There was a knock at Rihana's door as she, Cassie, Sam, Janet, Ria, and Lena were crammed into her base quarters, getting both girls ready for their dates. Cassie walked over to the door, and opened it cautiously to find Kinsah on the other side.
"KINSAH!"
"Cassie!" He said, a warm smile on his face. "Where Rihana?"
"I here." Rihana said, standing, despite the fact that Lena had been using a curling iron on her hair.
"Rihana!" Lena cried, somewhat exasperated as she prematurely released the strip of hair.
"Sorry." The BDU-clad girl whispered submissively as she sat down at the vanity again.
"It's all right." Lena said, taking a deep breath as she remembered that this young woman hadn't grown up on Earth.
"Rihana, what going on?"
She paled. "I…I go on date with Alan!"
"Date?" Kinsah asked, his eyes widening conspicuously. "I thought you ask me before say yes to something like that."
"I sorry." She said, bowing her head in contrition.
"KINSAH!" Cassie said, swatting him on the arm. "If she wants to go on a date with Alan, she can go on a date with Alan! And she doesn't have to ask for your permission!"
Kinsah looked at Cassie and then at his sister. "I not say she need to…just say I thought she would."
"You not angry?" Rihana asked, looking up at her brother for confirmation.
"No. Alan nice man. Take good care of sister."
She gave him a tiny grin. "So…I can go?"
"Yes."
"At least, once we're finished getting you ready!" Janet exclaimed, pulling out one of the outfits that she and Cassie had gotten at the mall earlier that day.
"Okay."
"Now, would you like to wear this?" She asked, holding up the almost ankle-length denim skirt with a slit up the front to the knees and red knitted peasant top with a beautiful crochet pattern on the sleeves.
"Look really fancy…"
"Actually, Rihana, that's one of the borderline outfits we got for you." Cassie said, pulling out the tan flats that she had gotten for the girl. "When you get used to walking in heels, we got some more shoes for you too…"
With that, Cassie pulled out half a dozen pairs of stilettos, block heels, and boots. "But we'll work up to these…"
Rihana actually looked scared by the shoes. "Too fancy!" She proclaimed.
"Rihana, please stay still…I have to finish these curls!"
As Lena and Janet fussed over Rihana, Sam and Cassie fussed over Ria. She was already wearing her outfit of choice, a black a-line skirt with blue pinstripes that came to the middle of her calf and a light blue long-sleeved, v-necked blouse.
The look was completed with a black jacket that featured a silver accent provided by the zipper in the front, as well as closed toe, open back stiletto heels. Her dark hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders, much as it had done at the party when they had been introduced. A silver and black necklace and matching earrings completed the ensemble, while a sheer covering of gold and blue eyeshadow dusted her hazel eyes complimenting her outfit and her coloring. A soft pink blush had been dusted onto her cheekbones, and a soft mauve lip gloss added sheer color to her lips.
"You look gorgeous!"
"Really?"
"Of course! Tony's going to drop dead when he sees you!"
She paled as she looked at the digital clock by the bed. The time read 5:55. "Oh my gosh! I have to get going! I'm already going to be late!"
"Calm down, Ria…I'm sure Tony would rather that you were a little late than that you got into an accident on your way home from work…especially with the way the roads were on our way to work this morning."
She sighed. "You're probably right…"
"I have his number." Lena said, pinning up Rihana's dark hair, finally finished with the curling. "You can call him and tell him that you're on your way, but that you were running a little late after work."
"Which is entirely true." Janet said, looking at the nurse. "SG-13 came in hot, and you didn't get off until 5:15…in fact, you're looking great for only having 40 minutes to get ready…"
"Thank you." She said, recognizing the compliment. "Lena…I think I will call him, but I should still have his number on my cell phone…"
"From when he called you a couple of days ago?" Sam asked, understandingly.
"Actually, from when he called me again today, to make sure we were still on." She laughed.
"Oh boy."
Ria smiled as she whipped out her cell phone from the small black bag that she had borrowed from Cassandra and was using as a purse this evening. "Well, I will wish all of you wonderful women a good evening."
"Thank you!" Sam said, giving the young woman a hug. "And good luck to you…even though I think that you've already smitten young Tony Dovolani."
She blushed. "Thanks."
