Now it was the night of the dinner, and she was abominably nervous. Should she tell him tonight or leave it a while? He was so understanding she wanted to get it over with and be honest and open about it. But selfishly, she also wanted to get to know him better before running the risk of losing him. Ah well, she wasn't going to make any decision, she'd just have to let the moment take her.
Suzanne slipped into her black dress and watched as the sheer fabric settled round her breasts, clung to her stomach and flared over her hips. The doorbell rang, and she quickly added a choker and shoes before dashing down to answer it.
James' face said it all. She looked a million dollars. He took her hand and brushed a kiss onto the back as they stared into each other's eyes. He looked good too in tailored trousers and open neck shirt.
There's definitely chemistry here, she thought. Then she felt him turn her hand over and brush the palm with another kiss, which sent shivers up her spine and made her traitorous nipples harden again. She knew that they would show through the fabric of her dress, and sure enough she saw his eyes widen slightly and the corners of his mouth turn up.
What she didn't expect, and she thought she could get very attached to, was his quirky remark, "Nice to see you too!"
Suzanne felt herself blush slightly as she grinned at him. She loved the way his remarks were unconventional, and the way he then took her hand and lifted one eyebrow to ask if she was ready to go. She reached back for her purse and followed him out of the door. James opened the door of his car and she was conscious of his eyes on her as she slipped in and pulled her long legs in after her.
When they arrived at the restaurant he had chosen she realised it was the one she had always wanted to go to with the live jazz band. They were shown to a table in the corner near the band, which was playing Norah Jones' "Don't know why". She was telling him about seeing Stacey Kent live, and he commented on how clear her voice and diction was. Norah Jones had opened the restaurant named after her song, and had allowed them to use her song once each night.
While they were scanning the menu, they started exchanging basic information about themselves. He'd been to a private school, university and into computers. His face lit up when he was talking about the changes in direction in his career in computing, and it was clear he loved his job. She told him about her job as a teacher, and realised that he must see her love of the students in her face too.
As Suzanne began to realise that they were not only complimentary, but also had a lot in common, the fear of telling him about her secret grew.
When they were finishing the main course, he suddenly said, "Penny for them."
She was startled, and realised she had been miles away thinking about it. "Can we dance before we order dessert?" she asked.
He took her hand and she felt a tingle at his touch which made her even more certain that what she was going to do was right.
The package
The dance was a slow one, just what she needed for what she was about to say. "James, we really get along well, and I want to be completely honest from the start." She felt his arm tighten around her -- a good sign that gave her voice a little more confidence. "I need to tell you about my secret right now, because I don't want anything to come between us later. I've been hurt too many times." "There's nothing much between us now, and I'd like to get to the stage where there's nothing at all." His usual quirky response made her heart lift and she grinned up at him.
She saw his eyes grow stormy at the thought and realised that she wanted that too. Then she felt really serious as the importance of the next few moments invaded her whole being, so that he continued, "Hey, I'm sorry. Whatever you have to say, let me tell you that you are gorgeous and as of this moment I want to know you better. Of course I can't promise that my reaction to whatever your secret is will be what you hope, but I can promise that I will take you very seriously, and that I will discuss it with you even if it forces us apart."
Suzanne just about remembered to breathe. "You see," she faltered, "I've lived with this all my life. My father left my mother over it." She noticed that his face was as concerned as the first time he met her. "My mother made a stand for me and refused to let the surgeons cut me about, and my father couldn't live with it."