Chapter 27
The LBD Never Fails
Sarah’s head floated somewhere above her shoulders as she padded down the hall. Quinn was insane—in a fun, light, catch-you-up-on-high-spin-cycle sort of way. A mix of energy and spark and whimsy, and it was infectious. She grew giddy wondering where he was taking her.
A few hours later, she was cursing her hair as she raked her fingers through it.
Why wouldn’t it cooperate? And why did she care?
She was merely having dinner with a man she’d shared many meals with.
Except she’d never gotten dressed up to eat with him before.
Not to mention the man in question had morphed into someone who made her heart race just thinking about him.
One with surprising layers she wanted to peel back, who was open, earnest, eager to please.
A human version of Archer. Yeah, there was that charm factor, but Archer was charming, and she didn’t mind that about him.
If Archer hadn’t been neutered, he’d probably hump every girl dog he could get his paws on.
So all in all, Quinn and Archer shared many of the same characteristics.
She laughed out loud at her own convoluted justifications.
“Admit it, the man said. You like him,” she told her reflection.
She gave herself another appraisal. Was the little black dress overkill?
Didn’t matter. It felt good on, and she looked good in it.
The modest halter affair showed off her bare shoulders—one of her best assets—and the fabric graced her slight curves, amplifying them.
A row of simple pearl buttons adorned the front from her collar bones to the hemline that skimmed her knees.
Simple, classic, and hopefully whistle-worthy.
Maybe she was being silly, but all of her wanted to wow Quinn.
She wanted to know she still had that effect on a man when she put her mind to it.
Besides, the poor guy had been subjected to her sloppy, bitchy side since he’d met her, and it was time to flip the switch and show off the feminine version of herself that had been MIA for far too long.
One last look in the mirror, and she pulled on her strappy black high-heeled sandals and snagged her leather jacket. As she came out of her room, Liz and Archer were waiting for her. Liz’s eyes danced with delight.
“Oh, doll, look at you! You are stunning!” She wrapped her hands around Sarah’s arms and pulled her in for a better look. “It’ll be a miracle if your date can keep his tongue in his head.”
Sarah grinned. “You heard, huh?”
“Yes, and I told Quinnie I need rest and some ‘me’ time. I’m turning in early tonight, so you kids will have the house to yourselves.” She sent Sarah a conspiratorial wink.
A blush raced up Sarah’s neck and spread from her cheeks to her scalp. She felt like a seventeen-year-old going to the prom with the school’s hockey team captain.
“Thank you, Liz. Um, do you need anything?”
“All set. Don’t you worry about me. Just enjoy yourselves.
” Liz pecked her cheek, catching Sarah by surprise.
Sarah hugged her back, then headed for the family room, where Quinn was waiting for her, rocking on his heels, his back to her, his hands in the front pockets of his black dress slacks as he looked somewhere beyond the newly repaired glass.
She paused for a moment, taking in his broad back in a fitted white shirt before her gaze roved over the rest of him, appreciating all she saw—down to his mouthwatering tush.
Her feet hit the stone floor, and the click-clack of her heels had him pivoting toward her.
And dropping his jaw. A most gratifying reaction indeed.
He swallowed, and his eyes swept over her. “Hey, uh, you look … you look … amazing.”
She could feel the blush intensify and heat her face. “Thank you. You cleaned up rather nicely yourself. So I didn’t overdress?”
His short hair was combed back, and he was freshly shaved.
The combination of the dressy-casual clothes and the impeccable grooming made him devastatingly handsome.
Did he do this for all his dates? He hadn’t for Dory.
Sarah put the thought out of her head because it didn’t matter.
Tonight, he’d done it for her, and that’s what counted.
A slow smile spread over his face, brightened by his dimples. “Not at all. You’re perfect.” He held out his hand to her, and she took it. The warmth of his big hand as it captured hers was reassuring, like coming home to a safe haven. Interlacing their fingers, he drew her beside him. “This way.”
In the garage, he pulled the cover off a dazzling white Mercedes AMG GT coupe, opened the passenger door, and got her settled before sliding behind the steering wheel.
Her eyes took a spin around the sleek interior. “Nice jalopy.”
“I only drive it for special occasions.” One corner of his mouth quirked, and his dimple deepened.
Traffic was light, and they glided north up I-25.
