Lee Stetson felt his smile deepen as soon as Amanda King got out of her car. She wasn’t wearing the black dress he’d once asked her about, but she was equally stunning in burgundy. Was it another one of her handmade creations, perhaps? The woman was an absolute wizard when it came to sewing, a fact that he’d long since come to appreciate every time he’d torn a shirt.
She blushed slightly under his perusal. “Hi.”
“Hi yourself.” He gave her a quick kiss before offering his arm, exulting in the fact that he was allowed to do that now. They’d shared kisses before last Thursday, of course, but those had been especially unique. “Are you ready to go?”
“I think so. Will you tell me where we’re going now?”
“Nope.” It was their first official date as a couple, and he was looking forward to her reaction. “You’ll see when we get there. It isn’t far.”
Indeed, the waterfront wasn’t far at all from Georgetown, and the Pride of Columbia was moored at Pier 4, the closest to the parking lot. Lee took the opportunity and moved in for another quick kiss as he helped Amanda out of his Corvette. She was happy to comply, and afterward, he found himself humming softly. This was going to be a great night.
“Wow,” said Amanda softly when they stopped to check in. “A dinner cruise? I mean, I’ve heard about them, of course, but they always seemed so pricey. Oh, Lee, you didn’t have to go all out like this. I know you said you were looking forward to getting to know me better, but I’ve never done anything like this and I’m going to just be so nervous the whole time that someone you know might see us and —”
“Hey.” He broke into the ramble as they stepped off the gangplank onto the ship. “Relax. I’ve never done this, either. It’s not exactly the kind of activity that — well, entertainment you’d find listed on the social register.” It wasn’t until the words came out that he realized how they sounded, and he cringed.
She cocked her head. “If it’s that terrible, then why are we here all dressed up like this? We’re not going to end up bored, are we?”
“No, no,” he answered quickly. “I just meant this isn’t the kind of thing someone does when they want to see and be seen. It’s mostly marketed to tourists.” There, that was definitely better.
“Are we tourists?”
“Or for one-on-one dates,” he amended. “They’re promising a plated meal and then some music for dancing later. I haven’t danced with you nearly enough yet.”
Her shoulders loosened. “Okay, then. Let’s eat and then dance.”
The three-course meal was better than he’d expected, given that the kitchen in question was on a boat. Amanda seemed to agree with him, doing real justice to her plate while she kept up a delightful stream of conversation. He’d never realized that cheerleaders often took dance lessons. “Of course, those lessons aren’t quite the same as what we’re going to do. But I’m not totally unfamiliar with —”
“Amanda. We’ve danced before, remember?” Two years ago, he’d have been irritated or exasperated. A year ago, he’d have been amused. Now, he was charmed. “It’ll be fine.”
“With you? I’m sure it’ll be better than that.”
How could any man say no to that kind of flattery, especially when he knew she meant it? He still couldn’t quite figure out why, exactly, she was attracted to him; she knew his weaknesses better than anyone else. He’d spent time in thought earlier, but in the end, he’d simply put it out of his mind.
Tonight wasn’t the time for that, anyway. Tonight was for celebrating the new step in their relationship. Lee grinned. They were allowed to use that word about themselves now, weren’t they? Why had he spent so long fighting it, anyway?
“Lee?” Her voice brought him out of his reverie, and he looked down to see their plates had been cleared. “We should go out onto the deck. They’re clearing the tables to make up the dance floor.”
“Yeah. Of course.” It felt glorious to tuck her hand under his elbow. “It’s probably cooled down a bit.”
It wasn’t just cooler outside. A light breeze had sprung up, clearing the air as it blew across the Potomac. Lee stopped at a railing, guiding Amanda around to stand in front of him. She pressed back against his chest as they looked out over the water together, enjoying this thoroughly perfect moment.
Then Amanda turned around, burying her face in his neck. “Oh, no.”
“What?”
“To your left. It’s Mother. And Curt. Her latest beau.”
Lee was careful not to move his head as his eyes perused the people around them. Dotty West looked fantastic herself tonight, wearing a rose-colored dress that wouldn’t have been out of place if paired with her daughter’s burgundy.
Thinking quickly, he drew Amanda into a long kiss, making sure he pulled her hair across her face and wishing he dared get as lost in this kiss as he had in the ones they’d shared two days before. But he couldn’t; while this kiss was certainly enjoyable, his attention was primarily focused on listening to footsteps as they passed behind the two of them.
Amanda’s mother sighed as they got to the periphery of his hearing range. “What a lovely night, Curt. And what a wonderful idea for a date.”
Well, thought Lee, it had been. Releasing Amanda, he looked down and saw she was — laughing? What?
“You should see the look on your face,” she explained.
“It isn’t funny!” He glanced at his watch. “There are two hours left before we get back to the pier. Two hours we’re going to have to hide!”
“Yes, I know. But you have to admit, you were right. We didn’t run into anyone you know out here, did we?”
Shaking his head, he began chuckling along with her.
She reached up and laid a hand against his cheek. “It’s your turn to relax, Lee. We’ll be fine. The band’s almost done setting up, and Mother won’t come back out after they start playing. All we need to do is just stay outside, and now that the sun’s down, it’s actually pretty nice out here.”
He sighed. “I’d really wanted to dance with you tonight.”
“Who says we can’t? Come on,” she encouraged him as she slid under his arm and strode toward the bow, away from the engine noise at the boat’s stern. “The music should carry enough for us to hear it.”
Inside, the band began, and while it took some effort he was, in fact, able to hear the music. He guided her into their first steps while several other couples quickly moved onto the floor inside. To his relief, those other couples included Amanda’s mother and her date.
Amanda was right; the night didn’t have to be a complete loss. All they had to do was ensure they disembarked well behind the older couple in order to stay completely out of their sight. Both of them were well-versed in doing such things to remain hidden, so they wouldn’t have any trouble.
Still, he’d wanted to celebrate in the open tonight, instead of staying concealed in darkness! Lee closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Amanda’s, willing the annoyance and frustration away.
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