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“Go on,” Bea hissed at Sage, practically pushing her out of the booth. She stumbled right in front of him, and Ty reached out to steady her. Even at fifty-three years old, he felt like someone had poured popping candy into his bloodstream.
Everything fizzed, and white noise buzzed in his ears. Sage smelled sharp, like her salon, and soft, like the perfume he fantasized about her dabbing behind her ears. He kept his hand on her elbow as he turned his back on Katherine even more.
They walked away from the booth of her friends, and Sage moved her arm enough for Ty to get the hint that he better drop his hand. He did, and when they’d moved away from everyone and stood in front of an empty table, he said, “I’m sorry I never called you after the concert.”
Regret pulled through his very core, and now that he wasn’t constantly thinking about Gloria and if he’d made the right decision in finally ending things with her, he definitely felt more ready to open the door to another woman.
“I…I wasn’t in a good place.” He cleared his throat, the sparks racing through him like a meteor shower. He really wanted to try again with Sage, but he wasn’t sure he’d get another opportunity with her.
“I appreciate you saying so,” she said. “I don’t want to keep you from your date.”
Ty gaped at her, then let a bit of light laughter come out of his mouth. “Sage,” he said. “I’m not on a date with Katherine.”
“No?” Her eyebrows went up. “It sure looked like it.”
“She’s a client.” He shifted his feet, suddenly too hot. “Well, a potential client. With a lot of money.” He raised his eyebrows too, hoping to get across his point without having to say it.
Sage’s face melted into a smile, and she nodded slightly. “Ah, I see. You’re wining and dining.”
“Something like that,” he said.
She reached out and brushed something from his tie. “I didn’t get a dinner at a fancy spot when I needed help finding somewhere to live.” She smiled and ducked her head at the same time, and Ty wasn’t too old to recognize flirting when it came his way.
“I can fix that if you’re not seeing anyone.”
Sage looked straight at him now, and she simply gazed at him. “Are you in a better place?”
“Yes,” he said. “I think I can probably tell you about where I was.” He swallowed, though he hoped she hadn’t noticed the slight hitch in his voice. “If you’d like to know.”
“Ty,” a woman said, and he didn’t have time to turn fully before Katherine eased into his side. “She’s asking for our order.” Her eyes landed on Sage too, and Ty suddenly wanted to shield her from the eyes of Katherine Tallison.
“Yes,” he said, ducking his head as Katherine slipped her arm through his. “I’ll call you, Sage.” He held her eyes for another moment, clearly asking for her permission.
She gave the slightest nod of her head, and that allowed Ty to turn and go back to his table with Katherine. He settled into his seat as he unbuttoned his jacket. “I’m sorry,” he said to the waiting waitress. “I’d love the surf and turf, medium rare.” His eyes wandered just over Katherine’s right shoulder, where he saw Sage settle back onto the end of the bench seat in the booth.
Immediately, her friends leaned in, and she began talking to them. He didn’t particularly like that, but he’d been the one to walk over there and interrupt their dinner. He’d stolen her away for a few minutes.
He couldn’t even remember what he’d said to her, and as Katherine cleared her throat, Ty focused on his task for tonight: get her to sign a contract of intent.
“Sorry about that,” he said. “She’s a friend I haven’t seen in a while.”
“A friend, hmm?” Katherine wore a look of supreme interest, her right eyebrow higher than her left.
Ty gazed evenly back at her. “Yes, she cuts my hair.”
Katherine’s eyebrows settled down, and she placed both arms on the table. “Tell me about her.”
He shook his head and gave a light laugh. “She’s just a friend.”
Katherine checked behind her, and Ty took the opportunity to glance over to the table of Sage’s Supper Club ladies. “She seems like she has good friends.” He hurried to pull his gaze back to his own table as Katherine faced him again. “I’d love my daughter to have friends like that.”
“There are a lot of good men and women who live on this island full-time,” he said.
“How long have you been here?”
“Over twenty years,” he said easily. “I like it in the summer too, when all the tourists are here.”
Katherine gave a laugh that screamed false in Ty’s ears. He’d worked with a lot of people over the years, and he could read them pretty well. He himself had fake-laughed and falsely smiled through plenty of conversations and situations.
