Coffee in Common (23 page)

"I
am not
getting worked up," she huffed. "I'm…" She laughed. "Okay. Maybe you were right. Did she really do that, though? She seems so prim and proper."

"She did and she is and she isn't. It's weird. She looks like a model, but she's so damn bright and talented, you don't even notice after working with her for a while. It's like with you. Once you know the person, you see the person, not the packaging."

Lisa leaned over to kiss his forehead. As she did so, the beautiful ballad ended and after a two second pause, Leann Rimes began to sing their special song,
How Do I Live Without You.

Clad only in plaid boxers, Rob jumped up from the couch and extended his hand to his love, who was wearing only his v-neck tee shirt. Their arms wrapped around each other as they came together and started dancing to the music.

Rob closed his eyes, still not believing this incredible girl really wanted him, really loved him. He mouthed a silent prayer to the God who brought them together, and then a thank you to Paul, whose words of wisdom Wednesday had shown him the light and saved the relationship.

Lisa's head rested on his shoulder as they danced. Her hands caressed his back as she thought again how perfect the CD was, and how much she loved her Robbie.

Her pet name for him made her smile because he hated being called Robbie in public although he tolerated it when they were alone. The only place he really liked it was in bed, and the thought of what would happen later made her tingle. They almost always made love before they went to sleep.

The song came to a close, but they stood there holding each other for almost a minute longer, each loving the warm feeling of the other against them. Finally, after sharing a lingering kiss, they moved apart and resumed their previous positions on the sofa.

With her fingers again playing in his hair, Lisa asked, "What's Priya's boyfriend like?"

Rob had hoped that subject had been forgotten. He should have known better.

"I don't think she has one. At least she's never mentioned one that I can remember." A waggish grin turned up the corners of his mouth. "But she does have this really special friend who's a guy."

"Really? And who would that be?"

"Paul."

"Paul? Our Paul?" She felt his head nodding in her lap.

"As of last night. Something happened last night and I don't quite understand all the details, but Priya and Paul are tight now, sort of like he and I are tight."

"Wow. I wonder what Jillian will think about that."

"If Paul pulls this whole date off the way he planned tonight, I'm not sure she'll care."

Lisa laughed. "She'll care. Trust me. Then again, that much romance in one night certainly could turn a girl's head."

Rob agreed. "I sure hope she knows how to dance."

"Why?"

"Paul's a pretty good dancer. When he was a freshman in high school, he tried out for every sports team. His brother Steve was a year ahead of him and a helluva jock. Paul really wanted to follow in his footsteps. Trouble was, he had lots of heart and determination, but two left feet. He kept stumbling over himself. So the coach told him to take dance lessons to improve his coordination and try again next year.

"He wasn't too keen on it, but he did it. Took a lot of crap for it, too, especially over the summer when he'd have to take off for his lesson. But he stuck with it and in the fall, made the Junior Varsity football team. So he kept up the lessons and started taking karate and stuff, too. And in his junior and senior years, he made varsity in football, basketball and baseball."

"Geez, that
is
determination. But he doesn't seem like a jock."

"He was, but he's not anymore. He played one year of football in college, then realized there was no future for him in sports so he gave them up and concentrated on studying."

"No kidding. Say, how is it that after five months together, I know so little about your best friend?"

Rob flipped onto his side and pushed himself up until his arm was resting on the arm of the sofa and his face was right in front of Lisa's. "What are you talking about? You know everything about my best friend."

"No I don't. I…" She caught the look in his eyes. Her own eyes softened with understanding and love and she tenderly whispered, "Oh."

Once would not be enough tonight.

10:45 PM

There had been no more talking after they settled in, just the occasional murmur of pleasure. With eyes closed, their thoughts were of each other and dinner, of ogres and possibilities. They even wandered into flights of fantasy. So comfortable were they, it took several minutes, and the driver clearing his throat, before they realized the carriage had stopped.

