Under Mr Nolan's bed

She went down, and I heard her father gasp and everything went very quiet.

“Daddy?” Erica’s voice was trembling.

“Oh my god,” he murmured, and I couldn’t help peeking around the railing to see him coming toward her, his eyes sweeping over her. “You look…

beautiful.” He hugged her, tilting her chin up and kissing her mouth. It was a short 160

kiss, but it was a kiss and something clenched in my belly. “You look exactly like your mother.” He smiled down at her.

“Okay, stop.” Erica pulled away from him. “Before you make me cry and run my mascara.”

“Leah?” He looked up the stairwell, and I started down, careful in my heels.

Erica was standing beside him, smiling up at me, but I could only see his eyes, they way slipped up my long, slender legs, past the hemline of the dress, lingering on the bodice before meeting mine.

“Well?” I asked, twirling.

He cleared his throat, and the expression on his face was odd, almost perplexed. “You’re stunning.”

“Told you!” Erica grinned. “But I bet she doesn’t look like my mother.”

“No,” he breathed, touching my cheek. “She looks like her mother.” I laughed. “I don’t know if that’s a compliment.”

“When she was young.” He returned my smile. “Are you ready?” I frowned at him, cocking my head. “Yeah, let’s go.”

“I get to drive!” Erica held her hand out for the keys. We both groaned, but he gave them to her, and we managed to make it to the restaurant without a major accident, even though she blew through two stop signs and blamed it on her platform heels.

“Alinea’s!” I gasped when we got out of the car. I’d been too busy covering my eyes and praying on the way over to pay attention where we were going.

“I told you-expensive.” Mr. Nolan’s hand was pressed into the small of my back as he steered me into the restaurant and Erica followed.

“My mom loves this place,” I whispered as we were met by the maitre'd.

“You’ve been here?” Mr. Nolan looked disappointed as he gave the man his name.

“No.” I shook my head as he held out my seat. The maitre'd held Erica’s for her, and she smiled a thank you up at him. It was the first time I noticed that he was young-and cute. “She just talked about it until my ears were bleeding.” My voice was hushed as I stared around at the strange, modern decor.

“I feel like I’m on the set of Star Trek,” Erica whispered.

Mr. Nolan laughed and ordered a bottle of wine. When it arrived, he poured three glasses, and Erica and I grinned at each other but didn’t say anything as we sipped it.

“My name is Charles and I’ll be your server this evening. Have you been to Alinea before?” It was the cute maitre’d who had seated us and brought us the bottle of wine. I shook my head at him, but he was looking at Erica.

“I have.” Mr. Nolan smiled. “But you can give the girls the full treatment.”

“Oh yes, Charles,” Erica purred, practically batting her eyes at him. “I’d love the full treatment.”

“Subtle, Erica,” I whispered under my breath, feeling Mr. Nolan chuckling silently beside me.

“We have two options on our menu, the tasting experience, or the tour…” Charles went on, but I wasn’t listening to him, because Mr. Nolan’s hand had found its way to my knee and his index finger was tracing lazy circles up the skin of my inner thigh, sending shivers through me.

I glanced at him, but his attention was focused on the waiter, or at least it seemed to be, except his hand kept pushing my dress up higher. His fingers reached my panties, brushing over the slightly damp crotch and I gulped, crossing my legs and turning slightly away from him.

He raised his eyebrows and, leaning in toward me, he whispered, “I want the tasting experience.”

I nudged him playfully with my shoulder, turning my attention back to Charles. He seemed to be waiting for something.

“The tour,” Mr. Nolan told him. “I’m giving the girls a real treat tonight.” He nodded, smiling at Erica as he passed and she looked over at me with stars in her eyes.

“Isn’t he adorable?”

I looked after his retreating form. “You could do worse.”

“We are not taking home any cute waiters.” Mr. Nolan raised his eyebrow at Erica.

She laughed. “Oh come on, Dad, can’t I keep him?”

“Shh!” I motioned with my eyes as Charles came back with three small plates and put one before each of us. I stared at the tiny white and pink blob balanced precariously on a delicate leaf. Erica met my eyes and I tried not to laugh at the look on her face.

“This is our first course of twenty-four.” Charles smiled. “A frozen lozenge of sour cream, topped with a layer of shaved salmon, sitting on a sorrel leaf.” We were really supposed to eat it?! I looked over at Mr. Nolan and he nodded to me. Erica was poking at it with her fork, like she was sure it was going to spring back to life somehow.

“You can use the shoot as a handle.” Charles leaned down to her, pointing out the leaf stem.

“Oh.” Erica’s eyes widened at me, as if she were asking me for a way out.

“After you,” I said, watching her glance up at Charles and smile weakly as she picked the leaf up by the stem like she was holding a rat by the tail.