by Zoë Lane
“I’m getting tired of leading,” she said.
“Oh, we can stop.”
“No, no, keep up with me.” She moved us toward the center of the dance area. “Take the lead. Be a man.”
Ugh. Old people were emasculating. Was this what I had to look forward to? I’m going to die young.
“Nancy! I thought you weren’t going to dance today.”
She grinned at Rose’s silver fox. “Well, hello, Peter. I was inspired by this guy, who’s got two left feet. Oh! I’m sorry.” She looked nothing close to apologetic. “I was supposed to make you look good for your girlfriend.”
She effortlessly passed me off to Rose, who had in turn been released by Peter. In two seconds, Peter and Nancy whirled away.
Rose and I stood in the center of dancing couples. She looked up at me and lifted her arms. “Do you want to dance with me, or do you want to just stand here looking stupid?”
Dance, obviously. Anything to get her into my arms again. “I’m not exactly good at this,” I said while taking her hand. I slid my other hand to the small of her back and gently pulled her to me. As tiny as she was, she fit nicely, her hips just slightly below my waist. The song had switched to a slow one, and I could’ve thanked whoever was controlling the music. I could sway back and forth with the best of them.
“I don’t mind. Peter had me dizzy.” Her smile was wry.
“You looked like you were enjoying yourself.”
She laughed merrily. “And you looked terrified.”
“I just didn’t want to step on her feet.”
“Then it’s a good thing you let her lead.”
She smiled up at me, her eyes bright and full of amusement. No resentment. “I’m sorry,” I blurted. I didn’t want to hurt her. Shit, I didn’t want to hurt her.
A crease formed between her brows. “For what?”
“I snapped at you the other day, and I shouldn’t have.”
“Thank you, Landyn, but you already apologized. I forgive you.”
I felt lighter inside, although still embarrassed. I looked around at the couples dancing around us, then to the people who opted to sit out. Some were snoring in recliners, and others were either reading or playing board games. “This…has been educational.”
“Has it? I’d hope you would’ve found some commonalities with the people.”
“Well, George for one.”
“What about your grandparents? Do you see them often?”
I momentarily stopped dancing. Before Rose could say anything, I started swaying again. I had to swallow a couple of times to find my voice. “I never knew them.”
“They died before you were born?”
“I don’t know, maybe. My father never mentioned them, and my mother didn’t stick around long enough to tell us about them.”
“Landyn…”
It hurt my head to drag up that memory. A small apartment or house. Kind of dark, but it smelled like cookies. Lights from a tree. Probably Christmastime. “I only remember going to see… I think he was my mother’s father. I barely remember. Had to be before I was five. I just remember someone older smiling at me and shaking my hand. I haven’t seen him since. Couldn’t tell you his name.”
“I’m so sorry…”
“I’d like to think Alzheimer’s is both a blessing and a curse.”
She gave me a funny look. “What do you mean?”
“There are some memories I’d really love to forget. I’d give part of my brain to never have to remember them for the rest of my life.”
Rose had a thoughtful expression on her face. “I think these people would rather have both the good and the bad memories, if it meant never having to forget the good ones at all.”
Made sense. “What about your grandparents? Were you close to them?”
“Yes, and they’re still alive. Both sets.”
Both sets. I remembered not wanting to ever see the parents that had made my father. And I hadn’t. “You see them often?”
“Every once in a while. They came to my graduation. My father’s parents are both doctors, which makes sense since he’s one, and my mother’s are jet-setters.”
“Jet-setters?”
“She’s from Texas. They bought some land a few years back. Oil.”
“Ah. So you’re rich.”
She slapped me on the arm. “I’m not rich.”
“And you chastise me for my uppity behavior.”
“You know what chastise means?”
Her voice was higher-pitched, a feigned look of shock on her face while her eyes blinked a few times for effect. I jerked her into my body and she let out of gasp. “Yes, I know what it means,” I said, practically growling. I ground my hips into hers before taking a step back. Her mouth hung open as she breathed out, her cheeks coloring slightly. “I bet you’re going to inherit some of that money, so no more prejudice.”
“I’m not—”
“Uh-uh-uh. Don’t say something that isn’t true. You judge me for the girls, the fast cars, the lifestyle the money brings. I work hard for it. The grueling practices, the workouts to keep this body in shape—feel free to look—learning the mechanics of plays. I put in more those ten thousand hours to master my throwing ability and then some.”
“All right, you’ve made your point. I haven’t been in this job long, but I’m sure to put in ten thousand hours working for you.” Her lips quirked at the corners as she fought a smile. I wasn’t going to let her mouth get away with that.
“Speaking of more hours, you might have to with my father in town.”
“Your father? Is there anything I should know? Come to think of it…” She looked away, her mind working. “We really haven’t discussed your parents. I haven’t seen anything about them in press reports. He was a police officer, correct? He left the force some years ago and kind of disappeared off the grid. Last-known record had in him South Carolina. What is he doing now?”
Thorough. Very thorough. “Wait…how did you know—”
“We do our homework on all our clients. It’s my job to know your background.”
