Page 10 of Rekindling Little River
“Oohh, you have come to the right place.” The man held out his hand for a shake, “I’m Liam. Do you have an idea of the style you want?”
River smiled. “I was thinking something along the lines of rodeo drag queen.”
“I like your style, my friend. Let’s get you hooked up.”
Liam was friendly and smart with a wicked sense of style that made River wonder if maybe he belonged in Paris putting together outfits for fashion week. When they mentioned it, he’d laughed and said he was happy where he was with people who understood and accepted him. River could relate. They’d felt freer to be them since stepping inside these gates than they’d ever felt before.
Liam had loaded a basket with several options of outfits and had included all the accessories to go with each one, but when he’d run across a certain pair of jeans, a light had come in his eyes as he looked between the pants and River.
“You’ve got Native American heritage right? How would you like the highlight that?”
“I’d love to rock something that proclaims my roots.”
“Perfect!” Liam took their hand and led them to the back of the store where a large area reserved for trying on clothes was set up. There were several doors leading to what River assumed to be dressing rooms. In the center of the space was a platform surrounded by mirrors that shoppers could use to see an outfit from all angles. It was a pretty exceptional setup.
He led them to one of the doors and opened it. Inside was a long comfortable-looking bench along one wall, sturdy-looking hooks for hanging clothes on and was that an electrical outlet laid into the floor? Something told River these rooms might be used for more than simply trying on clothes.
“Wait here for just a minute. I’ll be back with an outfit so fabulous you’ll never want to take it off.”
Oh, River doubted that. They could think of one thing that would get them to lose any outfit in a split second.
“Okay, well, maybe forthat.” Liam smirked, letting River know they hadn’t masked their thoughts well at all.
True to his word, it was no more than a couple of minutes before Liam returned with an outfit and every accessory one could possibly need in a hand basket. He handed the basket to River who wore what had to be a skeptical expression. There was way too much gray in that basket.
“Trust me,” Liam said with a wink. “If you don’t like it after you’ve put it all together, we’ll find you something else.”
River was willing to give it a try, so they nodded and closed the door. Once they’d put everything on and stepped out and onto the platform, they thanked their stars that they’d taken the risk.
“I told you. It’s absolute perfection.”
Liam wasn’t wrong.
CHAPTER 9
Dave
Dave was more nervous for this dinner than he’d been for anything before. How could one person come to mean so much in such a small amount of time? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that River meant more to him already than anyone ever had.
He adjusted his collar, took one last look in the mirror and, deciding he was as good as he’d get, made his way out his door and the few feet to River’s. Knocking lightly, he resisted the urge to fidget. He wasn’t a high-school kid hoping for his first kiss, after all. He was closing in on forty.
A shadow covered the peephole in the door and Dave took a deep breath as he heard the sound of the locks disengaging. When the door swung open, Dave about swallowed his tongue. He’d seen River dressed nicely before, but there was something about them tonight that made them breathtaking.
They shifted nervously and Dave had to gulp a few times and clear his throat to get his voice working. “You look absolutely stunning.”
He knew he’d said the right thing when a flush warmed their cheeks and a glow lit their eyes. It was no less than the truth though. Dark gray, bootcut jeans fit like a second skin and were embellished with jewels designing a dream catcher going down the left thigh, and as they turned to grab their key off a side table he saw that the same design in a mini version covered the back pockets. A pearl snap shirt in a lighter gray had rhinestone feathers similar to those on the dream catcher on the pants hanging from the right breast pocket. A dark gray hat with a band of rhinestone feathers and dark gray boots with silver tips completed the look. Their joy in the outfit made them sparkle brighter than the clothes and accessories did, and Dave found he couldn’t get enough of the joy that lit River’s brown eyes.
River closed their door and checked to ensure it was locked, before tucking their key into a pocket and allowing Dave to take their hand and lead them down the hall. Just holding their hand made Dave feel ten feet tall and bulletproof.
He led them to the Mexican restaurant, loving the authentic feel of the décor. Cloth tablecloths in alternating shades of teal, orange, gold and red covered the tables. Plates with different Aztec designs hung on the walls alongside colorful sombreros. It reminded Dave of a place he loved to eat at back home and warmed his heart.
They were seated quickly with chips and salsa provided before their waiter could even make it over to get their drink orders. The quick and efficient service just added to the restaurant’s appeal. It wasn’t long before they’d gotten their drinks and were ready to order. River told him what they’d like and allowed him to order for them, and the gesture was one he couldn’t be more grateful for. He really did have a deep-seated need for control. He just hoped that River wouldn’t find it to be too much.
Conversation flowed through dinner, keeping to lighter topics which gave them the opportunity to get to know each other better. Dave couldn’t believe the difference from the night before. Tonight, when he led the conversation to more personal topics, River allowed it, answering freely and openly as if theyhadn’tblocked almost every attempt the night before. He wasn’t complaining though. He was finally learning more about the Little one who was already capturing his heart.
When they’d finished dinner and had shared some fried ice-cream for dessert, he led River to the giant seating area surrounding the large fireplace. They settled side by side on one of the couches and Dave turned to River.
“I know he contacted you when I made the request, so you know I got your limits list from Master Derek and I assume you got the one I asked him to send to you.”
