This was just a casual dinner between a boss and employee to celebrate one year of employment. Common enough in a professional setting. Nothing to get giddy over. Yet scolding herself didn’t settle her jittery nerves. Feeling this way would only bring her trouble. Plain and simple, she found her boss attractive, and instead of shutting her emotions down, she reveled in the thought that they were going to spend the evening together.
Fight it though she might, Claire had always been led by her emotions. If she’d done a better job listening to logic, she might have avoided getting involved with Jasper. On the other hand, whatever mistakes she’d made with him had given her Honey, and she wouldn’t trade her daughter for anything. Still, in the past few years, she’d become more cautious when following her heart.
“There,” she told her daughter, stepping back to admire the pale blue sundress covered in bright butterflies she’d recently bought. “You look so nice.”
A quick glance at the clock showed they were running late. Claire twisted her daughter’s hair into a loose topknot and fastened a bow. She felt a twinge at how adorable the two-year-old looked. Honey’s hair had the perfect length and texture to do all sorts of fun braids and updos, and when Claire had time, she enjoyed experimenting with ideas she gleaned off the internet.
“Can you play with your toys for a couple minutes while Mama gets dressed?”
Honey nodded and headed toward the books that lined the lower shelf of the nightstand in her room.
Claire headed next door to slip into the dress she had laid out. It was a simple short-sleeved dress, the color of wisteria. She fit her feet into a pair of beige sandals and snagged a white sweater out of her closet in case she needed it.
In less than five minutes, she returned to her daughter’s room to collect Honey, and the two of them headed downstairs.
Linc awaited them in the kitchen. He wore khaki pants and a navy cotton sweater over a white button-down shirt. The look was perfect for the casual seafood restaurant near Wappoo Creek.
“Oh, good,” he said, “you both have sweaters. I reserved a table outside. I thought you might enjoy the view.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Linc escorted them out to his car. Earlier he’d borrowed her keys so he could transfer Honey’s car seat from Claire’s Saab into the back of his white BMW X6. As she slid into the passenger seat, Claire couldn’t help but savor the thrill of being enfolded in the soft camel leather. The Saab was in good shape, but it couldn’t compare to this sort of luxury.
“All set?” Linc asked, glancing at Claire.
She nodded. As they made their way west on Broad Street, her anxiety began to fade. She and Linc had dined together several times in the year she’d been working for him. Granted, all those times had been impromptu meals in the kitchen or out by the pool, but it wasn’t like this was some momentous occasion. It was a work dinner.
“I’ve been thinking about the party my mom wants to have,” he began, breaking the silence as they crossed the Ashley River. “I hope you don’t feel obligated to do it.”
“Of course not.” While Linc was gone for the summer, Claire didn’t have a lot to do and she had assisted Dolly with three of Bettina’s dinner parties. “I’m always happy to help her out.”
“It’s extra work and, of course, you’ll be compensated.”
While she understood what he was getting at and appreciated his attempt to be fair, the conversation did serve to drive home that she worked for him. Maybe this was exactly what she needed to hear. A reminder of their relative positions. He was the boss. She, the employee. It cut the jubilant buzz about their evening nearly in half, so that by the time they reached the restaurant, she’d successfully tamed her wayward pulse.
Linc took charge of getting Honey out of her car seat and carrying her into the restaurant. Although the two-year-old was perfectly capable of walking, Linc always seemed to be in a hurry to get places and her short stubby legs were no match for his long ones.
The hostess led them to a table that overlooked the water. Although called a creek, the average width of the Wappoo was ninety feet. It connected the intracoastal waterways around Charleston. Beyond the weathered wooden railing extended a dock, where several small boats were tied.
Linc settled into his chair, looking completely at home in the casual atmosphere. “I didn’t realize they had a dock,” he said. “Next time we should come by boat.” He noticed her looking at him and cocked an eyebrow. “What?”
“You look like you fit right in.”
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“This place is a little more casual than what I imagine you’re used to.”
“You forget I didn’t always have money. In fact, I waited tables at a place very much like this the summer before my senior year of high school.”
“I have a hard time picturing you waiting tables.”
“Why?”
She was used to thinking about him as someone she took care of. It was hard to imagine him taking orders and schlepping food.
“You don’t really seem the sort.”
“The money was good.” He paused and regarded her with a slight frown. “I know what it’s like to struggle and worry about taking care of my family.”
“I know.” But she couldn’t picture him as desperate or poor.
“I didn’t go to private school. My mom worked hard to take care of Sawyer and me. When I got old enough to pitch in and help, I did.” As he spoke, his gaze grew more piercing. “So you see, we’re not so different. If I hadn’t been good enough to make it in the majors, our paths might’ve crossed in a restaurant instead.”
