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Authors: Alison Strobel
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later.”
She turned her attention to her station, praying Rumiko didn’t notice how Kim couldn’t look her in the eyes.
“B ABY, WHAT DID YOU DO?”
Rick held Kim’s hand in his, examining the bandages that were now grubby and pulling away from her skin at the edges. “Just being klutzy and stupid. I’m fine.”
He kissed her palm and patted her hand back into her lap. “What were you doing?”
She rolled her eyes, then turned them to the menu. “Dropped a knife and grabbed for it, but I grabbed the blade and not the handle.” She flashed him a rueful grin. “Told you I was a klutz.”
He laughed a little. “Yeah, that was stupid.” He opened the wine list and scanned the pages, then set it aside in favor of the menu. “You have to have the duck, I hear it’s amazing.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Duck? I’ve never had it before. I think that’s a little too close to reality for me. I think I’ll have a filet.”
“Well, I was going to get a filet, so we’ll get you the duck and then we can share.”
“Rick, I—”
“Have you decided what you’d like?” Their waitress appeared tableside, smiling, then looked to Kim. “For you, miss?”
“I’m going to have the fil—”
“The duck,” Rick said. “She’ll have the duck, and I’ll have the filet, medium rare please. And a glass of Pinot Noir for me and Australian Shiraz for her.”
Kim frowned, but waited until the waitress was gone to speak. “Rick, that’s not what I wanted. And you’ve gotten that wine for me before and I didn’t like it, remember?”
Rick narrowed his eyes slightly. “You didn’t give it a chance last time. I think you’ll like it this time around. It’s even better with duck than it is with chicken. And like I said, we’ll share.”
“Why didn’t you get the duck then?”
“Does it matter who gets what, if we’re trading anyway?”
Kim huffed. “Well, if I don’t like the duck, then yes, it matters, because then what am I going to eat?”
“Look.” Rick waved his hand, batting at the angry words that hung in the air between them, then took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Kim. I just really thought you’d like it, that’s all. I should have just kept my mouth shut.”
His countenance drooped, and Kim felt like crap. Way to ruin the mood, Kim. She reached across the table, hand held out in a gesture of surrender. “I’m sorry, too. I always like the things you order for me, I should have just trusted you. Don’t be mad, okay? I’m sorry if I spoiled the night.”
Rick tipped his head side to side, as though considering her apology, then took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “It’s okay, babe. I forgive you. My emotions always go a little haywire when big things are going on—and, I consider today a pretty big thing.”
She smiled. “Yeah?”
“Absolutely. Three months? That’s, like, the relational equivalent of two years these days.” She laughed along with him, relieved he didn’t seem mad anymore. But then he sobered. “I have to admit, I feel a bit on edge, too, because I’m a little nervous.”
“Nervous? About what, our anniversary?”
“No, no, not dinner.” He released her hand and sat back a moment, then cleared his throat and leaned forward again, taking her hand once more. “Kim, I’d like to ask you something.”
Her heart began to race. “What?”
“I know it might seem a little soon, but…I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. You’re amazing. I feel like I’ve known you forever.”
Her mouth went dry. “Me too.”
He looked relieved. “Good.” He stared at her for a moment, then said, “Would you move in with me?”
“Oh. Oh . Really?”
“Yeah!”
“Oh—Rick, I don’t know, I’ve never even thought about living with someone.”
“Well, think about it!” He sat back, grinning. “It would be perfect. We’d be able to see each other so much more. No more slinking back home late at night, no more
She turned her attention to her station, praying Rumiko didn’t notice how Kim couldn’t look her in the eyes.
“B ABY, WHAT DID YOU DO?”
Rick held Kim’s hand in his, examining the bandages that were now grubby and pulling away from her skin at the edges. “Just being klutzy and stupid. I’m fine.”
He kissed her palm and patted her hand back into her lap. “What were you doing?”
She rolled her eyes, then turned them to the menu. “Dropped a knife and grabbed for it, but I grabbed the blade and not the handle.” She flashed him a rueful grin. “Told you I was a klutz.”
He laughed a little. “Yeah, that was stupid.” He opened the wine list and scanned the pages, then set it aside in favor of the menu. “You have to have the duck, I hear it’s amazing.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Duck? I’ve never had it before. I think that’s a little too close to reality for me. I think I’ll have a filet.”
“Well, I was going to get a filet, so we’ll get you the duck and then we can share.”
“Rick, I—”
“Have you decided what you’d like?” Their waitress appeared tableside, smiling, then looked to Kim. “For you, miss?”
“I’m going to have the fil—”
“The duck,” Rick said. “She’ll have the duck, and I’ll have the filet, medium rare please. And a glass of Pinot Noir for me and Australian Shiraz for her.”
Kim frowned, but waited until the waitress was gone to speak. “Rick, that’s not what I wanted. And you’ve gotten that wine for me before and I didn’t like it, remember?”
Rick narrowed his eyes slightly. “You didn’t give it a chance last time. I think you’ll like it this time around. It’s even better with duck than it is with chicken. And like I said, we’ll share.”
“Why didn’t you get the duck then?”
“Does it matter who gets what, if we’re trading anyway?”
Kim huffed. “Well, if I don’t like the duck, then yes, it matters, because then what am I going to eat?”
“Look.” Rick waved his hand, batting at the angry words that hung in the air between them, then took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Kim. I just really thought you’d like it, that’s all. I should have just kept my mouth shut.”
His countenance drooped, and Kim felt like crap. Way to ruin the mood, Kim. She reached across the table, hand held out in a gesture of surrender. “I’m sorry, too. I always like the things you order for me, I should have just trusted you. Don’t be mad, okay? I’m sorry if I spoiled the night.”
Rick tipped his head side to side, as though considering her apology, then took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “It’s okay, babe. I forgive you. My emotions always go a little haywire when big things are going on—and, I consider today a pretty big thing.”
She smiled. “Yeah?”
“Absolutely. Three months? That’s, like, the relational equivalent of two years these days.” She laughed along with him, relieved he didn’t seem mad anymore. But then he sobered. “I have to admit, I feel a bit on edge, too, because I’m a little nervous.”
“Nervous? About what, our anniversary?”
“No, no, not dinner.” He released her hand and sat back a moment, then cleared his throat and leaned forward again, taking her hand once more. “Kim, I’d like to ask you something.”
Her heart began to race. “What?”
“I know it might seem a little soon, but…I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. You’re amazing. I feel like I’ve known you forever.”
Her mouth went dry. “Me too.”
He looked relieved. “Good.” He stared at her for a moment, then said, “Would you move in with me?”
“Oh. Oh . Really?”
“Yeah!”
“Oh—Rick, I don’t know, I’ve never even thought about living with someone.”
“Well, think about it!” He sat back, grinning. “It would be perfect. We’d be able to see each other so much more. No more slinking back home late at night, no more
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