Liam clamped his jaw together so he didn’t say something he regretted. He wanted to pound someone for treating Lorelei so badly. “Do you know any men who aren’t jerks?”
“I know you.”
Liam’s heart stalled. How long before he joined the jerk list? She’d already had one man lie to her.
He should tell her. Tell her now. Except looking into her gorgeous green eyes, the words wouldn’t form. He couldn’t say good-bye. Not yet. “You know, we’ve been sightseeing all day and you haven’t bought one souvenir yet. We’re letting down the local economy, and the state will be on my back again. Let’s see what we can find in Chinatown.”
Lorelei accepted the change in conversation willingly. It had probably been getting too heavy for her as well. “Sightseeing and shopping. This day just keeps getting better.”
They wandered through the stores, taking turns picking out the tackiest tourist offerings.
“Come on, every house needs a Golden Gate Bridge snow globe,” Liam said, shaking the cheap plastic ornament to see the “snow” fly all over the picture of the orange bridge.
“Do you have one?” Lorelei cocked her head to one side.
“Of course, on the table next to my bed. It’s the first and last thing I see every day.”
“Liar.” Lorelei laughed—a full-bodied, loud laugh that he felt deep within himself.
She wandered over to a rack of silk oriental-style dresses. Pulling a red one with a dragon embroidered on the fabric, she held it up against her. “What do you think?”
“I think you’d look beautiful in it. Then again I think you’d look beautiful in that green and pink shapeless bag thing you showed me earlier as well. What did you call it, a muumuu?”
“You’re no help, then. Do you mind waiting while I try it on?”
“Can I help?”
“No.”
“Oh, all right. Although I think it’s the least you could do considering this amazing sightseeing tour I’ve given you.”
“Go back to shaking your snow globes, mister. I’ll be less than ten minutes.”
Liam watched her retreat to the back of the store, admiring the rear view as much as the front. He glanced at his watch and was shocked to find it was already six thirty. Where had the day gone? When he’d embarked on this charade he’d thought the dates would be worse than a never-ending meeting. Instead, he’s spent an enjoyable day with a delightful woman, and it had cost him less than a bottle of good wine. Amazing.
He glanced up to see Lorelei striding toward him, the dress slung over her arm.
“How’d it fit?”
“Good. I’m going to get it. I have no idea where I’ll wear a red dress with a dragon emblazoned on the front. At least it will remind me of the best day I’ve spent in San Francisco.”
“You’ll be surprised at some of the dress codes in this city.” He reached for the dress but Lorelei wouldn’t release it.
“No way, I’m buying it. You’ve paid for everything else today. If I don’t pay I’m not getting it.” She looked like she might stomp her foot if he didn’t give in.
“All right,” he said. “I’m buying you a snow globe, though.” He picked the biggest, ugliest one on the shelf and headed toward the cashier.
After paying for their purchases, they stood on the narrow, bustling sidewalk.
“So,” they both began at once.
“Go ahead,” Lorelei encouraged.
“So…um, where do you want to go for dinner?”
“Oh, I thought you’d want to part here. You’ve given me your entire day. We don’t really have to go for dinner. Besides, I’ve been in these clothes all day. I’d like to change first.”
“Is that a yes to dinner if you can change?”
“I guess so.”
“Great. One condition, though.”
“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow.
“No more public transit. I’ll pick you up at your place and we drive to and from the restaurant.”
She laughed and stuck her tongue out at him. “Okay. You can drive your car.”
…
Lorelei started flinging off her clothes before her apartment door had fully finished closing. Her house phone rang as she stepped out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around her, she dashed for the bedroom extension. It was probably Liam with some excuse as to why they couldn’t meet.
“Yes, hello?” She tried to put the right amount of breezy nonchalance into her voice so when he canceled their dinner she could pass it off as nothing important.
“Where have you been? I’ve been calling your cell and house phone all day!”
“Hola, Mama. I’ve been out on a date. Well, a sightseeing tour. It was with a man, though, so I think it counts as a date.”
“With the same man you were with last night?”
“Yes.”
“See, I knew that online dating thing would work.”
Lorelei considered telling her mother the online date had been a bust and she’d met Liam on her own. That would lead to even more questions. Questions she wasn’t ready to answer just yet.
“Yes, Mama. You’re right. In fact, I have to go now. We’re meeting for dinner.”
“Dinner again? Sounds serious.”
“It’s too early to be serious,” Lorelei said as much for her own benefit as her mother’s.
“When can I come out and meet him?”
“Madre, don’t you dare!”
“All right, all right. But call me tomorrow or I’ll be on the next plane out.”
“Good-bye, Mama. Te quiero.”
Glancing at the clock, she discovered she had only twenty minutes left before Liam arrived. She flung her towel on the floor and rummaged through the clothes on the bed, finally settling on a pair of black pants and a sparkly black top. It was casual enough if they went to a pub and fancy enough for a decent restaurant.
As she thought back on the wonderful day she’d spent with him, a sense of doubt invaded her happiness. How come he wasn’t already with someone? He was perfect boyfriend material. She put her doubts aside as she touched up her makeup, grabbed a light jacket and her handbag, and raced down the stairs. Sure enough, Liam pulled up in an old gray car. The badge on the front proudly declared it a Ford.
“You know, all day long I’ve been wondering about what kind of car you were so attached to. This wasn’t it,” she said as she buckled her seat belt.