What the hell have I done?
Stop being so dramatic. When did I become like this?
“We could do that,” Dizzy answered slowly, her gaze never leaving his. Her light brown eyes were soft but didn’t betray what she might be thinking inside. Maybe she could play poker after all. “What time should I be ready?”
Ready. What a funny word. He’d never be ready to take her on a date but he also couldn’t ignore this growing…fascination. Within just a few days she’d turned his world upside down. He was going out on a date with Dizzy Foster and he was going to do yoga. At this point, anything could happen. He might just quit his job, join a motorcycle club, and see the world on the back of a Harley.
That was just as likely as dating Dizzy and yet here he was. Acting completely out of character. This was what happened when he left his office. He was safer at work, safer in an environment he controlled.
Because one thing was for sure…no one could control Dizzy Foster, least of all Easton.
Chapter Twelve
‡
Dizzy discarded another wardrobe choice and tossed it on her bed. She hadn’t been thinking clearly when she’d accepted Easton’s dinner invitation and now she was paying the price. Leann was being no help whatsoever either, simply watching from her perch on the mattress.
“I have nothing to wear,” Dizzy wailed to her best friend, pawing through her closet desperately. It was already six-fifteen and she hadn’t done her hair or makeup yet either. The most she could say was that she was clean and moisturized after having taken a shower and put on body lotion. “Call your cousin and tell him I came down with appendicitis or maybe the Black Plague. That would keep him away.”
Brows raised, Leann briefly checked her phone. She was waiting for Zach to come over and spend the night. “The Black Plague? I didn’t realize we had a rat problem in Tremont. Seriously though, Easton is not even going to notice what you’re wearing. He’s not the type unless you’re wrapped up in nothing but a profit and loss statement and high heels. Wear anything you want.”
“You’re not helping,” Dizzy growled, tugging at the neckline of a dark purple dress in the back of her closet. Tami had given it to her one year for her birthday but Dizzy had never worn it. The weather was usually too chilly for a sleeveless dress made of silk but not tonight. “What about this?”
Leann stood and took the hanger from Dizzy, checking out the dress back and front. “This will look amazing on you. How come I’ve never seen this before? Is it new?”
“Tami gave it to me as one of my birthday presents a few years ago but it’s usually not warm enough to wear it, and when it was I didn’t have anyplace to go.”
“I think you should wear it,” Leann pronounced. “I have no idea where he’s taking you but you’ll wow him for sure. Just…don’t have too high of expectations for this evening. I don’t want you to be disappointed.”
Now the search for suitable undergarments was next. Dizzy pulled out a drawer and began to rifle through stacks of panties and bras. “I don’t know what you mean. Why would I be disappointed? I thought you said that you encouraged Easton to ask me out.”
That had been shocking news when Dizzy had told Leann she had a date with her cousin tonight. Apparently, a few of the Anderson siblings were pushing this match. That explained why he’d asked in the first place of course. It wasn’t because he was awestruck with loving and passionate feelings every time he looked at her or anything. Because of that it was silly to worry and fuss as much as she was about her hair and clothes but it wasn’t in her nature to do anything halfway. If she was going on a date – with Easton or any other man – she wanted to look her best and have a lovely time.
But also because she was attracted to Easton. She couldn’t pretend that what she’d been feeling the last few times they’d been together didn’t exist. Honestly, he was the last person she’d expected to feel this way about but she was also curious to see where it led. It could be great, but honestly it was probably going to be a disaster. They looked at life so differently.
“I did encourage him, as did Carter and Shane. I think you’d be good for Easton and help him loosen up a bit, but you know how he is,” Leann replied, settling back on the bed. “He’s difficult to be around at the best of times. He’ll probably bore the living shit out of you tonight talking about Dow Jones Industrial Averages and Price-Earnings ratios. Just be sure to drink lots of caffeine so you can stay awake.”
Dizzy wasn’t going to let Leann talk about her cousin that way. Easton was a good man and she’d never been bored.
“Not nice,” Dizzy admonished, giving her friend a stern look. “What a way to talk about your own flesh and blood. Easton is a sweet person and never has he tried to talk to me about Bob Jones Industrials or whatever they’re called. If anything, we usually talk about his family or my art.”
Leann squirmed, her face pink. “Dow Jones, and I’m sorry. You’re right but he does do that at work.”
“Of course he does.” Dizzy held up a pair of silk and lace panties with a matching bra. “He’s at work. Eureka! I found them. Now I’m going to get dressed. If Easton comes to the door please let him in. And be nice too.”
“I’m his cousin. I’m not supposed to be nice,” Leann called after Dizzy who was already in the bathroom. She had about thirty minutes to finish getting ready because knowing Easton as she did, he would be perfectly on time. Not a second late. Time was money and all that.
As unbelievable as it was, Dizzy was going on a date with Easton Anderson. By tomorrow morning, the gossip mill would be buzzing about them whether it be good, bad, or indifferent. Half of the town would have them in a mad, passionate affair and the other half would say that they ended the evening in a huge argument, vowing never to speak to one another again.
Which one was going to be right?