Of course it was. Bet she didn’t know everything.
“Well, you might see my father soon enough,” was all I said, feeling that my privacy had somehow been violated. It left me with a sense of being exposed—or maybe it was the dancing. I really was terrible at it.
“Why?”
Her curious brown eyes stared back up at me. If my father was faking the desire for a relationship for what I believed he was really after, then he might soon be a problem for the franchise. “He’s back in town. Married. Wants my money.”
“I’m sorry…I’m not sure how any of those connect except being back and wanting money.”
“We…are estranged.”
“Why?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Her hand gripped mine harder. “Landyn—”
“Look”—I interrupted what I knew would be a lecture on the importance of her knowing everything about me. Truth was, I couldn’t share it with her. Not this little mouse. She wouldn’t know how to deal with it. She could barely handle me, and I was only slightly uncooperative. “All you need to know is that he was always hard up for money. He showed up at practice the other day, claiming to want a fresh start. He’s lying his ass off.”
“So he just comes out of the blue now that you’ve got a multimillion-dollar contract.”
“Exactly.”
The song ended. I offered her my arm and escorted her away from the other dancers as they continued. “You said he’s married.”
“I don’t know who she is. Maybe he wants to provide for her, I dunno.”
“Do you know what kind of job he has?”
“No. We lost touch when I went to college.”
“Okay, I’ll get all the details from you after we finish here.”
Yeah, no. “You know his name. I’m sure you can find out the rest.”
She frowned. “You’re not going to make this easy fo
r me, are you?”
“How else are you going to put in ten thousand hours?” I winked at her and received her usual eye-roll. One day I’d see her eyes roll back into her head for another reason.
After a final photo-op, saying goodbye to George and the others, we walked to Rose’s car. “I had a good time today.” Which was true. I’d learned a lot about Alzheimer’s and old people in general. They could dance, had zero filter, and possessed some sort of extrasensory perception. Like superheroes, almost.
I changed my mind. I could live to be a silverback.
“Did you? I’m glad.”
I stared at the outside of the living facility, its lawn perfectly manicured with bushes and flowers brightening up the place. One would need it if they were resigned to spend their remaining years here. At least there was dancing and bingo.
“Yeah, I’ll be back. I’d like to see George again. Talk about old times.”
Rose chuckled. “You made a friend.”
“Not sure he’ll remember me, though,” I said softly, realizing that the next time I came, he might be frightened of me. Would any part of his mind hold on to our memories?
Rose touched my arm, dispelling my somber mood. “They’ll be days of clarity for him. He’ll remember you then.”
Man, she was so sweet. I stared down at her smiling face, her empathy and concern clear in those warm, dark honey-colored eyes. In my mind, I saw her in my arms, and then I felt her soft lips beneath mine. She accepted my kiss—briefly, before pulling back.
“Landyn…we can’t do this.”
I backed her up against my car, a familiar position. “And yet, we keep finding ourselves here.”
“Because you keep crossing the line.”
“Rose, you make it very easy to want to break the rules.”
“So it’s my fault?” Her voice held a bit of an edge.
I tightened my arms around her. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Please let go of me.”
I did not. “Have dinner with me.”
“A date?”
“Call it a business meeting, but yeah, a date. I’ll pay. You know I’m good for it.” Damn, that was bad. How was I so off my game? Guess I should’ve practiced on more hard-to-get women.
“You have to promise to never to kiss me again. I want to keep this professional.”
I groaned and released her. She was super annoying when in business mode. “I promise…”
“Promise…” she continued to prod.
“To never kiss you before the first game.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
I placed my hands on either side of her, trapping her in. I leaned in close, reading the fear in her eyes. She thought I was going to kiss her again, and she didn’t put up any sort of defense. I grinned. “That’s all you’re gonna get from me. Now, about our date.”
“Which won’t happen. I already have a date. Tonight, in fact.”
I took a step back. “What?”
“Do I need your permission?”
Not technically, except when I know she wants my kiss. “Who is he?” I asked, annoyed.
“A friend of the family. A doctor.”
“Oh, a smarty-pants. Trying to make me feel small?”
“No, I—”
“Sure you are. I’m just a stupid jock and Dr. Doctor is…a doctor.”
“I’m sorry, that’s not really what I intended.” She bit her lip.
I backed away further. “Forget about it. As long as he’s cool with us hooking up right after our win on Thursday.”
Her face tightened, her lips thinning. “I’m not hooking up with you.”
“Sure you are. Your lips want you to.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” She walked around the car and opened the passenger door.
I didn’t challenge her. I had already kissed her and no matter what came out of her mouth, her lips said something entirely different.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
ROSE
“You really should’ve worn the red dress.”
Another criticism from my mother.
“I bought it for you just for this dinner.”
