Francine hummed softly as she put on her earrings, looking herself over in the mirror sitting on top of her vanity. She checked her lipstick, adjusted her glasses, and took a deep breath. Tonight was the big night for her and Rick.
Turning, she stepped out of her room, giving him her broadest smile. “Sorry for making you wait, Rick,” she said softly, purse in one hand. “I had to stay an extra hour at the bank.” Josie was supposed to cover for her, so that she could go on this date, but Josie had forgotten and booked herself somewhere else. Nothing unusual there.
“Oh, no problem, babe,” Rick said, leaning against the back of the couch. His suit jacket was unbuttoned, and he seemed completely at ease, looking up at her with his large, dark eyes. For a moment, her breath was taken away, and she thought back to the gossip she'd overheard earlier that day. Why would a man like Rick be interested in her, after all? She'd walked in in the middle of the speculation, causing their words to die away in an expanding ripple, and that was that. She already knew what Rick saw in her, and those girls could go to hell.