The Dance

Chapter 187 Couples Night

The Brown men waited patiently at the Icy Strait lounge for their date night companions. Four handsome and freshly scrubbed Brown men were seated at the bar nursing sodas. All eyes in the room fell to the door as the chatter seemed to die down. The mostly male constituency weren't accustomed to seeing such a pack of pretty women enter their bar especially when they donned perfectly coiffed hair, makeup and dresses.

The girls surveyed the room and spotted their dinner companions at the bar. Lila led the way having to fend off offers of drinks. "Sorry boys, we're taken." Lila pushed by the other tables with her female posse in tow.

Jill slipped a hand on Matt's back. "Hey sailor, can I buy you a drink?"

"Awesome! You girls look extremely beautiful!" Bear's smile was so big it almost slipped off his face.

"Thank you, Sol. You always know how to make a girl feel special." Red kissed his cheek.

"Did you all plan the outfits?" Bam eyed Lila up and down. "I like."

The girls were purposeful in their color choices. Lila wore purple. Jill donned a green number. Red rocked Bear's signature color. Lucy, being the newcomer, was persuaded to wear blue.

"Doesn't Lucy look lovely, Gabe?" Bear bumped his shoulder as he caught sight of her. She looked pretty. Her long black hair hung loose and she looked more womanly than he remembered. Most times, he only saw her in her white baker's uniform but tonight he could see just how lovely she was. She actually had curves.

"Bear's right. You do look very nice. I don't think I have ever seen you out of your uniform."

Gabe offered her his bar stool. "Thanks. You clean up pretty well yourself."

Lucy seemed relaxed with the group already but she was close to Red and Bear and had met the other couples during their frequent visits to the bakery. They made her feel welcome immediately making her first date with Gabe seem less awkward.

"So boys, what's your plan for this evening? We didn't get dolled up to go to waste." Jill looked at Matt and Bam hoping they had an idea for the evening.

"You're not doubting our abilities are you?" Bam laughed. We thought we would get dinner here and then maybe a little dancing later.

"Dancing? Why Joshua Brown...you didn't forget."

Lucy leaned into Gabe. "What's so special about the dancing?"

Gabe whispered in her ear, "Matt and Bam fell in love with their wives at a dance."

"Really?" Lucy giggled. "You had better be careful, Gabriel, maybe that magic will run off on you."

"That wouldn't be so bad," Gabe thought it would be a wonderful idea for that to happen but at this point, Lucy obviously viewed this as just a friendly set-up sort of date.

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As they walked to the restaurant, Lucy heard her name called by one of the tables. She turned to see one of her regular bakery customers at the bar. He sauntered her way, giving her a wolf whistle. "My you look pretty this evening."

"Thanks Fin. I'm having dinner with friends." She pointed in the direction of the Brown party. 

"Which one of those guys is the lucky one?" Fin looked hard at the brothers and determined Gabe was her date. Lucy waved Gabe over to meet Fin.

"Gabe, this is Fin. He's one of the bakery regulars." Gabe offered his hand to shake but Fin paid him no attention instead addressing Lucy.

"Gonna be in the shop tomorrow?" He asked. Lucy was oblivious to the snub but it had not gone unnoticed by Matt.  Matt walked towards the trio and reminded Lucy and Gabe of their dinner reservation.

"See you tomorrow Muffin." Lucy waved goodbye as Gabe took the small of her back and guided her back to their dinner companions.

Matt looked at Fin, exchanged a few choice words in hushed voices, and went back to their respective corners. "Everything alright?" Jill asked as she was always a little wary of their encounters in town. Some people saw them as outsiders and weren't always very welcoming. Jill sensed this was one of those times.

"He's not a problem, Jill. I can handle whatever he wants to throw our way. Bam and I know who he is."

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Dinner was a fun affair especially since Jill nor Lila had to prepare it. When it came time for dessert, each couple split a delectable treat. Bam ordered the molten lava chocolate cake for he and Lila. Matt and Jill split a key lime cheesecake. Red and Bear opted for a wild berry cobbler leaving Lucy and Gabe to make a selection.

"I'll let you pick since you're the bakery expert." Gabe deferred to Lucy's choice.

Lucy pointed at the menu. "Have you ever had Baked Alaska?"

Gabe shook his head no. "What's in it?"

Lucy described in detail that it was a combination of cake and ice cream topped with a browned meringue. "It's a little bit of everything. I think you'll like it."

"Sounds like the trifecta of desserts."
Gabe looked at the waitress. "We'll try that one."

The desserts arrived to the delight of the girls who soon were exchanging plates across the table with one another sampling each other's sweets.

"Gabe, do you like our dessert?"

"There's not much I don't like about tonight." Lucy blushed and excused herself to the ladies room taking Red with her. Somehow women never seemed to be able to go to the restroom without a girlfriend in tow.

"I think he likes you Luce." Red fixed her lipstick. "He's a real sweetheart."

Lucy fiddled with her hair. "He's awfully nice but he doesn't talk much, does he?"

"I think he's just a little shy tonight. After all, it's his first date with you. Trust me, when he starts talking, he is almost as bad as Bear." Red laughed and grabbed Lucy to take her back to the table.

"Well gentleman, now that you have had sustenance, how about taking us for that dancing you promised?"  The girls were anxious to get the brothers out on the dance floor again. It wasn't everyday that they got to pretend they were footloose and fancyfree.

Orleans-Dance with Me