She closed her eyes and ignored the high noon showdown going on. Sam wouldn’t be getting up and going home, so she was free to drift off to sleep in his arms tonight. She’d wake up the same way in the morning, just as she had the morning before and the morning before that. It was a comfortable pattern and he hadn’t spent a night at the bed-and-breakfast for several weeks, at least.
She was almost asleep when he popped her bubble. She should have known it was coming by the way his body stayed tense rather than relaxing into a post-lovemaking languid state. And the way he kept clearing his throat as if he was going to talk, then not saying anything.
“So Marsha’s Spring Fling fundraiser is next week,” he finally said in a very casual tone that set off alarm bells in her head. “I was hoping maybe you’d come with me.”
She’d known it would come up eventually, but she’d been hoping eventually would be a long time coming. “I have to work.”
“I bet you could switch shifts if it was important to you.”
“It’s not important to me.” She rolled back to her side of the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “That’s the point.”
She thought maybe that was the end of it, but then he sighed and turned off the television. Through the corner of her eye she saw him roll over to face her, but she kept her gaze on the ceiling.
“Is that so much to ask? One fundraiser?”
Of course it was too much to ask because if she went, he’d ask her again. And again and again and again. Before she knew it, she’d be Paulette Atherton again, broiling under the intense spotlight of her parents’ disapproval.
“I told you I’m not that person anymore.” She kept her voice level, but inside she was screaming. How could she have been so stupid as to think there was a chance in hell this would work? That was his world. Of course he was going to go back to it. And try to drag her with him.
“Putting on a nice dress and attending a function with me doesn’t change who you are. And it’s just one evening. What could it hurt?”
It could hurt her, that’s what. Maybe it was different being the only son of parents who actually seemed like nice people, because he’d obviously never felt inadequate under a parent’s censoring glare.
When she didn’t say anything, he nudged her with his knee. “Okay, so you’re not ready yet. Don’t get all bent out of shape about it.”
“If you’re going to hang out and wait until I’m ready to go back to Boston, you might want to get really, really comfortable.”
He moved closer to her and propped himself up on his elbow so he was looking down at her, which pretty effectively blocked her view of the ceiling and gave her no choice but to look at him. “Paulie, don’t make a bigger deal out of this than it is.”
“It is a big deal because it means you haven’t been listening to me.”
“I listen. It’s one of the more fun and casual events on the social calendar, so I invited you. You don’t want to go. No big deal.” He leaned down and nuzzled below her ear. “It’s not the first time you’ve rejected me, you know.”
“Probably won’t be the last, either.” She turned her head to give him better access to her neck.
He skimmed over her neck and headed straight for her breasts. “I’ll risk it.”
***
Beth knew something was up when Paulie showed up wearing a black sweater and flats with her jeans rather than her usual sports jersey and sneakers. It also looked like she’d gone easy on the eyeliner.
“You’re awfully dressed up just to go to lunch.”
Paulie looked down at herself. “I’m hardly dressed up. And I’m, uh…meeting Sam after for…something.”
She was such a bad liar. “If we were going somewhere somebody might take pictures or something, you’d tell me, right? Because you’re my best friend.”
“I’m not telling you anything because Mrs. Kowalski is fierce. But a dab of lip gloss might not hurt.”
“Give me five minutes.”
“Not too much,” Paulie called after her, “or people might wonder why you got all dolled up just to go to lunch with me.”
Ten minutes later, Beth managed to lower herself into Paulie’s Miata. “You’re going to need a crane to get me out.”
“Yeah, thought about switching vehicles with Kev, but we’d need a crane to get you up into his Jeep. Either way, not gonna be pretty.” She got in herself and fired up the ignition. “You know, you’re the only person I know who doesn’t own a car.”
“It’s only a matter of time before I’m fishing week-old Cheerios out of my minivan seats. Enjoying my freedom while I still can.”
A few minutes later they pulled up in front of a beautiful restaurant known for its function room and Beth managed to hoist herself out of the tiny car without making too much of a spectacle of herself.
“You better look surprised,” Paulie hissed before they went in, “Or Mrs. K will tear me a new one.”
She didn’t have to pretend. Even though she’d suspected it was baby shower day from the minute Paulie walked into her apartment, she hadn’t expected it to be so…much. Balloons and streamers and banners.