Chapter Twelve
V ickie looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror. When she’d first seen the pale blue dress hanging on the rack, it had reminded her of something straight out of the 50’s. And as was often the case, as soon as she’d tried it on at the store, she had to have it. The fitted bodice and full skirt made her feel as if she’d just stepped out of an old movie. With Dawn’s assurance that it was the perfect color to set off Vickie’s dark hair and porcelain skin, she was sold.
There was nothing she enjoyed more than wearing pretty, feminine dresses. Although she’d never admit it to her mother, that was the one drawback to being a park ranger. Even though the female ranger uniform came with a skirt option, it was still made from the same polyester green material as the uniform pants. So while it was a little more ladylike, it was also highly impractical and not exactly the height of fashion. Plus, the required shoes were the ugliest she’d ever seen, and with the skirt on the shoes were more visible. No thanks. She’d stick to the pants.
So it was no wonder that any occasion to dress up a bit thrilled her. Vickie had always been somewhat of a fashionista, and she had a closet full of nice things. Sometimes she’d even get dressed up just to get groceries. It made her feel prettier to be dressed nicely.
She slipped into some strappy heels and took one last look in the mirror. She’d already applied her makeup, so a dab of tinted lip gloss was all she needed to complete her look. She stepped back and took a deep breath. She was finally ready for her dinner date with the professor.
The nerves didn’t hit until she stepped off the Metro at Union Station. She normally delighted in the beautiful old train station with its elaborate columns and statues. But today, she may as well have been walking through an empty tunnel.
What would they talk about? She should’ve thought of some conversation topics beforehand. Politics? No. Too soon. Family? She knew better. Work. Work was always safe. Unless he hated his job or something. That was a chance she’d have to take.
She turned the corner and relaxed her pace, hoping the slower tempo would help return her heart rate to normal. No such luck. As soon as she spotted him standing out front, waiting on her, the pounding was back.
“Hey there,” he said, smiling down at her. “I’m glad you could make it.” He was dressed in khaki shorts and a red polo shirt. Not dressed up, but he’d at least made an effort to look nice.
“Hi.” She was suddenly self-conscious. Was her dress too much? “Have you been waiting long?”
He glanced at his watch. “Nah. You’re right on time.” He ushered her into the restaurant, and they were quickly seated.
“I haven’t been here in a long time,” she said, once they’d placed their drink orders. “What do you normally order?”
Thatcher opened the menu. “The monte cristo is great. Or the fish & chips.” He smiled. “Everything is delicious. I guess it depends on what you’re in the mood for.”
A moment later, the waitress was at their table. “Are you ready?” she asked.
Thatcher nodded and met Vickie’s gaze. “You go ahead.”
She’d always hated this part. Ordering dinner on a first date could be tricky. What if she ordered something a lot more expensive than what her date wanted to spend? Or even worse, what if she ordered an entrée that came with more food than him. Then she’d feel like a complete pig. “I think I’ll have the Greek salad.” She met Thatcher’s curious gaze and shrugged. “I had a late lunch.”
“How about you?” the waitress asked, her pen poised.
“Fish & Chips for me, please.” He closed his menu and handed it to the waitress. “With extra tarter sauce.”
The waitress nodded and headed to the kitchen,
Vickie met his gaze. “So, have you lived in DC long?”
“I grew up in Virginia. I have a little fishing cabin there still.” He gave a one-sided grin. “But I’ve been teaching at GWU for the past thirteen years. First part-time, then adjunct, then finally a full-fledged professor.” He took a sip of water. “How about you?”
“I’m originally from Brentwood, Tennessee. It’s right outside of Nashville,” she explained.
To her surprise, he nodded. “I’m familiar with Brentwood. I actually got my Ph.D. from Vanderbilt.”
Her eyes widened. “So you’re a Vandy guy? Wow. My mom would be impressed.”
He laughed. “Not you, but your mom? I’ll take that I guess.”
“It’s just that my mom had her heart set on me attending there. When I opted to go elsewhere, it nearly broke her heart.” She shrugged. “But I know how tough the academics are there. I had several friends who went there.”
“So where did you end up?” he asked.
“I went to a small Christian school. You’ve probably never heard of it.” She smiled. “Only my mother would be disappointed that I chose a school where I could draw closer to God. Most people’s parents would’ve been glad. I’m happy with the decision though.”
“That’s what matters.” He looked at her seriously. “And did you? Draw closer to God, I mean.”
Vickie nodded. “I think it certainly helped to strengthen my faith. And I met some friends I wouldn’t trade for anything.” She couldn’t help but notice the faint stubble on his face. He was a lot more rugged than most men she’d accepted dates with. When she’d described him to Kristy, her friend had declared she was dating Indiana Jones. “But the younger, cuter one,” Vickie had said. “Like from the first movie.” Even so, she wondered again how old he was and wished there were a tactful way to find out. “So, what did you think of Tennessee?”
“I loved Nashville. Even though I didn’t get out much because I was so busy studying.”
“I can imagine. What’s your area of expertise within the history department?”
“I wouldn’t say I’m an “expert” or anything, but World War II is probably one of the topics I’m most interested in. I teach a class on that topic every spring.”
“Have you been to the World War II memorial along the National Mall?” Vickie had only given a ranger talk there a couple of times, but she’d really enjoyed the studying she’d done on the topic.
Thatcher made a face. “Only once. It’s a little too crowded for my liking.”
She smiled. “I guess there are a lot of people around. But that’s what makes my day exciting.”
“I see.” His eyes twinkled. “Crowds must help you stay in ‘ranger mode’.”
Vickie’s mouth turned upward in a grin. “Right.”