* * *
So far, the date hadn’t been a complete disaster. There’d been a tense moment when the waiter had recommended the veal to Dizzy. Holding his breath, Easton had waited for her lecture to the poor guy, but she must have thought better of it in this more upscale establishment because she simply redirected the waiter to another spot on the menu, asking about the gnocchi.
She’d ended up ordering the cheese lasagna while he’d settled on the chicken Milanese.
Easton had ordered a fruity wine to pair with their meal and the waiter, who filled their glasses with a flourish, also dropped off a basket of breads before scurrying back to the kitchen.
Dizzy lifted her glass to her glossy lips and took a sip. Why did he suddenly find her mouth so mesmerizing? “This was a great choice. I love the food here.”
It had taken a full hour to decide on this place. His other picks were either too casual or too fussy. He was trying to make this date look effortless on his part but he wasn’t sure it was working all that well.
“Thank you.”
Jesus, they’d run out of conversation already and the salads hadn’t even arrived yet. He was officially sweating through his expensive button-down shirt.
On the other hand, Dizzy looked calm, cool, and collected. And gorgeous too. Dressed in a plum-colored sleeveless dress that lovingly clung to each and every curve as if it had been made just for her, she certainly didn’t have him thinking about little sisters. Tonight she’d coiled her long chocolate colored hair up into a knot and it showed off her graceful neck and delicate jawline. When he’d picked her up, he’d almost swallowed his own tongue. She was that sexy.
So now he was nervous as hell, barely knowing what to say or do. Leann had pulled him aside and warned him not to bore Dizzy all night with talk of financial deals. She’d told him that he should ask about his date. But the problem was, he’d known Dizzy for years. Were there things he didn’t know? Probably, but how to ask about them? He was used to dates where they didn’t get all that personal.
“Thank you for stopping by to sign all of those certificates,” Dizzy said. “That was extremely thoughtful
of you. Now I can give them out on Friday when I teach classes again.”
“It was no trouble,” he assured her again, grateful that she’d brought up a topic they both agreed on. “It was actually a nice break in the day. Half the time I don’t even stop for lunch.”
Smiling, she took another sip of her wine. “The busy executive. You said you were at a business lunch. Anything interesting? Or is it a secret?”
“Is anything a secret in this town?” he laughed. “It’s nothing that exciting. A townhome development that we’re working on but not here in Tremont. It’s in Douglas, about a hundred miles from here.”
Once again he held his breath, waiting for her to say something negative. He knew quite well how she felt about cookie cutter housing. That’s why she’d bought that house in the cul de sac. She’d said it had character and history, which Easton took to mean that it needed thousands of dollars in renovations. He had to admire her, though, because she’d done a great deal of the work herself, only using help for the flooring.
“You’re a busy man. Would you be jealous to know that I took a nap this afternoon?”
“Incredibly jealous,” he laughed. “I don’t remember the last time I took a nap. I might have been in preschool.”
She pretended to be shocked, her eyes going wide and her mouth falling open. “Then you need to put that on your bucket list right away. There’s nothing like taking a nap to the sound of rain on the roof. It’s a must-do.”
“Bucket list?” he groaned. “I’m not much older than you are.”
Until a few days ago, ten years had felt like a damn long time but it really wasn’t all that bad. They weren’t kids, after all.
Not that this relationship was going to go anywhere. It was only a date. Just dinner. And maybe yoga later. In fact, there was no relationship at all except that she was a friend of the family. An incredibly sexy friend.
“You don’t need to be old to have a bucket list. I have one.”
The waiter slid their salads in front of them so Easton had to wait a moment to respond, but he absolutely had to know what was on her list. He’d bet it was a doozy. Carter had been right about one thing – Dizzy was never a bore.
“I must hear what’s on this list. What does Desiree Foster want to do before she leaves this earth?”
Rolling her eyes, she dug into the leafy greens on her plate. “I doubt any of it would interest you all that much. You’d probably just laugh.”
“I promise I won’t laugh.”
Placing her fork on the edge of her plate, she gave him an appraising look. Clearly she had her doubts. “I know that you think I’m a little…squirrelly, so it might be foolhardy to make that claim without first knowing what’s on the list. What if I said I wanted to meet an alien being?”
“Do you?”
He didn’t believe in alien encounters but if he did he would want to meet one. He might be able to learn something and he loved learning new things.
She slapped her hand on her forehead. “No, I do not. It was just an example.”
“I’m not laughing,” he pointed out. “Do you believe in life on other planets?”
Easton couldn’t believe how easily they were conversing after getting off to such a slow start but then he shouldn’t have been surprised. He and Dizzy had never had a problem talking. Or disagreeing. He’d told himself not to speak about anything controversial so they wouldn’t get into a debate but he was beginning to think that there was no way to do that. Digging into Dizzy’s brain and seeing how it worked was half the fun of being with her. No one else’s mind worked quite the way hers did.
She tapped her chin as she thought about his question. He liked that she was taking it seriously. “I’d like to believe it because that would be fascinating. I haven’t really studied up on the subject so I don’t know if there’s evidence either way. I think that since there is life on this planet there is a decent chance that another planet might have life as well, but who knows how far away they are? I doubt we’ll know in my lifetime.”
