ties. The ties he wore to work every day and loathed them so completely that he only wore them to business lunches, weddings, and funerals. My father may be a bad example." She glanced around the restaurant. "There, I can see a young man in a tie from where I'm sitting."
Tyler took a quick glance over his shoulder then glared at Megan. "That young man is seven if he's a day."
"And he looks dashing in that bright red skinny tie."
"You like to poke fun at people, don't you?"
"I like fun, and I like light hearted. Have I offended you?"
He shook his head. "You throw me off balance sometimes. You're not like the women I usually date."
"Yeah, I'm an odd one. Compared to the farm kids, I was a city slicker, growing up. Then I moved to the BIG city for work and found I was nothing but a back water hick in a city full of people who looked down their noses on anything rural." She shook her head. "I felt like a fish out of water everywhere I went, especially the first time I came home. What a horrible visit."
He chuckled. "I can imagine. It was probably similar to the first time my parents visited my college dorm." He shuddered. "They almost pulled me out of school on the spot."
They ate in silence, sneaking glances at each other, and smiling. Finally Megan said, "So, you have two weeks. You're not here for any meetings or have any friends or family to visit?"
"Nope. I have a two week long blank slate to fill."
"You look so content when you say that."
"I feel content. You sounded like you had something in mind."
She beamed at him. "Well, I know where everything is, and when it's open, so why don't I help you fill that blank slate. Since you probably looked up our city's poor excuse for a tourism website, you know basically what there is in town?"
"Sure. But you grew up here, so what do you recommend?"
"You're a smart man, I like that. There's a new show at the art gallery, one of my favourite local artists." She frowned. "I'm sorry, you might find paintings of the prairie boring."
"No, I'm a huge fan of art."
"Any talent?"
He laughed. "Not a sliver. Even my stick people look horrible. But I took a few art history courses to fill in my earlier semesters."
"Well, maybe you'd like to come down with me. I was planning to go check it out tomorrow afternoon."
For a moment he caught a glimpse of the girl she must have been when she'd first set first in the big city, terrified that everything she thought was special or important would be instantly dismissed. Well, I came here to see local art and local history, didn't I? He smiled at her, reached across the table and took her hand in his. "I think I'd really enjoy that."
She smiled and the gratitude showed, then her usual sass slipped back into place. "Are you hitting on me?"
"Maybe just a little," he admitted. "Should I back off?"
She pushed her plate back with her free hand. "Did you want to share some dessert?"
"Yeah. That would be perfect."
***
After dropping Tyler off at the hotel Megan went the long way round to her parents' house to give herself time to think. She'd wanted a fling, maybe a night or two in bed with a sexy, toned man who she'd never have to see again. Instead she was telling him little snippets of very painful times in her past and letting him comfort her.
"Dammit, this is not what I need," she muttered. "Shape up girl, get over these damn insecurities. You've survived the big city for five years, you can survive one city slicker for two weeks. And you can rock his world at the same time. Tomorrow you keep it light. Keep it light and flirty and you just might get a little tumble out of the deal."
Her mother was waiting up for her. "You're actually home," Deborah said.
"I told you, it was just dinner. Okay, and one of those Mile-High Sundaes for dessert. I feel like a cat that got into the cream." She yawned and stretched. "You didn't
Tyler took a quick glance over his shoulder then glared at Megan. "That young man is seven if he's a day."
"And he looks dashing in that bright red skinny tie."
"You like to poke fun at people, don't you?"
"I like fun, and I like light hearted. Have I offended you?"
He shook his head. "You throw me off balance sometimes. You're not like the women I usually date."
"Yeah, I'm an odd one. Compared to the farm kids, I was a city slicker, growing up. Then I moved to the BIG city for work and found I was nothing but a back water hick in a city full of people who looked down their noses on anything rural." She shook her head. "I felt like a fish out of water everywhere I went, especially the first time I came home. What a horrible visit."
He chuckled. "I can imagine. It was probably similar to the first time my parents visited my college dorm." He shuddered. "They almost pulled me out of school on the spot."
They ate in silence, sneaking glances at each other, and smiling. Finally Megan said, "So, you have two weeks. You're not here for any meetings or have any friends or family to visit?"
"Nope. I have a two week long blank slate to fill."
"You look so content when you say that."
"I feel content. You sounded like you had something in mind."
She beamed at him. "Well, I know where everything is, and when it's open, so why don't I help you fill that blank slate. Since you probably looked up our city's poor excuse for a tourism website, you know basically what there is in town?"
"Sure. But you grew up here, so what do you recommend?"
"You're a smart man, I like that. There's a new show at the art gallery, one of my favourite local artists." She frowned. "I'm sorry, you might find paintings of the prairie boring."
"No, I'm a huge fan of art."
"Any talent?"
He laughed. "Not a sliver. Even my stick people look horrible. But I took a few art history courses to fill in my earlier semesters."
"Well, maybe you'd like to come down with me. I was planning to go check it out tomorrow afternoon."
For a moment he caught a glimpse of the girl she must have been when she'd first set first in the big city, terrified that everything she thought was special or important would be instantly dismissed. Well, I came here to see local art and local history, didn't I? He smiled at her, reached across the table and took her hand in his. "I think I'd really enjoy that."
She smiled and the gratitude showed, then her usual sass slipped back into place. "Are you hitting on me?"
"Maybe just a little," he admitted. "Should I back off?"
She pushed her plate back with her free hand. "Did you want to share some dessert?"
"Yeah. That would be perfect."
***
After dropping Tyler off at the hotel Megan went the long way round to her parents' house to give herself time to think. She'd wanted a fling, maybe a night or two in bed with a sexy, toned man who she'd never have to see again. Instead she was telling him little snippets of very painful times in her past and letting him comfort her.
"Dammit, this is not what I need," she muttered. "Shape up girl, get over these damn insecurities. You've survived the big city for five years, you can survive one city slicker for two weeks. And you can rock his world at the same time. Tomorrow you keep it light. Keep it light and flirty and you just might get a little tumble out of the deal."
Her mother was waiting up for her. "You're actually home," Deborah said.
"I told you, it was just dinner. Okay, and one of those Mile-High Sundaes for dessert. I feel like a cat that got into the cream." She yawned and stretched. "You didn't
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