I’ve got great people who work for me. I’m able to slow down and smell the roses, as it were, so, yeah, I guess I’m looking.”
She thought she saw a flash of panic in his eyes, but he kept his cool and only nodded at her summat ion. She waited a second or two, the n let him off the hook. “Relax . I’m not looking tonight. Or for the next two months.”
He let out a breath that he probably didn’t even realize he held. He fastened his steely blue gaze on her and asked, “What are you looking for tonight, and for the next two months ?”
This was it. The moment of truth. Lay her cards on the table and see if he plays. She leaned forward, her breasts resting on her forearms, her eyes locked on his. “No strings. No commitments. Just some laughs, some fun, some good old-fashioned messing around.”
He seemed taken aback at first, then leveled her with his aw-shucks smile and said, “Then, Elizabeth, I’m your man.”
They didn’t order dinner. They had one more beer each, which they nursed for the next hour. The conversation turned to mundane things, neither of them wanted to spoil the evening with more personal talk. After all, it was looking like they may begin a purely sexual, short-term fling, why bring anything personal into it?
Finally, Finn paid the bill, over her argument that she asked him out - she should pay. “Not while I’m still breathing does a woman pay on a date with me,” he snorted.
They left the restaurant. The air was warm and there was no breeze, which was unusual. The sky seemed to sparkle. Because it was so clear, with no pollution at all, the stars shone much brighter here than they did in the city. The downtown area of both Houghton and Hancock ran parallel to the man-made canal, with the back entrances to the businesses situated on a bike and jogging path that ran alongside the water. She could faintly hear the waves from the canal as they gently lapped against the seawall. She was taking in the stillness of the night when Finn asked where her car was parked.
“Just around the corner, in the parking deck .”
He only nodded, took her hand in his, and started in that direction. His hand was rough with calluses. You didn’t get hands like that from making popcorn. His fingers entwined with hers as he glanced over at her. His pace quickened and she had to nearly jog to keep up with him. She was excited, too, could feel the tension building between them.
“Which car?”
“The black Navigator.” She pointed to the vehicle, parked in the corner by itself, in a dark part of the small lot.
“Big city girl like you should know better than to park in the corner, out of the light.”
She giggled, a sound that made him grasp her hand a little tighter. “I do know better. And believe me, in the city I park by the entrance and under a light, but that’s what I love about being home, I don’t have to do those things. I even left my car unlocked.”
He gave her a frown. “We’re not totally immune to crime, you know. No need to be foolish.”
“I wasn’t being foolish. I was just putting my faith in my fellow Yooper.”
His frown vanish ed . They reached her car and he pulled her around to the passenger side. He edged he r against the passenger door then disengaged their hands and placed his on her waist.
Oh God, her waist! Of course he’d have to go for her worst area first. She tried to gauge if there were any rolls or handles where his hands were placed and came away feeling as confident as she could with a body that hadn’t been out of the garage in fifteen years. Only driven three times, folks, by a little old lady who always drove the speed limit!
If she placed her hands up on his shoulders, raising her arms and lengthening her spine, it would elongate her waist. Kind of like a yoga move. She did it, barely taking the time to notice how strong and firm his shoulders felt.
Her hands went around his neck as he took a step closer to her. “ Seventeen years .
She thought she saw a flash of panic in his eyes, but he kept his cool and only nodded at her summat ion. She waited a second or two, the n let him off the hook. “Relax . I’m not looking tonight. Or for the next two months.”
He let out a breath that he probably didn’t even realize he held. He fastened his steely blue gaze on her and asked, “What are you looking for tonight, and for the next two months ?”
This was it. The moment of truth. Lay her cards on the table and see if he plays. She leaned forward, her breasts resting on her forearms, her eyes locked on his. “No strings. No commitments. Just some laughs, some fun, some good old-fashioned messing around.”
He seemed taken aback at first, then leveled her with his aw-shucks smile and said, “Then, Elizabeth, I’m your man.”
They didn’t order dinner. They had one more beer each, which they nursed for the next hour. The conversation turned to mundane things, neither of them wanted to spoil the evening with more personal talk. After all, it was looking like they may begin a purely sexual, short-term fling, why bring anything personal into it?
Finally, Finn paid the bill, over her argument that she asked him out - she should pay. “Not while I’m still breathing does a woman pay on a date with me,” he snorted.
They left the restaurant. The air was warm and there was no breeze, which was unusual. The sky seemed to sparkle. Because it was so clear, with no pollution at all, the stars shone much brighter here than they did in the city. The downtown area of both Houghton and Hancock ran parallel to the man-made canal, with the back entrances to the businesses situated on a bike and jogging path that ran alongside the water. She could faintly hear the waves from the canal as they gently lapped against the seawall. She was taking in the stillness of the night when Finn asked where her car was parked.
“Just around the corner, in the parking deck .”
He only nodded, took her hand in his, and started in that direction. His hand was rough with calluses. You didn’t get hands like that from making popcorn. His fingers entwined with hers as he glanced over at her. His pace quickened and she had to nearly jog to keep up with him. She was excited, too, could feel the tension building between them.
“Which car?”
“The black Navigator.” She pointed to the vehicle, parked in the corner by itself, in a dark part of the small lot.
“Big city girl like you should know better than to park in the corner, out of the light.”
She giggled, a sound that made him grasp her hand a little tighter. “I do know better. And believe me, in the city I park by the entrance and under a light, but that’s what I love about being home, I don’t have to do those things. I even left my car unlocked.”
He gave her a frown. “We’re not totally immune to crime, you know. No need to be foolish.”
“I wasn’t being foolish. I was just putting my faith in my fellow Yooper.”
His frown vanish ed . They reached her car and he pulled her around to the passenger side. He edged he r against the passenger door then disengaged their hands and placed his on her waist.
Oh God, her waist! Of course he’d have to go for her worst area first. She tried to gauge if there were any rolls or handles where his hands were placed and came away feeling as confident as she could with a body that hadn’t been out of the garage in fifteen years. Only driven three times, folks, by a little old lady who always drove the speed limit!
If she placed her hands up on his shoulders, raising her arms and lengthening her spine, it would elongate her waist. Kind of like a yoga move. She did it, barely taking the time to notice how strong and firm his shoulders felt.
Her hands went around his neck as he took a step closer to her. “ Seventeen years .
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