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And this entire night had gone from one unexpected event to another. She wasn’t sure that she liked it but she didn’t hate it. And that was enough for now.
Plus—and this was a big one—he tasted so good. Maybe it was just that it had been so long since she’d kissed a guy. Or maybe it was that she had forgotten how a man felt in her arms. But damn. She wasn’t going to be able to just walk away and forget about him.
She heard the sound of footsteps on the path and pulled back at the same time that Max did. He put his arm around her shoulder at first but then stepped away as Reg came into view.
“Damn. Wish I’d waited a bit longer.”
“Me too. What’s up?” Max asked his partner.
Reg shoved one hand through his hair and shook his head. “Emergency at the center in Los Angeles. I’ve handled what I could but it’s Les and you know she only really listens to you.”
Max cursed under his breath and nodded. “Give me a minute and I’ll be right there.”
“You got it,” Reg said, turning and walking away.
Max faced her; his expression unreadable as always. “Sorry about this. I am probably going to have to go to Los Angeles, but I’ll be back in town next weekend. Can I take you to dinner?”
She thought about it. A date. In public.
She knew she had to give him a warning of how unpleasant being seen with her could be. Cosima just smiled and posed for photos and her mom gave people who muttered under their breath as she approached the stink eye. “Um, some people really don’t—”
“Do you want to go out with me?”
“Yes. But—”
He put his fingers on her lips and a tingle shot through her body, making her wish he didn’t have to leave.
“That’s all. Whatever happens I can handle it. Until then email me your proposal and I’ll be in touch,” he said, handing her his business card.
“I have dinner with my family on Friday nights,” she said. “I can’t skip it since all my brothers are coming up and we’re putting up the Christmas tree… If you’re back, would you like to go?”
He quirked his head to the side. “Maybe. I’ll message you. Enjoy the rest of the party.”
He put his hand on the small of her back, escorting her back to the party. He gave her a wave as he turned and walked back into the house. She stood there watching him go until she sensed someone behind her. Turning around she was surprised to see it was Roxanne Powell.
“Hello,” Angelica said.
“Hi, listen…what you did…making space for me on the dance floor…was nice. I mean I didn’t expect it,” she said. “I may have been a little harsh with you. And I’d like to start over.”
“I’d love that,” Angelica said.
“Thanks. I was bullied in high school and it’s something I find really hard to look the other way from,” Roxanne said.
Angelica was surprised. At her high school Roxanne would have been part of the popular crowd with her looks, money and easy smile. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s all water under the bridge or so I thought. I sort of judged you without giving you a chance even though your mom is great,” Roxanne said.
“I get it. That video is horrible. Even I don’t like me when I see it,” Angelica said. It was the truth—her stomach knotted and she always wished she’d said something different. Anything really, but Veronica had pushed her until she’d stopped thinking and had just reacted.
“Why did you do it?”
No one had asked her that. Most people just condemned her. “There’s a lot more to the incident than that forty-five-second video. I just was having a bad day, and the situation was one that kept recurring. I should have handled it differently but I lost my temper. She goaded me and doctored the video a bit, but at the end of the day I’m the one responsible for my own actions.”
Angelica owned her part of the incident but Veronica had made it seem much worse and had never owned her part. It was as if she wanted everyone to side with her and Angelica got that, but the truth was somewhat more complex.
Roxanne nodded. “Regret is a hard thing to live with, but I’m glad I finally talked to you. If you are still interested in applying for the women’s league, I would be happy to sponsor you.”
Angelica smiled, not really sure how she felt about that, but she appreciated the offer. “Thank you. I’ll keep it in mind and get in touch after the holidays.”
