Out of Focus #SYTYCW15 Top10 Finalist! [COMPLETED]

20| The Date

Marshall sipped from his glass of wine, and tried not to anxiously check his watch. The reservation had been set for eight, he'd arrived maybe five minutes prior to that, and Eva had always struck him as the punctual sort. She'd be here. Even if only to tell him she'd changed her mind, Eva Turner wasn't the sort to leave a man high and dry without a perfunctory phone call to bail.

So why was he nervous? No, that wasn't the right word. Excited. And Marshall couldn't recall the last time he'd felt so eager on a first date. Or, as he tried to recall, the last time he'd showed up at a restaurant ahead of the woman?

Perhaps he was old-fashioned to think it was a man's place to pick-up and drop-off the woman, a mark of his mother's insistence that her boys grow up to be thoughtful and chivalrous gentlemen. But Eva was a far cry from the sort of woman he usually encountered.

She had a prickly, difficult and, some would say, abrasive quality, but he found her...refreshing.

And there was more there to be uncovered.

He'd seen glimpses and flashes of the woman underneath the hard shell that made him want to discover the rest. To strip her bare until he found the soft and supple promise of more than just her naked curves.

Eva wasn't about mincing words and Marshall had to admit he'd admired her candor. She'd made her reasons why both direct and plain; her intentions and motivations clear and without misinterpretation. She wanted the simple, the casual and the easy, which was all he was able to provide. This was likely to be one of the most exciting summer affairs he'd experienced in a very long time.

He felt her seconds before his eyes actually found her in the crowded restaurant, sort of an electric hum along the back of his neck that had the little fine hairs standing on end. And as he took in the pleasing little package, Marshall had to admit, with a pop of surprise, Ms. Turner cleaned up rather well.

Gone were the stressed jeans and shapeless t-shirts in favour of a bold, deep blue dress that showcased she had a lot going on beneath her usually shabby attire.

Particularly a pair of interesting legs, made endless thanks to sexy little heels. She'd freshened up her face with makeup, though she didn't wear much and certainly didn't need it.

The combined effect almost made up for the hatchet job haircut which she'd managed to style and soften in pleasing curls and waves to frame her lovely face.

Rising, Marshall pulled out her chair. "Ms. Turner."

Eva slid into the proffered seat, crossed a leg and thanked God she'd managed to cross the length of the dining room without breaking her neck. Why oh why had she let Jenelle talk her into the shoes was a question she'd wrestled with all the way to the restaurant.

He'd seemed anxious when she saw him sitting there, all alone with only a bottle and couple of glasses for company. His hair tied back, the golden tail skimming the crisp collar of a navy shirt tucked into grey slacks cuffed at the ankle.

All easy masculinity wrapped up in casual elegance.

The second he'd locked eyes on her, the way his face had lit up with surprise and heat and stunned male pleasure; his gaze sliding all the way down to rest on those pumps...was enough to weaken the knees. Eva had to give Jenelle her dues for hitting the mark.

This time.

"I'd ordered this while waiting. I hope you're partial to merlot."

She watched as he poured out a glass from the bottle had he waiting on the table. The deep, full-bodied red glowed in the low lighting.

"Wine is wine." Eva raised her glass, took a sip and allowed the lush, spicy notes to dance along her tongue. "But this is delicious." She sipped again, humming with appreciation. The ambience steeped in old world charm and modern sophistication. Because it was a fine, soft evening the windows were thrown open, allowing the evening breeze to float around them, carrying with it a hint of salt and the steady rush of waves.