Paul groaned softly, not wanting the moment to end. When her eyes opened, and she saw they were stopped in front of the Franklin Hotel, she broke their embrace and sat back, her eyes full of questions.

What's this? Did he reserve a room here? Did he just assume I'd just go up and sleep with him? Has this whole evening just been a big seduction campaign?

Paul noticed the change in her and realized what she must be thinking. "I thought you might like to go dancing."

"Dancing? At a hotel?" Now she was confused.

"At the Candlelight Lounge inside." His voice assumed a conspiratorial tone. "It's the best kept secret in Boston. Thursday through Sunday nights they have a great band that plays all kinds of cover tunes. Lots of soft rock…"

Damn! Again I've misjudged him.

"…some jazz, new stuff, old stuff. Things you can dance to without getting all sweaty."

"But what if I want to get all sweaty?"

Did I really just say that out loud?

She tried to grin in a way that would let him know she wasn't serious, but his face lit up with mischief.

"Well…that would depend on whether you wanted to get sweaty vertically, or horizontally."

They both burst out laughing as she wagged a finger at him. "I guess I deserved that."

I can't believe I said that. And without thinking! How? I never joke that way with guys. Not even with…oh…oh my!

She recognized a change in herself, in her attitude and her expectations for herself and for this…this thing, this budding relationship. She sensed a familiarity, a nascent intimacy that wasn't really sexual, although she couldn't deny the heated attraction she'd felt for him in the carriage.

Paul stood, took out his folding money, and generously tipped the driver. Then he stepped down from the carriage and extended his hand.

Once on the sidewalk, Jillian noticed their limousine parked right behind them. "Has Gary been following us around all this time?"

"No. He knew where we were going and about when we'd get here. He was probably waiting somewhere close by."

Jillian smiled and waved to Gary, who returned both.

The Candlelight Lounge was aptly named. Except for a few dimmed spotlights that illuminated the dance floor and stage for the band, and the minimum of electric candles necessary for the bar to function, all the light in the room came from the small votive-style candles on each of the round tables.

The room seemed to glow with islands of soft light shining through the darkness. Jillian understood why Paul had brought her here. It was beautiful, warm, and very romantic.

The hostess showed them to a table in the far corner of the room. Paul again held the chair for her then moved another around so he could sit next to her, both of them facing the large dance floor. Almost immediately, a waitress appeared with a bowl of pretzels, ready to take their drink orders.

Jillian thought it wise to stick with wine, having previously experienced some unpleasant aftereffects from mixing alcoholic beverages. Paul ordered a Captain n' Coke.

The dance floor was about half full as the band, three guys playing lead guitar, keyboards and drums, and a girl playing bass guitar, performed the old Commodores standard
Three Times a Lady.

Jillian loved to dance. She had taken dance for eleven years, starting when she was five. Ballet, modern, ballroom, swing, western, Latin, everything. She'd never met a dance she didn't enjoy.

Dinner, a carriage ride, and now dancing. It's like he knows all my favorite things. He only missed one and given the time, there's no way we'll be going there tonight.

Paul held her hand, fingers entwined, as they sat, listening to the music and watching the dancers.

The waitress returned with their drinks and told them she'd run a tab for them. As they lifted and touched glasses, the song ended to appreciative applause.

After a quick sip, Paul asked, "Would you like to dance or did you want to sit for a while?"

In answer, Jillian tabled her glass and all but jumped to her feet.

As they navigated between tables to the dance floor, the bass player moved to the center microphone and the band began to play
Could I Have This Dance
. When they stepped onto the oak parquet, Paul surprised her by twirling her around once then moving smoothly into the one-two-three steps of a waltz. Jillian beamed at him.

I can't believe it. I thought he'd just hold me and sway, but he actually knows how to dance!

They moved effortlessly across the floor, Jillian following his lead as if they'd danced together for years.

