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“I’ll make that vow,” Sandra said. “I’m loving this.”
Close to dinnertime, the children were getting waterlogged, and the wind picked up, so it was chilly.
“I hate to end the day, but I’ve had enough water,” Lisa said. “Daniela, let’s dry these kids off.”
The exodus from the beach over, it gave them the chance to see that while they were having clean family fun, the drunken partiers up at the house had a different goal in mind. The band was setting up, and the caterers were preparing for dinner service. The next hours flew by, and after the nannies took the children back to Lisa’s house, the adults could relax and dance and have grown-up time.
“We made a discovery,” Sandra said, laughing. “We have the same rhythm. I’m afraid that’s not such a good thing.”
“I couldn’t take my eyes off Pam and Jake,” Andy said. “It was almost embarrassing.”
“They are just sexy. He’s sick, too. Can you imagine when he’s well?”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“They are quite a couple,” Sandra said admiringly. “Well, I’ve about had it. Are you ready to call it a night?”
“I am. Can I move my car down to your house?”
“Yes, you may. I’ll come with you.”
Seeking out Pam in the crowd, they said goodnight, then walked around the side of the house to his car. Sometime between the crowd and the car, they’d taken each other’s hands. At the passenger side of the car, he opened the door for her and waited until she was settled before going around to his side.
“I don’t drive much anymore,” he said, buckling his seatbelt. “I have a driver in the city. It was liberating to get into my own car. I wasn’t even sure it would start, that was how long it’s been. Do you drive?”
“I have a driver,” she said. “He’s dating Pam’s assistant.”
“Oh, okay,” he said, laughing. “I take it that’s not totally to your liking.”
“She has ESP or something like that, so I’m always looking over my shoulder when she’s around.”
“I don’t believe in any of that stuff. I hope it’s not a problem.”
“Trust me, it’s no problem.”
She directed him to her driveway. “My son is at Lisa’s tonight. She knows you’re here, but it’s not an issue.” He didn’t reply, but the corners of his mouth upturned. “I still think I’d like you to park in the garage. The entire family lives on Sea View. We’ll continue to be the talk of the town in the morning.”
“Ha. Okay. I’m good with that.”
“If you let me out, I’ll open the door for you.”
He stopped the car in front of the garage. Watching her as she slid out of the car, he had a moment of comparing her to Ginger. She was a little older than Ginger, maybe five years. But where poor Ginger had been haunted by the sins of her youth, Sandra didn’t seem to have any such baggage.
The door opened, and he pulled inside. The door to the mudroom opened, light spilling out into the garage. He got out, and she pushed a button to close the door.
“Well, here we are,” she said. “Now I decide to feel weird.”
“No weirdness,” he said. “I’ll sleep in the guest room like we planned. I just want to be with you and get to know you. There’s no pressure for anything tonight. Actually, I’d like to expose my skeletons, get them out of the way.”
“You can’t have too many, or they’d be public by now,” Sandra said.
“Don’t kid yourself. I have a few.”
“Yes, well, so do I,” she said. “Many that I’m not proud of.”
“You don’t have to talk about anything that will upset you. Is that a deal?”
“Deal. You won’t believe this, but I’m hungry.”
