Page 16 of My Salvation
Sarah yawns as she walks to the front door. “Always. That’s what friends are for, right? OK, I’m out of here. Thanks for dinner and the wine. We’ll definitely have to plan a proper girls’ night out soon.”
***
TURNING MY HEAD TOthe left, then to the right, I scrutinize my make-up. My green eyes pop, while the rest of my make-up is more neutral. Since the dress is green, I played up my eyes to emphasize their color. Slipping into the bedroom, I put on the dress, my boots, and the jewelry. Looking into the full-length wall mirror, I love how I look. The dress and boots emphasize my long legs, and the dress overall makes my curves stand out more than usual. I feel sexy. Going over to the dresser again, I add a spritz of perfume. Hearing a knock on the door, I grab my clutch and head out.
I open the door. Stunned, I take in Lev’s black jeans and black button down with a dark grey blazer. The man looks like sin incarnate. As my eyes travel from his feet to his face, it hits me that I’m going on a date with this hunk of man. In the past, I’ve always gone for the boy-next-door type of guy. Not tall, dark, and hunky.
Humming, I finish my perusal of his body and look into his eyes. I notice they seem darker than usual.
“You’re so damn beautiful.” He steps inside, while his eyes take in my outfit. He steps up close to me and inhales. “And you smell as good as you look.” He chuckles. “It’s a good thing we’re going out to dinner tonight. I don’t think I’d last long without kissing and holding you.” He grabs my hand and holds it to his chest so I can feel his truth in the rapid beat of his heart.
Sucking in my breath, I hold my hand there and look up at him.
“Breathe,” he commands me. He holds my cheek as I exhale. I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding my breath.
Pulling in my lower lip for a second, I regroup before responding, “I didn’t realize I was holding my breath. You look handsome yourself.” Well, that was kind of lame, but damn, this man packs a punch.
Still holding my hand, he pulls me out the door. “Thank you, sweetheart. Let’s go.”
He continues to hold my hand as he drives to the restaurant in Helena, which is about forty minutes away. His thumb caresses back and forth, sending tingles from my hand up to my arm. We talk about each other’s week. I tell him about Sarah coming over last night for dinner and wine.
“Both Sarah and I love your wine choices. To be honest, your reserve is almost depleted.” I grin. “I’m happy to stock it back up, but I might need your help to pick out the best wines.”
“Drink all of it. I can always bring by more. A lot of them were samples from vendors I thought were excellent.” He squeezes my hand. “I’ll bring some more by when we have a dinner date at your place.”
“We haven’t even finished this date yet,” I admonish him.
“I already know I want a second date,” he responds quietly.
Stunned, I just look over at him for a second to see he is serious. I smile. My nerves start to dissolve. This is going to be a good date.
We reach the restaurant, and he hands the keys to the valet. As we walk into the restaurant, he reaches for my hand again.
The hostess greets him by his first name and smiles. “Hello, Lev. We have a private booth reserved in the back, as requested. May I take your coats?”
We hand our coats to coat check and follow the hostess back to our booth. As we walk, several people say hello to Lev, some men getting up to shake his hand. All smile or say hello to me, curiosity burning in their eyes.
Lev must come here a lot, I muse.
We finally get to our booth, and I realize just what she meant by a private booth. The booth is tucked away into an alcove, with a screen where you can shut off the rest of the dining area. Very private and romantic, too. Thanking the hostess, Lev motions for me to slide in first, then he slides in after me. I scoot to the center to give him some more room. The man looks like a giant sitting in this booth.
“You are popular. Come here often?” I ask tentatively, now slightly worried I’m just the same as all the other dates he brings here. Biting my lip, I wait for his answer.
Reaching out with his thumb, he pulls my lip from my teeth. He looks pleased for some reason. “I own this restaurant,” he explains. “And two others down the street, so I’m here a lot on business. My customers usually visit all three, so I’ve gotten to know a few of them.”
“You own this restaurant, the bar and two others.”
He shrugs, watching me closely. “I love food and entertaining people. Seeing the satisfaction they get from eating a good meal, celebrating their most important milestones, and making new friends along the way. It’s the best job, and I love it.”
Hearing this helps me understand another side of him. One that is serious about business and success, but more for the joy it brings himself and others.
“I don’t know you very well, but I noticed when we first met that you exude this incredible warmth and joy of life. It drew me to you like a flame. And I’m sure your success comes just as much from people who are also drawn to this core part of you as it does the delicious food and ambiance.”
Leaning back, he stares at me for a second as his fingers play with my hand. “Thank you. It means a lot to me that you see the man, not the success.”
“Honey, you’re a hard man to miss,” I tease him. My stomach growls, and I feel myself blush. “Please excuse me.”
Laughing, he raises my hand and gives it a kiss. He then lets go and hands me a menu. “I’d better feed you, or this will be the worst first date ever.”