When the song ended, he led her into a Cajun Two-Step as the spotlight switched to the keyboard player, who began to play and sing
Jambalaya
. Then the band slowed things down with
I Only Have Eyes For You.
Jillian only had eyes for Paul and couldn't have told you if the dance floor was packed or empty at the moment she was bumped hard twice, from behind and then from the left. The bumps threw her off her rhythm and she stopped. Hearing giggling behind her, she turned and saw them.

"Jenna! Liz! Look at you two! What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like that?"

When they saw the confusion on her face, the girls doubled over with laughter. Jenna was wearing a scandalously short fire engine red dress that was cut so low Jillian wasn't sure how her boobs kept from falling out. Fishnet stockings and matching red, knee-high boots made her look more like an expensive hooker than a brilliant chemist. But it was Liz's outfit that most startled her. Dressed in a gray pinstripe suit, blue shirt, paisley tie, and with her hair slicked back under a fedora, Liz looked like a very masculine woman or a very feminine man.

Effecting a deep voice and gangster accent, Liz said, "Ayyy, can't a guy take his best goil dancing?"

That started them laughing again. When they recovered, Jenna explained and told her Holly and Jamal and Gloria and Chuck had similar reactions when they first saw them in costume. Then she shifted her gaze to stare at Paul, who had been standing there, amused, listening to them talk.

Jillian realized she'd left him hanging. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Paul. I was so shocked at seeing them here and dressed that way that…"

"No apology necessary. However, to atone for you forgetting I was here, you have to allow me one dance with each of them tonight. I don't think I'll ever again have the opportunity to dance with a gangster
and
his moll." That started the two giggling again. He turned to them, hand out. "Hi, I'm Paul DiLorenzo. You must be Bugsy Segal and you must be the lovely Virginia Hill."

After more proper introductions, he said, "Jillian's mentioned you both and I'm happy to be able to put faces to the names now. Where are you sitting?"

"Over there." Liz pointed to a table on the opposite side of the floor from where Paul and Jillian were seated. Then, with a mischievous grin, she asked, "You guys want to join us?"

Jillian glared at her for a few seconds before she turned to see what Paul thought of the idea.

"It's up to you. But I wouldn't mind meeting some of your friends."

They grabbed their drinks, told their waitress where they were moving to and joined the others. Thanks to Liz and Jenna filling them in the moment they arrived, Holly and Gloria already knew the truth about last night's misunderstanding and were enthusiastic in their greetings to Paul.

The group sat for a bit, allowing Paul to get acquainted with everyone, but he and Jillian hadn't come to talk and after ten minutes, Jillian was fidgeting. When the band began to play
Unchained Melody,
she grabbed Paul's hand, stood up, and said, "Enough talking!"

The rest of the table followed their lead onto the dance floor.

Paul took Jillian in his arms and held her close as they moved to the music. They had talked all night and learned much about each other; about likes and dislikes, family and friends, even some hopes and dreams. Now, they only wanted to dance, to see how they fit together, how their bodies moved with and felt next to each other.

Several times, during slow, romantic ballads, with their bodies pressed close, Jillian had been tempted to turn her head up to invite a kiss, but each time, as in the carriage, something held her back. The time still wasn't right yet for their first kiss, so they danced, and danced, and danced, and stopped only when the band announced a twenty minute break.

No sooner had they returned to the table, than the women all decided a group visit to the ladies room was in order. Chuck also took off to the men's room.

"I wonder if anyone's ever done a study on why it's impossible for a woman to go alone to the bathroom."

 Jamal laughed. "I'm not so sure we really want to know, but my theory is that their bladders are so weak they need to keep their mouths moving to distract them while they're waiting in line." It was Paul's turn to laugh as Jamal continued, "Of course, you know they're all in there talking about
you
."

"Damn, Jilli, he really is cute," Holly gushed as they waited for the line to move.

"And he can really dance!" Jenna added. "I was watching you two. Are you sure he isn't gay? Straight guys don't dance like that."

That drew laughter from her four friends and a sweet smile from Jillian. "Oh, he's definitely not gay."