by Deb Julienne
Travis held up a hand. “I’m not done. I headed home relieved it’s finally over only to have my phone ring at six a.m. the next morning. My parents called to congratulate me on my impending nuptials. No matter what I did, no matter what I said, they refused to understand they had it all wrong.” He covered his eyes for a second, then dropped his arms and crossed them on the desk. “Then they mentioned the newspaper. I’d been set up. Apparently, she was convinced if the announcement hit the paper I’d never have the guts to back down. She misjudged me. I called the paper and told them to print a retraction or I’d sue. I made arrangements to meet her at her parent’s house to explain we were through. She’d told them we had a lover’s spat and I’d change my mind. My parents were furious with me because Kim was the daughter of their best friends. I told them I wasn’t going to be tied to anyone unless it was my choice.”
“Unbelievable.” Chills ran down her back to think a person had that kind of manipulation in them.
“Oh, I’m still not done. A week later, she went crying to my folks and told them she was pregnant. That didn’t work either. When I walked away for good, she claimed she miscarried. We both knew she lied through her precious veneers.” Travis leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
“That’s horrible,” she said.
He suddenly lurched forward, brows knit together, his face ruddy. “My folks hounded me to make up and marry the girl. I moved out of their house to get them off my back. They actually wanted to believe her, not me.”
“I don’t get it. Why?” Must have been why he threw himself in his work. Why he’d become so serious. Considering his experience, who wouldn’t be jaded?
* * * *
Trent cursed. Damn it all. He was supposed to be Travis and he’d slipped up, big time. He hoped she’d been so engrossed in the story she missed the lack of Travisisms. If she asked Kat about it, he was dead meat. Cover blown, big time. Yet, it felt good to get it off his chest. Sabrina believed him. It never dawned on her to doubt him. Damn he hated that time in his life. On the other hand, Sabrina’s reaction told him that’s what he wanted in a woman. A wife.
Holy shit, where’d that come from?
She was innocent of guile. Some guys might cringe at the thought. To his way of thinking, each new experience with him was guaranteed to be a shared first. No one to compare him to. And she’d definitely be fun to teach so many things.
“Travis. Do you want me to go?”
“No, Sabrina, I don’t. You believed me. Every word I said.”
“Why wouldn’t I? It’s not something a person is likely to make up. Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Are relationships seriously that mental? I mean, do people actually get that obsessive and manipulative? I simply can’t imagine it.”
“I hate to say it, but yes. All the relationships I’ve had so far have been exactly like that. In my opinion, that’s why most of them failed. It’s always great at the start. At the first sign of conflict, instead of communicating to figure out what’s wrong, they get fixated and do stupid things that don’t always make sense.”
The look of surprise on his face must have scared her as much as his relationship history embarrassed him. Let her see for herself how failed relationships affected a person. Maybe she wasn’t so unlucky. Who needed that kind of shit in their life?
“No wonder it’s difficult to keep love alive if people act crazy.”
“True. Enough of the gloom and doom, we don’t have time for this nonsense. Back to your subject. I’ve got a great idea. I want you to make a list of top fourteens. We’ll stick to that number in honor of Valentine’s Day and play it up big time for the magazine.”
“Sounds good.”
“I want you to make a list of top restaurants, top places to go, things couples can do, best candy stores, best florists, even jewelers. I’ll do the same and we’ll meet back here at five. We’ll do the leg work and it will be free advertising for the places we mention. That’s got to help with sales all the way around.”
“You don’t have to do this…it’s my job, remember.”
“Be that as it may, this is our first issue, overhauled. We all have to work together. Besides, it gives me an excuse to take you out. We’ll pick a restaurant and you can write your own personal take on it and each place we visit. We’ll work around the Christmas decorations. We’ll only take pictures of the facades. I’ll put it on my expense account under research.”
“Sounds like fun. I’m in.”
There was a light in Sabrina’s eyes, a warmth in Sabrina’s smile. Sabrina jumped up, ran around the desk and kissed his cheek then practically danced to the door. “Travis, thank you so much. I know this will be a great article. Is it also that difficult to plan for a simple dinner? I’m sure we’ll help a lot of people this year. I can’t wait to get started. I’ll be back at five to compare notes.”
And she was gone. He chuckled. She was so easy to please. Amazing. He rubbed his cheek. Damn, she was good for his ego.
He searched the internet. It didn’t take him long to admit Sacramento wasn’t New York, Boston, or Los Angeles. The pickings were slim as far as he was concerned. When none of the restaurants he searched fit his idea of a Valentine dinner, he searched five star hotels hoping one provided the right style. From there he searched candy stores and florists. How the hell was he supposed to show Sabrina a good time and help her with her article if they didn’t have a place to start?
He was getting antsier by the minute. What was he going to do now? Maybe Sabrina had better luck since she was from Sacramento. Maybe she knew places that didn’t have websites. Hoping it was the case, he made a few notes for the top places he’d been able find. He was filled with dread, afraid his so-called great idea was now going to be her downfall.
At five o’clock on the dot, Sabrina knocked on his door.
“Come in.”
“Are you ready for me? I can’t wait to tell you what I found.” She was so elated it was like watching Kat listen to music. There was no harnessing her emotions.