--
She hurried out to her car and looked at her watch: 5:59. She cursed as she hit 'send' on the phone twice, reprising the last number that she had called from her phone: Tony Dovolani.
"Hello?"
"Tony?"
"Yes…"
"It's me, Ria."
"Ria! I'm just pulling up to your house."
"Well…I'm not there," she admitted, as she started the car. "I got away late from work…"
"Oh. Are you wanting to reschedule?"
"No!"
"Okay…"
"I'll be there in about fifteen minutes, okay?"
"All right…"
"If you want to go up to my apartment, the key's under the mat…it's up the stairs in the back and to the right."
"Thank you…and drive safely."
She smiled. "Thank you. But I really should be there in just a few minutes."
"Well, I'll get off the phone so that you can concentrate on your driving."
"You really don't think I'm capable of driving and talking at the same time, do you?"
"No. I just don't know what I'd do if I knew that you had been in an accident because I'd been on the phone with you at the time." He replied, honestly.
She smiled. "I'll be there in a few."
"I'll be waiting with baited breath."
--
She pulled into her drive way, pulling her black gloves back on after turning off the car. She placed the keys into her purse, and turned to get out of the car as Tony's face was seen in the window of her car. Startled, she was forced to wait for him to open her door. "Hej." He said, with a smile.
"Hej." She repeated, still somewhat taken aback.
He stared at her as she stood. "You…you look…"
"That bad, huh?" She chuckled.
"Bad?" He asked, surprised. "No…you look…you look amazing!"
"Thank you." She said, blushing as he closed the door to her car. "You look very nice yourself."
He looked down at his tan slacks, red cashmere sweater, and dark brown leather jacket. "Thank you…"
"Well, should we get going?"
"Probably." Tony said with a smile. "But be careful…there's a little bit of black ice from the freezing ice earlier."
She sighed. "And I'm wearing the wrong shoes."
Tony regarded her for a moment. "Do you trust me?"
"Do I what?"
"Do you trust me?"
"Of course."
"Okay."
Still standing on the snow-covered grass beside her car, he picked her up and carried her to the rental car. "Now, when we get back, let me put some salt on that…"
"Suddenly all domestic?" She asked, still surprised at how concerned he was about her well-being.
"Well…couldn't have a pretty girl fall and break her neck. That would a crime against humanity."
She looked down as she chuckled and noticed some odd-looking shoes on his feet. "Tony, what are you wearing?"
"Soccer cleats." He admitted.
"Soccer cleats?" She asked, amused.
"I keep a pair in the car during the winter so that I at least have one pair of shoes that I can count on the traction…"
She nodded. "You've got a point there."
"I usually do." He teased.
She laughed. "You're impossible."
"I'm anything but impossible."
"Impossible to understand at times…" She teased.
"That may very well be true…"
"Anyway…please tell me that you have dance shoes…"
"I do." He grinned as he closed her door and walked over to his own, opening it and entering the medium-sized sedan.
--
Alan took a deep breath, trying to relieve his nervousness. He stood outside Rihana's door, trying to gather the courage to knock on the door. Just then, the door opened to reveal Rihana, her dark hair pinned away from her face in a French twist, soft curls collected at the top of her head and cascading a short distance down the twist. Her make-up was very understated with natural tan, gold and brown tones on her eyes, a soft blush on her cheeks, and a clear peach lip gloss covering her lips.
She wore the outfit Janet had highlighted earlier: the red v-necked sweater and denim skirt, highlighted with brown flats, and a small necklace with a tan-colored arrowhead around her neck.
"Rihana…" He breathed, taken aback by her look.
"Alan."
"You look great…"
"Thank you. You look good too."
He smiled as he extended his arm. "So…I'm going to show you the finer parts of Colorado Springs today…"
"Nice."
"On our way to my apartment." He finished, sheepishly. "I thought we might have a picnic in the park, but the weather was against me."
"Is alright. Sound like fun." She reassured.
"I'm glad. I thought it would." He said, offering her his arm. "Shall we?"
She nodded as she accepted his arm with a smile.
--
The weatherman had lied, and the snow fall that should have ended before Tony and Ria's excursion to Denver had intensified into a blizzard. So far, it had taken nearly four hours to get halfway down to Denver, and most of that had been spent inching their way down the last ten miles or so until they could find a safe spot to park the car. Tony bit his lip in concentration as he tried to look through the blinding snow.
"Tony?"
