After Heather had left for Boston, Tracy was surprised not to find Heather in the lounge during her usual break. Concerned, she went to go ask Marcy if Heather was held up in a meeting.
"No," Marcy replied while typing something on the computer. "She went to Boston for a conference. She won't be back for a few days."
Tracy looked bewildered. Surely, Heather would have mentioned going away. "When did this evolve?"
"Just a while ago," Marcy truthfully said. She stopped looking at her monitor and looked at Tracy, "Did you hear Ms. Mills got engaged to that guy she was seeing?"
Tracy almost passed out by what Marcy just said and sighed, "No, obviously, I've been out of the loop."
Later that evening, the Mills', with the exception of Heather, were getting ready to eat dinner around 7 when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" Lalie jumped up from the couch while watching the NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.
Lalie opened the door to find Kevin standing there dressed up but also a little casual.
"Hi, Kevin!" Lalie exclaimed. "How are you?"
"Hey, Lay. I'm doing good," Kevin replied while looking into the living room for any sign of Heather. "Is Heather ready?"
"Oh, I guess she didn't tell you either like she didn't tell me," Lalie sighed.
"What do you mean?" Kevin curiously asked.
"She went away to Boston for a few days," Lalie explained.
Kevin was taken aback and admitted, "I had no idea."
"Mom told me when I came in. It was very last minute," Lalie replied according to what Carole had told her.
"I can see that. Well, would you like to go for a business dinner then?" Kevin asked before leaving without his fiancée.
Lalie pondered the thought but quickly answered, "Yes! Is what I'm wearing okay?" she asked as she looked down at her attire.
"It's perfect to me!" Kevin replied with a smile.
Lalie told Carole where she was going and she left with Kevin.
Inside the car, Lalie wanted to know if he and Heather had set a date for their upcoming nuptials.
"No, not yet," Kevin truthfully replied. "We agreed the other night that we'd have it as soon as possible, though."
"Certainly not wasting any time," Lalie said in a monotone fashion.
"We are both looking very forward to it," Kevin confirmed.
Small talk continued between Lalie and Kevin as they headed to their eating destination.
"Is a buffet okay?" Kevin asked, debating whether to make a left or a right at the light. The left would take them to Capelli's and the right would take them to Buffet Booth.
"Anything is fine. I'm not really that hungry," Lalie replied, having eaten a late lunch at work today.
"Neither am I," Kevin admitted, making a right to go to the buffet.
When they got to Buffet Booth and went inside, Kevin took out enough money to pay for two adults, and went up to the cashier at the desk and got seats for two adults and paid her the money.
"Are you silly, paying for me like that?" Lalie nervously asked, taking out her purse to pay the cashier.
"Put that away," Kevin said looking at Lalie's purse. "It's my treat tonight."
Lalie couldn't help but smile and jokingly jabbed Kevin in the arm as they headed to their table. They sat by the buffet stand. They put a sign on their table so customers coming in knew the table was reserved. Lalie and Kevin headed up to the buffet and picked up chicken, vegetables and mashed potatoes.
"I guess we are eating rather lightly tonight," Kevin joked, looking at Lalie's vegetable platter with a salad.
Lalie laughed. "Well, I did take a late lunch today. And, mister," Lalie joked pointing her fork at Kevin, "Next time, you won't be paying for me! That was silly!"
"I'm the silly one? You're the one who's pointing at a fork at somebody. Should I get the cops?" Kevin teased.
Lalie put down her fork and laughed, "You don't have to get the cops!"
Lalie tried thinking of somewhere they could go so she could pay this time. She asked, "Do you want to go bowling so we can burn off this meal?"
"There's not that much to burn off but sure! It's been a while since I went bowling," Kevin replied.
"Me, too. I think, my last game, I bowled an 84. How awful!" Lalie laughed.
"I probably won't do any better," Kevin said while getting up and putting on his coat.
Lalie stood up and left a tip for the bus boy who would clean up their dishes.
On the way to the bowling alley, Lalie looked through her purse to make sure she had enough in there for two bowlers.
Lalie and Kevin entered the bowling alley and Kevin again took out his wallet.
Lalie put her hand on Kevin's hand to stop him from taking money out of his wallet and softly said, "No, now it's my turn."
Lalie paid and they put on their bowling shoes and headed to the bowling alley.
They bowled for about 30 minutes before taking a break. Kevin bowled a 160 and Lalie bowled a 91.
"I don't understand what happened," Lalie sighed staring blankly at the alley. "I've never had so many gutter balls before."
"I think it's just the way you throw the ball down that alley," Kevin pointed out trying to show her how she does it.
"I don't do it like that," Lalie replied while watching Kevin's imitation.
She put their names back in and started a new game. Lalie went up to the alley and threw another ball down the alley. Again, it was a gutter ball. Kevin walked up and tried to show her how to do it. He leaned over her and grabbed her arm and tried to hold her hand steady and position the way that she should throw it. Lalie looked up at Kevin and there was a moment of tension between them. She quickly looked back down at her hand and they threw it down the alley. It was a spare!
"Well," Lalie observed the pins go down, still feeling tension, "That was a good position."
"I just hope you can remember it for the rest of the game," Kevin replied going back to his seat.
"Oh, I'm sure," Lalie answered with certainty.
The rest of the game went rather well. Lalie scored over a 110 this time. However, Kevin still won with a 144.
"I give up," Lalie jokingly declared.
"You did better!" Kevin made her feel better. "Are you sure you want to go?"
"It's getting late and we have work tomorrow," Lalie replied. "Marcia, Jenny and I are supposed to have lunch tomorrow in the cafeteria!"
"I think they're serving meatballs tomorrow in the cafeteria," Kevin tried to remember what the special was tomorrow.
"That'll be good," Lalie said as she and Kevin changed into their regular shoes before leaving.
Before Lalie left the car, she thanked him for paying for two at that buffet. He thanked her for paying for two at the bowling alley and said he'd wait until she got in before he left.
Lalie walked up her driveway and opened the door with her key. She waved back to signal that she made it in.
Lalie stood by the door and watched Kevin pull away. "Why can't there be more single men like that?" she sighed in thought before heading up the stairs and going to bed.
Chapter 24
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