Page 69 of The Wedding Favor

“Yeah, so? I like musicals.”

“Whoa. Don’t get all defensive there, tiger.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I just never would have taken you for a musical lover.”

“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “And what did you take me for?”

“Something violent, for sure. Maybe with an angry woman who’s out for revenge.”

I scowled. “Whatever. Everyone seems to know me so well.”

He sat down on the opposite side of the couch. “But musicals?”

“Yes, I like musicals. And I like old movies. You know, classics. They’re all about the story and the characters. No one is blowing anything up or whatever.”

“You mean like Gone with the Wind or Casablanca?”

“Yes, exactly. I haven’t seen Casablanca yet though. I’m saving that one.”

“For what?”

I fidgeted with the hem of my t-shirt. “That movie is the stuff of legends. I’m saving it to watch with someone special, I guess.”

“That wasn’t the ex?”

I huffed a laugh. “Ah, no. Aidan is not a fan of old movies.” In fact, I could count on one hand the times I’d been able to talk him into watching one with me. It had always made me a little sad but I couldn’t expect my partner to love the same things I did, right? It wasn’t like I was knocking down walls to watch his boring financial news shows.

Abe kicked his bare feet up on the coffee table. The shorts he wore showed off a large eagle tattooed on his calf. I tried not to stare. He pointed at the paused television screen. “What’s it about?”

“Mostly kidnapping and Stockholm syndrome.”

“But with dancing?”

“And singing.”

He grinned slowly. My stomach fluttered and I looked away. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this giddy.”

I made a sound of disbelief. “I’ve never been giddy a day in my life.”

“Oh, excuse me. I didn’t mean to offend you,” he said very seriously, but his eyes shone with amusement.

Our gazes caught and held for a beat, then another. He smiled slowly and it felt like I could feel it in my toes. I blinked and hastily set the remote on the coffee table. “You’ve had a long day. I should get out of your hair.”

He touched my arm. I froze and tried to ignore the way his fingers felt on my skin, warm and callused, strong. Heat traveled down my arm at a slow, sultry pace. I frowned, confused at whatever this feeling was. Did he feel that?

My eyes darted in his direction and he seemed unfazed. I almost laughed out loud at myself. It had been a long time since I’d been out on a real date. A little male attention and I got all flustered. After this fake date, I needed to find a real date. That’s all there was to it.

“Wait,” he said. “You have me interested now. Wanna finish it?”

“Um…” It was probably not a good idea. “Sure.”

Abe picked up the remote. “Have I missed the kidnapping? That sounds like the best part.”

TWENTY-SIX

“Quality over quantity. Unless it’s money.”

—excerpt from the unpublished memoir,

Darling, I Must Say by Gloria Hayes