Being around Sabrina made his jaws ache from smiling. “By all means, have a seat.”
“I have to tell you, when I first started my internet searches, I totally bombed. What’s on the internet is pathetic. Their descriptions are cold and uninviting. I checked the menus. They were either overpriced or an excuse for the chef’s to play Cooking Show 101. Not my idea of fun. That’s when I remembered every Sunday, in the newspaper, there’s an entertainment section. They write up the latest restaurants, shows, and such. I grabbed the copy in the lobby. What a help.”
“I had the same problem and felt guilty like I’d sent you on a wild goose chase.”
“Nope. I have a great list to start with.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“I found a fondue place. And, before your scowl turns into a full-fledged frown, just listen. This place has great cuts of meat, bite sized pieces of shrimp, crab, and lobster, with an enticing variety of sauces. The main attraction is the chocolate fondue dessert. There was a sweet picture of a couple feeding each other. Imagine how much fun a couple might share during an intimate meal. Seems to me the dessert itself was guaranteed to lead to other things. If you know what I mean. Maybe I’m off base, but it topped my list.”
Her first suggestion gave him all sorts of erotic ideas of what he’d like dipped in chocolate, her for one. “You’re absolutely right. I had totally tossed it aside thinking a meal like that is too much work, and here you present a different spin on it and it suddenly sounds wonderful.”
“Next, I found a place but it’s a bit of a drive. It’s called Harrison’s Hide-a-way. It’s an old wild west bandits hideout turned restaurant. Reasonable prices, great menu, the room is dimly lit but not so dark you need a flashlight to see what’s on your plate. They also have a deck where you can sit and have drinks as you look out over the Sierra divide. It’s beautiful, however I’m don’t think it will be warm eno
ugh in February. Maybe later in the year.”
“Definitely sounds like winner but you’re right, later in the year.”
“Then I found a place called Platitudes. It’s an old Victorian house built back in the 1880’s. It has a quaint restaurant and bar, great menu, and it’s haunted.”
He raised a brow but she continued.
“Okay, so ignore the hokey ghosts, but the picture makes it feel like you get lost in the history of the era. The food sounds fabulous and it received four and half stars. Besides, I love old architecture. It’s a thirty minute drive and on the way home you’ll have a starry sky and what’s more romantic than that?”
She did it again. Found a way to put a spin on an old haunted house someone turned into a winner.
“There’s a famous steakhouse therefore we know the food will be good though I’m not sure the ambiance is considered romantic. There are tables, no private booths. What do you think?”
“I didn’t think a fondue place sounded romantic until you described it. I guess anyplace can be romantic if you’re with the right person.”
“You’re absolutely right. I’ll leave it on the list.” She checked her paper.
“And one last place that sounded fun is the River Boat dinner house. They have a nice menu, music is piped in, and you can stroll around the deck after dinner. I like the idea of going back in time on a river boat.”
“Sounds good,” he said glad Travis wasn’t here. He’d have shot every single idea down. He was game to give each idea a chance, for Sabrina’s sake.
They went over her list of sweet shops and florists. “I’ll check them out this weekend.”
“Mind if I go with you for a man’s perspective?”
“Not at all.”
“It’s a date.”
“I’ll make a list of varieties and prices and we’ll bring a photographer for pictures of bouquets for the article.”
“What restaurant do you want to try tonight?” She was so damned adorable. He loved how she viewed life differently. “I didn’t have lunch and I’m starving. Let’s try the steakhouse and see what we think. Are you ready to go?” It seemed the safest for a first real date, with a zero intimidation factor. He wanted to spend time with her before things turned serious.
“Just have to pack up my laptop and put it in the trunk of my car since the office will be locked up tight when we get back,” Sabrina said.
“I’ll meet you out front in ten minutes.”
He was more than ready for their date.
* * * *
Sabrina stood in the lobby waiting for Travis. Her stomach churned, her hands sweating despite a chill in the air. Her anxiety level had gone through the roof. What a perfect way to start a date, vomiting on Travis’ shoes. Nice touch. She turned to head to the bathroom to put a cool towel on her face when Travis joined her.
“Ready to go?”
“Sure.” She plastered a phony smile on.
Travis walked her to his car. Leave it to him to drive a Jag, a classic at that. She pulled her coat tighter. The wind chilled her as it blew up her dress slacks. Her nerves jumbled even more when he revved the engine and they lit out of the lot. The car purred. It actually purred. Funny, she’d believed it to be a myth.
Luckily the restaurant was close to the office and not swamped yet. Nice, but not the kind of special she was looking for. She’d have to continue to search for a steakhouse with booths for privacy. The smell of grilled meat reminded her of summer barbeques.
They ordered drinks and studied the menu until the waitress returned with their drinks.
Sabrina said, “I’ll have the petite rib eye, medium rare, with baked potato and sour cream, and a side salad with vinaigrette.”
“And I’ll have the New York steak, medium, baked potato with butter, and I’ll have the side salad as well but with thousand island.”
The waitress scribbled their order and departed.
Sabrina inhaled the delectable aroma of freshly baked bread in the basket. Her stomach growled right on cue.
