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With Chase leading the way, I gripped his bulging bicep as he guided us to our seats. By the time a waiter came by to get our drink orders, we had drawn even closer still, and his arm was draped lovingly over my chair-back. I chuckled to myself when I noticed the wait staff was indeed only men. It was clear that the wives had requested only male servers. As someone who had waited tables in college, I knew exactly why — the skimpier the outfits, the better the tips. In my book, they were wise women — why tempt fate. I had heard some wild stories about all of them before they got married and settled down. According to Ariel, Mitch was the worst of them all. Maybe that was the reason he was still single.
Oh, no! My mind wandered again!
Refocusing myself, I politely refused the flute of bubbling Champagne, asking for a bottle of sparkling water instead, Chase raised an eyebrow, working to keep his curiosity at bay. I looked away, choosing not to pour forth with the particulars of all the ways my injuries had eventually affected me. I wasn't sure if I would ever be comfortable opening up to Chase about much of anything other than to reminisce about our past. A lot depended on how the rest of our evening unfolded.
"Ummm, those ribs smell good!" As the lids were lifted from each chafing dish along the buffet, a broad smile crept across Chase's features at the sight of all there was to eat. "Don't panic. There's also shrimp fettuccine available!"
I gaped in surprise as he pulled my chair back, "You remembered?"
"Meagan, I don't have amnesia."
I don't think he even realized what he had just said, so I just let it go. The evening was still young, but I had a feeling Chase was still a horse’s ass. No matter how hard he tried to smooth over his rough edges, a leopard couldn't change his markings, after all.
As we made our way along the buffet line, I watched as Chase mounded his plate with barbecue ribs, cheese fries, spaghetti, and meatballs. Then, finally, he said, "I think I'm going to have to try some of the fettuccine. It looks so good."
I decided just to go with it and reminded him, "Help yourself, but you're going to need side rails."
"True," he said, then looked at the waiter standing nearby, he told him, "hand me another plate, will you?" Snickers drifted above the quiet conversation as others witnessed Chase fill two plates with food before we returned to the table. Don't get me wrong. He was not overweight. As I surveyed Chase's tight shirt that was clinging to his abs and the way his slacks highlighted his toned thighs, I couldn't help but think of how much food this hunk must consume. Fortunately for me, cooking for him had been a one-time event. And once was definitely enough!
While eating, we conversed politely with Ariel and Guy, focusing mainly on some new project Rosedale was undertaking. Then, out of the blue, Chase asked me, "Have you heard about my new yacht?"
"No.... tell me —”
"Oh, God...,” Ariel butted in, quickly standing. “I forgot my phone, and it's time to check in on Amy and Jonathan. Meagan, we'll have to use yours, if you don’t mind. We'll need to step outside. The signal in here isn't that good!"
As I stood to leave with Ariel, I noticed Guy scowling at Chase, but Ariel soon distracted me by saying, "I can't believe I left it at home.... and that I just now remembered to check on my son."
I pulled my phone from my clutch to call, but Ariel protested. "Let me do it. You don't know where the Tylenol is just in case Jonathan needs it. He’s starting to teethe."
"Certainly!" I handed Ariel the phone with a smile, and she seemed to exhale in relief when Amy told her that Jonathan was already snoozing away. Ariel seemed a bit off, but I assumed being a new mother brought a certain amount of stress the first few times when leaving a child with a babysitter.
When we returned, an array of desserts was laid out in the middle of the table. "Got you some tiramisu," Chase said, grinning, proud of himself for remembering my favorite.
In no time, the band started playing, and Chase confidently guided me to the dance floor. Soon we were dancing like old times. Then, without warning, he dipped me low, holding my waist as I came back up. I felt his warm breath on my neck and the solid beat of his heart against my chest. For a second, I thought I could feel his lips against my skin, and as he looked into my eyes, I was struggling to resist the heat rising inside me. So, I shifted my attention to our previous conversation. "Why don't you finish telling me about your yacht!"
"Nah, I'd rather hear what you've been up to since you left rehab. But whatever it is.... it looks good on you. You look amazing!" Chase said, pulling me close and guiding me around the room effortlessly, keeping time with the music.
Soon my feet were killing me, and my back was too. Caught up in a memory of the two of us dancing, I had overdone it. I didn't want him to have to pick me up off the floor, which was bound to happen if we kept going at this pace. So, I whispered. "Can we take a break?"
"Sure, you still drinking water?"
"Yes, please." Still not ready to trust him with my health issues, I explained how I was taking a grant writing course and was almost finished with my first assignment. And how Cookie, my beautiful pinto, had become a lifesaver.
"I'd love to watch you ride," Chase said, glancing down at his watch. "Wow, it's well after midnight."
"Where are Ariel and Guy?" I asked, looking around the room.
“Seems like they've already left.... and the band is packing up."
I must have had a worried expression on my face because Chase quickly added, "Of course, I'll take you home. We've been busy catching up on old times, and the evening slipped away."
"Well, yes, we've talked all this time, but there is one thing we haven't discussed,” I said, looking up into his eyes as he slid his arm around my waist, guiding me to his Escalade.
"What's that?" He asked, confused. "Oh, how about I swing by this weekend so you can show me all Cookie’s tricks,” Chase suggested, grinning, thinking that was what I was hinting.... until he felt me pull away in disgust.
As he drove up to the guest house, the deafening hush between us practically suffocated me. I was desperate to escape from the tension. I wanted to be left alone. But Chase was a gentleman at heart. So as soon as the car stopped, he leaped out and rushed to my side. Then he tenderly guided me toward the door, where I quickly punched in my key code and opened it.
My pulse raced as Chase encircled me in his arms and spun me around to face him. His hands cradling my cheeks, he murmured, "Meagan, I assumed when you didn't give the earrings back, it meant you had forgiven me."
