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“Look at you two.” Frank’s words were more than a little slurred. “But you’re a doctor. Bet you meet a lot of hot nurses. Probably made your way through all of them, huh?”
Adam’s hand tightened momentarily in mine, but he only gave Frank a cold look.
I tried to smooth things over. “We don’t actually work together very much.”
“That’s a shame!” Frank laughed in a knowing way. “You ought to take advantage of your break time. Find an empty room—”
“Stop now,” Adam ground out. “I don’t want to hear you say another word about Jenna or any other woman.”
“Lighten up! I was only making conversation.” Frank turned to Nicole, who was glaring daggers at him. “You probably want to give me some feminist takedown, huh? Well, save it.”
The song ended and Beverly sighed heavily. “They don’t make them like that anymore! Now, who’s giving the next speech?”
Nicole crossed her arms. “I think everyone’s already said enough.”
Beverly playfully shook her daughter’s shoulder. “Oh, Nicole, lighten up! You’re always so serious.”
“Somehow that doesn’t mean very much coming from you,” Nicole muttered.
“Please,” Adam hissed at Nicole, jerking his eyes toward Grandma.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Beverly demanded of her daughter.
“Now, now.” Grandma reached her hands out to Nicole and Beverly. “We all had too much time in the sun today. I’m sure we don’t mean to be cross.”
Nicole ignored Grandma’s words and gave her brother a significant look. “Adam, please back me up here.”
Adam’s jaw tightened, but his voice was calm. “Let’s not do this now. Not on Grandma’s birthday.”
“It’s never the right time for you to deal with feelings, though.” Nicole shook her head disgustedly. “Thanks a lot for your support.”
“Maybe we should have an early night,” Grandma suggested. “I’m feeling a little tired.”
“I have something for you.” Adam reached under his chair and retrieved a gift tied with a gold silk ribbon. “Happy birthday.”
Grandma’s hands trembled a little as she opened the box. “Oh, Adam!” She covered her mouth with her hand. “It’s perfect.” She started to stand, presumably to come around the table and hug her grandson, but Adam jumped up and went to her. Grandma hugged him for a long time, then whispered something in his ear.
“What’d you get?” Beverly asked eagerly.
Grandma held up a small oil painting of a blue house surrounded by trees. “This was my house with Joe. Adam commissioned it.”
“It’s lovely,” I commented, smiling at Adam. The painting was nice, but I admired his sweet gesture even more.
The dinner party broke up shortly after that. Frank and Beverly went to visit a club, and the rest of us went back to our rooms. Nicole didn’t say anything to us as we rode down to our floor, charging ahead to unlock her suite.
Grandma hugged me goodbye. “Thank you for coming to my birthday party.”
She felt like a bird in my arms, light and fragile. “Thanks for inviting me.”
Once in our suite, Adam tossed his suit jacket onto the coffee table and collapsed onto the couch.
I stared at him for a moment, wondering if he wanted to talk about what had happened or be left alone. “Are you okay?”
“No.” Only one short word, but it said a lot.
I moved to sit beside him on the couch. “That was some birthday dinner.”
“I’m so sorry.” Adam’s face was stricken. “You have every right to be furious with me.”
