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“Because I was a senior and you were a freshman. I was on the cusp of being an adult, and I didn’t want to steal your carefree years. It wouldn’t have been fair of me.”
“But it was fair to go to my parents behind my back and tell them you wanted to marry me?” This was so not the place to have this conversation, but I couldn’t help myself. How dare he say all this to menow, after he’d already ruined any chances for something romantic between us?
“I wasn’t trying to go behind your back about anything.” His eyes were serious, and I was actually tempted to believe him. “I only wanted your parents’ blessing. I was making my intentions clear so they wouldn’t think I was trying to take advantage of you when I did ask you out. Three years was a big age difference at that time.”
“Oh.” The word was barely a whisper. That kind of made sense. I’d been so wrapped up in the archaic feel of the situation that I’d never stopped to question if Freddie’s motives were what I’d first assumed.
He smiled at me, a warm smile with a hint of sadness. “You really do look stunning tonight.” He reached out and brushed his fingers over one of the strands of my hair that wasn’t tucked into my bun. “When you finish your drink, feel free to find me. The offer to dance still stands.”
The words hung heavy between us. I was fairly sure the offer of a dance wasn’t the only one that still stood.
He turned.
“Freddie,” I said before he could walk away. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Noticing more than my face or bank account.”
“Don’t thank me for that.” He shook his head. “See you around, Piper.” He walked away, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Time slipped by as I studied the dancers and sipped at my champagne. Several songs later, I put down my empty glass and let Papa drag me back to the dance floor. I danced with a few other guys before finding Freddie again.
“Can I cash in on that dance now?” I asked.
“Of course.” He held out a hand and led me back to the dance floor. He wasn’t bad, better than most of the guys I’d had the “pleasure” of dancing with tonight. The only one who’d stood out as having more skill was Samuel.
I needed to shut that thought down. The last time I saw Samuel, he’d kissed me and then disappeared for nearly a decade. I couldn’t count on him, and I wasn’t going to spend time thinking about how it had felt to be held in his arms, how his hands had led my body around the dance floor effortlessly, to the point that I didn’t have to think about it at all.
“What are your plans for the fall?” I asked Freddie in a desperate attempt to keep my mind off Samuel.
“Nothing too special. I’m looking at buying a place in the country, a retreat of sorts.”
“A place to hide from the city or a place to eventually leave Boston for?”
“I guess that depends on where life takes me. I don’t exactly have family to stay for the way you do. My parents are here, but I have a feeling they’d move if I did. It’s not like I have any siblings to share them with.”
We talked for a while longer about the kinds of houses we wanted to have someday and the things we wished we could change about our childhoods. When the song ended, I was almost sorry to say goodbye.
“Thank you for the dance,” I said, placing both my hands on his shoulders and leaning in to kiss his cheek.
“You’re most welcome.”
After parting ways with Freddie, I slipped out of the ballroom to brave the bathroom, also known as gossip central for every ball. By some blessing, the place was mostly empty and I managed to get in and out without being subjected to any conversations.
On the walk back to the ballroom, a hand closed around my wrist, followed by another one covering my mouth just in time to muffle my startled shriek.
“Now where were those instincts eight years ago, princess?” Samuel’s voice murmured in my ear.
My body reacted before my brain had time to catch up. I stopped trying to pull my wrist out of his grasp, and my heart switched fromoh my god, I’m being kidnapped for ransompounding tooh my god, Samuel’s fingers are against my lipspounding. It sounded kind of the same, but I swear it felt different.
A door closed, plunging us into darkness. Samuel’s hand dropped from my mouth just before a light flicked on. We were tucked into some kind of linen closet. Shelves were piled with towels and sheets.
I turned to face Samuel. “What are we doing in here?”
His eyes burned with an intensity that was almost frightening. I was sure if I’d been alone in a closet with anyone other than Samuel looking at me like that, I would have been terrified.
“Have you figured out who you are yet? Or are you still playing a role for the benefit of everyone around you?”
