Fashioned for Love (A Silver Script Novel Book 3) (4 page)

Her smile was enough to wipe away his worry. “I’d love that. You have my number. Now, I’d better get out of here before it gets much later. I need to catch the subway.”

“Well, why don’t I give you a ride? My car is just outside in the parking garage.” He pulled his keys out of his pocket.

She bit her lip. “Are you sure? I don’t want to make you go out of your way. You already had to come all the way here for dinner.”

“Yes, I’m sure. Unless you really want to ride the subway in this weather. I’m pretty sure it’s going to start snowing any minute.”

“Not really. A ride would be great.” She picked up her bag and checked her pockets for her keys and phone. “Okay, I think that’s all.”

Lance followed Debra out of her office and down to the street. Flurries had begun, so Lance walked quickly toward the parking garage, with Debra hurrying to keep up. He unlocked and started his Mercedes before they reached it.

“Nice. I bet you love having that feature.” Debra opened her door and climbed in.

Lance climbed in his side and fastened his seatbelt. “It’s perfect for nights like these. Okay, where are we headed?”

Debra gave him the address and he entered it into his GPS. “So how far out of the way am I having you go? Where is home?”

“It’s not too far from where I’d need to head out. I live in Staten Island.” Lance turned left toward the Upper East Side. “Have you lived here long?”

“No, I’ve only been here for about a month. I love it. The view of the city is killer.” Debra rubbed her hands together as she watched out the window.

Lance turned the heat up in the car and blasted the defrost. “That’s great. I’ve thought about finding a place around there, but then I get another idea for a clothing line and the idea slips my mind again.”

“Staten Island is nice. My brother had a place out there for a while, but then found a place in Connecticut that was cheaper to raise his family.”

“Is his son the one who has the hockey game?” Lance stopped at a stoplight and looked over at her. The streetlights cast a soft glow around her and it amazed him again just how beautiful she was.

Debra smiled. “Yes. I’m just hoping I can make it over there with this storm rolling in. I might have to catch the next game.”

“With the rate this winter is going, we could have another foot by tomorrow.” Lance checked the GPS and continued down the road. Traffic was slow even for a Friday night, and it felt like they were crawling. Not that he minded. He was enjoying the time alone with Debra.

“It’s very possible. Although, I’m pretty sure this is supposed to clear up.” Debra pulled her phone out and frowned before typing something back.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

Debra shoved her phone back into her bag. “Yes, it’s fine. We just had a model cancel on us for Monday. I’ll have to find someone to replace her, but I’m still not thrilled. It’s the third time she’s done this.”

“I’ve had that happen a few times before, and it’s aggravating.” It was the worst when they canceled for the fashion shows, because many of the outfits were sized for specific models, and he’d have to scramble to find someone to work.

“It really is. Oh, hey, there’s my apartment. Just pull up front.” Debra rearranged her bags and pulled her hood up on her coat.

Lance squeezed his car into a spot near the front door. “Thanks again for dinner. I know it was short notice, but I wanted to see you again and go over those mockups.”

Debra set her hand on his, and even through her glove, it sent a thrill through him. “Thank you. I needed to get out and I had a wonderful time. And I appreciate the ride home.”

“Of course. And hey, if you need a ride to the hockey game, I could take you. It would be good to get out of the house, and I miss the sport.” Lance wanted to shake himself for asking her out so quickly, but it had just come out. Her hand was still on his and it was doing crazy things to his mind.

“I might take you up on that. I usually take a train out and then have my brother pick me up, but it would be nice to have company.” She opened the car door. “I’ll need to leave here around four o’clock to get there on time.”

Lance ran through everything that needed to be done the next day—which was pretty much nothing—and nodded. “That should be fine. I’ll be right here tomorrow at four.”

“Perfect. See you then.” Debra climbed out and walked quickly to the door of her building before disappearing inside.

Lance couldn’t help grinning as he pulled back out into traffic. This weekend was shaping up to be much better than he’d expected.

Debra checked herself in the mirror one more time, and tried to squash the butterflies that raced around in her stomach. She thought of changing into something nicer, but a hockey game was one of the last places she wanted to wear a dress. She tugged at the jersey T-shirt she wore, and decided it would be fine. Aiden was used to seeing her dressed like this for his games, and she figured if Lance didn’t like it, things probably wouldn’t work out anyway.

The doorbell buzzed as she applied a little more lipstick, and it made her jump. She hurried over to the monitor and pushed the button. “Hey, Lance, come on up. I’ll be just a sec.”

