Free Closing Books by Trisha Grace Page B

smile grew wider. “All right, give me your phone.” She gave Dan her number and address then returned the phone to him. “See you tonight.”

    Dan shifted the flowers to his left hand and knocked on Christine’s door.
    “Right on time,” Christine said as she opened the door.  
    He nodded and took another look at the bright red, strapless dress that fitted her toned body so snugly.
    “Like what you see?” Christine asked while she put on her earrings.
    “You look great.”  
    She grinned and took the flowers from Dan’s outstretched hand. “Aw…you shouldn’t have. Come in, take a seat. I’ll be ready in five minutes.” Christine smiled, then disappeared into her room.
    Dan moved toward the couch, stepping over the yoga mat that lay opened right beside it. The house was clean and though it wasn’t large, the minimal furniture she had created a sense of spaciousness.
    Across from the couch was a plasma TV hanging on the wall, and a plain, uncluttered TV console holding a photo frame and a remote. Instead of a coffee table, a white furry rug took up the space between the rug and TV, opening up more space in the living room.
    Even the dining table was small. It was a table meant for four, tucked away in the corner of the room.
    He leaned back and took in the view of the living room, grinning as he thought about the huge difference between Christine’s and Evelyn’s apartments. Catching himself in his thoughts, he turned as Christine strutted out of her room.
    “You want something to drink? Otherwise, I’m ready to go.”
    “I’m good, let’s go then.”
    By the time they got out from his car, Dan realized that being with Christine was like being with a female version of Ryan. They laughed and chatted with each other as if they were long-time friends.  
    He opened the door for her and entered the restaurant. He took a quick scan and was glad it wasn’t the romantic kind of restaurant where tables were placed wide apart, giving couples their space.  
    Smiling politely to the couple next to them, Dan and Christine took their seats. Immediately, Dan noticed the slight color difference in the wooden beams of the table. The dark chocolate brown color on the beam wasn’t even, revealing a lighter shade of brown in the deeper grains of the wood.
    Shoddy workmanship. His lips curled as he heard Evelyn’s voice in his head.  
    It took certain skills and lots of practice to get such details right; details that Evelyn always paid attention to.
    “What’s good here?”
    He looked up from the table leg and noticed the menu on the table. He didn’t even realize that a waiter had come by. “I believe steak is their specialty,” he quickly answered.
    Christine nodded just as the waiter returned and took their orders. Once the waiter left, she turned to Dan and started asking him about work.  
    Five minutes into the conversation, Christine suddenly narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. Resting her chin in her hand, she asked, “Am I boring you or is there some place else you have to be?”
    “What? No, you’re not boring me, and I have nowhere else to go.”
    “Who is she?”
    He choked on the wine he was drinking. “What?” he said after coughing into his fist to clear his throat.
    “Who is she?” Christine repeated.
    “No one, no one important.”
    “I can see how upset you are just to say that she’s no one.”
    “Do you always talk about other women when you’re on a date?”
    “Is this a date?” Taking a sip of the wine, she smiled coyly at him. “I have no problem with holding a guy’s interest when I want to, but I also know when things aren’t mine to take.”
    Dan smiled wryly as he shook his head.  
    “Oh, come on. Sometimes it’s easier to talk to people you don’t really know than friends you’ve known for years.” She paused, and continued when Dan grinned at her words. “So, who is she, and why are you here with me instead of her?”
    “She’s made it clear that she