The elevator rose smoothly, and I slid my hand into his. His callused fingers surrounded mine, warm and strong. It only took a moment before the doors opened out into a beautiful restaurant with giant windows. It was quite possibly the most stunning thing I had ever seen.
The hostess greeted us and hurried us to a table for two next to one of the big pane-glass windows. The lights from the city twinkled like fireflies in the dark, the Empire State Building directly in front of us. Robbie pulled out my chair before sitting across from me. The sounds of tinkling laughter and playful chatter filled the restaurant as the guests enjoyed themselves.
"This is amazing," I whispered, looking out the window and seeing the buildings shift. I realized the floor moved slightly and the view changed as the entire restaurant slowly rotated.
"It's moving!" I gasped, and my eyes went wide. Robbie laughed and reached across the table to take my hand. I was glad, because I really didn't ever want him to let go. Even just the short time apart between him pulling out my chair to that moment seemed too long to not touch him.
"It will make a full 360° turn every hour. This way, you'll be able to see the whole city and still get dinner," Robbie said. His green eyes danced with mirth, and I couldn't look away from his smile. Screw the city, I thought, I've got the best view.
"Good evening. Can I interest you in a wine flight? Or perhaps some champagne to get the evening started?" a waitress asked. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and legs that went on for miles. I instantly felt distrust toward her for being so effortlessly beautiful, but I did my best to smile back.
"I'd love some champagne. Dom Perignon Rose if you have it, please," Robbie said. He gave her a quick smile before looking back at me.
"Of course. I'll be right back with that," the waitress cooed, placing her hand on Robbie's shoulder. He didn't even look at her; he just kept smiling at me until she left.
"I hope you don't mind that I ordered for you. It's one of my favorites," he said. His thumb stroked the palm of my hand, sending thrills up and down my spine.
"No, it's fine. I don't know anything about champagne, so I'm glad you did. This is all so fancy—I have no idea what to order," I said sheepishly, looking down at the menu. Lobster, filet mignon, lamb, and mussels with delicious sounding descriptions all stared up at me.
"I recommend the steamed mussels in Normande sauce. The brandy in the sauce gives it a sweetness that is just perfect," he suggested. I giggled.
"You are just trying to get me in the mood," I teased. "Dinner in a luxurious hotel, now suggesting an aphrodisiac for dinner..."
"You're thinking of oysters, but if that's what you want, then I won't say no." He gave me a naughty wink, and I felt a blush sear across my cheeks. The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly as he chuckled.
"Champagne?" the pretty waitress interrupted, batting her long eyelashes at Robbie. He nodded patiently for her to open and pour the bubbly liquid. I couldn't imagine a more overt sexual innuendo as she held the bottle and popped the cork, her mouth open and the look of pleased surprise almost inappropriate. The smile on my face became wooden. She was much more attractive than I was. Her long, blonde hair was curled and her dress looked expensive. My straight hair was losing the curls Grace and Avery had managed to coerce hours ago, and I knew my dress was far less revealing than hers.
But Robbie didn't seem to notice. Once the champagne was poured, he listed off his order with polite words, and as soon as he finished, he took my hands in his and smiled. The blonde pouted, but she very clearly got the message that he wasn't interested in her. He was interested in me. A rush went through me, and the smile on my face became genuine again.
"So, tell me, what happened after you moved away? All of it. I tried calling you a couple of times, but the call never went through," Robbie asked, his attention solely on me. It was hard to concentrate with his green eyes absorbing my every detail, and the warmth from his hands seeping into mine and filling my core.
"Well, we moved to Texas to start Dad's new company idea. Things looked good for a while, but then everything kind of fell apart. Dad's business partner stole some funds, and then the creditors came knocking." I shrugged. "We moved a lot. He was actually thinking of reapplying for his old job at DS Oil and Gas when the accident happened."
"I heard about that. I was really sorry that happened; I liked your parents," he said softly with a gentle squeeze for my hands.
"I don't really like talking about it. Thank you, though." I took a deep breath and continued, "Anyway, I moved into Grace's apartment after that. She got married and had Avery a couple years after that, and sailing picked up."
"So why are you in Winchester, then?" he asked. His face was so concerned and interested in my well-being, I almost didn't want to tell him what had happened. I didn't really like talking about my past, and I was actually surprised I had said as much as I had. It was a testament to Robbie that he could get me to tell him any of it.
"The house was Avery's grandmother's. When Avery's dad Evan died, Grace and Avery moved in with Evan's mom, Betty. She died in the spring, and so I came out to help raise Avery." I took a sip of my champagne.
"And that's why you're not sailing, right?" Robbie asked. I nodded.
"That and Cora's injury. I hope I can get back next season, but it's going to be rough." I shrugged, trying to make it appear as though I didn't care. Taking this season off was almost certainly death for my career, but I hadn't seen any way out of it.
"We have to get you back out on the water," Robbie said. His eyes went serious for a moment. "Have you ever heard of the Champion of Champions Invitational in Chicago? It's a freshwater event, but it's the last race of the season."
"Have I heard of it?" I made an incredulous noise. "I've wanted to race it for years. It's super prestigious, though, and there is no way I could get in..." I stopped and stared at him. "You have an invite, don't you?"
"Get one every year," he said and sipped on his champagne like it was nothing. "I usually don't even go because I don't like to race double-handed, but for you, I would."
"You'd race with me?" I studied his face. Robbie Saunders never raced double-handed. He only ever did single-handed events. In every interview where they asked him why he raced single-handed, he said he never had a partner he could trust.
"For you, Sam. Yes."