When Erin stepped into the lobby of Michelangelo’s she took a deep breath and clutched her purse tightly in her hands. She peered down the dimly lit hallway toward the salon then breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t here yet. Her racing pulse began to decelerate toward normal.
“Good evening, Erin.”
She jumped then whipped round to peer into the darkness of the hallway. And there he stood, tall and imposing in an elegant dinner jacket of dark gray. Those piercing gray eyes glittered in the dim light and she felt as if his gaze stripped her bare.
“Dare,” she said, her voice breathless, “I didn’t see you over there.”
“I know you didn’t. Come.” He gave her his arm. “A table is reserved for us.”
She rested her hand on his arm and as she did so a shiver ran through her. Furtively, she glanced up at him through her lashes. Had he felt it, her body’s reaction to his? She hoped he hadn’t. That was just what she would need - her body making its response to him unmistakably clear. She breathed a soft sigh of relief when he gave no indication that he’d felt it. He simply kept on walking, her hand tucked into the crook of his arm.
The maitre d’ bowed low, showing extreme deference to Dare, then directed them to a private room adjoining the restaurant, an elegantly decorated room aglow with the soft light of a dozen candles shining through stained glass shades that lined the walls. In the middle of the table was what looked like a bouquet of flowers but turned out to be flower shaped candles from which an almost heavenly fragrance wafted.
Dare released her arm and pulled out her chair then he went to sit across from her, his eyes never once leaving her face. It was if he was seeing her for the first time, so intense was his stare. Or was there something more? There was a gleam in his eyes, one that she could not decipher. The only word that came to mind was ‘wicked’. She could feel her breathing grow shallow. Goodness, had she made a mistake in coming?
But then inexplicably his demeanor changed. Gone were the frown that had darkened his face, gone was the intense stare that was almost a glare, and in their place was a half-smile that, while not totally reassuring, made her breathing just a little bit easier.
Dare took charge, placing the order for both of them. He seemed familiar with everything on the menu so there was no need to question his recommendation.
In fact, just then Erin was feeling so out of her depth she doubted she would have been able to order anyway. She wasn’t even sure she’d be able to eat when the meal arrived. Dropping her hands to her lap she twisted her napkin with shaking fingers and pasted a bright smile on her face.
“Are you alright?” Dare’s frown was back. He was watching her intently, his gray eyes glittering like shards of glass in the candlelight.
“I’m…fine, thank you.” The words came out stilted and strained. She swallowed and tried again, hiding desperately behind her fake smile. “This is a really nice place. It seems to be the nicest restaurant at the resort.”
“I like it.” His voice was brusque and cool. It was almost as if he had no interest in conversation.
Confused, Erin bit her lip. Why had he asked her to dinner? He was acting like she was an annoyance.
She dropped the napkin onto her lap, lifted her head and looked him squarely in the eyes. Enough was enough. “You didn’t really want to invite me out, did you?”
“Excuse me?” He straightened, obviously caught off guard by her direct question.
“This…date, if you can call it that. Clearly, you don’t want to be here so why did you invite me out?” Erin gave him her coldest stare.
“I’m…sorry,” he said, his voice low. He had the decency to look contrite. “I’ve had a rough day and was a bit…distracted.” He leaned forward and for the first time that evening he gave her a smile that could be described as warm. “That’s no excuse for my behavior and I’m sorry. Forgive me?” He gave her a puppy dog look that melted her heart.
How could she say no? She smiled back at him. “Of course,” she said with a slight nod of her head and when he reached out and took her hand she did not pull it away.
After that the rest of the date went smoothly and soon Erin began to relax in Dare’s company. He was charming and witty, and she found herself laughing at his insightful and satirical observations on life. She was seeing another side to this man she’d branded as too domineering and too bold. He actually had a sense of humor.
She’d just finished her second glass of wine when the server approached the table, bottle at ready. This time she quickly covered her glass with her hand.
“I’m fine, thank you,” she told him with a smile.
“Are you sure?” Dare asked and a mischievous smile played on his lips. “You’re on vacation, remember? No time like the present to let your hair down.”
She thought about it. He was right. It was not like she had to drive a car afterwards so no fear of DUI. And she didn’t have to get up next day to head out to work or classes. What harm could one more glass of wine do? Besides, she liked wine.
She began to slide her fingers away, her lips slightly pursed in anticipation of the tangy liquid, but then her better self, good old cautious Erin, came to the rescue. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “I rarely drink so two glasses of wine is enough, I think. I’ll have to walk back to the villa, remember?” She was looking at Dare and gave a little laugh as he gave her an exaggerated look of disappointment. Then when he gave her a pout and wiped away a fake tear she laughed out loud. Dare DeSouza was actually a funny guy.
Seeming satisfied that he’d made her laugh, Dare turned to the server. “Just one glass, please. We’ll share it.”
At his words Erin’s eyes widened and she felt the warmth of a blush rise to her face. We’ll share it? Whoa, hold on. Wasn’t that much too intimate for two people who hardly knew each other? She continued to stare at Dare, trying to look composed, but she could feel her smile faltering.
Within an instant a fresh glass of white wine was placed on the table between them and the server slipped discreetly away. Erin tore her eyes from Dare’s face and looked instead at the sparkling liquid.