“How did ye know?” He groaned before continuing, “I thought I was fairly fit considering the workout regime I’ve been following for the film, but I am sore in places I never knew existed.”
Alex laughed and responded, “Apparently being a superhero uses different muscles than being a volleyball player. Do you have any bruises from the ball? When I took up playing again, my arms were covered in them.”
She could hear him shifting around on the other end.
“No, no bruises here. You really got bruises?”
“Yeah. I hadn’t played for five years and I was banged up pretty good those first two weeks. The bruises were bad enough that one lady at my office quietly came up to me and told me places existed where I could get help. And I didn’t have to put up with that sort of treatment. It took me a minute to understand she believed someone was abusing me.”
“How did you respond?” Fin asked.
“I thanked her for her concern and told her it wasn’t what she thought. I explained the situation, but I don’t think she believed me. She didn’t say anything further, but looked at me like I was covering up for someone,” Alex said.
“Wow.”
“Yeah. At first I laughed, but then… her assumptions were unsettling. Anyway,” Alex dismissed the somber topic, “I’m okay with a few bruises in the name of fun.”
Fin burst out laughing and Alex groaned as her cheeks grew warm and her ears burned. “I mean… Oh, geez… never mind. Insert foot in mouth now.”
He chuckled some more, then asked what time she wanted to do dinner. “I’ve made reservations for six, seven, and eight o’clock because I wasn’t sure what your normal eating time was.”
She laughed. “Good lord, talk about being prepared. Were you a Boy Scout? Do they even have Boy Scouts in Scotland?” Before he could answer, she continued on, “I’m an early eater. How about you?”
“Honestly, I have no set schedule and eat when time’s available. Which works better for you, six or seven? This is me asking what ‘early’ means to you.”
“I’m okay with either. If I need to change clothes, then seven o’clock is better. Traffic, you know. But if I can come straight from work in my suit, then six is okay,” she informed him.
“Let’s dress up. I’ll pick you up at your place at six-thirty. I believe that will give us plenty of time to make our seven o’clock reservation.”
“Sounds good, Fin,” she concluded. “I’ll see you at my duplex at six-thirty.”
Fin laughed. “Do you always repeat and confirm?”
“Oh. I never thought about it. I’m so used to making sure everyone is on the same page and we have no misunderstandings, so I guess I do. Um, oops,” she giggled.
“Love it. See you then,” he responded, and disconnected.
Alex glanced at the time and figured she could get a few more things done on the PMO project before she needed to leave. After finally catching up to her boss with questions, she’d put together the draft budget proposal, but it still needed some polish and formatting. She wanted to finalize the numbers so Frank could review it before presenting to the management team. Knowing how she tended to lose track of time when focused, she reached over and set an alarm on her phone so she wouldn’t be late for dinner with Fin.
Alex checkedher appearance in the mirror one last time. Why was she so nervous?
The dress was one of those “little black dress” things made from a stretchy material that gathered in all the right places, and ended between mid-thigh and the top of her knees. She liked the way the dress clung to her body, giving her the suggestion of curves. The black material stopped beneath her collarbone, blending into a delicate lace pattern that extended up into a rounded neckline and out into long, lacy sleeves that came down past her wrists. Lace wasn’t something she was normally drawn to, but this dress made her feel soft and feminine.
Her hair fell in smooth waves and she wore a soft pink shade of lipstick, something she only did on special occasions. The sleek silver hoops she wore in her ears matched the bracelet on her right wrist.
For the final touch, she slipped on her black suede ankle strap heels. They put her height just shy of six feet tall, so she rarely donned them for a date. Given that Fin still had several inches on her even with the heels, she felt almost giddy at being able to wear them tonight.
The doorbell rang. Alex jolted, then ran her hands over the dress one more time, smoothing down imaginary wrinkles. She opened the door and swallowed. Fin stood on her porch wearing dark blue jeans and a black long-sleeve button-down shirt under a silvery gray vest. His rolled-up sleeves showed off his muscular forearms. Sexy couldn’t even begin to describe him.
“You look lovely.” He pecked her cheeks in greeting, similar to how her European colleagues did. “Are you ready? I think we have plenty of time, but my experience with traffic is on the unsure side.”
“Thanks. And yes, I’m ready,” she responded as she gathered her black clutch purse and a light wrap. He waited while she locked up, then walked her to the car with his hand lightly resting on her lower back.
Fin introduced her to Blake, who got them settled in the backseat, then drove them confidently towards the freeway. As they rode, Fin told her about his day exploring the city. Apparently, Blake had lived here his entire life and knew the coolest places to see. She laughed several times throughout his observations and appreciated seeing the city through the eyes of a newcomer.
Twenty minutes later, the car slowed, and Blake dropped them off at the front door of an elegant restaurant situated on Buffalo Bayou. Alex recognized the upscale steakhouse and looked forward to an enjoyable experience. The hostess led them outside to a secluded corner on the patio, away from the main crowd, and a young man in a crisp uniform took their drink order.
Fin finished filling her in on his explorations of the city, ending with a funny story about getting Blake lost with one of his sight-seeing requests. Alex wiped the tears from her eyes when their waiter swept in with perfect timing to deliver their wine and take their meal orders.