"I'm sorry." He said, pulling into the motel on the side of the road. "I can't see anything. Maybe we can reach a phone line…or something…"
"And who would come and get us? The Australian?"
Tony laughed, somewhat unwillingly. "Well, the least we can do is stay safe and dry. I'll see if I can get us a couple of rooms nearby." He said, getting out of the car.
"Okay." She said, pulling her coat more tightly around her.
Tony laughed. "I'll leave the car running in case they're out of room."
"Okay." She said, with a nod.
Tony walked toward the small motel, pulling a thick coat from the backseat of the car around him more tightly to ward off the wind from the blizzard. Instantly, Ria wished she had been so wise so as to bring her heavy winter coat alongside her fashionable jacket. But the heater in the car worked well, and she was grateful for this.
She looked around to see what little she could see with the blinding blizzard only to find that nearby was a Denny's diner. Thank heavens for small blessings, she thought to herself. At least they'd still get dinner that wasn't bought from a vending machine.
Tony returned, getting into the car so that he didn't bring cold air into the warm car with him. "Let's go to the diner. There, we'll be able to eat and plan. It's not the romantic place with a dance floor I had pictured, but…"
"It'll do in a blizzard, right?" She chuckled.
"You got it."
He looked at her stiletto-clad feet and jacket-clad torso. He handed her his coat. "I'll be around to pick you up, mademoiselle…"
"Tony…"
"Ah." He interrupted. "No protests if you please."
She chuckled. "Fine."
"Thank you…"
--
While Tony and Ria froze in the winter storm, Rihana and Alan found themselves talking by the fireplace in Alan's apartment, a blanket set up much like an indoor picnic for kids. Rihana sat on her knees, allowing her legs to gracefully trail to the side, while Alan laid on his side. "So, tell me about what the scene would be like if this was your planet."
She smiled. The first REAL smile she'd given since arriving on the planet. "We sit on orange grasses, on hill overlooking village. My favorite spot on whole planet."
He smiled, watching the glow of soft firelight flicker off her face. "You look absolutely gorgeous." He whispered.
She turned, surprised. "Thank you."
He smiled. "You're welcome."
"You hear any word I say?" She asked, her brow furrowed.
"Of course! Orange grasses…your favorite spot on the whole planet."
She nodded. "Orange grasses."
"You said that already…although, I can hardly picture orange grasses."
"There fields of orange, blue, red, green…so beautiful."
"Sounds like it. A regular rainbow."
"Why you make fun of me?"
"Make fun? I…no…it sounds great!"
She looked at him, somewhat suspiciously. "Okay…"
The clock in the dining room chimed, signifying that it was ten o' clock. "Hey, it's probably time to get you back to the base."
She shrugged. "I not give time for return…"
He stood up and offered her his hand. "Even so, I think it's probably time to call it a night."
She nodded as she stood with his help. "Thank you, Alan. I had good time."
"So did I." He said, with a grin. "Can we do this again sometime?"
She nodded.
"Like…next week? Same time? Hopefully different place?"
She smiled. "Okay."
"Great! Maybe next time I'll take you to a movie."
"Never seen a movie. Heard Kinsah talk about it. Sound like fun."
"Then, it's a date."
She nodded. "A date."
He grabbed her jacket. "Okay…let's get you back to the base."
--
The waitress returned with their orders: Tony's omelet and Ria's French Toast. "Thank you." Tony said, with a smile.
"You're welcome, Mr. Dovolani."
Ria gave the waitress a smile as well. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, hon."
The woman left, and Ria could see that Tony was red. "Are you blushing?"
"I'm sorry…I didn't realize that we'd run into a fan of Dancing with the Stars."
"Don't apologize, Tony." She assured. "Everything's fine."
"Well, that may be all right, but not everything's fine."
"Tony?"
"There's only one room at the motel, and given the condition of the storm, I took it."
"Oh…okay…that's okay."
"It is?" Tony asked, his eyebrows high in surprise.
"Yeah…I mean, there are two beds in it, aren't there?"
"I didn't ask." Tony said, surprised that with all of his travel experience he had forgotten to ask such a question.
She laughed. "See…now, all we have to worry about is what to wear for pajamas."
