the refrigerator when she'd arrived the night before. Throughout their meal, Matt had entertained her with stories he probably thought made her forget what he was. A covert government officer, not that he'd ever admit such a thing. But honestly, how many people from Walton Springs had ever met someone named Seigfried?
The cold pizza was awful. Matt didn 't seem to notice or care, but then she supposed he ate a lot of cold meals. She, on the other hand, didn't care because she was listening to the soft rumble of his voice. She was with him. He'd put on a light blue dress shirt, which he hadn't tucked into his worn jeans. The conversation kept her eyes on his face.
She 'd put on the skirt and blouse she'd worn the night before. Work clothes, when she wished she had something sexy. Yeah, like she had tons of sexy things in her closet.
" Don't like cold pizza, huh?" he asked.
She smiled. At least he had no clue what she was thinking. "Not especially, no."
" I told Mom she should have installed a gas range. She does have a gas water heater, so if you want a shower—"
He cut himself off so suddenly, his eyes so focused on her mouth that she almost blurted out that she 'd take one if he'd join her.
Like that was going to happen.
"So," he said jumping up from the table to gather the plates. "What are you up to?"
" You mean work?" She stood and gathered the glasses wishing they could reclaim the ease of their old friendship despite whatever vibes she was putting out that made Matt careful not to touch her.
" Last time we ran into each other, you'd just finished with graduate school."
Over two years ago. She hadn 't seen him since she and her mother had come to his mother's annual Fourth of July barbeque. Wow. "I graduated. I'm at the community college library."
" A librarian."
" Yes, Plain Jane the Librarian. If I'd gone to the class reunion, I would have really gotten a dose of that. It's bad enough as it is, living in the same town."
" There's nothing plain about you, Janey." He looked straight at her, his voice low and fierce. "And the old librarian thing is now officially and totally debunked. No way do you look like that old stereotype."
Suddenly hot, Janey said, "You haven't seen me in my glasses and with my hair in a bun."
" I like it dow—" He dropped his gaze, grabbed a dish towel, and cleared his throat. "So, who are you dating?"
" Dating?"
" You know, movies, dinner. Dancing."
Dancing. Did he remember?
He must have seen her expression because he rushed on, "Not many places to do that around here, I guess."
Which made the pit he was digging for himself even deeper.
If he remembered.
" There must be now." He sounded flustered. "Not just the school dances, right? I mean, there are nightclubs. Down on the beach." He paused. She let him. The radio, volume low, had switched from the weather update to canned music. "There have to be."
She smiled. She wanted to laugh. He was uncomfortable. He did remember. But a little part of her warned that she 'd underestimated Matt before. What if he didn't?
She really wanted him to remember. Because she wanted to dance with him.
Get real, Janey. You don't just want to dance with him. You want to be close to him…to find out if being with Matt is everything you dreamed it would be.
" I think there are some places. I've never been."
" Never? You love to dance."
He did remember.
"My mom said you went to the senior prom with Ty Warner."
Because you wouldn 't go with me. Couldn't. God knew where he'd been by then.
" Yes, I did," she nodded. "It was nice."
" Hell, Janey. I know what happens at senior prom. Ty's a nice enough guy, but really?"
Janey wanted to shout her happiness. He remembered and he was jealous. "He didn't get past second base."
He smiled. One of those smiles she 'd missed. "Poor Ty," he said, but he didn't sound particularly sorry for Ty. "Whatever happened to Ty?"
" He's running his father's store on the beach. He married Anne Peterson."
"
The cold pizza was awful. Matt didn 't seem to notice or care, but then she supposed he ate a lot of cold meals. She, on the other hand, didn't care because she was listening to the soft rumble of his voice. She was with him. He'd put on a light blue dress shirt, which he hadn't tucked into his worn jeans. The conversation kept her eyes on his face.
She 'd put on the skirt and blouse she'd worn the night before. Work clothes, when she wished she had something sexy. Yeah, like she had tons of sexy things in her closet.
" Don't like cold pizza, huh?" he asked.
She smiled. At least he had no clue what she was thinking. "Not especially, no."
" I told Mom she should have installed a gas range. She does have a gas water heater, so if you want a shower—"
He cut himself off so suddenly, his eyes so focused on her mouth that she almost blurted out that she 'd take one if he'd join her.
Like that was going to happen.
"So," he said jumping up from the table to gather the plates. "What are you up to?"
" You mean work?" She stood and gathered the glasses wishing they could reclaim the ease of their old friendship despite whatever vibes she was putting out that made Matt careful not to touch her.
" Last time we ran into each other, you'd just finished with graduate school."
Over two years ago. She hadn 't seen him since she and her mother had come to his mother's annual Fourth of July barbeque. Wow. "I graduated. I'm at the community college library."
" A librarian."
" Yes, Plain Jane the Librarian. If I'd gone to the class reunion, I would have really gotten a dose of that. It's bad enough as it is, living in the same town."
" There's nothing plain about you, Janey." He looked straight at her, his voice low and fierce. "And the old librarian thing is now officially and totally debunked. No way do you look like that old stereotype."
Suddenly hot, Janey said, "You haven't seen me in my glasses and with my hair in a bun."
" I like it dow—" He dropped his gaze, grabbed a dish towel, and cleared his throat. "So, who are you dating?"
" Dating?"
" You know, movies, dinner. Dancing."
Dancing. Did he remember?
He must have seen her expression because he rushed on, "Not many places to do that around here, I guess."
Which made the pit he was digging for himself even deeper.
If he remembered.
" There must be now." He sounded flustered. "Not just the school dances, right? I mean, there are nightclubs. Down on the beach." He paused. She let him. The radio, volume low, had switched from the weather update to canned music. "There have to be."
She smiled. She wanted to laugh. He was uncomfortable. He did remember. But a little part of her warned that she 'd underestimated Matt before. What if he didn't?
She really wanted him to remember. Because she wanted to dance with him.
Get real, Janey. You don't just want to dance with him. You want to be close to him…to find out if being with Matt is everything you dreamed it would be.
" I think there are some places. I've never been."
" Never? You love to dance."
He did remember.
"My mom said you went to the senior prom with Ty Warner."
Because you wouldn 't go with me. Couldn't. God knew where he'd been by then.
" Yes, I did," she nodded. "It was nice."
" Hell, Janey. I know what happens at senior prom. Ty's a nice enough guy, but really?"
Janey wanted to shout her happiness. He remembered and he was jealous. "He didn't get past second base."
He smiled. One of those smiles she 'd missed. "Poor Ty," he said, but he didn't sound particularly sorry for Ty. "Whatever happened to Ty?"
" He's running his father's store on the beach. He married Anne Peterson."
"
Similar Books
The Raven's Gift
Don Reardon
Spanish Serenade
Jennifer Blake
Cat Telling Tales
Shirley Rousseau Murphy
Book 1 - Reap the East Wind
Glen Cook
The Star Caster
Jamie Loeak
Always and Forever
Beverly Jenkins
A Death in the Family
Caroline Dunford
House of the Hanged
Mark Mills
Lingering Touch: The Summer Park Psychics, Book 3
Cassandra Chandler
Our Little Secret
Starr Ambrose