Danny called her from his quarters a couple days after he talked to her father and told her that he'd spoken to his parents as well. He also told her that after a talk with Hank he felt dinner at a big hotel was something that they should save for a special occasion. She agreed because she knew that he was right.

It was a cute little place, even Ann couldn't argue with that and a movie theater across the street. Besides, the history that went along with the Black Cat Café was just as important to their families as the Royal Hawaiian was. After Danny's father had "returned from the dead" as he put it, he and Danny's mother met her father at the café for breakfast on the morning Pearl Harbor was bombed. It was also the place where her father finally got up the nerve to propose to her mother.

They decided on the following Saturday and when Danny came to pick her up that early evening she had a knot in her stomach. It wasn't because she was having second thoughts, but it was the fact that after nearly three months they were bringing their budding relationship out in to the open and she wasn't sure how it was all going to play out. She was glad that Shelby and Tom weren't there when Danny showed up because she didn't want a crowd. Mama sent them over to the McCawley's and they were going to the beach. After she and Danny left for the café, Mama and Dad planned to join them.

Her father answered the knock at the front door. "Come on in son, she's ready to go."

"Thank you sir." She heard Danny's voice and he stepped into the house. Ann had only ever seen him in his uniform or civvies, which usually consisted of his dungarees and a tee shirt, so she wasn't really prepared for how nice he looked. The first thing she noticed was that he was clean-shaven and got a faint scent of his shaving soap. He wore a white shirt that was open at the collar and sleeves that were rolled up just below his elbows. His khaki trousers and loafers completed the casual look and he smiled at her. "You look nice Ann."

"Thank you. You look very nice yourself." She returned the compliment and felt her cheeks begin to warm. She was glad she decided on the dress that Danny had seen her in when she met him at the beach the night of the dance. The one difference was that she substituted the sandals she wore that night with a pair of low-heeled shoes.

"So have you decided what movie you're going to see?" Mama asked them as she put an arm around Ann's shoulders. It felt as though her mother was telling her that she understood how nervous she felt.

"No Ma'am, I thought that we could decide that over dinner. Is that all right with you?" Danny asked her.

"That sounds fine." She assured him before she picked up her handbag from the coffee table and her mother handed a sweater to her.

"It gets chilly after the sun sets." She explained.

"Thank you Mama." Ann smiled at her.

"Have a nice time." Mama said and hugged her.

"If you would, have her home by eleven." Her father said to Danny and Ann had never seen him so serious.

"I will Sir." He looked at Ann. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes." She answered and before they walked out the door she hugged her father. "Don't worry about anything Dad, I'll be home on time."

She felt his arms tighten around her as he hugged her back. "I know you will."

He let her go and stood back with her mother as Danny waited for her to proceed him out the door. "I parked down at my folk's house." He seemed to feel the need to explain.

"That's fine." She answered and the enormity of what was happening seemed to suddenly strike her. They were on a date and it felt much different than she thought it would. She suddenly felt very young and inexperienced and wondered what he saw in her. She could sense that he was glancing over at her as they reached his car and when he opened the passenger door put a gentle hand on her arm.

"Is everything all right?"

She could only nod because she seemed to lose her ability to talk to him. That in itself was odd because he was the easiest person to talk to and she had done more than her fair share when he was muddling his way through the last months of his relationship with Caroline. But that was different because they didn't mean anything to each other.

He waited until she was seated before he closed the door and walked around the front of the car to the driver's side and got in. "You're not upset because I changed my mind about the hotel are you?" His question broke into her jumbled thoughts and she realized that he hadn't started the car.

She shook her head. "I'm not upset. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed but that's only because it was what we talked about doing. But you were right when you said that we should save that date for something special."

"Just so long as you understand that it wasn't because I didn't want to take you there."

Ann couldn't help but smile. "Are you nervous about this?"

Danny looked a little confused at her question but he nodded in the affirmative anyway. "This is kind of a big deal for me."