A well-thought out argument.
“I’d like to believe too.”
Her brows raised and she smiled. “You would? That’s quite an admission, Easton.”
“I’m full of surprises.”
That had her laughing out loud. “Are you? That’s a surprise in and of itself but I look forward to learning about all these hidden facets about you.”
“It’s going to be a real treat,” he teased. “Now seriously, what’s on that bucket list?”
This evening was turning out better than he’d ever believed possible.
Chapter Thirteen
‡
Dizzy took another bite of the decadent chocolate mousse and hummed in appreciation. Easton appeared to be enjoying it as well if the smile on his face was anything to go by. Thankfully they were sharing or she’d eat it all by herself and then she’d have to waddle out of the restaurant, satisfied but far too full and feeling miserable the rest of the evening.
Easton took another spoonful. “It’s almost as good as one of your desserts.”
Sputtering, she almost choked with laughter. “Are you kidding? This is fantastic and was probably made by a professional pastry chef. I’m just a lowly home baker.”
“Who makes terrific apple pies. Seriously, I love your cooking.”
The date had gone well so far. Why not step out on a limb and see how he was feeling? It was better to find out now than later.
“Maybe next time I’ll make dinner for us. I know you love a good pot roast.”
She gave a mental sigh of relief at his boyish grin of delight. Clearly, he liked the idea.
“You’d make me pot roast?”
He was acting like she’d offered him one of her kidneys. It was a piece of meat. She’d throw it in the slow cooker and ignore it for eight hours. No magic involved.
“And potatoes, carrots, and gravy.”
“I’m not going to say no to that.”
A shadow fell over the table before Dizzy could respond and she looked up to find a smiling and well-dressed couple around Easton’s age standing there.
“Easton,” the man exclaimed to her date, but his gaze had slid over to her. Looking her up and down, appraising and measuring. Dizzy didn’t like it one bit. She had an instinct about people and this one wasn’t anyone she would trust as a friend. “So good to see you. How long has it been? Six months at least.”
“At least,” Easton replied smoothly. “I haven’t been playing golf lately. Shoulder injury. Dizzy, let me introduce you to Gary and Alicia Jones. They’re members at the club. Gary and Alicia, this is Desiree Foster. She teaches art at the school and also volunteers at the community center.”
Gary Jones. She recognized his name from the newspapers. He was some big deal at the bank, which explained how Easton knew him.
He was also slimy, giving her a lecherous look right in front of his wife and so-called friend.
Extending her hand, she steeled herself to be touched by this worm. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
Gary held her hand a little too long and his wife’s fingers were freezing. Jeez, these were what passed for friends in Easton’s world? No wonder he stayed in his office and worked. It explained everything.
Alicia’s fake smile was chilly also. “Desiree Foster? Aren’t you the woman that called in that fake murder to the police last week?”
Well, damn. Dizzy would have thought well-bred rich people wouldn’t be rude enough to bring that up but not this couple. The wife looked like she was enjoying the hell out of this. She’d probably dine out on this for weeks because she’d met Dizzy in person.
I can only imagine the crap she’ll make up too.
“Dizzy saw something, Alicia. She didn’t make it up.”
Easton had that tone in his voice that didn’t invite arguing.
“I’m sure she did,” Alicia replied, her eyes blue chips of ice. She leaned down so that only Easton and Dizzy could hear and the
smell of whiskey permeated the air. “The rumor around town is that you had a little too much to drink over a broken love affair. It’s alright, dear. We all do it now and then.”
That’s what was going around town? People really needed to get a hobby.
Easton’s eyes narrowed and a muscled ticked in his jaw as he nodded toward the swaying woman. “I think your wife has had a few too many, Gary. You might want to take her home.”
Gary must have had a couple of cocktails too because he didn’t seem to notice the edge in Easton’s tone. “We’re just having some fun tonight. It’s all between friends.”
Except that Dizzy wasn’t their friend and she couldn’t imagine why Easton was.
“Go home, Gary, and sleep it off.”
This time the man seemed to get the message, lurching to the side of his wife and wrapping an arm around her waist, whether for emotional support or because he was feeling woozy, Dizzy had no idea.
“You’ve always had a big stick up your ass, Anderson. You’re just no fun.”
Easton nodded in agreement, his attitude decidedly frosty. “That’s true. Have a nice evening. You might want to let the hostess call you a taxi.”
The offending couple walked off and the air around Easton and Dizzy immediately felt less tense and a whole lot happier, but there was still tension in the air. Those two weren’t exactly spreading sunshine and unicorns.
An awkward silence fell over the table. Dizzy didn’t know what she was supposed to say and apparently Easton didn’t know either. It went on for a couple of minutes until their excuse for not speaking – the chocolate mousse – was gone. They couldn’t continue their evening like this. She pointed at Easton, determined to make light of the situation. “You’re a taxi.”
His brow wrinkled and he shook his head, clearly confused. “What? I don’t understand.”
Of course he didn’t. He was far too intelligent to get a laugh at a dumb joke.
Window to Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 7) Page 8