"Well, I have a small overnight bag I carry in my car if I have an emergency. And, I know it sounds paranoid, but…I like to keep it even when I'm out of town. It has two sets of my pajamas…they'll probably be a little big on you, but…"
"That's fine." She smiled as she took a bite of her French Toast. "See? All taken care of."
He grinned. "Yeah."
--
After dinner, Tony handed Ria the key to the room while he hurried off to get the overnight bag. As she entered the room, she found a single double bed. "Oh boy." She said to herself. "So much for everything being okay…"
At the same time, Tony reached for the overnight bag, and opened it to make sure nothing was missing. There was only one pair of pajamas inside. "Louis!" He hissed. He had lent them to the other dancer during the last competition when his had been taken by his dance partner for ransom…sadly, that pair of pajamas had joined the first.
He sighed. Ria would take the last pair of pajamas and he would sleep in his clothes. At least there might be a bed for him to stretch out on.
He reached the room and knocked on the door.
"Uh, Tony…" Ria said as she opened the door, having already taken her stilettos off.
In the background, Tony could see the single bed, and sighed. "Great…I forgot that I only have one pair of pajamas right now…Louis borrowed one when his partner stole his pajamas…except he didn't foresee that those would be stolen as well…" He handed her the bag. "You can use the pajamas and the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."
"Are you sure?" She asked, studying him.
He grinned. "As long as you don't mind me stretching out on it before bed…"
"Deal." She said, chuckling.
Ria walked into the bathroom where she quickly changed. She had wanted to have a nice long bubble bath, but there were so many reasons why she shouldn't. First of all, she was sharing a room with a man she'd met only a few days before. Yes, they seemed to be on the accelerated track as far as relationships went, but…for some reason that seemed okay. Nevertheless, having kissed for the first time the day before wasn't license to get intimate. Not that she wanted to. She was a VERY far cry from that, and if her instincts were correct, so was he.
Second of all, she was in a motel. They weren't known for their hygiene, and as a nurse, she was leery of anything that wasn't cleaned properly. However, the place had seemed quite a bit cleaner than other motels she had stayed in before.
Third of all…there was no shower gel/bubble bath to be placed in a steaming bath, and she was in no way prepared for a shower or bath.
Pleased that she had so easily convinced herself that the bath would be a bad idea, she opened the overnight bag to find a bottle of bubble bath and a woman's thong. She bit her lip as she exited the bathroom again, still fully clothed.
"Something wrong?" Tony asked, looking over at her.
She bit her lip as she handed the bag to him. "Uh…I found some…personal items in there."
His eyebrows were furrowed together in confusion as he accepted the bag. "Huh?"
She didn't answer and he looked into the bag, only to turn fuchsia at the contents. "What 4the…"
She gave a tight smile. "Necessities in case your car breaks down…"
"No, Ria…this is probably just Louis and everybody trying to make me red…and BOY did it work…" He whipped out his cell phone and dialed Nick's cell number.
"Nick Kosovich."
"Hey, Nick. It's me, Tony."
"Tony! How'd your date go?"
"Oh, it's going to the birds…"
"You're still ON your date?"
"Oh yeah…we're currently holed up in a motel room."
Ria bit her lip as she blushed from the implications of what he was telling Nick.
"Tony, I'm sure you have an excuse, but you hurt her and I swear…"
"Nick! It's not like that! Believe me, if it was like that, I would NOT be calling!"
"Thanks for the clarification."
"The storm's really bad, so we got a room for the night…hopefully it'll clear up by tomorrow, and we can get back."
"Oh. So…what do you want me to do? Tell Janet so that Ria doesn't get penalized for showing up late for work tomorrow?"
"No, although that would be a good idea. I called because SOMEONE put bubble bath and a thong in my emergency overnight bag. I want to know who."
Nick's eyes widened. "Let me guess, Ria found it, and she's having second thoughts about whether or not you're the kind of guy she wants to date…"
"Oh yeah…"
"Uh…might have been either Cheryl or Louis, but…I don't know for sure…"
He sighed. "All right…talk to you later…"
"Look, Tony, I'm REALLY sorry your date's turning so sour. I'm sure everything'll turn out okay."
"Your lips to God's ears."
"Later."
"Bye."
Tony closed the tiny flip phone. "Sounds like the work of Cheryl or Louis." Tony said, embarrassed. "But…if you want me to go sleep in the car, I understand."
She studied him for a moment. "You'd do that?"
