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“Hang on.” I arched an eyebrow as I pulled back to peer at him. “Didn’t you swear to me youweren’ttrying to get a do-over on missed opportunities from high school?”
“Just because that’s not the main reason I want to be with you doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun reliving the old days.”
“I’m sorry, did you just refer to our high school reunion asfun? Because the Donal Larkin I know has always hated having to deal with reunions.”
“Maybe I’ve changed my mind.” He brought my hand to his mouth and rubbed his lips over my knuckles. “Or maybe the only reason I disliked them before was because it was too painful having to face the woman who’d gotten away.”
That probably shouldn’t make me feel like gloating, but it did. “And all this time I thought you didn’t care at all.”
“Tell me the truth. Before you found out you were pregnant, if I’d asked you to be my girlfriend and go to prom with me, what would you have said?”
“I would have said yes. In a heartbeat.”
His lips curved in a smile that still made me want to swoon. “And yet you haven’t said you’ll go to the reunion with me.”
“Of course I will. I’d love to.”
“Whew,” he said, his eyes crinkling. “I was starting to get nervous.”
“No you weren’t.”
His lips lightly touched mine in a chaste kiss. Which was right and proper since we were in my office, but I really wanted more.
“What’s your afternoon look like?” he asked, letting go of me before we got too friendly. “Any chance I can convince you to knock off work and play hooky with me?”
“You don’t have to get back to the office?”
“Nah. I can skip out if you can.”
My heart jumped happily. “Give me five minutes to send a couple emails and I’ll be ready to get out of here.”
* * *
The theme our high school reunion committee had chosen for our thirty-year was “Night at the Movies.” They’d decorated the hotel ballroom with posters from old eighties movies and made centerpieces out of popcorn tubs and candy boxes. Someone had even crafted some handmade cardboard standees of iconic actors and pop stars from back in the day for people to pose for photos with. I suspected most of it was the brainchild of Dawn’s best friend Angie, who’d taken over the committee from me.
I had to admit it was clever. I also knew from past experience with reunion planning that the nice hotel they’d chosen for this year’s venue was going to gouge them on table, chair, and linen rental. Furthermore, even though the drink prices at the cash bar were outrageously inflated for the watered-down well drinks they were serving, the margins here were so thin I doubted the committee would recoup their costs. Most likely they’d end up either having to beg for additional donations or planning some kind of fundraiser to make up the budget shortfall.
Honestly, it was a relief not to be involved this time around and just be able to sit back and enjoy the reunion for a change without having to think about budgets or deposits or any of the other things that might be going wrong. Angie had done a good job, even if she’d done it differently than I would have. I decided to make a point to find her later and tell her so.
As I sipped my white wine, I glanced at my watch and then toward the door. No sign of Donal yet, but it was fine. In a stunning new twist for me, I wasn’t the slightest bit worried. He’d warned me he had an important meeting with a big client this afternoon that might go late. I knew he’d get here as soon as he could.
The two of us were getting better and better at all this open communication and managing expectations stuff. It just went to show you were never too old to grow up and learn new things.
The DJ started up a Tone-Loc song, and I smiled as I watched a few more of my old high school classmates dash for the dance floor. The drinks had been flowing long enough that the party was starting to liven up.
My gaze traveled over the familiar and not-so-familiar faces around the room. I’d talked to a few old friends already, but there weren’t many people I’d been that close to here tonight. Other than Dawn, of course, but she was on the reunion committee and was busy with her volunteer duties, as well as her new boyfriend.
I still found it weird that she was dating Mike Pilota now. I’d thought he was kind of a jagoff back in high school, but he seemed to have matured since his football player days and turned into a pretty great guy. Good for Dawn. And Mike. Donal and I had hung out with them a few times, and they seemed really happy together.
A couple of women I vaguely remembered from marching band approached me and started up a conversation. After a few minutes, they dragged me over to another, larger group of band nerds. I sipped my drink, nodding along with their nostalgic chatter and joining in with it occasionally.
Roxette’s “Listen to Your Heart” started playing, which was one of the songs from the mixtape Donal had made me. Instinctively, I looked toward the door just in time to see him walk in. He couldn’t have timed it better if he’d tried.
The room seemed to get lighter as soon as Donal entered it. It always felt that way, wherever we were. His presence made my life brighter. I hadn’t even realized how dim my world had gotten until he’d dropped back into it and shined his light on everything.
His eyes scanned the ballroom, and when he found me he broke into that dazzling smile I loved so much. He started forward, but only made it a few steps before he was accosted by a couple of old friends.
I watched him accept their hugs impatiently before muttering what looked like an apology and heading in my direction again. Several other people tried to call out to him or flag him down, but he ignored them all, his steps unwavering until he reached me. The band folks I was with hailed him exuberantly as he stooped to kiss my cheek.
