He'd been watching her form the corning, sipping his wine as she was escorted to a table and given a menu. A young woman, pretty red hair and a shy smile, wearing a black dress meant to entice. Several times in the next ten minutes, she looked from the menu to the door, expecting someone who was obviously. Smiling, he stood and walked to the small table. "Hello young lady."
Not a particularly large man, but still an aged gentleman with speckled black hair and a body built on daily workouts, Garold still had quite the presence. "Mind if I join you miss?"
She blinked up at him, as if she were shocked he actually took a seat. Her pretty brown eyes reflected an objection, but she didn't voice it.
He took the menu from her and placed it on the table. "Order the grilled salmon with herb potatoes. Its the best here. He's not coming you know. Any man who intended to meet such a lovely lady would be here on time."
She blushed a little and glanced at the door. "Well, he is usually late. There was a game tonight... and all." Clearly the embarrassment stirred for both herself and him.
"Is he a professional?"
If possible, her blush turned two shades redder. "No just... high school."
Inwardly, he felt his heart beat faster. He realized she was young, but not that young.
The waiter arrived, and he ordered for them both. "Oh, and a wine for the lady please."
"Of course Mr. Brunswick."
Her eyes widened a bit and she leaned forward, whispering. "Mr. Brunswick. I am not 21."
He smirked a bit. It was always better when she offered up the information rather than he asked. "Don't worry. They know me here. And Call me Garold."
She seemed nervous again, but not too nervous. "Nina."
"Beautiful name... Nina." This time, he locked eyes with hers, and they held the gaze for several minutes.
Conversation was light, unimportant until dinner the food came. Only then did he began drilling her gently throughout the night. He found out this was their one year anniversary with a jock name Daniel. She was local but didn't come downtime very often, and certainly not at night. Nina didn't drive and rode buses instead... she was a senior in high school. It didn't take long to find out she was at odds with her parents, her less than stellar boyfriend and even her friends who didn't understand why she would want a fancy dinner rather than spend the night at an after the game party.
When they finished their meal, he reached over, and gently rubbed his hand against her hand. "I understand."
Nina smiled hesitantly, sipping her third glass of wine. Already, her eyes glistened a bit more than they did when he first sat down.
"Why don't you come with me? He's already an hour later, and the night is still young. It would be a waste to have you dress up so nicely and not go dancing." His gaze swept over her body, making her shift self-consciously although a light smile formed. What woman didn't like getting a man's attention like this, especially one that treated her to dinner and made her nearly forget about her missing boyfriend.
Hesitantly, she nodded and stood as he pulled the chair out for her. He wrapped his arms around her bare shoulders and led her away from the restaurant towards the hotel. On their way, he stopped and picked up a rose, putting her more at ease.
They approached the hotel and she paused. "A.. hotel?"
Garold simply smiled and nodded. "Yes, haven't you heard of dancing in hotels."
Naturally, she wasn't sure but she nodded just the same. "Right...."