Page 6 of What the Doctor Ordered
His eyes were a cool blue, but they carried a heat in them that had me squirming.
Stepping a little closer to Kramer, we moved into what had to be the heart of the club. The upbeat dance music suddenly got louder and there were hundreds of people, all dressed in attire that was somehow fitting for both the nightclub and a night on the red carpet.
Several people glanced at Dr Kramer Bennett. The way the women in particular eyed me as well made me think that hemust be wildly popular in this club, which shouldn’t have been too surprising since I he was a VIP member. Nerves struck me as I realized we were walking right down the middle of the dance floor. I wasnota dancer, not by any means. I could probably move my hips in a way that simulated dance moves, but it was clear that the majority of the club guests actually knew how to dance, and they did it well.
An audible sigh of relief escaped me when we continued past all the dancers and ended up toward the back of the club where an array of tables were set up. Each table was separated by a lush wall made entirely of spring flowers. I didn’t need to look too closely to realize that they were real flowers.
“Your table is ready, sir,” said a worker in a pencil skirt and frilly blouse. She nodded politely to me as Kramer gestured for me to take a seat. I felt like I was in a dream when he pulled my seat out for me and then pushed it back in once I was seated.
“This place is beautiful, and so unexpected,” I said conversationally.
“It’s one of my favorite spots,” Kramer said in agreement, sitting down across from me.
My shyness suddenly doubled now that the two of us were alone. “This is nice,” I said, gesturing vaguely around at the private table surrounded by flowers.
Kramer smiled. “I thought it would be nice to have some privacy so that we can get to know each other a little bit more,” he said, chuckling lightly. “I figured it would be hard to talk with all the craziness happening in the rest of the club.”
I laughed too, relaxing a bit at his lightness. “Thank you for inviting me out tonight,” I said. Smirking as I found myselfquickly becoming comfortable., I added, “I have to admit, I was worried that you were going to ask me to dance when you led me through all those people.”
“Do you not like to dance?” Kramer asked, one corner of his lips twitching with amusement.
“I wouldn’t go so far to say that I don’t like it,” I replied. “It’s more that I am just unaccustomed to the practice. The circles that I was a part of didn’t partake.”
“I see,” Kramer said with a wry grin. He hummed thoughtfully. “I wonder if I can change your mind about the sport. I imagine you would be quite a fun dance partner.”
“Oh, no, not at all,” I said, waving my hands in front of my face. “Unless you enjoy getting your feet stomped on, of course.”
Kramer laughed and I found that I liked the way the action caused his eyes to light up. “I don’t think I would mind too much if it were your feet stepping on mine.”
I could feel my face heating up all the way to my hairline this time. “You’re awfully smooth,” I said teasingly. “I imagine this is how you talk to all the girls around here.”
Kramer’s eyes darkened slightly, and he leaned forward so that we were eye to eye. “Only the prettiest ones,” he said, and his voice was practically a purr.
I swallowed hard. “You shouldn’t say stuff like that,” I muttered.
Kramer looked genuinely bewildered by that statement. He blinked a couple of times. “Why not?” he asked.
I swallowed again and looked up at him from beneath my lashes. “Because then I might actually start to believe you.”
Kramer’s smirk widened. “And it is my deepest hope that you do believe me,” he said. “I know it seems soon since we just met in person but when we matched and started talking, I felt like we connected right away. That has never happened to me before. And now that you’re here in front of me, I feel it even more.”
“I think I know what you mean,” I said shyly.
It was difficult to explain, but I felt the connection with Kramer too. He was very easy to talk to, and he had a charm that made me feel comfortable right away. A small part of me wondered if it should be this easy. We had just met after all, and while we covered a lot of ground during our conversations, I wondered if there should have taken a little more effort. Then again, maybe this was how true love should be.
Kramer ordered a nice steak dinner for us, and we spent the next couple of hours just chatting and enjoying each other’s company. Kramer was the eldest of four kids and had felt like he had to grow up fast to help take care of his siblings. He loved them so much, though, he never resented his parents for it.
“That must have been hard though,” I said, my heart breaking a little as I imagined Kramer as a young boy having to grow up before he was ready to.
“At times it was,” he admitted. “But I am thankful for it as well. My siblings and I are very close because of how we were raised.”
By the end of the dinner, I felt like I knew this man surprisingly well, maybe better than I had known any other guy. It was a strange feeling. Maybe this had been a really good idea after all.
“What do you say we make our way out to the dance floor,” he said suddenly, standing and holding his hand out to me.
My jaw dropped and I just stared up at him. “I’m not a very good dancer, remember?”
Kramer’s gaze didn’t falter from mine. “Trust me,” he said. “It’s all in the leading.”
