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"Fine," I said, easily. I looked straight into his dark eyes. "How are you doing with everybody being here?" I asked quietly where no one else could hear me.
"I'm fine," Charlie said. He gave me a soft smile. "Thanks for asking."
"Of course," I said, smiling. "I'm gladyou'redoing good, because I'm nervous."
"About seeing AJ?"
"About everyone being here. I'm used to it being so quiet."
"That's no reason to be nervous," he said. He reached over and touched my back. It was a reassuring, comforting gesture and his hand was only on me for a second, so I went on as if it hadn't happened.
It was Stacy who had put those thoughts in my head, and now I noticed every little thing Charlie Morgan did and said. I felt short of breath. I hadn't even mentioned his haircut when we had a few seconds alone, and now it was too late. Everyone was around us now. I walked into the kitchen and began talking to Rose and Max as AJ set down the bag so that everyone could start digging in.
There were some extra people, and I figured out during the first couple of minutes that they were Astrid and Danny's friends. It was a couple along with their two college-age daughters.
Astrid introduced the woman as her colleague at the arts academy. Astrid was a well-known dancer who now taught and mentored high-level performers. Astrid Cameron was articulate, and I always got nervous in her presence. It helped a lot that her middle child, AJ, was a big goofball and that he liked me. He pulled me into conversations with her. AJ said what was on his mind, and he messed around with his mom even though I was intimidated by her.
AJ had a big personality, and he assumed I was there to hang out with him, so he pulled me along for the next hour or so, talking to me as we ate. It had been a while since he saw his family, so they did a lot of talking and catching up in front of me. I liked them. I loved the whole scene.
Max was there, along with two of his sons, Charlie and Casey. The girls from Chicago were there, too, and they got along with everyone. There was never a dip in the conversation—someone was always talking.
"Come with me to the pool," AJ said to me a little while later.
I smiled and touched my stomach. "Has it been thirty minutes since we ate?"
He squinted at me. "You don't care about no thirty minutes," he said playfully.
I widened my eyes at him. I could see in his eyes that he was determined, and I shrugged. "I'll go sit out there andthinkabout swimming."
AJ reached out and took my hand, pulling me to my feet so we could go outside. "We're going outside if anyone wants to come with us," he announced to no one in particular.
We were the first ones on the patio, but others came out right behind us.
"Do you want to swim?" he asked, pulling me toward the pool.
"Maybe in a minute," I answered, smiling at him as I let him go.
"Come on," he said, reaching out and pulling on me again. He was smiling and he was so handsome and irresistible that I couldn't help but smile back.
"I will in a minute," I said.
"What's the difference between a minute and now?" he asked, flirting with me, tugging some more. Others came out of the house, talking and minding their own business. I glanced behind us and saw that Charlie wasn't minding his business. He was looking at me. He had walked out with his cousin, Beau, but Beau walked off, and Charlie was now standing by himself, looking at me.
I turned back to AJ who was still waiting for my answer about getting in the pool. "Hang on," I said to him. "Hang on just one second. I'll be right back."