“I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who’s hungry,” he said.
“I had a hot dog in the park.”
“You should have told me, I’d have gone with you.”
“It was research.” The memory of the couple on the blanket came back to haunt her. She coughed and grabbed for her water glass.
“Excuse me, but your blush definitely has me curious.”
“I—I was people watching.”
“Secrets?”
“Why do you say that?” she asked.
“You’re blushing.”
“It was more like embarrassing moments I’m afraid. I studied a few people to see who matched my description of being in love.”
“And—”
“You know my luck, even a trip to the park can get me in trouble.”
His eyes twinkled when he smiled. “I can’t wait to hear this.”
“I grabbed some lunch and sat on a bench near the water fountain, it’s my favorite place in the park. My intention was to study people, witness how they demonstrated their love. Normally the hustle and bustle of people dashing from place to place soothes me. Not this time. I specifically zeroed in on couples strolling, holding hands, whispering, and kissing.” She hated when she babbled, but how else could she explain.
As she was retelling the incident, she’d felt like a voyeur, only there was no sexual gratification involved. The memories of the day returned, and with it, a fainthearted wistfulness turned summersaults in her stomach, made her heart skip a beat. She turned away.
“Come on, don’t keep me in suspense.”
“There was this cute couple who sat and whispered, giggling, and then he—he–” she shifted in her seat, the heat of a serious blush crept up her neck to her cheeks.
“Yes?” His dark brows arched mischievously.
“I guess there’s no delicate way to say it. He tried to cop a feel and she had to elbow him to get him to stop.” She cleared her throat then took a big sip to cool herself off.
“Shot down in public. Nice one, dude.” He picked up his steak knife and pretended to stab his own heart.
“No kidding. If Kat had been there, she’d probably consider it foreplay. Did I really say that aloud,” she gasped then covered her mouth. She grabbed her water for a sip, only to realize her panties were moist, and it had nothing to do with spilling on herself.
Travis sputtered and coughed then started laughing.
“Oh hush up. You don’t know what it’s like to have a mouth like a runaway freight train and you can’t find the off button,” she said. Then she too started laughing thanks to the expression on his face. He had tears of laughter filling his eyes.
She laughed so hard she had to swallow quickly or she’d spray her drink. “I guess it was pretty funny. But it made me feel sleazy. You know, to spy on them like a crazed sex fiend.”
“What else did you see?” He waggled his eyebrows.
She grinned, but couldn’t figure out how to tell him about the couple on the blanket.
“Okay, what? You’re bright red.”
“Teenagers making out on a blanket.”
“Oh, come on. I know there’s more. It’s written all over your face.”
“Let me give you the image stuck in my head. A tangle of arms and legs. I was mortified I’d receive my first sex education lesson right there in the middle of the park. At the same time it cracked me up when it dawned on me they were wearing heavy jackets. It looked more like Eskimo’s sumo wrestling.”
Travis’ laughter filled the room. “Say no more, I can imagine. Anything else?”
Warmth filled her. “Yes. A cute eighty-something couple. They strolled along, hand-in-hand, shuffling footsteps, and never said a word. They didn’t need to. The looks they exchanged said it all. The lavender-haired woman smiled brilliantly up at her husband, who adjusted his snow-white toupee. The old woman didn’t laugh, just smiled and nodded when it was back in place. They
never said one word. The look they shared said it all. It was the sweetest thing I’d ever seen. I hope to find it for myself someday. That’s love.” She also wanted the private moments. The heat. And yes, even the passionate teasing. Those nuances didn’t come overnight, but were developed over the years of life together, weathering tough times without blame, and sharing good times with laughter.
The warmth of Travis’ smile seemed to say he completely understood.
“I must sound like an idiot. If only you’d seen them. I wish I’d had a camera because I’d have taken their picture and used it for the article.”
“Sounds to me like you had a productive lunch.”
“I did.”
“Next time, invite me.” He spoke in an odd yet gentle tone.
“I—I will.” She felt overwhelmed with emotion, that he seemed to understand how she’d been affected and he too was touched. As casually as possible, she looked away from his intense scrutiny. She couldn’t quell the fluttering in her stomach.
Is this what a relationship with a man did to a person?
* * * *
Trent swallowed hard. He was a slug. This didn’t in any way resemble a date. They’d talked of work, Sabrina’s lunch, and nothing more.
“Sabrina, this isn’t working.”
“What?” She cocked her head.
“This so-called date—”
“Oh.” Sabrina gasped for air. The color drained from her face. She gazed at her plate pushing her food around.
“No, that’s not what I mean.” He shook his head, frustrated that he hadn’t chosen his words better.
She slowly raised her gaze and her hair fell across her right cheek. Hesitancy showed on her face and in her actions. She expected the worst. Expected him to be like the others she’d told him about.
“What I mean is...we’re here, but all we’ve done is talk about work.”
“So? Don’t you ever talk about work on your dates?” Her tone was defensive. She flipped her hair over her shoulders, pushed her plate away and picked up her napkin from her lap.
“Well, yes I guess I do. This just doesn’t feel like a date.” He’d hurt her feelings again.
