Diane was shifting about in her seat. Gregory glanced over and saw that she was fiddling about with the straps on her bag. She was nervous, he could tell. Now he was beginning to regret asking her on a date when she was like this. But the urge to be around her for longer wouldn’t let go.
“This is in your hands, Diane.”
“I’m sorry,” Diane looked up and blinked, “what is in my hands?”
“This date. Me. Us.” Us – Gregory liked the sound of that. “A date is about two people, not just one. I won’t push you into doing anything you don’t want. We go at your pace.”
“Really?”
“Really. If just one dinner date is all that’s going to happen, then that’s up to you.” Gregory paused. “But I’m going to make it hard for you to turn down a second date.”
Diane arched an eyebrow.
“Is that a challenge, Mr. Benjamin?”
“For me? Absolutely. I’m going to make sure you want another date after this.”
Diane laughed. And that laugh hit Gregory right in the gut. God, that was a beautiful sound.
“Normally, I don’t back down from a challenge, but if you think you can get me to agree to another date, you’re going to have to work hard for it.”
Gregory tried not to squirm. A part of him was hard already, and they hadn’t even started the date yet. What had he gotten himself into?
*****
Growlers was a nice place to eat. Diane had been there quite a few times with Maggie, and she liked it. The atmosphere was just as good as the food. And, tonight, she actually had good company.
Much as Diane wanted to say that Gregory Benjamin was terrible, she couldn’t. He was actually quite nice, and he had a sense of humor that he was clearly pulling back on.
Even with his restrained humor, he was still making her laugh. He was educated and funny, and quite knowledgeable in certain areas. Diane was very surprised to find out that Gregory had taken history as a degree at university. Not what she expected, if she was honest.
She was enjoying herself. Something Diane had thought was just a fantasy in her head. But that wasn’t the case; this was going really well.
Maybe she had been a bit too hasty in the beginning. Thinking that this was a disaster before she actually went on the date had not done her any favors.
Of course, there was that fear that her father would find out about this and he wouldn’t be happy at all, and that was still at the back of her mind. But Diane wanted this to keep going. Gregory was like a breath of fresh air, and it was nice. Really nice.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you, actually,” Gregory said as he finished off his steak, “how did you learn to sing like that? It was beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Diane speared a curly fry with her fork, “I started singing in the choir when I was seven, but I was badly out of tune. Father wanted me to do something worthwhile at church, so he sent me to have some lessons. Things improved afterwards.”
“Your teacher certainly did well.”
“She’s a professional opera singer. Or, rather, she was, as she’s retired by now.”
“I see.” Gregory swallowed down his mouthful and reached for his glass. Diane had to stop herself from staring at his fingers. They were long and graceful. How was that erotic? “What other pastimes do you have? Do you have any hobbies?”
“I…,” Diane thought about it, only to realize that she didn’t, “not really. I was going to say I sew, knit and crochet, but those must sound more like chores.”
“Actually, those are hobbies if you create something out of them.”
“It sounds boring, though.”
“On the contrary, it can be interesting.” Gregory grinned. “Besides, there’s something quite sexy about you knitting.”
Diane groaned.
“That’s not funny.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.” Gregory’s eyes were still on her as he took a sip of his soda. “So, what have you made? Anything of interest?”
“Just some blankets, really. I have done quite a few for sales the church has run,” Diane munched on her food, “I also make baby clothes and blankets for premature babies at the medical center.”
Gregory looked interested.
“You really do that?”
“Yes. I feel that someone needs to look out for these little mites. Their mothers are scared, and seeing someone looking out for their children as well does make them feel like they have support.” Diane grinned. “My favorite bit is being a baby cuddler.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“We’ve had a couple of babies in the NICU, and their parents can’t always be there. The nurses are always busy, and these babies need someone to be with them. I go in part-time and just cuddle the babies to give them warmth and know that someone’s there for them.”
Gregory was staring at her with an expression that Diane hadn’t seen on him before. She wasn’t sure whether to feel warmed or uncomfortable by it, especially with the intensity of his stare.
“Of all the things you would say,” Gregory murmured, “I never expected you to say that.”
“You think I wouldn’t be that kind and generous?”
“I knew you would be. I just didn’t think you would be helping out sick babies.”
Diane shrugged.
“It certainly helps me out. When I’ve been looking after the house or keeping the books for several companies, I end up getting rather stressed. Hugging babies is perfect to help me relax.”
“Interesting,” Gregory picked up a fry and popped it into his mouth, “I must say, Diane, you’re full of surprises.”
“I was going to say the same about you. Why are you in real estate instead of your chosen profession? Didn’t you say you wanted to be a writer?”
“Who says I’m not?” Gregory grinned. “I’ve been published.”
“You have?”
“Ever read anything by Ben Talbot?”
“What?” Diane stared. “That’s you?”
“You’ve read me, then?”
“Of course, I have! Ben Talbot’s books are rich and bring the past back to life. I love history, and those books make me feel like I’m actually there.”