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“We’re talking about you.”
“She was worried that everything came so easily to me and that I’d think that was the way it should be.”
“Easy things don’t sound too bad.”
I noticed her taking another little bite of the pie. Breaking her one-bite rule, and it was hard to blame her. The pie was delicious.
“She said marriage wasn’t something I should be able to control.”
“Your parents were big on marriage.”
“They just loved each other a lot. But enough about this. Tell me more about your mom.”
She tilted her head back and forth, the sun gilding her hair and eyes.
“She was an understudy for the Follies. Which was a big showgirl troupe in the 80s. And she made it sound like being a showgirl was the most glamorous, exciting job a woman could have. And so it was the only thing I wanted to be.”
“And is it? Glamorous and exciting?”
“Yeah. And also grueling. And a little scary.”
“What do you mean?”
“You have to stay at a hundred percent all the time. This ankle of mine, it’s not healing great. The doctor is worried I did some lasting damage to the ligaments, which, you know, in any other job wouldn’t make a difference.”
“But in your business—”
“It’s the difference between being employed and not being employed. Plus I’m twenty-eight.”
“You want me to take you out behind the barn and put you out of your misery?”
“You think that’s a joke? Thirty is ancient.”
“Sounds like you need a new business.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“You can do anything, Lexie.” I leaned across the table, right into her face. “You are capable and smart and exceedingly likeable.”
She blushed again and it was all I could do not to stand up and kiss her, right here in front of the entire diner. Half of whom were already watching us with eager expressions.
“That’s nice of you to say, Ethan. But you don’t know me.”
“I’m getting to know you and so far it’s very true.”
“Excuse me.” A woman I didn’t recognize came in. “Are you Lexie, from the Kringle Inn?”
“I am.” Lexie smiled. “Are you a guest?”
“I am. We checked in last night. My daughter is Chelsea.”
“Oh my gosh, your daughter is a force of nature.”
The woman smiled. “She really is and she’s enjoying the pageant club so much.”
“I’m so glad to hear that.”
The woman leaned forward. “You know she can’t sing, right? She thinks she can but she’s absolutely tone deaf. We had her tested.”
“Oh, well pageants are more about attitude more than anything else.”
“Attitude she has. Thank you again.”
The woman smiled blandly at me because she had no idea who I was and it was a real novel experience.
“Dixie’s next?” Lexie asked.
“You need to tell me a memory.”
“Oh right.” She tapped a long pink fingernail against her lips. “You told me at one point that your mother would love me.” She grinned and pushed back her chair, but I grabbed her hand.
“The fact that I snore when I drink tequila and that my mother would have loved you, I might not remember them, but I know them. You need to give me new information. And look, if it’s too hard, just let me see one of those pictures on your phone.” I waggled my eyebrows at her and she pursed her lips.
“New information?”
I nodded and then waved those fingers at me, beckoning me closer. She leaned forward and we were nearly kissing over what was left of the pie. She tilted my chin away so she could whisper in my ear.
“You made me come four times. Once in the booth of a steakhouse.”
She stood up and walked toward the door, telling the girl at the cash that I was paying for it.
But I and my suddenly raging erection needed a second to calm down.
14
Lexie
We’d been in one of those big round booths with the velvet cushions. The kind that, back in the day, had a curtain that the server would pull across the opening, giving the mobsters and showgirls total privacy. We didn’t have that level of privacy the night we got married, but we were way into the night and way, way into each other.
“Take off your panties,” he’d whispered. “And give them to me.”
“Here?” I’d squeaked and he’d nodded, that blond hair falling over his eyes and I wasn’t proud of it, but I would have done just about anything he told me at that point. I shimmied out of my panties, handed them to him, and he tucked them into his pocket. “Come closer,” he’d whispered, and of course I had. And he’d put his hands between my legs, making a sound when he found me smooth and soft and so, so wet for him.
I came pretty fast and he handed me back my underwear with a wink.
“I’ve never done that,” he’d said. “In a crowded restaurant.”
“Well, you’ve got real natural talent,” I’d said like it was something I did all the time and we’d laughed and ordered champagne cocktails.
