Writing on a Blank Slate
Disclaimer: I still don't own them
Rating: M
A/N: I think I'm suffering karmic revenge for harming Nick: I burned my hand on a pot yesterday! Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed :)
Chapter 14: "Our first official date."
Sara seemed to take forever in the bathroom, which was no wonder given the state she had been in. Nick used the time to check the phonebook and find a restaurant with a table available at the last minute.
She emerged at last and waved to him to take his turn. He exited a short while later wrapped in a towel and stopped to stare.
Sara was leaning towards the mirror, carefully applying makeup. She was wearing a dark burgundy dress that stopped at the tops of her knees and scooped low enough at the neck to reveal a surprisingly generous portion of cleavage. Her legs were clad in sheer black stockings and elegantly lengthened by black high-heeled sandals.
She turned to him and smiled shyly.
"What do you think?"
He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before he could answer, which made her laugh.
"You look amazing." He had never seen her look so fine.
For a moment they stared at each other, then Nick realized that he was naked except for a towel and blushed.
"Uh, I'd better get dressed."
"Yeah," she agreed, unable to completely hide her disappointment. "I'll turn my back."
She sat sedately on the edge of the bed, resisting the urge to turn in the hope of checking whether his buns were as tight as the rest of him.
"Okay, I'm decent."
She turned to find him clad in clean, dark jeans and a tight black t-shirt that emphasized every line of his torso, leaving his arms bare. He threw a jacket over his shoulder and offered her his arm. She grabbed her handbag and her own jacket and let him lead her out to the car.
They both headed for the driver's door, and Nick held her back with a laugh.
"This is our first official date, Sara: let me drive."
"But it's my car," she pointed out sensibly, an amused smile curving the corners of her lips.
"Actually, I think about half the engine's mine now," he argued.
She rolled her eyes and slapped the keys into his palm in mock annoyance. "Just be careful with my baby."
He snorted at that, his eyes dancing.
"As I recall, yesterday you were calling our baby a piece of crap. And anyway, I thought I was your baby."
He pouted and she swatted his arm.
"Just get in before I change my mind, cowboy."
He managed to find the restaurant with only a few wrong turns, and was relieved to see that it appeared to be as classy as the ad in the yellow pages had promised. You never could tell.
Sara looked around appreciatively as he guided her inside with a gently possessive hand on the small of her back.
"Nice," she commented.
Their table wasn't ready, but the maitre d' offered them each a free drink in the bar while they waited, which they cheerfully accepted. Nick was aware of men's heads turning as they walked in and moved slightly closer to Sara, shooting several of the more blatant onlookers a warning glance.
"Smile, Nick," she suggested, surprised at the expression on his face.
"Sorry darlin," he apologized. "Guess I just don't like them looking at my woman like that."
She smiled, amused at his protectiveness.
"If it makes you feel any better, they'll get distracted as soon as someone prettier walks in."
"Well, that could take a while," he replied, and she blushed.
"I'm not that attractive, Nick."
He raised both eyebrows in surprise.
"Not that attractive?" he repeated in disbelief. "Sara, you look sexy as hell on a bad day, and today is definitely not a bad day." He paused, then leaned closer to her to whisper wickedly in her ear "if you're so unattractive, then why am I so damn attracted to you?"
She turned a deeper shade of pink, unable to think of a suitable reply, and he chuckled and drew back to lean against the bar, ordering their drinks as though nothing had happened.
The meal was excellent, starting with a crisp salad in a tangy house dressing, followed by a delicious layered eggplant dish for her and a juicy steak, perfectly cooked, for him. They each had a second glass of wine but decided against ordering a bottle, aware that they would be driving back to the motel.
The busboy cleared their plates away and the waitress offered them the dessert menu. Nick took it before Sara could say no.
"Nick, if I eat one more thing you're gonna have to roll me out of here," she told him.
"Aww, c'mon Sar," he begged. "Just a little something? They have cheesecake."
She laughed. "I'm serious! Not another bite."
"Not even a little bit off the corner of mine?"
She considered for a moment. "Well, maybe just one bite more."
Nick seized the bill as soon as it arrived, snatching it away when Sara reached for it.
"This is our first date, Sara," he reminded her patiently. "What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you pay on our first date?"
"A modern one?" she suggested in a teasing tone.
"Are you saying you don't like my old-fashioned manners?"
"We're shacked up together in a motel room," she reminded him. "Real old-fashioned, Stokes."
"I'll have you know, many women find me charming," he told her, affecting an air of wounded dignity. "Now let me pay."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Okay, okay, you're a true gentleman. Your reputation is safe." She paused, then continued in a serious tone. "Thank you, Nick."
"You're welcome." He took her hand over the table.
A brief memory of that frat boy in college reared its head, but she gazed into Nick's warm chocolate eyes and pushed the memory back firmly into the past, where it belonged. Nick wasn't like that, she reminded herself. He wouldn't be insisting on 'payment' later.
Still, she reflected, feeling his hand caressing hers in the candlelight, it would only be proper to express her thanks again later. Her lips curved sensuously at the thought. It would be a pleasure, in fact.