particularly pleased. "I thought you didn't come about the store."
"I came to apologize."
"For what? Stating the truth?"
"No, for denying the truth. For hurting you."
"You didn't — "
He took her hand, stopping her denial. "That kiss took me by surprise."
After a moment, her expression softened and her hands lost their tense rigidity. "Me, too."
He ran his thumb over the top of her hand. "I'd like to get to know you better. Yet, I don't know if I'm ready for a serious relationship — "
A waitress appeared beside Kit and tapped her shoulder. "You're up."
"Already?"
"The guy before you chickened out. Go on. Joe's ready to introduce you."
"Go ahead," Grey said. "I'll be here when you're finished."
She stood and grabbed his hand. "Come with me."
"What?"
"Come up with me. You just watch the monitor for the lines."
"I can't do that."
She pulled him to the dais. "Sure, you can. Live a little."
"Kit, I don't know..."
She grinned. "This doesn't have to be a serious relationship. I'm doing a song you'll know. Singers have been singing it for years."
As Joe introduced her, she took the microphone and introduced Grey, telling the audience he was going to help her on the refrain.
They applauded, Kit smiled, and Grey decided to make a fool of himself simply because it might be fun...because he caught the excitement of Kit's enthusiasm. When she started singing along to the music, he almost changed his mind. Her voice was sweet and true and definitely on key. But he knew the refrain to the old standard even without the monitor, and when she motioned him to sing along, he did. He couldn't believe it was his voice coming out of the speakers. Except for some hesitancy, he didn't sound too bad!
As he got into the rhythm, as he gazed into Kit's eyes while they sang, he forgot about the audience. It was just the two of them...exploring...connecting...having fun. When the patrons applauded at the end of the song, he raised Kit's hand with his high above their heads and grinned. When they left the raised dais, he still held her hand.
As she passed the table where she'd sat with her friends, Bruce said, "Way to go, Kit."
She stopped. "Thanks. Hi Grey, this is Bruce Carlson, CEO of Sunrise Public Relations, his wife, Greta, and Rob who works in the office next door to mine. Everyone, Greyson Corey. He owns Corey's Hardware."
Rob looked Grey over again as if sizing him up, but Bruce extended his hand. "It's good to meet you. Kit and I have discussed your account. I think you'll be happy with what she has planned."
"I'm willing to try whatever she suggests."
"Why don't you join us," Bruce suggested. "We can pull over another table."
What Grey wanted was to be alone with Kit. But she was looking at him inquisitively. She'd come with these people and probably wanted to spend the rest of the evening with them. This might be a good way to keep the ice broken between them.
Grey sat close to Kit, not touching her. His body went on alert each time she moved. He enjoyed the conversation which included everything from politics to advertising strategies. As the last karaoke singer performed and the DJ put on top forty hits, Grey leaned close to Kit and asked, "Did you come with Rob?"
"No. I drove myself."
That wasn't what he meant. "Are you with him?" The scent of her perfume, the silkiness of her hair as it brushed his chin sped up his pulse rate.
"No. I'm not with anyone."
"Would you like to go for a cup of coffee?"
She looked down at the cranberry juice and soda spritzer she'd been sipping. "Do you really want coffee or do you want to talk?"
"We could do both."
She hesitated a moment then asked, "Would you like to come to my place? To talk."
She was warning him ahead of time and setting her boundaries. For now, talking would be enough. "Yes."
After they bid good night to everyone in the group, Grey followed Kit home, parking beside her on a gravel patch at the back of the immense old home. He waited under the trees as she
"I came to apologize."
"For what? Stating the truth?"
"No, for denying the truth. For hurting you."
"You didn't — "
He took her hand, stopping her denial. "That kiss took me by surprise."
After a moment, her expression softened and her hands lost their tense rigidity. "Me, too."
He ran his thumb over the top of her hand. "I'd like to get to know you better. Yet, I don't know if I'm ready for a serious relationship — "
A waitress appeared beside Kit and tapped her shoulder. "You're up."
"Already?"
"The guy before you chickened out. Go on. Joe's ready to introduce you."
"Go ahead," Grey said. "I'll be here when you're finished."
She stood and grabbed his hand. "Come with me."
"What?"
"Come up with me. You just watch the monitor for the lines."
"I can't do that."
She pulled him to the dais. "Sure, you can. Live a little."
"Kit, I don't know..."
She grinned. "This doesn't have to be a serious relationship. I'm doing a song you'll know. Singers have been singing it for years."
As Joe introduced her, she took the microphone and introduced Grey, telling the audience he was going to help her on the refrain.
They applauded, Kit smiled, and Grey decided to make a fool of himself simply because it might be fun...because he caught the excitement of Kit's enthusiasm. When she started singing along to the music, he almost changed his mind. Her voice was sweet and true and definitely on key. But he knew the refrain to the old standard even without the monitor, and when she motioned him to sing along, he did. He couldn't believe it was his voice coming out of the speakers. Except for some hesitancy, he didn't sound too bad!
As he got into the rhythm, as he gazed into Kit's eyes while they sang, he forgot about the audience. It was just the two of them...exploring...connecting...having fun. When the patrons applauded at the end of the song, he raised Kit's hand with his high above their heads and grinned. When they left the raised dais, he still held her hand.
As she passed the table where she'd sat with her friends, Bruce said, "Way to go, Kit."
She stopped. "Thanks. Hi Grey, this is Bruce Carlson, CEO of Sunrise Public Relations, his wife, Greta, and Rob who works in the office next door to mine. Everyone, Greyson Corey. He owns Corey's Hardware."
Rob looked Grey over again as if sizing him up, but Bruce extended his hand. "It's good to meet you. Kit and I have discussed your account. I think you'll be happy with what she has planned."
"I'm willing to try whatever she suggests."
"Why don't you join us," Bruce suggested. "We can pull over another table."
What Grey wanted was to be alone with Kit. But she was looking at him inquisitively. She'd come with these people and probably wanted to spend the rest of the evening with them. This might be a good way to keep the ice broken between them.
Grey sat close to Kit, not touching her. His body went on alert each time she moved. He enjoyed the conversation which included everything from politics to advertising strategies. As the last karaoke singer performed and the DJ put on top forty hits, Grey leaned close to Kit and asked, "Did you come with Rob?"
"No. I drove myself."
That wasn't what he meant. "Are you with him?" The scent of her perfume, the silkiness of her hair as it brushed his chin sped up his pulse rate.
"No. I'm not with anyone."
"Would you like to go for a cup of coffee?"
She looked down at the cranberry juice and soda spritzer she'd been sipping. "Do you really want coffee or do you want to talk?"
"We could do both."
She hesitated a moment then asked, "Would you like to come to my place? To talk."
She was warning him ahead of time and setting her boundaries. For now, talking would be enough. "Yes."
After they bid good night to everyone in the group, Grey followed Kit home, parking beside her on a gravel patch at the back of the immense old home. He waited under the trees as she
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