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“How long is the performance tonight?”
Scott could take a hint. She didn’t want to talk about the run-in out front. “An hour. The fireworks start around ten.”
From a few tables over the former Rhode Island governor waved at him, catching Scott’s attention. He knew the polite thing would be to go and say hello to him, his wife, and the other couple sitting with him. If he’d been alone, he would’ve walked over and spent a few minutes talking. Doing so tonight either meant leaving Paige alone or asking her to come with him. The first option was rude, and he guessed the second would embarrass her further. So instead he waved back. If the man took offense, oh well.
“I’m looking forward to them. The last ones I saw were near McCoy stadium four years ago. Or maybe it was five. I’m not positive. The summers always seem to fly by.”
“You won’t be disappointed tonight.”
She smiled at him, and for a moment Scott wanted nothing more than to kiss her. Not the friendly kind of kiss he’d given her on stage either. He wanted to cover her mouth with his. Use his lips to learn the feel and shape of hers. When he finished there, he wanted to slip his tongue inside and taste her.
“I’ll let you know if I agree later.”
Uncomfortable with where his thoughts had suddenly gone, he cleared his throat and shifted his gaze from her mouth to her eyes.
“Until then, it’s your turn. I told you a bedtime story during dinner. Now it’s your turn to talk,” Paige said.
On the positive side she was getting muc
h more comfortable around him. He wished she’d worded her statement differently. Her use of the word bed only created an image of her in his, and he struggled not to let his mind wander further.
What was wrong with him tonight? Sure, Paige was beautiful, but he spent a lot of time around beautiful women. He never fantasized about them after only knowing them for a few hours. Well, at least not while they still sat across the table from him. Evidently, the several months he’d spent alone and celibate were catching up with him.
“Fair enough. But I have one more question for you first.” He had more than one. Since she’d already shared a lot about herself, he’d limit himself for now.
She considered his sentence before shrugging one bare shoulder. “Okay, but I think I told you everything.”
Hardly. “The night of the auction, I saw you and your aunt from up on the stage. It appeared as if she did the bidding using your arm and auction paddle. Was that my imagination, or did she pull your arm into the air?”
“You saw us? Darn. You’ve got great eyesight.” Paige shifted her attention to the champagne flute a waiter had delivered. “You didn’t imagine it. We discussed it before the auction started. Aunt Bebe knew I had no plans on bidding. I only went to keep her company. She didn’t agree with my decision and took things into her own hands. Nothing personal, Scott, but I really wish she hadn’t. Unfortunately, she likes to do that.” Paige sounded exasperated, and he wondered how many other times Bebe Fleming had gone against her niece’s wishes.
“She means well. I know she does, but sometimes it drives me crazy. And believe me if I’d known what her plan was when she invited me along, I would not have gone.” Paige paused her face clouded with concern. “Do you think anyone else noticed what she did? I know the other women at the table may have, but I hope no one else did.”
He had no idea, but since the idea distressed her he said, “Doubt it. People were more focused on the stage, and the room was dark.”
Scott saw the relief on Paige’s face. “If it makes you feel better, I didn’t want anything to do with the auction either. My mom asked both my cousin and me to participate. We both tried hard to get out of it. I even offered to donate any dollar amount she wanted. In the end, I agreed because she hardly ever asks anything of me. Not to mention she is one stubborn individual.”
The breeze blew strands of Paige’s hair across her cheek, and she pushed them away, tucking them behind her ear. “Since you didn’t want anything to do with the auction either, we can skip the other three dates. It sounds like you’re busy and technically I didn’t do the bidding.”
Most of the women from the auction would be asking when they’d see him again, not offering to skip their remaining days together. It would make his life simpler if after tonight, they went their separate ways. He did enough travel for work without adding extra trips to Rhode Island to see her.
“If that’s what you want, Paige.” Unable to ignore the sudden desire to touch her, Scott reached across the table and took her hand. “But I’d like to see you again.” She intrigued him. He couldn’t explain why, but she did. At first he’d wanted to solve the mystery of her relationship to Michael Foster and Foster Oil. Now, he just wanted to learn more about her.
If he hadn’t been watching her, he would’ve missed the slight rise of her eyebrows.
“I’d like that too.” She smiled before she took a sip of her champagne. “Now, it’s really your turn to share. Tell me all about you and your family.”
The audience gathered outside grew quiet, a silent signal the performance was about to start. From inside the pavilion a gentleman began his welcoming speech.
“Saved by the orchestra,” she said.
“Don’t worry, I’ll bore you with all my family secrets later.”
***
When Scott said they’d watch the fireworks from his rooftop, she hadn’t expected the rooftop to look like this. Add four walls and a ceiling and you’d have a furnished room perfect for entertaining. Evidently, Scott enjoyed being comfortable while he took in the ocean view. A view she found better than the one at the restaurant, and she hadn’t thought anything could top the one there.
While she waited for Scott to rejoin her, Paige walked the rooftop perimeter, their conversation at the hotel still fresh in her head. She’d given him an out. It’d only seemed fair since neither of them had wanted to participate in the auction. She’d expected him to take it. Instead, he left the decision up to her and said he’d like to see her again. This morning she would’ve accepted her chance to escape and wished Scott well. After spending several hours in his company, she was less willing to give up her time with him.