Which is why I had worn a simple yellow one. I couldn’t let her control every aspect of my life, all the way down to choosing what I was to wear to dinner. The second my first full paycheck and bonus—for fixing Landyn’s reputation—landed in my bank account, my pen was going to ink my name on a lease for a new condo downtown, closer to my office. I’d already taken a tour and had fallen in love with view, the space, and the fact that there was an elevator. The windows in both the living space and the bedroom overlooked the James. It would cost nearly half my monthly pay, but when was freedom ever not costly? I had received a small stipend at the end of my summer internship and that had immediately gone into savings. It was all about goals.
And right now, the goal was to finish this dinner without being embarrassed.
Then move out.
Actually, finish the job with Landyn…
Still shocked that he had asked me to dinner. I’m not his type. Not my body, the fact that I could read, and my womb didn’t exactly flip every time he grinned.
It did vibrate just a little bit, and it pissed me off.
And I did not want to hook up with him. Not in the least. Even though the thought of his broad, perfect chest over mine, his—
Enough!
Ugh, I hated that I hadn’t smacked him for kissing me. Hated that I’d actually indulged in it for a second. A second! That was all it had taken for him to know that I wanted his body bad. Felt like I needed it.
I hated my virginity.
Hated it. Hated it. Hated it.
How was it that it was always more apparent how hungry I was for sex when kissed by a can-get-it-anytime-he-wants-it god?
And my dress was fine. Between Landyn and my mother, there was no way I would survive this night without biting someone’s head off. I just hoped it wouldn’t be Bryan’s. He was completely innocent in this setup. Probably under the same pressure I was.
My mother snapped her second earring into place and turned from the mirror on the side wall of our dining room to scrutinize me even more. “You need to look like a rose, Rose. Not a carnation. No one likes carnations. They’re cheap flowers you buy for people as an obligation. You don’t really care about them, or why you’re buying the flowers in the first place. If you want to show that you’re worth it, you should look like a flower that’s expensive and bought for special occasions that matter.”
“I like carnations,” I said weakly. Really I didn’t, but what could I say to counter that argument?
Her sweet smile of victory made me cringe. “Why don’t you go change?”
“She looks perfect just the way she is.” My father walked into the room and planted a kiss on the side of my head. “How are you, sweetheart? I’m sorry I’m late.”
“Well, you arrived before them,” Mother said in a dry tone.
“I had a last-minute consult that went long.”
“Do you think you’ll have to do surgery?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “Not yet. A drastic change in diet will have a more lasting effect than surgery. If I operate right now and his eating habits haven’t changed, then all of his arteries will need to be replaced, and it’ll just be more expensive, and riskier. I recommended he see a nutritionist and we do a checkup in a month.”
Cardiologists, much like brain surgeons, couldn’t wait to operate; to see one of the most fascinating organs of the body in motion. Yet my father was always seeking alternatives to surgery. He’d spent a lot of his residency studying Eastern medicine, usually opting for a more holistic approach to treating the body.
He loosened his tie and went to give his wife a kiss on the cheek, which she ducked. “Don’t take your tie off. We’re about to have guests.” She shoved the knot back into place, the look of discomfort—near choking—on my father’s face a metaphor for their marriage.
“Honey, it’s been choking me all day. In my own home at dinner, I’m not going to wear a tie.”
She huffed and put her hands on her hips, a stance that meant she was digging her heels in and wouldn’t budge from that spot.
My father yanked the knot down in one smooth stroke and flung the tie into the den, it draping over the sofa.
“Would you pick that up! You’ll have them think we’re slobs.”
He looked around the dining room, the chandelier crystals reflecting light over the crystal glasses Mom only brought out for special dinners, along with the china that accompanied them, and bouncing off the sterling silverware. “This place is immaculate, dear, as always. They wouldn’t possibly think we’re slummin’ it.”
“Slummin’ it, Dad?” I said with a chuckle.
His head jutted forward a few times and he winked. “I can be hip.”
I laughed.
“Rose, pick up your father’s tie and take it to our bedroom. And go change into the red dress.”
“Rose, don’t do a thing,” my father countered, his jovial mood diminished as his countenance grew dark. “I paid for this house, and my tie is staying right there on the couch I also paid for.”
My mother’s eyes narrowed considerably, and her nails had dug so far into her hips I could’ve sworn she’d punctured her dress. Her normally round face had chiseled into sharp lines of determination and ferocity. My father, too, appeared like he wouldn’t back down. Their locked gazes electrified the thick, dark cloud that had descended upon the room.
I’d always known a storm brewed just below the surface of their union. I just hadn’t expected it to explode over a tie. Something so innocuous, but literally a critical straw that could break the back of any camel.
I jumped at the sound of the doorbell. “That’s them,” I whispered and rushed toward the front door. All I could do was stall until one of my parents decided to be the bigger person and back down—at least until after our guests had left. I opened the door to a pair of strangers greeting me with strained smiles.
“Hi,” my voice cracked. “Welcome. I’m Rose.”
“Ah, Rose. Your mother has told me so much about you,” the woman said. “I’m Magdeline, and this is my husband, Harold.” I nodded while they parted like the Red Sea for their son. “And this is Bryan. He came home this weekend to take a short break from residency.”
