Chapter 6

            Brian was meeting Lacey downstairs at eight-thirty. She wore a red halter dress. The skirt swung slightly above her knee. It tied in the back around her neck. It could pass for semi-casual. Lacey had no idea where Brian was going to take her. Hopefully, what she had on would pass muster at the restaurant.

            There was a knock on the door. Surely, Blake hadn’t arrived, yet. It was only eight o’clock.

            Lacey opened the door to see Rebecca, one of the innkeepers. “He’s not here already is he?” she asked nervously.

            “Oh, no, dear. I came to see how you were fairing. First dates can be a bit harrowing and you seemed pretty excited about it when you came in to tell me you were expecting someone.”

            “I could use an ear if you got a minute.” Lacey stood aside to let her in.

            “Sure,” Rebecca entered the room.

            As Lacey closed the door, Rebecca said, “Oh, you look nice.”

            Lacey had curled her blonde hair on the ends. She didn’t have bangs. “Thank you. I was about to put on my earrings and bracelet.”

            “Oh.”

            Lacey walked to the dresser. “It’s just a gold bracelet and hoop earrings.” She raised them up to show Rebecca.

            “Those go with you dress very well.” She sat down on the bed. “So tell me. Are you nervous?

            “Yes,” she answered bluntly as she put the earrings on. “He is so . . . gorgeous and confident. I really am hoping it works out. When we met today there was an instant . . . attraction between us. He felt it, too, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked me out.”

            “True. Even though I just spoke to Brian briefly today when he checked in he seems nice enough.”

            “Yeah, there’s just one thing that bothers me about him.”

            “What?”

            “He paid for all my paintings and photos in cash today.”

            “So?”

            “So, he bought everything I had. It came to three thousand two-hundred dollars.”

            “Mercy,” Rebecca echoed loudly. “He paid it all in cash?”

            “Yes, ma’am. That’s a lot of cash to carry around in this day and age.”

            “It sure is. Hmm.”

            “A girl can’t help but wonder what a man does for a living that he has that much cash on him.”

            “I don’t blame you. Best find a discrete way of asking him what he does for a living,” Rebecca suggested seriously. “Just in case.”

           

                                                                                      ****

            Blake had changed into a Brioni designer suit. It was midnight blue with micro-pinstripes. He wore a white shirt and a midnight blue tie with it.

            He was actually nervous. He hadn’t been nervous for a first date since he was fourteen. He had finally got the nerve up to ask Tiffany Rhodes out on a date - thanks to his father’s encouragement.

            “If she says no, let it go and ask another girl out. It’s one thing there’s plenty of and that’s women. The population is more women than men, son.”

            But, she had said yes. His mother had made arrangements at the country club for them to have dinner out on the patio. His father had to tie his tie because his hand was shaking so bad. As had he helped him get dressed, he gave him some advice. One tip included whether to kiss a girl at the end of the date.

            “Now, son, if it went well, then try to kiss Tiffany. Now, she’ll be nervous, but don’t let that deter you. You’re growing into a man and men are natural hunters. We make the first move. Got it?”

            It had gone more than well. And when Blake had kissed Tiffany in the back of the limo before they got home it turned into a mini make-out session. They had dated for almost a year. Blake had grown more than fond of her, and then she dumped him to go to the prom with the star quarterback. Blake had been crushed. Since then, he had vowed to never let another woman get him that emotional again. It wasn’t worth it. He had dated other girls in high school and college since then, of course. And every one of them weren’t good at nothing other than sex, reproducing, and serving a man’s needs as needed. His mother had turned out that way, too. She had left his father for another man. Two months after she had left his father, she had been on a yacht with her new lover when they ran into an impromptu storm. The yacht capsized and they both drowned. The paperwork for the divorce hadn’t even been drawn up when she had died. Therefore, making Blake’s father a widower.

            God had the right idea when he put men over women in Blake’s opinion. Lacey had embarrassed him more than hurt him emotionally. He had every intentions of putting her in her place in front of God and everybody on the street today. But, he had been truly overwhelmed by her beauty. He couldn’t help it. Like he couldn’t help but find out more about her and where she had gone after she jilted him at the altar.

            This is a simple recon mission. Robinson’s reports aren’t enough. I really need to know why she wouldn’t marry me. And I need to know about her from her.

            It was a need to know Blake couldn’t fight off. Lacey was just that intriguing to him despite being a woman.

            There was a knock on the door.

            Who could that be?

            Blake opened the door to Rebecca, one of the innkeepers.

            “I came to check on you. First dates can be a bit nerve wrecking,” she said with a soft smile.

            “I’m fine . . . Well . . .” he trailed off.

            She continued to give him a soft easy smile. “May I come in?”

            Blake stepped aside so she could enter.

            “You look very debonair,” she complimented and sat down in a chair.

            “Thank you,” he said as he closed the door.

            “So, you’re nervous, yes?”

            “I hate to admit it, but, yes, a little,” he said wryly. “I’m too old to be nervous about a first date like I’m a teenager.”

            “Oooh, not necessarily. Plenty of adult men get nervous about a first date with a woman who . . . isn’t the typical woman. I gather from this afternoon that you find Lacey special.”

            “Yes. I believe she is.”

            She definitely is, but I can’t figure out why except for how beautiful she is.

            “May I give you some advice?”

            Oh, why not?

            “Sure,” he replied.

            “Be upfront. Be honest about everything. A woman warms up and opens up when a man does. In this day and age, women are more astute and paranoid about men.”

            The last thing Blake could be was honest with Lacey.