“Sounds fine to me. I’ll get a reservation for tonight.”
“Tonight?”
Gregory’s grin was almost devilish as he stepped towards her. Diane was so stunned that he was moving closer that she couldn’t function to back away. When he leaned over, his breath brushing against her temple, Diane almost swayed and fell into him.
“Now I’ve got you saying yes, I don’t want you to run away from me,” he whispered, “I definitely don’t want to miss a chance to be with you, Diane.”
His lips were barely brushing her forehead, but Diane felt them as if he had imprinted his kiss onto her skin. She bit her lip to stop herself from whimpering as Gregory stepped back, giving her a smile and a slight bow.
“I’ll pick you up outside the church at six. Is that okay with you?”
“That…that’s fine,” Diane squeaked.
“Perfect. Until then, Diane.”
Then he was walking away, and Diane was trying really hard not to watch him go. She finally tore her eyes away from him and leaned on the shopping cart, waiting for the strength to come back into her legs.
God, what was it about that man that left her shaking all over? This wasn’t supposed to happen. He was the last person who should make her desire something that shouldn’t be allowed.
And yet…she didn’t want it to stop.
*****
“Oh, you need to stop worrying so much,” Maggie laughed as she brushed Diane’s hair. “You look stunning, and you’re going to knock his socks off.”
“I don’t want to know anything of him, Maggie! I just want to look presentable for a dinner date.”
“Well, you certainly look presentable.”
Diane liked to think so. Even though looking at herself in a simple denim skirt that finished mid-calf, black pumps and a thick red sweater made her feel like she was both overdressed and underdressed. Was that even possible?
“Why did I agree to this?” She muttered.
“Because he’s very persuasive, and you like him.”
“I don’t like him!”
Maggie snorted.
“I’ve seen the look on your face whenever you talk about him. You like him.”
“I do not!”
“If you don’t, why did you agree to go on a date with him?”
“It was just so he would stop pestering me. Mrs. Moran walked by us, and you know how much of a nosy parker she is. I bet she’s told half of Cascade by now.”
“Well, I’m sure she hasn’t. And you would have scolded him and put him in his place if you wanted him to fuck off.”
“Maggie!” Diane gasped. “Language!”
“Don’t worry, Mom and Dad aren’t here. And I doubt you’re going to tell anyone.”
Diane shook her head.
“You really shouldn’t curse like that. It’s a bad thing to do.”
“Only if no one hears you. It’s quite refreshing, actually,” Maggie put the brush down and picked up a hair tie, “right, I’ll get your hair fixed up. Are you sure you don’t want any makeup on? You are going on a date, after all.”
“I don’t want any makeup. Growlers isn’t exactly the flashiest place in the world.”
Also, Diane didn’t like makeup; it made her feel like a clown. She couldn’t be herself when she had it on, and given that she was about to have a date with a man who shouldn’t be interacting with her at all, Diane wanted to be comfortable in her own skin. Even if she felt hot and bothered just thinking about Gregory Benjamin.
“I feel like I’m doing something illegal,” she said, looking at herself in the mirror as Maggie began to start a French plait with her hair. “Father is going to be furious when he finds out what I’ve been doing.”
“You’re an adult, Diane. You don’t have to answer to him anymore.”
“But Mr. Benjamin isn’t a Baptist. He would never allow us to interact on a date if he was aware of this.”
“Even with his wealth? I’ve heard that real estate can be in the billions, and Gregory Benjamin has been in Forbes magazine as one of the richest men in North America.”
Diane was aware of it herself; she had been doing some research on Gregory. She knew a lot about him after some internet searching, and while she was impressed, she knew it wouldn’t be enough for her father.
“Father doesn’t care about wealth. He’s got to be a part of the congregation, or it’s not happening.”
“So, he would happily marry you off to Brent Maisley, who is the total opposite, and let you be miserable?”
“I wouldn’t say I would be miserable…”
“Of course, you would be miserable! You might not think it, but you will certainly get bored and sad being Brent’s wife,” Maggie sighed, “I don’t want to speak ill of Brent, but you two are not suited to each other. It would be better for you to have someone more…, exciting in your life.”
Diane frowned.
“And you think Mr. Benjamin will be more exciting?”
“How do you feel when you’re around him?”
“I’ve barely interacted with him, Maggie. That’s not enough to know.”
“Maybe it is,” Maggie gave her a sly smile in the mirror, “go on, think about it. How do you feel in his company?”
Diane thought about it, but she couldn’t grasp a proper answer. She wanted to say that he repulsed her, made her shocked and scandalized, and that she didn’t want to be anywhere near him. That would make it easier to walk away later. But she couldn’t. She knew she couldn’t say anything.
“I…, I don’t know. It’s all rather confusing.”
“That’s because it’s new for you. And it’s okay. There’s no problem with learning something new about yourself, or trying out something different.” Maggie finished plaiting Diane’s hair, tying it off. Then she squeezed her friend’s shoulders.
“And it’s okay to feel unsure about it. I was the same when I started going off and doing my own thing. But it is a good thing. We’re allowed to do something out of our comfort zone, and it’s not always a bad thing. Besides, it’s just dinner. You can’t go wrong with dinner.”
She did have a point, but it didn’t really make Diane feel any better. She was still nervous about the whole thing.
The last time she had had a date, it had ended badly, and that was with someone of her congregation. If that was someone her father would have approved of, what would happen if it was with someone he didn’t? Diane didn’t want to think about that.
“Hey, bestie,” Maggie wagged her finger at Diane in the mirror, “I can see you doing it.”
“Doing what?”
“You’re thinking too hard. That’s enough. Just enjoy the evening with a guy who likes you and wants to be with you for a little while. You never know, you might actually like it.”
Diane didn’t know if she would or not. Not with her nerves taking control of her insides.