1Jackson smiled at Lisa and took her hand. She didn't take it away as they sat down at the beautifully ornate table. The hostess left but soon arrived a waiter with a heavy French accent. "To drink?"

"Um, I'll have a white wine, you, Leese?" Jackson said, still holding Lisa's hand.

"The same," she replied. The waiter nodded and began to walk off.

"Oh, and we're recently engaged, so use your best glasses please," Jackson added, winking ever so lightly at the waiter. He nodded and dashed away.

For the first time, Lisa hadn't flinched at the adjective engaged, and was contemplating why when Jackson's voice jarred her from her thoughts.

"What, no Seabreeze?" he joked at Lisa's alcohol preference.

"No, seabreezes kinda lost their appeal," Lisa replied, smiling pointedly.

"I see," Jackson laughed lightly. There was a few moments of silence before Lisa said,

"Are your parents coming?"

"Excuse me?" Jackson said, confused.

"To the wedding, are they coming?" Lisa repeated.

"No," Jackson said in a strained voice. "They...they died in a car crash when I was twelve."

"Oh," Lisa said quickly, mentally slapping herself. "I'm sorry."

"No problem, you didn't know," he answered her, squeezing her hand. "My siblings will be there, though."

"How many do you have?" she asked him, interested.

"Four," he answered, raising his eyebrows in an expression of quantity. "There's my brother Jed, who's forty-five, Sarah, who's thirty-nine, then me, obviously, and Michael, who's twenty-four, and lastly Tia, who's nineteen."

"A handful," Lisa responded, as the waiter returned with their drinks.

"Yep," Jackson agreed, sipping his wine. He paused for a minute, seemingly contemplating something. "Jed is my boss," he added quietly.

Lisa almost dropped her glass. "What?"

Jackson nodded. "After Mom and Dad died, we were both so full of anger. So, Jed started up this...business. He intimidated me into joining, and here we are."

"What do Michael, Sarah, and Tia say about this?" Lisa asked him, for once pitying this strange man.

"They...don't know," Jackson said, finally looking into Lisa's eyes. They flashed. "And Lisa, don't you dare tell them. They think we're high-profile bankers." Lisa, scared, quickly nodded and dropped her eyes.

Jackson instantly calmed and touched her arm. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

"It's all right," she answered quietly, though her heartbeat was still racing from his sudden, violent mood swing.

The waiter returned. "Ready to order?"

Lisa realized suddenly that she hadn't even skimmed the menu. Jackson lifted his and quickly said, "Orange lobster bisque, thanks."

"Um..." Lisa said, deciding quickly. "Poulet a la jour," she said, pronouncing all the foreign words easily. Jackson stared at her.

"What?" she asked as soon as the waiter had left. She sipped her wine.

"You know french," Jackson said, dumbfounded.

"Uh, yeah," Lisa replied. "I had to take about thirteen different languages to qualify for the Lux job. Foreign hospitality."

Jackson nodded. "Russian's all I know."

Lisa smiled at him but quickly averted her eyes.

A few moments had passed before anyone spoke again. "Thank you," Lisa said quietly.

Jackson tilted his head to look into her eyes. "Why?"

"For the ring, for dinner," Lisa rambled on. Why was she thanking him? "I've...never been on a real date before."

"I had one boyfriend before, my only boyfriend," she continued. "His name was Jason McDermon. Kind of a jerk, the jock type. I've personally never been very athletic. I did cheerleading and lacrosse to stay in shape, since I've always been inclined on the chubby side. Anyway, Jason was a total cheapskate. He took me to dinner once after one of his football games. At McDonalds. Totally unformal and unromantic, seeing how he was coated with sweat and dirt."

Jackson laughed, and then his face became serious. "You deserve better. And you're welcome." He took Lisa's hand once again.

The food arrived in a few moments and as soon as the waiter left Lisa took a huge bite. Within moments, the food had disappeared.

Jackson eyed her plate and laughed. "Satisfactory?"

Lisa nodded, blushing yet again. She was surprised someone of her age could still blush.

"Good."

Lisa wiped her mouth with her silk napkin and cleared her throat. "So...what were you saying about our honeymoon?"

Jackson straightened up and swallowed his food, realizing this as a turning point in their relationship. "Well," he began, regaining his composure. "It's entirely up to you, but I was thinking France, seeing how you enjoy the cuisine so much."

Lisa was embarrassed, but she lifted her head and replied, "Sounds perfect."

"Since the wedding's next week, I'll have to call tonight for reservations," he said, talking to himself.

"Jackson?" Lisa spoke in a voice that was almost meek. "I need to use the restroom."

Jackson looked up, startled.

"Can I?" she asked again.

He seemed to be fighting an inward battle. If he let her go, he risked the chance of loosing her due to her being untrustworthy. If he didn't, he risked the chance of losing her newly found openness.

Jackson bit his lip. "Go."

"Can...can I take my purse?" she pressed, almost certain he would say no. He nodded.

Lisa found her way to the bathroom and went inside a stall. She reached into her clutch for feminine items and her hand found her cell phone instead. She took it out and, with another thought, put it back.

What am I doing? She asked herself. This is my one and probably only chance for help. Why am I not calling someone for help?

Lisa finished using the bathroom, and as she left the room she realized she knew the answer to her question.

Jackson looked up at her, almost questioning. She shook her head and smiled as he paid the bill and they left. He helped her back into the Trailblazer and she buckled up. They drove the short drive in silence, and as they were finally pulling into her street she spoke.

"I didn't give you away."

Jackson looked at her. "Thanks."

As Lisa stepped out of the car, she dropped her clutch and it tumbled onto the sidewalk, spilling its contents. The cell phone scuttled over to Jackson's feet.

"Lisa," he said, looking into her eyes.

"Jackson, I swear I didn't call anyone," Lisa stated quickly. "I'm not lying."

"I know," he whispered. "But why didn't you? It was your only chance."

"I..." she began, trailing off, her eyes moving to the ground.

"What?" Jackson asked, grabbing her chin. "What?"

"Jackson, I..." the words stuck in her mouth like peanut butter.

"Say it, Lisa, why didn't you make that call?" he almost yelled, slamming her into the car. Tears began to pour from her eyes.

"Because I love you, Jackson," she whispered finally. Jackson took her gently in his arms and brought his lips to hers. And for once, Lisa exchanged the emotion, leaning into her fiancee's arms, cherishing the warm love and comfort he provided. She finally broke the kiss and looked into his eyes and realized for the first time in his life, that Jackson Rippner was crying.