Chapter 8 Dinner with Steve

She forgot about calling Mr. Robins bit one afternoon, three days after the date, he came into the office and after speaking to her boss, asked to speak with her.

Her boss had been more aloof since the date than usual and Violet could not fathom the reason for that. Not that she cared anyways.

Clark was acting more subdued towards her. He was still friendly but he seemed to have withdrawn from her imperceptibly.

'Violet, you promised to call but didn't, I waited for your calls but did not receive any', Steve said as he was left with her.

'Was it too much to ask that you call me? What is the problem exactly?'

'I forgot. I am sorry'.

'You forgot? I thought that I felt an answering attraction from you. Could I have been mistaken?' Steve asked.

Her boss came then to give her a file.

'Excuse me', he said looking at both her and Steve with an amused smile.

The smile irked Violet that she said without thinking.

'I shall have dinner with you tonight', before Damien could le as ve her office completely. She wanted him to hear it and she was sure he did because he hesitated at the door before shutting the adjoining door.

Steve looked at the door and at Violet speculatively.

Violet knew that she had made a mistake. She was going to tell Steve off but had ended up accepting his date proposition. She had in fact chosen the day and time herself and there was no turning back.

It's only a date and I can tell him how I feel tonight. It would be a more private place to tell him that I am not interested than here at the office, she thought.

They met that evening, Violet and Steve and Violet had to admit that he looked quite handsome in his tuxedo. His long dark brown hair reaching his shoulders and his dark suit flattering his brown eyes.

They sat and spoke.

Violet had planned on telling him that she was not interested, she did not want to be unfair to him and get his hopes up and though her father had been happy that she was finally going out with a man of her own volition, his eyes hadn't been filled with joy the way it had been when Damien had come for her a few days ago.

Where his greeting of Damien had been effusive, it had been curiously subdued tonight with Steve.

Violet attributed it to the fact that Steve was a stranger to her father whereas he had known Damien for years, long before Violet had even seen him.

The waiter came and after looking at the menu, they placed their orders and the waiter went to get their orders.

Violet looked at Steve now. 'Steve, I am really flattered that you like me', she said looking at him with a pleading smile. 'I like you too but not in the way that you would want'.

'Violet, you haven't even given us a chance. How do you know you will not come to like me in the way a woman likes a man?'

'I just know. I am not ready for any relationship with any man at the moment'.

'Who was he?'

'Who was who?'

'The man that hurt you?'

'No one did but right now, I do not feel attracted to any man'

'And you do not have anyone special in your life?' he asked looking at her intensely.

'No! I just said that I do not have anyone in my life'.

'What of your boss?'

'You mean, Damien - er Mr. Douglas'?'

'So it's Damien then?' Steve smiled at her.

The waiter came back with their orders and they paused, but continued speaking where they had stopped when the waiter moved away to another table .

'He is a close associate of my father before I came to work for him', she explained. 'It is none other than that'.

'I would have sworn that I could feel sparks flying between you two', he said looking at her with narrowed eyes.

Violet was astonished. If he had felt sparks, then it must be their animosity towards each other and not what he thought but she felt that she owed him no explanation and did not say anything but smile and dug into her plate of food.

Then she raised her head,' Damien and I have no such feelings towards each other. Our relationship is expressly that of an employer and his employee. You must have imagined the sparks'.

'I hope so, Damien is not an easy rival', his smile was easy this time. 'I respect your decision of not getting into any relationship at the moment, and since Damien is out of the picture - now that I know I do not have to compete with him, I believe there is still hope. I shall wait till you are ready. I am a patient man. But could we be friends in the meantime?'

Violet did not like it that he wanted to wait for her. She felt that she would never be truely ready but it would seem uncivil to insist, so she smiled at him and they continued with their food, Steve adopting a lighter, jovial tone and soon, Violet forgot about his initial intent.

Steve had planned to take her to the beach, so they could spend some there and talk about each other but he knew that she might misconstrue it. He decided to leave for when they knew each other well enough that there would be no distrust or doubt.

He drove her back to her house and gave her a brotherly kiss on the cheek when he opened the door for her to alight from the car in front of her house.

Violet was glad the night was over but she had to admit that Steve was good company. She had thought that her rejection would make the atmosphere awkward but Steve had risen to the occasion and there had been no such tension in the air.

He had taken the rejection, fairly well. In fact, he had taken it very well and made the most of the situation and turned the night to a night out between friends and not prospective lovers.

Violet smiled as she undressed.

'How was your date?' her father shocked her by asking. She had not heard him enter. He had been out when she had come in.

'Great. Thanks', she said smiling.

Her father looked at her smiling face and felt that the date must have turned out better than he had envisaged.

'He did not misbehave with you did he?'

'Dad, he did not and by the way, I am an adult now and can take care of myself'.

'I know that but no matter how grown you become, you will still be my baby girl'.

'Rest assured that your fears are unfounded. Steve is actually a better man than I gave him credit for'.

Jeremy shook his head. So, she had had her doubts as well? His little girl was becoming really wise.

'It's enough for me that you had a great time. You must be tired', he said smiling at his daughter. 'Goodnight'.

'You stayed quite late at the office today. Any reason why?'

'I went to see Stanley Hermione and his wife. I had dinner at their place', he replied.

'That explains it then. All right good night dad. Go and have your rest and be fresh for work tomorrow.

He looked at her and his heart swelled with love and pride and he hugged her before going into his room, not wanting her to see his tears. He felt that she must be lonely and missing her mother and sister and wanted everything to be all right for her.