By the time Lance knocked on her door, Debra had found her coat, gloves, and scarf. She traded out the scarves a few more times before deciding on a navy blue one. Her breath caught when she opened the door and saw Lance standing there with his hands in his pockets. He’d traded his suit for a T-shirt, sports jacket, and jeans. He hadn’t shaved and the effect made her heart race.

“Hey, sorry. I lost track of time.” Debra turned to find her keys and tried to breathe normally.

“Wow, that is quite the view.” Lance stared out the windows in the living room.

Debra opened the door wider so he could come in. “That’s the reason I chose this exact apartment. It took a while to save up, but it’s totally worth it.”

Lance walked over to the windows. “I have to agree. This is breathtaking. The snow adds a quiet beauty to the city, doesn’t it?”

“It really does. Unfortunately, it’s not going to do much for our trip today, is it?” Debra stepped away from the window. It was already cutting it close to game time, and they needed to get out of there.

“It’s not too bad out there. Although, I might not be able to say the same thing for the roads outside of the city.” Lance followed Debra out of the apartment, then waited for her to lock it.

Debra pushed the button to the elevator. “Aaron said the roads aren’t too bad in Stamford. I guess we’ll see.”

By the time they arrived at the arena in Stamford, Debra had finally been able to calm her nerves. Lance was as down-to-earth as she’d hoped, and his sense of humor had her laughing until her sides hurt.

As they walked into the arena, Debra’s nerves returned. She hadn’t brought a date to a game before, and she knew her brother wouldn’t let her live it down. He was younger than her and had tried to set her up several times over the years. She hoped he’d see what a great guy Lance was.

Aaron sat with his family a few rows up and he waved when he caught sight of Debra. His eyes flicked between Lance and Debra, but his grin never wavered. He stuck his hand out to shake Lance’s as soon they sat down. “Hey, I’m Aaron. You are?”

“This is Lance. And this is Hannah and Michael. Aiden is out on the ice somewhere. He’s number seven. Oh, there he is.” Debra pointed him out.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Are you a hockey fan?” Aaron asked.

“I played when I was younger when I could sneak away from my mom.” Lance laughed.

The game started soon after, and Debra was torn between the excitement out on the ice, and the man sitting next to her. Every time he cheered, he’d brush past her and send another thrill through her.

The roars from the crowd, the chill in the air from the ice, and the smells from the concession stand slowly soaked in, allowing Debra’s mind to relax and enjoy the game. They were just three adults, watching a hockey game. She could handle this. She’d only met him a few days before and even though he made her heart race, she wanted things to go slow. Aiden skated straight for the goal and just missed the net, knocking everything else out of her mind.

Aiden’s team was good, but they had to fight to keep up with the competition. The final score was three to two and Aiden’s team had barely scraped past to get the win. After the game ended, Debra climbed down the bleachers with Lance, Aaron, and the kids and waited for Aiden to come off the ice.

“Hey, great game, buddy.” Debra hugged Aiden tightly.

“Did you see that goal? That’s my first one ever.” Aiden pulled off his helmet and sat to take off his skates.

“I did. And you almost had another one.” Debra held up a hand so Aiden could give her a high five.

He stopped and stared up at Lance. “Who is he?”

“Hey, bud. I’m Lance.” Lance shoved his hands in his pockets, looking nervous.

Debra grabbed Lance by the arm. “He’s my friend. He brought me to the game.”

Aiden’s eyes widened. “You mean like a date? Awesome.”

“Come on, Aiden. You need to get changed so we can get over to Grandma’s.” Aaron pulled Aiden away and winked at Debra. “See you two over there.”

Debra turned to find Lance staring down at her with a smile on his face. “What?”

“Nothing. It was just fun being here to see you with your brother.” He grabbed Debra’s coat and held it up so she could slip her arms into it. “So where is this party?”

“My mom’s house. It’s about twenty minutes from here. I hope you don’t mind going. We can just make an appearance and then head home if you want to.” Debra pulled her gloves on and wrapped the scarf around her neck.

Lance shrugged. “I got a lot of work done today, so I’m good for the evening. Just point me in the right direction.”

The sun had come out when Debra and Lance walked outside. Small flurries still floated down here and there, but Debra was thankful to see the sun. It had been weeks since the clouds had cleared up.

Debra directed Lance to the house she’d grown up in. It was large for the area, and a forest that she’d played in countless times surrounded the yard. Homesickness pulled at her as she climbed out of the car and headed for the front door.

A large wreath hung on the door, decorated in large hearts. Music sounded through the windows, and Debra could see balloons and cake in the dining room. Debra raised her hand to knock just as her mom answered the door.

“Debra! I’m so glad you were able to make it. After the blizzard kept you in for the holidays, I was worried you wouldn’t come.” Debra’s mom wrapped her in a hug.

