the
room. The more she talked, the more he found himself wanting their meal to
continue so that he could look at her and hear more of what she had to say.
The evening was going so well, in fact,
that when the last of their food was cleared away and they were drinking
coffee, he found that he did not want the evening to end with dinner. He could
not remember ever being with a woman whom he was so at ease with and also found
attractive. He thought by the looks she gave him that she felt the same way
and would want to extend their evening together. Finally, he had to ask her. "It
looks like a nice night, and it is much too early to call it a day. I was
thinking about going down to the dock and watching the sunset. I know I
promised to have my evil way with you if you went down to the water with me,
but if I promise to be mostly good, would you come with me?"
"'Mostly good? Now I'm intrigued
at how you define 'mostly good.'" She looked at him in that quiet way
that took hold of his gut again, with a slight rise of the corners of her soft
mouth and a smile around her eyes.
"'Mostly good' means that you are
safe from total ravishment, but you can plan on more than me just walking
beside you without at least holding your hand. So, Anne... Do you feel brave
enough to be 'mostly good' with me and see where the evening leads us?"
"I think so, Ben. A walk down to
the dock sounds nice."
"Good. Then follow me." He
stood up and pulled her chair back from the table. Then he gave her a charming
smile at her raised eyebrows and took her hand to lead her from the dining
room. There were two doors that led into the dining room, one from the lobby
and the other from the lounge that opened up directly to the back patio. He
decided to go through the lounge.
They had just entered the crowded room
when he noticed someone he did not want to see sitting at the bar. Chelsea
Riverton, an ex-girlfriend, sat at the long bar next to her parents sipping her
usual martini. He swore under his breath and stopped walking forcing Anne to
stop beside him. She looked at him confused by his sudden halt and scowl. "Listen,
Anne. I need you to do something for me, will you?" He asked in a low
serious tone.
"What is it?" She asked
imitating his tone.
"Do you see that woman with the red
hair in the white pantsuit sitting at the bar?" Anne looked over to the
bar then back at him giving a small nod. "She is here for the wedding. My
family and hers have known each other for years, and a few years ago we dated
for a while. It didn't work out, and she made things difficult. Now every
time I see her, she comes on to me as if we are still a couple. She does it
even if I'm with another woman. I think she thinks that one day I'll come to
my senses and marry her. Would you run some interference for me?"
"Say no more, Ben. I've got you
covered." She looked over at him in a conspiring way.
"You really do read a lot, don't
you? Get ready. She spotted us and is coming over."
"Ben, Darling. Wasn't that dinner just
wonderful? I love seafood." Anne said with a sigh and started acting for
the benefit of the red headed woman who was now within hearing range. "I
just love this place. We will have to come again. In fact, maybe we should have
our wedding here, too. What do you think, Ben?"
Whatever Chelsea was about to say turned
into a garbled mess once she heard Anne talk about their wedding. Ben decided
to go with it.
"I think I like that idea very
much, Sweetheart." He leaned in to kiss Anne then stopped when he saw
Chelsea standing next to them. "Chelsea! What a surprise. I didn't
expect to see you here for the wedding. It looks like your parents came early,
too. We weren't expecting them until tomorrow or Thursday."
Chelsea's cheeks were red and she blue
eyes bright as she looked back and forth between Anne and him and at his arm
that he held around Anne's waist. Anne put her
room. The more she talked, the more he found himself wanting their meal to
continue so that he could look at her and hear more of what she had to say.
The evening was going so well, in fact,
that when the last of their food was cleared away and they were drinking
coffee, he found that he did not want the evening to end with dinner. He could
not remember ever being with a woman whom he was so at ease with and also found
attractive. He thought by the looks she gave him that she felt the same way
and would want to extend their evening together. Finally, he had to ask her. "It
looks like a nice night, and it is much too early to call it a day. I was
thinking about going down to the dock and watching the sunset. I know I
promised to have my evil way with you if you went down to the water with me,
but if I promise to be mostly good, would you come with me?"
"'Mostly good? Now I'm intrigued
at how you define 'mostly good.'" She looked at him in that quiet way
that took hold of his gut again, with a slight rise of the corners of her soft
mouth and a smile around her eyes.
"'Mostly good' means that you are
safe from total ravishment, but you can plan on more than me just walking
beside you without at least holding your hand. So, Anne... Do you feel brave
enough to be 'mostly good' with me and see where the evening leads us?"
"I think so, Ben. A walk down to
the dock sounds nice."
"Good. Then follow me." He
stood up and pulled her chair back from the table. Then he gave her a charming
smile at her raised eyebrows and took her hand to lead her from the dining
room. There were two doors that led into the dining room, one from the lobby
and the other from the lounge that opened up directly to the back patio. He
decided to go through the lounge.
They had just entered the crowded room
when he noticed someone he did not want to see sitting at the bar. Chelsea
Riverton, an ex-girlfriend, sat at the long bar next to her parents sipping her
usual martini. He swore under his breath and stopped walking forcing Anne to
stop beside him. She looked at him confused by his sudden halt and scowl. "Listen,
Anne. I need you to do something for me, will you?" He asked in a low
serious tone.
"What is it?" She asked
imitating his tone.
"Do you see that woman with the red
hair in the white pantsuit sitting at the bar?" Anne looked over to the
bar then back at him giving a small nod. "She is here for the wedding. My
family and hers have known each other for years, and a few years ago we dated
for a while. It didn't work out, and she made things difficult. Now every
time I see her, she comes on to me as if we are still a couple. She does it
even if I'm with another woman. I think she thinks that one day I'll come to
my senses and marry her. Would you run some interference for me?"
"Say no more, Ben. I've got you
covered." She looked over at him in a conspiring way.
"You really do read a lot, don't
you? Get ready. She spotted us and is coming over."
"Ben, Darling. Wasn't that dinner just
wonderful? I love seafood." Anne said with a sigh and started acting for
the benefit of the red headed woman who was now within hearing range. "I
just love this place. We will have to come again. In fact, maybe we should have
our wedding here, too. What do you think, Ben?"
Whatever Chelsea was about to say turned
into a garbled mess once she heard Anne talk about their wedding. Ben decided
to go with it.
"I think I like that idea very
much, Sweetheart." He leaned in to kiss Anne then stopped when he saw
Chelsea standing next to them. "Chelsea! What a surprise. I didn't
expect to see you here for the wedding. It looks like your parents came early,
too. We weren't expecting them until tomorrow or Thursday."
Chelsea's cheeks were red and she blue
eyes bright as she looked back and forth between Anne and him and at his arm
that he held around Anne's waist. Anne put her
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