? The girl he confessed as his love was kissing someone else. If he kept smiling, he’d ruin the show. But she had to admit, a tiny part of her enjoyed his anxiety.

Megan put her hand on Anthony’s shoulder. “Thanks for the date.”

He pointed both index fingers at her. “You betcha.” Then he twirled and did a little jig.

She couldn’t help but laugh.

Megan twisted her fingers together as she sat on the leather straight-back chair. Doctor Lemon stared her down. Adam sat on the opposite side and seemed almost as nervous as she.

“Your next trust exercise will be in the form of a dinner date.” The doctor looked like she was trying to hide a smile.

Megan released a breath she’d been holding. Eat dinner. She could do that. Easy peasy, right?

Adam nodded with a ‘That’s not so bad’ expression on his face.

Doctor Lemon pulled out a small metal box with a hinged lid. “You will be driven by limousine to a fine restaurant. We’ll give you time to change. There are new outfits in your rooms.” She slid the box into Megan’s hands. “The trust exercise comes when you open this box during dinner. There are instructions inside.”

Megan clutched the cold metal container like it was about to come alive and wrestle her to the ground. She took a calming breath. Surely it couldn’t be anything too horrible.

The doctor glanced at her watch. “You have a half-hour to get ready. You are dismissed.”

Heart pounding, Megan stood and glanced at Adam. He raised an eyebrow at the box in her hand, but a smile slid onto his face. “This should be interesting.”

Not the word she was thinking of. Leon, no doubt, was behind all of this. And he was the last person she trusted. “Yeah.”

When she got to her room, she gasped at the black gown that hung on the back of her bathroom door. Silky, yet shimmering in the light, the cut both sexy and flattering. When she slid it on, it fit like it had been cut for her figure. She twirled in front of the mirror. Wow.

She freshened her makeup and ran a brush through her hair, then grabbed the metal box. Adam stood at the bottom of the grand staircase, leaning casually against the wall. When their gaze met, she sucked in a breath. She couldn’t help it. He looked like he belonged in a men’s fashion magazine. Or in a lineup at a wedding. Seeing him in a tux was doing strange things to her heart. As she neared, he winked at her and those dimples appeared. She broke eye contact and concentrated on not falling down the stairs.

He held out his arm. “There’s a car waiting.”

They stepped outside, to see a long stretch limo idling in the circular drive. She raised an eyebrow at him. “Car?”

He shrugged as the driver opened the door for her. “I guess Doctor Lemon wanted this to be a date to remember.”

The silver box grew warm in her hand. “Yeah. I bet.”

The restaurant was upscale, all white tablecloths and crystal wine glasses. They were seated in a secluded area so the camera men didn’t bother anyone else.

Nerves assaulted her as she stared at the menu. “What are you getting?”

Adam seemed relaxed. “The halibut looks good. Their seafood is flown in fresh each day.”

She snapped her menu shut. “Good choice. I’ll have that, too.” The reality was she didn’t think she could eat anything before opening that stupid box, but she dreaded doing so.

After they ordered, Adam placed his hand on hers. “Do you want to open it, or keep staring at it like it’s going to bite you?”

She tore her eyes from the silver lid. She had to know what was in it. Then maybe she could get it over with and enjoy the rest of the date. “You open it.”

He picked up the metal container and flipped up the lid. It appeared to be filled with small strips of paper. His gaze flickered to hers before he read the instructions. “Take turns selecting and following the directions on each piece of paper. You must use them all.” He set the box between them, then eyed her. “Want to go first?”

She shook her head.

He grinned, then picked up a white strip and smoothed it out on the table. “Tell your date about your most embarrassing moment.”

Relief flooded through her. That wasn’t so bad.

Adam chuckled and tossed the paper in the middle of the table. “Okay, it has to be the time I accidentally called our fifth grade teacher her nick-name…to her face.”

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