Falling for Rayne (8 page)

             
Rayne checked herself in the mirror for the hundredth time and covered her stomach with her hands. She’d never once been nervous to go out on a date but now her stomach was jumping like crazy. And the cause was Garrett Murphy. In her defense, she’d really only dated Liam and there had never once been a spark of anything but the mildest feelings of friendship between them. While it had been comfortable and easy, it hadn’t been remotely exciting.

             
She breathed in and out a few times trying to calm herself and then turned away from the mirror and walked downstairs, feeling the swish of her double layer chiffon skirt she had bought on her last trip to New York. When she moved, the black chiffon revealed the ruby red of the next layer. She pulled down her simple red silk tee and paused at the last step.

             
Cleo and Ivy were standing in front of the door with a camera.

             
“Oh no you don’t,” she said pointing at the two evil twins. “If you embarrass me I will reign down terror on you both for the rest of your lives.”

             
Cleo laughed and pointed to Ivy. “Don’t blame me. She’s insisting.”

             
Ivy twirled a strand of pink hair and grinned at her innocently. “It’s your first real date, Rayne. Come on, we have to add it to your baby book.”

             
Rayne glared at her sister and swept past them into the living room. “You know very well this isn’t my first date and no. Don’t you dare.”

             
Ivy frowned and sat opposite of her in a large wing back chair that was probably a hundred years old. “You can’t count Liam taking you anywhere as a date. He was just a glorified escort who never once made you laugh or your toes curl.”

             
Rayne winced and let her head lean back against the couch. “Still, I’ve dated. Now no pictures or things will get ugly.”

             
Cleo stood up and stretched out into warrior’s pose. “You mean you’ll poison our cronuts too?”

             
Rayne’s mouth fell open and she threw a pillow at Cleo. “Mocking me? So rude. Can’t you tell I’m so nervous I’m practically hyperventilating?”

             
Ivy smiled and stood up, walking over and giving her sister a brief but hard hug. “So cute. That’s when you know it’s real dummy. Enjoy the butterflies. Enjoy the nervousness and the sweaty hands and everything else. Because it means you’re alive. You’re feeling this and experiencing the moment. It’s not like you’re with Liam and all you can think about is your schedule the next day. For once in your life, all of your attention, every single one of your cells will be focused on this one man. Enjoy that.”

             
Rayne grinned at her sister and nodded her head. “You’re right. I do feel alive. I feel so alive I bet I could power a small generator. I’ve changed my mind. Take pictures. Not when Garrett is looking, but as long as you’re sneaky, go for it.”

             
Ivy let out a whoop and Cleo went into crane position. “I will hold this pose for one minute in honor of your very alive cells.”

             
The doorbell sounded and Rayne gasped, leaping up and gripping her sister’s shoulders tightly.

             
“Do I look okay?” she begged, worried that something was out of place.

             
Ivy smiled warmly and shook her head. “You look just like you. Beautiful, kind and ready to live.”

             
Rayne smiled at that and pushed Cleo over, sending her sprawling on her side as she walked to the entry. She looked back at Ivy and Cleo one more time and took in a deep breath before opening the door.

             
Garrett was standing there, in a sophisticated gray suit with a very subtle pin stripe. Unlike the suits most of the men she knew wore, this one was fitted to Garrett’s slim but muscular form and for once in her life, Rayne was speechless. She could only stand there and stare at him.

             
Garrett remained quiet too, looking at her with a serious smile on his face as his eyes watched her. Ivy cleared her throat and pushed past her.              

             
“Well don’t you look handsome!” she said loudly, bumping her in the shoulder lightly in an attempt to break her out of her fog.

             
Garrett looked away from her and smiled at Ivy. “Thanks. What’s with the camera?”

             
Rayne bit her lip and glanced at Ivy as Cleo walked out and slung an arm around her shoulders.

             
“I need proof that my sister is actually going on a date. It’s for scientific purposes. No worries,” she said smoothly as Cleo gently turned her and pushed her toward Garrett who looked stunned.

             
She felt him put his hand on her waist as if they were going to prom and blushed. “
Sorry
,” she muttered as Ivy took about four pictures.

             
“Okay you two, have fun but not
too
much fun if you know what I mean,” she said and then winked at them before pulling Cleo back into the house and slamming the door.

             
Garrett blinked in surprise and then turned and looked at her. “
Scientific purposes
. I’ll have to remember that one next time I want to get away with something.”

             
Rayne sighed and then winced as the light from a flash went off in the living room window. She grabbed Garrett’s hand and pulled him down the steps. “Let’s just get out of here.”

             
Instead of letting go of her hand, Garrett kept a firm hold of her and even opened the door for her. Rayne almost giggled, not used to the old fashioned gesture. Liam had been an acclaimed feminist and refused to do anything for her that she could do for herself. Which was pretty much everything.

             
“Sorry I just have a truck. When I bought it I didn’t know I’d be picking up a date wearing a skirt like yours. Here, let me just help you up,” he said and put both hands on the side of her waist and just lifted her up.