He nodded. "I'd freeze my butt off…but…your feeling of safety is more important to me."
She hesitated. Sending him out seemed like a good idea to get back at all of the men in her life who had either let her down or intentionally hurt her in some way. However, none of the other men would even suggest going out into the blizzard to sleep in the car while she enjoyed the warmth of the motel room, their pajamas, and the only bed in the room.
"No, you can stay."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded. "But…can I use some of your bubble bath?" She asked, sheepishly.
"Uh…yeah…I don't have any reason to use it…"
She smiled, somewhat nervously. "I'll try to make it quick, but…I'd really like to soak in the tub for a moment."
He grinned with relief. "Take your time."
--
Twenty minutes later, Ria emerged from the bathroom, dressed in the blue cotton pajamas that Tony had provided her. They were a little bit too big, but that was all right by her. She found Tony lying on the bed, watching a sitcom. "Find something you like?" She asked, cheerfully.
He turned, stunned to realize that she looked just as beautiful in his pajamas as she did in her tailored tops and skirts. "Uh…yeah…Everybody Loves Raymond."
She laughed as she hopped onto the bed. "That's one of my favorites."
"Really?"
"Yeah, everybody loves Everybody Loves Raymond, don't they? I mean, everybody relates to Deborah and Raymond."
Tony nodded with a grin. "As much as I love Mami, she's VERY much like Marie."
She laughed. "I think we all feel that our mothers are like Marie."
He put his arm around her, and without thinking much about it, she snuggled up to him. "So…have a nice bubble bath?"
She nodded. "Thank you for sharing."
He laughed. "It wasn't supposed to be mine to begin with."
"Well, thank you anyway."
"You're welcome."
They continued to watch Raymond with a few interruptions to reminisce and share more about their families before Tony heard soft snoring from the woman beside him. Somewhere in the last few minutes, she had fallen to sleep.
He chuckled as he laid her on the bed, tucking her in for the night. Then, he reached for the spare pillow and blanket, and made himself a bed on the floor. Hopefully tomorrow wouldn't be as much of a chore as today…at least he hoped that the driving wouldn't be so bad. He had to admit to himself that the company had actually been pretty amazing. When he had stressed about driving in the blinding conditions, she had been the perfect calm, asking him to do exactly what he needed to do to relax. This had made for a much more enjoyable trip than he would have taken even with Elena or Inna.
As partners, they knew intimate details of one another's lives, and this had fostered deep bonds. But personalities sometimes brought on stress. One of the ways that he handled the stress of a competition was to completely avoid Elena, whose nervous habits only fueled his own. But instead of that, Ria had kept a clear head and facilitated him remaining somewhat sane despite the dangerous weather conditions. And that had been after knowing him for only a few days.
He sighed as he closed his eyes to sleep. The puzzle pieces of their lives were starting to fall, and the more he looked at their pieces, the more he realized that they were complimentary to one another. Alike, and therefore united, in purpose, while balancing aspects of their lives that needed balancing.
He grinned. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Ria was exactly the woman he had been looking for all of his life. The woman he thought he had found in Inna. The woman he needed to have by his side. The woman standing before him, as eager to have the healthy love that he offered as he was to give it. The woman reciprocating his giving and graciously accepting his love.
The smile on his face grew as he drifted off to sleep. Somehow, he had a feeling that he would have sweet dreams tonight.
--
Ria awoke the next morning to find unfamiliar sheets around her and an unfamiliar sight reach her eyes.
"Good morning." Tony said with a smile, still dressed in his clothes from the night before.
"Tony!" She said, almost surprised to see him. Suddenly, everything came back to her. "Oh…sorry…"
He chuckled. "Don't apologize. I've been awake a little longer than you."
"So…how's the weather outside."
"Oh, it's frightful. But, the fire is so delightful." He finished by singing the familiar song.
She laughed. "So frightful that we're stuck here for another day?"
"I don't think so. It stopped snowing sometime after we went to bed. Snow plows have already been through…we should have a clear shot home."
"Oh." She said, surprisingly disappointed by that news.
"Something wrong?"
"No."
"Okay. I'll be ready to grab some breakfast when you are."
"Oh, it won't take long." She said, quickly hopping out of bed.
"Well, take your time. I'm in no hurry."
She blushed at her haste. "Right…"
He smiled. "How long do you think you'll be?"
