She seems to like me, but I’ll make sure by the end of the date that she fucking loves me. I might have to step up my charm a bit, but I’m not letting her slip away. I’ve never met anyone like her. She’s smart, funny, drop-dead gorgeous and sweet. Though, she does have a bit of a spitfire's tongue. We’ll need to work on that.
“Miss?” I raised my hand in the air to summons the waitress to the table. “Can we have another bottle of wine, please?”
The short redheaded woman nodded, “Of course, sir.”
While the waitress fetched another bottle of wine, I began to wonder if Kimberly was all right. She’d been gone quite a while.
§
In the bathroom, I called Lorraine to tell her how well our date was going.
“He’s been a pure gentleman; a little cocky, but not as pushy as he was at work. He’s opened all my doors, pulled out my chair and has told me a little about himself, but I don’t know if it’ll work.” I said, worried our their relationship would play out.
“Why do you say that? He sounds great!”
“He’s a little too perfect. Like, he owns all of these commercial spaces—including South County Mall! And he also owns the Oxford Apartments and some golf course—and that’s just here in Missouri! He owns more properties and businesses in San Diego; that’s where he’s from.”
“What’s wrong with that?” My friend asked quizzically.
She apparently wasn’t getting what I was trying to tell her.
“Lorraine, I think he’s loaded! I don’t want him to believe I’m with him for his money. And what if he ever invited me to some fancy event? What would I wear? My T.J. Maxx special?”
She laughed, “It’ll be okay Kimberly. Really. And so what if he’s rich? You’ve never dated a man because he’s had money. Hell, most of the guys you’ve gone with don’t even have jobs. You go and enjoy yourself. I’ll see you when you get home.”
Dale was scrolling through his phone as I made my way back to the table. “Sorry, I was just checking on some things. How is your lunch?” I asked him.
“Good. Yours?”
“I have to say, it’s delicious! I haven’t been here for quite a while.”
As we finished up lunch, Dale motioned to the waitress for the bill by signaling a check sign with his finger. I texted Lorraine to let her know that I would be heading home soon and promised to fill her in on all the details about our date. During the ride home, I reflected how great it was to have lunch with such an amazing man. I considered myself fortunate; it had been so long since I’d met a real man. I couldn’t wait to tell Lorraine all about him.
§
My friend Charles had tried to set me up with women since the moment I’d arrived in St. Louis. Most of them were shallow and only had one thing on their minds: my money. I didn’t get that vibe with Kimberly. I could tell that she was completely devoted to her daughter and wasn’t interested in cash. She was the polar opposite of the women who were generally attracted to me; she was friendly, thoughtful, gracious, warm-hearted and somewhat guarded. Though she’d answered all of my questions, she didn’t volunteer any extra information about her work, family life or her past. I wondered about her history and why she was so private about certain matters.
I couldn’t wait to fill Charlie in on my date with this incredible woman. He was still trying to find a woman of his own; I couldn’t wait to rub it into his face. I think his problem was that he was looking for love in all the wrong places. He tried to pick up women at conventions, parties, and the country club. All those women saw were dollar bills when they looked at men. It didn’t matter if they were single or married. They were mostly interested in shopping and spending money.
Kimberly seemed more vested in family and relationships. She was the exact kind of woman I was looking for. Someone with a good head on her shoulders who stood firm in her beliefs. I could make her mine and give her the world.
§
Pulling up to my house, I could see my babysitting in the window, waiting for me to return. When I went inside, she couldn’t wait to see me, but I had to talk to Lorraine first.
“Hi, Momma!” Nevaeh greeted me.
“Hi, baby! Did you have a good time while I was gone?”
“Yes! Lorraine played house with me, but she doesn’t make a good baby,” she frowned.
I laughed. “Well, why don’t you go play while we grown-ups talk? I’ll come play with you in a little while.”