she couldn’t walk, and the next day, there she is, on her feet and wobbling across the room. It was great.”
“I like that age with the kids in the nursery, too. They change from being infants to toddlers almost overnight.”
Dave and Lace arrived with apologies for being late, and the conversation shifted to greetings. They looked adorable as a couple, Rae decided, watching as Dave held the chair for Lace, leaned down to whisper something to her. Lace looked flushed, the apologies had been a little overblown. They had probably been stealing a couple moments together before coming into the restaurant. James had apparently reached the same conclusion, because his greetings to Dave were accompanied by a slightly raised eyebrow.
Dave sat down beside Lace. “We got detained,” he said simply, choosing not to go further. “Have you already ordered?”
A trip to the ladies’ room would have to be engineered, Rae decided. Lace was in love. It had her confused, and off balance, but Lace was most certainly in love.
Rae took pity on her and ensured the next ten minutes of conversation were focused on Dave and how the case he was defending was coming along. It put the evening back on the normal casual friendship tone for all of them. They ate dinner talking, laughing together, as four old friends, not as two couples.
It had been a wise move to make. When dinner reached the dessert stage, Rae felt as if she had finally relaxed. She caught James watching her a few times during the meal, shared a private smile with him, but otherwise the tone stayed in neutral territory.
It was Lace who suggested where they should go dancing, a club that was known for its good blues. The place was typically busy, but not packed on a Friday night. Her suggestion was readily adopted.
Rae indicated she was going to stop at the ladies’ room before they left and Lace joined her.
They were fixing their makeup when Rae finally decided to broach the subject. “What happened before dinner?”
“He wants me to go with him to a dinner party being hosted by one of the firm’s senior partners.”
“That’s big.”
“That’s huge. They don’t like the idea of having a senior partner who is single. That’s the only reason they are throwing the party, to see who Dave will shake out of the woodwork to bring.”
Rae understood. Lace didn’t like being considered a solution to Dave’s problem. Rae was blotting her lipstick when she had a brilliant idea. “Why don’t you accept that job offer from Olsen, Richmond, and Quinn? There is no way Dave would take the member of a rival firm to a party thrown by a senior partner unless he cared more about you than he did about what the other senior partners thought.”
Lace paused, touching up her blush. “That would be devious and underhanded.” She was smiling even as she said it. “I couldn’t do that.”
Rae picked up her clutch bag. “I know you couldn’t. You’re in love. But the thought does makes the situation seem more palatable.”
Lace chuckled. “I think I’ll be more direct. It will cost him that watercolor painting I found at the gallery last week.”
“Bribery works well,” Rae agreed, smiling. Her friend looked good, being in love. It made her eyes glow. Rae wondered if she had the same expression, hoped hers was a little more contained. “Are you glad you came tonight?”
Lace smiled. “Yes. I like having Dave know he has to act like a gentleman. He even brought me flowers.”
James made a point of taking hold of Rae’s hand when they reached the club. They walked across the parking lot to join Dave and Lace. He liked holding her hand. She was his date, and he didn’t intend to leave that to anyone’s interpretation. She willingly interlaced her fingers with his.
Dave had his arm around Lace’s waist.
As they opened the door to the club, the music drifted out into the night. Stepping inside was like entering a contained world, the music, the lights, the large group of people, most on the dance floor, some sitting at tables grouped along the walls.
They checked the ladies’ coats, and Dave scanned the room for a table. “Over here.”
James kept his hand on the small of Rae’s back as they followed Dave and Lace through the crowd. It was a beautiful room, decorated in cherry wood, polished gold fixtures, and an abundance of greenery. The tables were packed close together and they stepped to the side several