“I wouldn’t miss Dad’s birthday for anything. You know that.” Debra kissed her mom and turned to Lance. “Mom, this is Lance. He owns Walker Apparel.”

Her mom’s jaw dropped as she glanced between them. “Welcome. Come on in and get comfortable. If I’d know Debra was bringing company, I would have bought more party hats.”

Debra closed her eyes in embarrassment. Trust her mom to pull out hats when guests were around.

Lance laughed. “I’ll be fine without one.”

“Nonsense. You can have mine. Now come in before you freeze to death.” She opened the door wider and closed it as soon as they were inside. “Your dad is in the study, pretending like he doesn’t know what’s going on out here.”

Debra gestured for Lance to follow her and walked back to the study. The paneling had been painted white since the last time she’d been home, but otherwise it was the same as when she’d lived here. The large oak desk sat in the center of the room, and her dad sat in his wheelchair working. “Hey, Dad.”

Her dad looked up from his computer and grinned. “It’s my girl. I’m so glad to see you.”

Debra leaned down and kissed his cheek. “Happy Birthday, Dad.”

She introduced Lance and waited for them to shake hands while she clasped her hands behind her back, nervous. It had been years since she’d brought a guy home, and the guy had left only a few weeks later.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lance. Where’s your brother, Debra?” He pulled away from the desk and around to the doorway.

“He’s coming.” Debra noticed the troubled look on Lance’s face as he watched her dad leave the room, and held back to make sure her dad was far enough away before saying anything. “He’s fine. He’s just been sick, and this is the easiest way to get around.”

Lance smiled. “I’m sorry. It just threw me. Is he going to be able to walk again?”

“Maybe, but believe me, that chair doesn’t stop him from doing things anyway. If there wasn’t snow on the ground, he’d probably be outside pushing his lawn mower.” Debra went to the kitchen to find her mom.

It was another few minutes before Aaron came inside the house, along with the kids. His wife, Sophia, came in last. She was due to have another baby any day, and only left the house on occasion.

Debra’s mom grabbed the party hats and insisted on having everyone put one on. She grabbed plates and forks, and Debra took the cake out to the living room where everyone sat. After a loud rendition of “Happy Birthday,” the cake was cut and served.

They played a few games of charades before Debra stood. “I hate to leave, but we need to get back to the city.”

Her dad groaned. “But you just got here.”

She leaned down and kissed his cheek. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I promise.”

Aaron and her mom also took turns hugging both Debra and Lance before they were finally able to escape the house. The roads were slushy as they drove back toward the city, making Lance drive slower than he had on the way into Connecticut.

“Your family is amazing,” Lance said, his voice breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

“Thanks. I love them.” Debra could feel the pull of her home as they drove, but she pushed it away. She would be back, and she enjoyed her apartment too much to let it go.

Lance reached over and laced his fingers through Debra’s. “Thank you for letting me take you to the game today.”

She squeezed his hand. “I’m the one who should be thanking you. It was a good day.”

“It really was.” He pulled into a parking spot next to her apartment. “Want me to walk you up to your apartment?”

Debra leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek before she realized what she was doing. He always left her so frazzled. “I’d say yes, but it’s late and you need to get home before the roads ice up.”

Lance rubbed her hand with his thumb. “I’ll just wait until you’re inside then.”

“Thank you. Text me when you get home so I know you got there safely, okay?” She hurried over to her apartment and waved before walking inside. The giddiness from the evening had her practically dancing up to her apartment.

It was past midnight when Debra unlocked her door and dropped her purse inside. She got ready for bed and climbed in with her laptop to do some work while she waited for Lance to text.

The phone rang loudly through Debra’s apartment, making her jerk awake. She set her laptop on the desk so she could plug it in. She glanced at the clock to see that she’d been asleep for a few hours.

She smiled when she saw Lance’s number on her phone. “Hey, I didn’t think it would take you that long to get home.”

“Hello?” An unfamiliar voice responded.

Debra’s heart thumped in her chest. “Who is this?”

“Hi, this is Shawn Miller. There’s been an accident, and we don’t know much about the man. His phone was next to his hand, so I called the last number he’d dialed. Can I ask who this is?”

Time slowed to a stop as Debra tried to register what he’d just said. She pulled the phone away from her ear to make sure that it really was Lance’s number.

“Hello?” the voice said again.

“I—I’m sorry. Hi, this is Debra Thomas. What do you mean by accident? He was just fine a few hours ago.” Debra’s hand shook as she rubbed her forehead. He’d just left here. And they’d had a wonderful time together.