He took her breath away in dark jeans and a button-down, long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
“Hi,” she said.
He was staring at her, and when she spoke, he jerked his head up. “Hey. You look gorgeous.”
She smiled. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure where we were going.”
“You’re perfect for where we’re going. Unless you just want to stay in.”
Her smile died. “You want to stay in?”
He laughed. “No. I was joking.” He held his arm out for her. “Let’s go, Cinderella. Time for your night out.”
She felt like Cinderella. She was going out on a date tonight.
“Do you like Asian food?” he asked after they were in the car.
“I like any food that doesn’t come with a dressed-up character and Skee-Ball afterward.”
He laughed. “You’re in luck, then, because none of that tonight.”
He hopped on the highway and they headed into Tulsa. She didn’t get to Tulsa all that often, unless for some reason she needed to go to the mall, which was typically only to do Christmas shopping. So when he took her to Utica Square and pulled in front of P.F. Chang’s, she figured this was going to be the best date she’d had in a very long time.
Okay, so it was the only date she’d had in a very long time.
“Will this work?” he asked.
“It totally works. Thank you.”
He laid his hand on the small of her back and led her inside. She’d forgotten what that felt like—to have a man put his hand on her. It was just a light touch, really, but what it signified meant so much. It was a stamp, a “hey, we’re together” kind of thing.
She was being silly. It meant nothing. They were having dinner. He felt sorry for her because she’d lived like a nun for the past two years. She should stop reading anything into this.
Except there’d been that kiss.
The dark atmosphere inside was nice, but there was nothing romantic about P.F. Chang’s. On a Saturday night, the place was bustling with activity. Will, being a smart guy, had made reservations, so they were quickly shown to their table, a booth against the wall.
Their waitress appeared right away with their menus and said she’d be back in a few to take their drink order.
Will perused the menu, while she stole glances at him. When he peeked at her over the top of his menu, she quickly looked down.
“What are you thinking about in terms of a drink?”
She had no idea. Normally when she went out, it was Chuck E. Cheese’s or Incredible Pizza, where there’d be a buffet or games for the kids to run and play. Drinks consisted of soda. This was a grown-up menu, and she didn’t take her kids to grown-up restaurants. One, because they cost too much and it was a waste of money she didn’t have, and, two, because those kinds of restaurants weren’t fun for her kids.
“Uh, I have no idea. As you can imagine, I don’t get out much.”
He gave her a lopsided smile, and her stomach tightened. Really, all she wanted was to kiss him again. Nothing like a one-track mind.
“How about some sake?”
“Sure. That sounds great.”
When their waitress came back, he ordered for both of them.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“Starving, actually.” She’d been so focused on getting ready for the date, she might have forgotten to eat much today.
“Good. How about an appetizer? Their lettuce wraps are good.”
“Sounds fantastic.” At the mention of food, her stomach grumbled. Yeah, she definitely needed to eat, especially if she was going to be drinking. She was a lightweight in the alcohol department, so getting food into her was paramount if she was going to stay sober.
The waitress brought their sake and Will ordered the appetizer.
“Would you like to order dinner now, or wait a bit?” the waitress asked.
Will looked to Jane. “Oh, I didn’t look at that yet. Sorry.”
“We’ll wait,” he said to the waitress, who left.
“I guess I should figure out what I want to eat.”
“There’s no hurry, Jane. We’re not on a schedule here. Just sit back and enjoy your drink.”
“Right. I’m so used to my life being scheduled. Eating out with the kids typically means arguments and me wanting to get home as soon as humanly possible.”
He laid his hand over hers. “Not tonight. Relax.”
The contact was electric, the zing from his hand over hers shooting through her nerve endings and hitting all those sweet spots that hadn’t been touched in a very long time. She took a hard swallow of sake, her eyes watering.
“Wow,” she said, glad she had a glass of water at the table to wash it down with.
“It’s kind of strong,” he said. “You might want to sip it.”
“Now you tell me.” But she did sip after that, and she liked the flavor. “I’ve never had sake before. It’s interesting.”
“Sake and beer are good together, too. Some night when we have a designated driver, I’ll get you toasted on it.”
“Hey, I’m not the one who’s driving.”
He signaled the waitress and ordered an Asian beer and another round of sake.
Her eyes widened. “I was joking, you know.”
“I’m dead serious.”
She arched a brow. “You would get me drunk?”
“In a heartbeat. Easier to take advantage of you that way.”
As if the sake hadn’t already made her sweat, his words sent her up in flames. “I…see. You’re going to have to go a little slower, Will. I’m out of practice.”
He smiled at the waitress as she brought the beer and sake along with their lettuce wraps, then he turned his attention back to Jane. “I don’t know about that. Seems to me you’re doing just fine.”
She took a sip of the beer, also surprisingly good. Probably a little too good, because she started to feel the buzz. “Just stop me if I start to strip off my clothes and climb up on the table to dance.”
“Duly noted. Here, have some food.” He scooped some chicken onto a piece of lettuce, rolled it up, and slid a plate across the table in front of her.
She didn’t want to eat. She wanted this nice, relaxed feeling to continue and didn’t want the food to ruin it. She hadn’t felt this way for a long time. And she had no kids around, no responsibilities, didn’t have to worry about Ryan and Tabby arguing or throwing things and talking too loud or wanting to go play a game. She could sit back and have an adult conversation. When was the last time that had happened?