Laci sat up straight on that threat. “Don’t you dare!”
“Then tell me the rest,” Victoria demanded.
Rolling her eyes, Laci hurriedly finished the story. “The two teams were tied and they were worn out. We decided to finish the battle between the two of us by playing horse.”
Victoria immediately started laughing. She laughed so hard, she could barely get her next comment out. “So you decided to play basketball against a six foot three man?” And she burst into a fresh fit of laughing.
“It wasn’t basketball, it was horse. And if you’d ever get out onto the court, you’d know that you don’t need height to play Horse. It just takes skill,” Laci defended, needing to raise her voice over her sister’s laughing fit.
But Victoria was still laughing so hard she could barely hear Laci’s explanation. “Victoria, I’m going to hang up on you if you don’t stop,” she threatened.
“Ok,” her sister said, taking a deep breath. Laci could imagine Victoria wiping the tears from her eyes and gritted her teeth. “So what did you lose?”
“Well, if I’d won, he would have given in on some health benefits for the union workers.”
“Uh huh. So what did you lose?”
Laci paused then spilled the beans. “I have to go to dinner with him tonight.”
“Well, that’s not so bad. He’s wonderful to talk to,” her sister commiserated.
“Hmmm…” was all Laci said.
“Where are you going?”
“He said I could decide.”
“So where are you going?” she asked again.
“I’m not sure. Some place different, I’ guess.”
“Laci?” her sister said warningly. “What are you thinking?” she asked.
“I’m not sure,” she said, an evil thought forming in her mind. “What about Barney’s?”
Victoria gasped at the suggestion. “No! Please not Barney’s! He’ll never go. And if you do manage to get him in there, he’ll hate it. He’s too stuffy for that place.”
“What’s wrong with Barney’s? And Sal’s not stuffy, just very dignified.” Laci didn’t know why, but she felt the need to defend Sal to Victoria.
“What’s wrong with it?” she repeated Laci’s question in astonishment. “Nothing if you’re into loud country music and crazy dancing. Could you picture Sal in cowboy boots and jeans?”
Laci’s mind immediately thought about that and considered it very appealing.
“Laci!” Victoria called out when her sister didn’t reply immediately. “Not Barney’s!”
“Barney’s is very nice,” Laci defended, liking the idea more and more.
“You used to hang out there for years throughout college. You’re an expert at all the country music dances but that doesn’t mean Sal will fit in. He might be uncomfortable in that kind of atmosphere.”
“Well then, it is time he branched out and experienced more than exclusive restaurants with linen table clothes and five hundred dollar bottles of wine,” he said.
“Laci…” Victoria said again, the threat evident in her tone.
“Don’t worry about a thing, Vic. I’ll take very good care of him. He’ll be all ready for church first thing in the morning. I’ve got to go shower.” They said their goodbyes and Laci hung up the phone.
Laci finally admitted being excited about the coming night now that she had the anticipation of bringing Sal down a few notches.
After her phone call with her sister, the afternoon flew by. She ran out and got her nails done in a soft pink, then took some time to get new makeup, finally feeling in charge of the evening. She got home and showered, pulling on a pair of well worn jeans, black cowboy boots and her new cashmere sweater. Drying her hair, she considered pulling it back and securing it in her usual knot but decided to let it hang loose around her shoulders, falling almost to the small of her back. The ends curled slightly from the humidity of the bathroom but she didn’t try and straighten it out, knowing she was running out of time.
Looking at the clock, it was two minutes until seven. The doorbell rang and she answered it quickly. “I hope you’re in for a fun…” she stopped as soon as she opened the door and saw him standing in front of it, one hand on either side of her door frame as he leaned against it.
He was wearing a pair of jeans that had to have been made exclusively for him since they fit him like an old glove. He also wore a pair of black cowboy boots and a black cowboy hat. The only piece of clothing that wasn’t complete “country” was his white button down shirt which was obviously tailor made but still suited the whole look.
“Victoria!” she said, deflated that her sister had spilled the beans.
Sal threw back his head and laughed. After a few minutes, he stopped and looked directly at her. “Yes. I called her to get your address and she let me in on your plans.”
“Fine!” she said and grabbed her keys. She pulled her apartment door closed behind her.
He grabbed her waist as she tried to push past him, stopping her momentarily. “Now don’t be a sore loser. I thought you were determined to show me how to have a good time and loosen up tonight,” he said. He chuckled when she slipped quickly out of his arms but didn’t mention her shiver. He liked that though. She couldn’t hide her body’s reaction to him no matter how feisty she got on the outside. He couldn’t either, he thought as his body also reacted to her closeness.
She’d never realized how small the elevator was until Sal was standing in front of her, looking down with an amused expression. “I’ve heard Barney’s has really good food,” he said.
His good humor was contagious. “I know. I’ve eaten there too many times to count,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the buttons on his shirt. She was grateful when the doors to the elevator opened and she was free to put some space between the two of them.
He drove them to the restaurant, his black BMW eating up the miles in no time. The inside of Barney’s looked more like a huge barn rather than a normal restaurant. It even had rafters criss-crossing the ceiling and a juke box on one end of an oversized dance floor.
They were led to a table by the windows overlooking a fresh water pond. They both ordered steaks and a baked potato along with cold beers, which arrived quickly.