Their hands joined, they stared at one another; two people who had fallen in love for the first time. But they weren't in love, not really anyway. Yes, Niles had admitted to being in love with her for a while. But she, on the other hand, was still unsure about her feelings.
Of course she cared about him, deeply in fact. There was no denying that, nor would she ever try to contradict it. She did love him. But she wasn't quite certain that she loved him in the same way that he loved her.
Ironically, they'd already completed the hardest part of their relationship; they had made love on a whim, when she'd arrived at his doorstep on that hot summer night after a row with that awful Sherry. She hadn't meant for anything to happen, and when she'd left him so suddenly, she feared that their friendship was ruined forever. He was the only person that she could really confide in; the only person that she could truly trust, even more so than his brother. In that sense, she supposed she did love him. She loved him deeply.
A memory swept over her, startling her a bit. If she closed her eyes she could picture him, the way she'd seen him that night; his lean body against hers, their skin touching, their arms around each other, their mouths searching….
Suddenly her insides began to quiver and she fought to stop the urge of wanting to see him again.
"Take a deep breath." She said aloud. "Then exhale." She closed her eyes and inhaled and then slowly let the breath out. And then she opened her eyes, staring into her closet. It was still warm out but the dreadful heatwave had passed. And it wasn't hard to choose the perfect item of clothing; a bright print dress in shades of blue, pink and green that fell to just above her knees. The material was light and airy, perfect for a summer evening. Although she was the one who had, in a sense, initiated the date, the idea that she was now dating her boss' younger brother was a bit hard to believe.
Her heart fluttered and she grinned like a schoolgirl and slipped the dress over her head. She smiled, admiring herself in the mirror. It was perfect. But she couldn't ignore the nervousness that washed over her. She saw Niles almost every day and he had seen probably 90% of her wardrobe. But the dress she was wearing was brand-new. She wasn't sure why that was important, but, in fact, it was. It was a new beginning for both of them and what better way to begin again than with a new dress.
She paired the dress with a lightweight sweater and then applied just a touch of makeup. At the last second she spritzed her brush with perfume and ran it through her hair. A glance in the mirror made her smile. She looked perfect.
And she hoped that this, their first date, would be perfect too.