“Oh, Jane! You have the most wicked sense of humor.” The words carried across the room.
All evening, Jane had seemed immersed in talking to those around her, and not once had she even bothered to glare at Blake. She hadn’t uttered one word to him or looked once in his direction.
What does it matter? There are plenty of other people here.
Blake ignored the prickle of irritation in his chest and instead turned to face his companions.
“Rochester, you’re up. If Cressida’s team wins, she will be unbearable.” Richard met Blake’s gaze, his competitive spirit showing.
“Fret not, Glassbury. I won’t let you down.” Blake strode towards the center of the parlor, trying to think of a word or phrase to act out.
Jane was having an animated conversation with a woman Blake did not recognize as he took the floor. He cleared his throat, and most eyes turned to him. Jane’s did not.
A word came to him, and he grinned. He glanced at his companions and held up one finger, indicating that his phrase consisted of only one word. Then he held up two fingers and mimed that it was a long word.
“Long word, two syllables!” Nigel yelled excitedly.
Blake shook his head and lifted a single digit.
“Oh, one word, two parts?” Alexander asked.
Blake nodded and held up two fingers again.
“Second part,” Richard called out, leaning forward in his seat.
Blake mimed picking and holding a bouquet of flowers. There were several cries of “Gift! Present?” He shook his head and began to mime holding a flower and offering it to a woman. He emphasized exactly what made a woman with his movements, stealing half a glance at Jane.
She was still not looking at him.
“Flower?” Alexander asked.
Blake nodded.
A moment later, Richard grinned and yelled out, “Deflower?” which earned him a glare from his fiancée and a mock scandalized look from Blake. He went to the wall and knocked on it.
“No using props!” Jane scowled, but her words were drowned out by Alexander’s yelling, “WALLFLOWER!”
Blake nodded again as Richard rolled his eyes and said, “That’s a point to us.”
“Barely,” Jane muttered, disgruntled.
Out of the corner of his eye, Blake noticed that Jane had gone back to avoiding his gaze.
Well, let us see if this draws her in.
Again, he indicated that his phrase consisted of one word.
He began to dance a comic waltz. There were cries of ‘dancing,’ but he shook his head. His eyes flitted to Jane, and their gazes met for the briefest of seconds. She turned a delicate shade of red.
“Kissing!” Nigel yelled.
“Romance!” Richard called, jumping up in his excitement.
Blake shook his head and started dancing again, now taking pains to seem unsteady on his feet and a little disoriented.
“Drunk?” Richard called out.
Blake shook his head, again miming a kiss and then becoming unsteady on his feet.