             
She grabbed the handle and pulled herself inside, turning bright red and laughing nervously. “How can you just lift me up like that?” she asked breathlessly.

             
Garrett lifted up part of her skirt and tucked it in, as he smiled at her. “Practice,” he said and shut the door before hurrying around to the other side.

             
He drove her into Tacoma to a restaurant called El Gaucho. “I hope you like it. Becket swears it’s the best, so we’ll blame him if you’re unhappy.”

             
Rayne grinned and took his hand as she hopped down onto the pavement. “I’m sure I’ll love it. I’m starving,” she added, noting it was true. She’d been too nervous to eat thinking about being with him.

             
He opened the door for her and they walked into a dimly lit, sophisticated interior. She could hear live music playing in the background while a hostess checked Garrett’s reservation.  She immediately led them back to an intimate table by the window. He held her chair out for her and she sat down, noting that his fingers touched her arm briefly.

             
She glanced around and noticed a few people were staring at them and wondered what it would be like to date someone like Garrett for real. Women would stare everywhere they went. It would probably get old after a while.

             
“Don’t look now but there’s a couple who keeps staring at you,” Garrett said as he picked up his menu.

             
Rayne shook her head and smiled as she picked up her menu. “
As if
. They’re staring at you and you know it. False modesty is so endearing.”

             
Garrett grinned at her and shook his head. “You think they’re staring at
me
? Why?”

             
Rayne flicked her hair over her shoulders and shrugged as a smile played around her mouth. “Well, looking like you do, you must get this kind of reaction wherever you go.”

             
Garrett looked stunned and laughed lightly as he shook his head. “Sweetheart, you need your eyes checked,” he said softly as two people in their mid-forties approached their table.

             
Rayne looked up in surprise as the man bowed his head in her direction. He wore a conservative but expensive suit and his wife was similarly dressed and wore pearls at her neck.

             
“We’re so sorry to interrupt you, but my wife and I saw you play in London two years ago and it was one of the most incredible evenings of our lives. We were so moved we were both brought to tears. We won’t ask for your autograph, but we just wanted you to know we’re big music lovers and you’re our favorite concert pianist of all time.”

             
Rayne smiled warmly at the couple and asked their names and chatted with them for a few minutes before they walked away. When she turned back to Garrett she sighed in disappointment.

             
“Why the sad face? Just because I was right and you were wrong?” Garrett asked softly.

             
Rayne took a sip of water and shook her head. “No, that’s not it. I just wanted so much for you and I to get to know each other without anything getting in the way.
Like my real life
. I just wanted to know what it would feel like to be a regular girl, liking a regular boy,” she said quietly.

             
Garrett frowned and reached across the table and took her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back in a soothing caress. “So you know how to play the piano. Why would that affect the fact that I find you attractive and would like to get to know you better and that you
obviously
find me very attractive.”

             
Rayne let out a surprised laugh and grinned at Garrett as he smiled back at her. “Because it’s a little more than knowing how to play the piano. I was a professional concert pianist for five years. I retired right after my parents died so I could be with Ivy and deal with everything else going on. But my life,
my real life,
is kind of unreal. It makes getting to know people and forming relationships kind of impossible.”

             
Garrett let go of her hand and sat back. “I would think getting to meet people, like just now, would be pretty easy. You’re a star in the musical world.”

             
Rayne shrugged and looked out at the clouds beginning to cover the sky. It would be raining before the night was over.              

             
“But they don’t see
me
. They see what I can do and they want that. They want just a taste of what I can make them feel, but they don’t see me.”

             
Garrett frowned and picked up his water, swirling the liquid around. “I guess that would be hard. So you’ve been living a glamorous, wonderful life but it does sound a little lonely. Is that why you took one look at me and fell in love?”

             
Rayne spurted out a mouthful of water and glanced around quickly in mortification as she continued to laugh and choke. Garrett stood up and walked around the table to pat her on the back and she pushed him hard in the chest.

             
“If you keep making me laugh like that I’m going to end up in the ER choking to death,” she said, grinning at him.

             
Garrett laughed and sat back down. “
Ah
, if we can’t laugh, what good is life?” he said and smiled kindly at her. “Well, you’re definitely slumming it tonight with me. I’m not a millionaire, I’m not musically talented and I’ve never even heard you play. Think you can handle it?”

             
Rayne nodded her head as she smiled back. “I’m almost positive I can handle it.”

             
Garrett lifted a brow. “
Almost
?”

             
Rayne shrugged and picked up her forgotten menu. “There’s always the chance that you’ll insist I order what you tell me to, or I’ll pull out my checkbook and you’ll throw a fit because I want to pay for dinner.”

             
Garrett reddened and he cleared his throat. “I guess I have a lot to make up for, but I’m glad you’re giving me a second chance.
However
, if you do pull out your checkbook you will see me throw the biggest fit you’ve ever seen.”

             
Rayne laughed and perused the entrees. “The man I used to date was very into equal rights which meant I usually ended up paying every time we went out. I guess I’m in the habit.”