Sarah soaked in the sights streaking past her.
How long had it been since she’d been beyond the confines of Quinn’s neighborhood?
The skies were clear, the temperature hovering at a pleasant seventy-two, and the approaching skyline seemed to sparkle in the late afternoon sun.
When Quinn exited on Colfax heading east, she gave him a puzzled sidelong glance. “Where are we going?”
He lowered his sunglasses and side-eyed her. “Be patient. We’re almost there.”
Another turn, and he nosed the car beside a parking meter across from the Colorado Convention Center.
“We’re going to a convention?” She was truly puzzled.
“Nope. No conventions right now. It’s something better.” He helped her out of the car and into her jacket, fed the meter, then took her hand and crossed the street. “Ever seen Denver’s Big Blue Bear in person?”
Her eyes lit on and traveled up a towering lapis bear sculpture that seemed to be peeking through the convention center’s windows.
“No,” she whispered reverently, “but I heard a lead engineer give a talk on it once, and I’ve always wanted to see it.
” She kept her wide gaze riveted on the colossus as they approached.
Quinn gave her hand a squeeze. “It weighs ten thousand pounds and stands forty feet high. The steel structure holding it up inside is nearly two-thirds the height of the bear.”
The closer they drew, the more she gawked. “Amazing.”
Quinn released her hand, and they circled the sculpture. “Think of the size of the footings that are holding this thing up,” he said. “I wish I could’ve gotten us inside so you could check out the support structure, but with the COVID restrictions, it wasn’t gonna happen.”
She glanced at him, his expression like a hopeful kid, and something warm bloomed in her chest. Tears unexpectedly stung her eyes, and she quickly averted her gaze to the bear. “No, this is perfect. It’s beautiful.”
A few more turns, and they plopped on a stone bench at the bear’s feet. Her neck muscles began cramping from looking up.
He took her hand and cradled it on his thigh. “When you’ve had your fill, we can stroll to Sculpture Park and check out the Dancers.”
Soon they were walking around the tall, lithe statues, their white bodies in stark contrast against Colorado’s blue vault. The sun was dipping behind buildings, throwing long shadows. Soon the sky would turn a deeper shade, and Sarah felt a chill in the spring air.
Quinn dropped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him, his body hard and full of heat. “You cold, Sunshine?”
“Getting there, but I’d like to see the bear one more time.”
He grinned. “Absolutely.”
After one last lingering look at the bear, Sarah said she was ready to go, and Quinn took her arm and led her back to the car.
She inhaled a deep breath. “Thank you. That was … really special.” A simple outing, but the thought behind it touched her deep inside.
“I’m glad you liked it. Hungry?”
She laughed. “I could eat. But I thought restaurant dining rooms were still closed?”
“I have a special restaurant lined up.” Mischief danced in his mocha-brown eyes.
When Quinn pulled back into his own driveway, Sarah shot him a bewildered look. “Are we getting changed before we eat?”
“Nope.” He parked the car and helped her out. A smile played on his face, but he said nothing as he guided her inside the house.
A few twists and turns, and they stood at the entrance to the dark solarium.
Quinn flipped a switch, and soft light winked on.
Sarah gaped at what had once been the solarium.
The 3-D puzzle projects had been moved out of sight, and the space had been transfigured into a fairyland.
A table for two sat beside a floor-to-ceiling window, and plants had been rearranged to give it a cozy feel.
Overhead, strands of twinkly lights were suspended like stars.
She turned her head, taking in the sparkling curtain above. “This is beautiful! Did you do all this?”
“Yep.” He seemed embarrassed, which turned her heart into softened butter. His hand still held hers, and he gave it a tug, leading them toward the table.
“Where’d you get the lights?”
He smoothed the back of his head. “I ducked into a Super Target.”
She stared up at him. “Today? I thought they were only selling food right now.”
“They are, but I talked a clerk into—”
“Don’t tell me,” she laughed. “Was the clerk a woman?”
“Uh, kinda. I think she’s got a few years to go before she qualifies.
” He pulled out a chair for her, but rather than take a seat, she took in the beautifully decorated table before her: white linen, votives and sprigs of greenery, stacked plates flanked by varying sizes of silverware, just like in high-end restaurants.
At each place setting was a wine goblet ready to be filled.
I’m a little blown away here.