"Five minutes or so…"
"Well…if we want to have Denny's for breakfast like we had for dinner last night, I don't need to warm up the car…but if we want to stop by somewhere else…"
"Denny's is fine. Unless you want to do something else…"
"Denny's works for me…"
"Great." She smiled as she grabbed her clothes and headed to the bathroom. "I'll be out in a sec."
--
Breakfast was a stunning reprise of their shared evening meal, though the waitress was not the same as the one they'd had the night before, which Tony was VERY grateful for, not having to suffer through an impromptu question and answer session.
Within an hour, they were back on the road. "So…that was a first date to remember…"
"Stranded in a hotel room." She laughed. "Definitely."
"Hey, maybe if we're lucky we'll get to tell our kids about this twenty years down the road." Tony laughed.
Ria stiffened a little. "Probably." She acknowledged.
"Something wrong?"
"We've only been on one date, Tony."
"If that." Tony agreed.
"And yet, we're talking about kids?"
Tony choked on his coffee. "No, that's…that's not what I meant…"
"Good…I just…I just wanted to clear that up." Ria said, looking forward again.
Tony sighed. "I'm sorry…I should never have suggested that we go to Denver."
"Tony, it's not your fault that the weather was less than cooperative."
"Ria…I can't get you out of my head…I feel like I know you."
"You do know me." She countered.
"No…I feel like I've known you all of my life. You helped me last night more than anyone else I know would be able to, besides maybe my sisters or Mami."
"Tony…"
"Ria…tell me it's not the same for you."
She clenched her teeth as she realized that she couldn't do it. "I can't." She finally admitted after a long silence.
"I didn't think you could."
"Tony, what do you expect me to say…that just because I think there's something special here that I should fly into a serious relationship that I'm not sure I'm ready for?"
"Ria…I'm not asking you to do anything except give me a chance."
"And I already said I would."
"Part of that is setting your fears aside."
"Sorry…"
"Ria…"
"Maybe I should call a cab." Ria said, as they sat in traffic on the interstate.
"Ria!"
"Tony, I…"
"Ria, it's scary. And it's going to get scarier."
"You're making me feel so much better about this." She said, wryly.
"But…"
"But?"
"But you're worth it." He said, honestly.
She paused, his words not sinking in just yet. "Worth what?"
"You're worth my heart…you're worth being loved. You're worth the experience of loving someone else…"
A warmth spread over her that she hadn't experienced in a long time. "I…"
"Even if I'm not the one that you want or need to love, I think I'm here to help you get over some of your fears…and I think you're here to teach me the same."
Then, he turned around and concentrated on his driving for the rest of the ride home, while she mulled over what he'd said. It made sense, though she was somewhat scared and surprised to realize she'd just agreed with him.
"Thanks, Tony." She finally said, gratefully as they pulled up to her house.
"You're welcome. Call me if you want to talk."
"Tony, that's not what I was thanking you for…the ride was great…though somewhat awkward…"
He sighed. "Okay."
"Thanks for reminding me that I'm worth something."
He looked into her hazel eyes. "You're worth more than something. You're worth everything."
She smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. "Thanks. I needed that."
He quietly leaned over and wiped away her tears. "I know this is a tough time for you. You're learning to trust me, you're getting to know me, and you're afraid of getting hurt again. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm here…if I need to be your friend…I'm here. If you want me to be more than…"
"I do."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded. "I have my doubts, but they're not about you…they're about me. And every time I blame you for them, you find the source of the problem and deal with that. I need someone like you in my life."
He gave her a tiny smile before he caressed her cheek. "Okie dokie."
She chuckled. "I should really be going…"
"I know." He said, somewhat sorrowfully.
"Despite the bumps in the road, I really did have a great time…"
"So did I." He returned.
She quickly kissed his cheek before moving to get out of the car. He pulled her back by the wrist, kissing her mouth gently and yet with an intense passion.
"See you later." He said as he pulled away from her.
"If you kiss me like that, of course you will…" She whispered, staring into his eyes, breathlessly.
He chuckled. "I should keep that in mind…"
"You might be the death of me if you do."
"That would be very unfortunate." He chuckled.
"And yet you wouldn't be one bit sorry."
"Yes, I would…if you were dead, I wouldn't be able to be the death of you anymore."
She rolled her eyes, good-naturedly. "I'll see you around."