The waitress arrived at their table, her tray laden with platters. The food smelled delicious, and she wished she’d ordered something heartier than a salad. Vickie watched as Thatcher moved his drink out of the way so the waitress could set his food on the table. This was going well. Sure, it was standard get-to-know-one-another conversation, but she felt a tiny spark. Just talking to him made her feel giddy.
“Can I get you anything else?” the waitress asked.
Thatcher raised his eyebrows at Vickie. She shook her head. “I’m fine, thanks.”
“Me, too.”
The waitress smiled and walked off, leaving them alone. Thatcher cleared his throat. “Um. Would you like for me to give thanks for the meal?”
She couldn’t help but smile. How many times had she complained to her friends that it was almost impossible to find a guy who shared her faith in God? “Yes, please,” she said, bowing her head.
Thatcher said a quick prayer of thanks for the food and asked God to watch over them and their families. “Amen,” he said, raising his head and meeting her eyes. “Dig in.”
Vickie took a bite of her salad. It was the perfect ratio of ingredients to dressing, and she knew she’d made a good choice. “This is delicious.” She was surprised at how comfortable she felt. Normally she hated eating in front of a date because it made her feel self-conscious. But with Thatcher she already felt at ease.
“I’m glad you think so.”
They ate in silence for a moment, then Thatcher put his fork down. “Listen, Vickie. Let me get right to the point of why I asked you here tonight.”
She looked into his brown eyes and smiled. He liked her. She could tell. She thought of her mother’s admonition on her birthday about men who were interested booking the second date during the first one. “Yes?” She was already anticipating their second date. Maybe something a bit more romantic. Theater maybe. Ooh, or opera. She looked expectantly at him.
“I’m sure you thought it was a little odd for a strange man to approach you at the Lincoln Memorial and ask you to dinner.” He shifted in his seat. “And honestly, I don’t normally go around inviting random women to join me for a meal.”
She smiled. “Well, I don’t normally go around accepting dinner invitations from strange men either, but I made an exception for you.”
“I’m glad you did.” He sighed. “Look, I know you’ve probably got somewhere to be later, seeing how you’re all dressed up, so I’ll cut to the chase.”
Vickie was confused. Why would he think she had somewhere else to be? “Oh. . .no,” she started, but he cut her off.
“The reason I asked you here tonight was to talk to you about a project I’m about to be working on.” He met her eyes. “I could really use some help, and thought that even if you aren’t available, you might know of someone who is.”
The realization began to hit her. He’d only asked her here tonight to discuss a project? “What are you talking about?” she asked.
“I know this is going to sound crazy. But after I listened to you talk about Abraham Lincoln, I knew I had to talk to you further.”
“If you had questions about my ranger talk, you could’ve just asked me yesterday.” The mixture of anger and humiliation was too much for her to take. “That’s the typical protocol. Not the next evening over dinner.”
“I knew this discussion would take some time and I didn’t want to pull you away from work.” He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. “There is a rumor going around that there are some letters that exist and have never been found. Letters that were written by Abraham Lincoln, himself. Finding them would be a huge historical find.” He grinned. “A real history-in-the-making kind of moment.”
The term shell-shocked didn’t begin to cover it. He’d asked her to dinner to discuss Abraham Lincoln? “I don’t understand what this has to do with me. I don’t know anything about these rumored documents.”
“I’m looking for someone to assist me. If the letters exist, I want to be the one to find them.” He drew his brows together. “It’s kind of important to my career.”
“You’re asking me to be your research assistant?” The giddiness she’d felt earlier had been replaced by an icy chill in the pit of her stomach.
“I’d pay you, of course.” He grinned. “I know it’s a lot to ask, especially considering that you don’t know me from Adam. But when I listened to you speak yesterday, you seemed so passionate about the history of the monument. I thought you might think it was sort of fun to go on a hunt for lost documents. Kind of like the National Treasure movies, only hopefully without our stealing anything or kidnapping the president.” He chuckled.
Vickie forced herself to return his smile but kept silent. She was finding this turn of events a little hard to process.
“I have no idea how long it will take. Or where the search should even begin. But I did want to throw the offer out on the table.” He cleared his throat. “Of course, you’re welcome to think it over.”
“That does sound interesting.” She kept her voice even. There was no need for him to know she was upset. Or that she’d misinterpreted his dinner invitation for a date. “But I’m not sure I have the time to commit to such a thing.”
“Oh. . . I understand. And believe me, it won’t hurt my feelings at all if you have to decline.” He smiled. “It’s just business.”
“Right. Just business.” She was silent for a moment. She needed to get out of there.
“Tell you what, how about you think about it for a couple of days? You have my number. Call and let me know what you decide. If you come onboard, we can work out the details of your pay.” He looked at her with wide eyes. “I would absolutely pay you fairly. Hourly or a flat fee, whichever you prefer. And in the meantime, hopefully I’ll find out a little more about these mysterious letters so I can go ahead and start mapping out a research plan.”
She stared at him for a long moment. It was amazing. It was like he had no idea that there was even the possibility that his asking someone out to dinner might’ve been misconstrued as a date. “Sure. I’ll think about it.” She snatched her wallet from her purse and pulled some bills out. “Thanks for thinking of me for your project.” She said, standing. “I’ll be in touch.” She tossed the money onto the table. “That should cover mine.”
“You don’t have to—” He half rose from the table.
“I insist,” Vickie said. “Enjoy the rest of your food.” She turned on her heel, wanting nothing more than to be out of there. Don’t look back. Just keep going. She reached the door and made it onto the sidewalk. For a split second her heart raced as she imagined him, bursting from the door and stopping her. But a quick glance at the door told her he was still inside, likely enjoying his halibut.
How could she have been so stupid?