‘Kelsey,’ Nolan stammered, finding himself at a loss for words, ‘you look incredible.’
‘This is the dress I told you about, Nolan, the one I bought in Chicago. Thanks for giving me a reason to wear it.’
‘Kelsey, the dress is nice, but you’re the one who makes it look special.’
Nolan offered a hand and helped Kelsey negotiate the last steps. She was taking the stairs carefully, as if each step threatened to send a jolt of pain through her wounded ribs should she take one too hard. Nolan had suffered rib injuries before and could empathize with her condition. It would take some time before she was fully healed from the accident. When Kelsey reached the last step, she leaned over and kissed him. Her lips lingered on his for a moment and her warmth glowed like a welcome fire.
‘Are you ready for a night out on the town?’
‘You wouldn’t believe how ready I am, Nolan. I’m tired of recuperating. If I don’t get out and do something fun, I’m going to lose my mind.’
‘That’s the truth, Nolan,’ Kelsey’s mother commented from the living room. ‘She’s not one to just sit around. For her to be cooped up here is a lot like caging a wild animal.’
‘Well, I’ll take her out for a little fresh air,’ Nolan volunteered graciously. ‘We’ll probably be out late, so don’t wait up for us.’
Kelsey’s father put a firm hand on Nolan’s shoulder. ‘You two are adults responsible for your own actions. Kelsey has a key, and I expect we’ll be fast asleep when you return.’
Nolan nodded, accepting the trust that Kelsey and her parents placed in him. He smiled at Kelsey. ‘Very well, my lady, your chariot awaits.’
Nolan carefully helped Kelsey to the door, which her father held open as they both passed through. Arm in arm with Nolan, she already seemed noticeably better. Only when they stopped beside the Viper’s passenger door did Kelsey look away from her date and notice the bright red car.
‘Nolan, where did you get this car?’
Nolan acted nonchalantly about the Viper. ‘It’s just a car, Kelsey, four wheels, an engine. Something to get you from point A to point B.’
‘At the speed of light, from the looks of it. It’s so cute.’ Kelsey gave Nolan a stern look; she wanted the truth and not one of his stories. ‘Is it your dad’s?’
‘No, it’s mine,’ he answered casually.
Kelsey studied him skeptically, but she sensed he was telling the truth.
‘Kelsey, it’s a long story, but I’ll tell you on the way.’
With one arm supported on Nolan’s shoulder, she lowered herself gingerly into the passenger seat. The supple black leather interior seemed to wrap around her like a cocoon. Once settled, Nolan closed her door and took his place on the driver’s side.
Nolan handed her a pair of Wayfarer sunglasses from the glove compartment and started up the Viper’s V-10 engine. The deep-throated growl made promises that only a car like this could deliver. Kelsey waved to her parents as they drove off down the street.
Nolan eased the gleaming red sports car into an open parking space along Main Street, in front of BD’s Mongolian Barbeque. Just as the car reached the curb, the owner of the restaurant, an old high school classmate of Kilkenny’s, appeared and opened the passenger door for Kelsey.
‘Hey, guys,’ the owner said, pleased to see his old friends. Kelsey accepted his offered arm and gingerly extracted herself from the Viper’s low-slung passenger seat. ‘I’ve got your table waiting.’
‘Thanks, Billy,’ Nolan replied as he followed the restaurateur and Kelsey inside.
The restaurant’s interior was decorated in what could only be described as ‘Ann Arbor eclectic,’ a mix of whatever struck the owner’s fancy. Large black umbrellas were suspended from the metal-pan ceiling and photographs of native Mongolians lined the walls.
Nolan stopped to study a picture of a young man in scuba gear floating beside a coral reef. The diver proudly displayed the restaurant’s T-shirt to a colorful school of fish.
‘Anyone you know?’ Kelsey asked as she glanced at the picture.
‘No, probably just some SEAL wanna-be.’
They were seated at a table for two near a window, and a waitress took their drink order. There was no dinner menu, the bill of fare being the guest’s choice from a varied offering of meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, sauces, and seasonings. In the center of the restaurant, a pair of chefs rapidly cooked several patrons’ concoctions in a haze of steam and smoke over a circular cast-steel grill. The effect was a lighthearted and casual dining atmosphere.
After chatting briefly with the owner, they made their way to the buffet and began designing their dinner. Nolan carried bowls for both Kelsey and himself, filling hers as directed while telling her of the afternoon’s events.
‘So, just as I drop my father off, he brings up the bounty again,’ Nolan explained as he scattered a few sliced mushrooms into their bowls.
Kelsey laughed lightly and pointed at the tofu. The Kilkenny-Newton grandchild bounty was a running joke for them both. ‘He’s just teasing you. He knows that you won’t marry until you find the right person.’
Nolan looked over his shoulder at her; a devilish spark lingered in her iridescent blue eyes. He smiled, picked up their bowls, and moved down to the seasonings. The same spark smoldered in his eyes, as well; the right person had been found.
‘So, Kelsey, how do you like it?’
She let the question hang for just a moment, then smiled and whispered in his ear, ‘ Hot and spicy. ’