Thanks so much for the reviews and follows! I was very surprised that almost no one writes about this wonderful show, so I'm glad to find others that enjoy the show and characters as much as I do! Hopefully others will start writing, so we'll have more stories to read! I'll do my best to keep updating. I'm keeping the chapters a bit shorter than I normally would just so I don't have to go so long in between updates. I hope you enjoy, and thanks for the positive feedback! :)
"It's not a real date," Liza argued, furiously digging through her closet.
Maggie mocked her. "It's not a real date, she says, after spending an hour trying on every outfit in her closet."
"I just don't know what to wear! Should I look professional? Casual? Sexy? I just don't know," she whined, sitting on the bed beside her roommate.
"How about classy, mature, and just a touch of sexy?" Her friend winked, pulling a short, royal blue sleeveless dress with a plunging neckline from her closet.
Liza hesitantly took the garment in her hand, holding it out in front of her. "I don't know…"
"Trust me. If Charles couldn't stop thinking about you before, just wait until he sees you in this!"
Liza stared at the dress, but her mind was a million miles away. "Maggie, what am I doing?" She let out a deep sigh. "This is a mistake. There's no way this can go well. The last time I tried to date someone, my secrets destroyed everything. I can't hurt another man I care about." The sinking feeling in her chest was sucking away all the excitement she felt earlier.
Maggie placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "Oh, honey. You lied about one little thing to get a job in order to support your daughter. You could've never predicted that you'd actually get that job and that the one little lie you told would end up affecting so many people. I think Josh and Kelsey are a testament to the fact that if someone loves you enough, they'll eventually come around. I don't know Charles, but if he cares about you half as much as it sounds like he does, I'm sure he'll be able look past it. Besides, at least from a personal perspective, your real age makes things easier on your relationship. That would be one less obstacle standing in the way."
The more Liza thought about the situation and all she'd been hiding from Charles, the more she realized how much the thought of losing him as a friend, or possibly more, terrified her. She fidgeted with the strap on her plush, white robe.
"Liza, you don't have to figure everything out tonight! He's going to be here soon. Just put on that dress, your favorite shoes, your lucky lip gloss and go have a great night out with a handsome man that's interested in you. You deserve to have a carefree night out!"
She nodded, taking a deep breath. "You're right. Thanks." With her spare arm, she gave her friend a quick embrace and ran to finish getting ready.
Even though she was expecting it, the knock at the door made Liza jump. Her eyes widened, and Maggie rushed to calm her.
"Carefree night out, remember?"
"Right," she nodded, resolving to try her best to relax and enjoy herself.
Opening the door, it took a moment for her to remember how to breathe. Is it possible that he was even more unbelievably attractive than earlier that day? He wore a blue plaid button-up that clung to his fit upper body, the sleeves rolled partially up, showcasing his strong forearms. The blue fabric played up the intensity of his already captivating eyes. The shirt along with his dark rinse jeans gave him a sexy, casual look. She was so used to seeing him in his work attire, it was a nice change of pace, and it suited him.
"Liza." He smiled, holding a small, hardcover book out toward her. Taking it from his hand, her fingertips brushed with his, and she felt a small bolt of electricity dance between them. He cleared his throat, nervously rubbing his hands together. "I know flowers are much more traditional, but this just felt like a better fit somehow."
She gently dragged her fingers over the worn cover of Jane Austen's "Persuasion." They had never explicitly discussed this particular title, but it had always been one of her favorites. Meeting his eyes, she couldn't stop the wide smile from spreading across her face. "That's very thoughtful. Thank you."
Snapping out of her trance, she remembered her roommate. "Sorry, Charles, this is Maggie, my roommate. Maggie- Charles."
He reached his hand out toward her. "Nice to meet you Maggie."
"Likewise," she replied, quickly shaking his hand. She hurriedly ushered them toward the door. "Now you two crazy kids have fun!"
"Shall we?" He offered Liza his upper arm in an old-fashioned gesture that she found refreshingly charming.
"We shall," she replied, linking her arm in his. Leaning ever so slightly toward him, she inhaled his scent, an intoxicating aroma she couldn't begin to describe, but so uniquely Charles. The butterflies in her stomach made their presence known once again, and for the first time since she got home that evening, she let go of her anxiety, eager to see what the night, and this man, had in store for her.