"It is for me too. So just think how much more nervous we would have been if you had shown up at my parent's house in your dress uniform and I had worn my mother's formal. I think you're decision to not make this such a deal was a good idea and I'm glad that Hank said something to you."

"Ann, are you nervous about this?" He seemed to feel the need to ask.

"Not as much as I was before you came to the door. The truth is, if you hadn't said something I don't know that I would have and you would have gotten the mistaken idea that I was upset about the change in our dinner plans." She explained.

"You're right about that and I would have felt like I'd broken a promise."

"But you didn't really because you're still taking me out to dinner, just on a smaller scale."

Danny grinned at her as he put the key in the ignition and started the car. "A much smaller scale."

The mood was considerably lighter as he pulled away from the curb and headed off base. The traffic was thick as they reached downtown because so many of the sailors, marines and airmen were in Honolulu for the evening. The cars were nearly at a standstill as they kept stopping and going as servicemen crossed the streets, seemingly without regard for the motorists that they were blocking.

"I'm going to have a heck of a time finding a spot near the café." Danny commented as he waited for a group of airmen to cross the street. "Would if be all right with you if we walked the rest of the way? It's not too far."

"If you can find a parking place I have no objections." She assured him and sat back while he negotiated the cars and the service personnel that kept walking in front of the car. A metered space appeared but he passed it up.

A spot suddenly opened up in front of the café as another car put on their blinker and pulled out. It was a tight squeeze but Danny managed to park his car and as he shut down the engine, laughed. "I'll have to remember to thank Dad for being such a drill instructor when he taught me to parallel park."

He checked the street before he opened his door and got out. He came around the front of the car and opened Ann's door. He held out his hand to her and helped her out of the car before he closed the door behind her. From what Ann could see, the cafe was bustling with people and wondered if they would be able to get a seat. Danny opened the door and put his hand on her back to usher her inside.

It was as though they'd stepped back into the 1940's and Ann almost expected the younger versions of her parents to come through the door for pie and coffee after one of their dates and the mood was further enhanced with the jukebox playing one of Glenn Miller's songs. He steered her toward an empty booth toward the back of the café because there was a little more privacy.

"It doesn't look as though this place has changed in twenty years." Danny seemed to read her mind.

"Maybe that's why it's still such a popular spot." Ann replied. "This place has a reputation for some of the best food on Oahu."

He laughed. "Anything would be better than Navy chow after awhile."

She smiled back and him. "Says the man who lived on Air Force Academy chow for four years and has probably never seen the inside of a Navy chow hall."

"Annie Walker, are you defending the Navy?"

"You seem to forget Lieutenant that our mothers were both Navy nurses." She shook her head in amusement.

"The operative word here being were. They've both been civilians since they got married." He countered.

Ann didn't have the chance to reply before they were approached by a waitress who gave them a couple of menus to look at and Danny ordered sodas for them.

As she looked at her menu, Ann got the sense that he was watching her. When she looked up it's exactly what he was doing and he was smiling. "What?"

"I like doing that." He said somewhat cryptically.

"Doing what?" She could feel her face warm from his steady gaze.

"Sparing with you. I've never met another girl who can do it as easily as you can."

She shrugged. "It's probably because I've known you most of my life and it's not something I have to think about."

"Maybe. Or maybe it's because you enjoy it as much as I do." He grinned.

"I think you enjoy it a little too much." She stifled a laugh. "Now pay attention to your menu and pick something to order before she comes back."

"I'd rather pay attention to you." Danny said as his grin faded into a gentle smile.

"And it's making me very self-conscious."

"I'm sorry." He answered and didn't look it in the least.

Her face warmed even more. "No you're not."

"You're right, I'm not because I don't think you know how much I want to kiss you right now."

"Yes I do because it's written all over your face." She told him because she wanted him to kiss her but instead pointed to his menu. "So stop stalling and pick something."

He grinned at her again. "I already did; I picked you."