nice blouse. She’d looked amazing, effortlessly beautiful.
But that evening she looked otherworldly. She was dressed in a dark blue cocktail dress, one that hugged every curve, her breasts full and round, her hips wide. She was curvy, a body made to drive men wild. And for someone like me, who preferred his women on the thicker side, the way she looked was enough to make me want to forget about dinner, maybe take her up to the apartment and skip right to dessert.
“Hi!” she trilled, waggling her fingers in an adorable wave. Then her eyes went to the flowers. “Are those for me?” Her pace quickened and she hurried over to me to get a closer look.
“A little something I picked up down the street. I hope you like them.”
Beautiful green eyes widened. “I love them. Thank you so much.”
Before I had a chance to react, she stepped forward and pulled me into a tight hug. I had to shift my body at the last second so she didn’t accidently press against the half hard on I was packing at that moment.
I handed her the flowers, and she gazed at them lovingly, like she’d never seen anything more beautiful in her life. I knew the feeling.
“I don’t know what to say,” she gushed. “But thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” I responded, opening the door and letting her in. I climbed in the driver’s seat, and when I started the engine, she was still smelling the flowers. “You look like you’ve never seen flowers before in your life.”
She smiled bashfully as I pulled into the street. “Sorry. It’s just that I can’t remember the last time a guy brought me flowers.”
“Really? A woman like you I’d think would be drowning in them.”
“A woman like me?” she questioned, glancing at me curiously.
“A beautiful woman like you, to be precise.”
Her face flushed a charming pink, and she dropped her eyes. I loved it – Annie was the perfect blend of sweet and strong. I couldn’t wait for the evening and the chance to get to know her better.
“Thank you. But no – no flower-drowning in my life. My last boyfriend…he wasn’t big on displays of affection like that. He thought they were corny.”
Her last boyfriend. Meaning my brother, Andrew. But she didn’t need to know about that particular connection. I didn’t want to scare her away. I knew all about him, how he felt about romance. One of the many reasons I never felt like he deserved Annie.
“Well, they are a little corny, but—”
“But that’s part of the fun of it!” she said excitedly, taking the words right out of my mouth.
“That’s right. People are so cynical these days, acting like old-fashioned romance is a tired concept. But romance is something that makes life worth living. You cut that out because you think you’re above it and you miss out on something really, really special.”
She said nothing, instead regarding me with an expression that conveyed she was moved by my words and agreed with them. After a second, she waved her hand and said, “But sorry for bringing up my ex – I know that’s kind of a first date faux pas.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m a little out of practice with this, in case you can’t tell.”
“Then I’ll be happy to bring you up to speed.”
She smiled at me before turning her attention to the road, watching me take the turn to the highway. “Oh, so this is a field trip kind of date?”
“It is. I’ve got reservations at the perfect place. You’re going to love it.”
Annie grinned. “Do I at least get to know what city we’re going to?”
“Denver, of course.” Her smile faded. “Not a fan of the big city?”
“No, not that. It’s just that I moved away from there to start over. Got some…bad memories I’m leaving behind.”
“I get that. But in my experience, the best way to get rid of bad memories is to make new ones.”
Her smile returned. “I like the sound of that.”
The drive wasn’t long – only forty minutes. During that time, we chatted about out backgrounds. I made sure to keep the conversation centered on her, however. The less she knew about my family, the better. For obvious reasons.
About the time she finished, the towers of downtown Denver rose in the distance.
“God,” she said, her eyes fixed forward. “I can’t believe I’m back here.”
“It’ll be fun,” I said, reaching over and putting my hand on hers. “Trust me.”
I realized that sort of contact was possibly a