children, there was something else—a goodness about her, something that intrigued him, made him want to know more about her.
Dave thought of himself as a good Christian man, and these thoughts went against everything he believed in. Please, Lord, help me to fight this temptation brewing inside of me.
As the song ended, she eased out of his arms. A few seconds later, a light nearby illuminated her wedding ring. Maybe it was time for him to call it a night.
“I see you yawning,” he said as they walked back to the table.
“Yeah, I’m tired.” She looked at him and smiled. “But it’s been a lot of fun.”
Dave pulled out Darlene’s chair for her. After she sat, he took his spot beside her and looked around. “I wonder where Layla is. I haven’t seen her in a while.”
“I haven’t either.” She leaned forward over the table. “Penny, have you seen Layla lately?”
Penny applied lipstick as she stared at a small compact. “She was dancing with George earlier, then said she was going to the ladies’ room.”
“I better go check on her.” Darlene excused herself.
Dave looked at his watch. Myrna insisted on keeping Cara overnight, but he always felt unsettled when he was away from her.
A few minutes later, he stood and walked toward the ladies’ room, meeting Darlene and Layla as they were coming toward him. “Everything okay?”
“Everything is fine, Dave.” Layla raised her chin as she smirked at him. He glanced at Darlene. She bit her lip and gave a quick shake of her head when Layla turned to speak to a woman on their left.
He leaned down and whispered in Darlene’s ear, “Do we need to get her home?”
“Yes. I think so.”
Dave gently pulled Layla by the arm toward him. “Excuse us,” he said to the woman she’d been speaking to. He turned to Layla. “I think Darlene is ready to go, and so am I. I’ll walk you both to the car.”
Layla opened her mouth, but his scowl made her clamp it shut.
“Fine. Let’s go.” Layla marched ahead of them, smiling to people on either side of her as she walked by.
Dave followed close behind Layla, and when she started to sway, he latched onto her arm. After they exited the plaza, he quickly found the limo in the parking lot. He kissed her on the cheek and helped her get in. Then he turned to Darlene, and without thinking, he kissed her on the cheek too. “I had a great time.”
He could have smacked himself. This wasn’t a date he was on, and he barely knew Darlene. He stepped aside so she could get in the car.
“Me too,” she said as she offered him a strained smile. “See you Monday.”
Dave closed the door. Yes, see you Monday.
And as wrong as it was, he knew he was going to count every minute until he picked up Cara on Monday afternoon.
Darlene tried to help Layla up the sidewalk to her house, but Layla shook her arm loose. “I’m fine. I don’t need you to help me up the walk.”
“Okay, well, I just wanted to make sure you were all right before the driver dropped me at my house.” She waited until Layla unlocked the door and stepped over the threshold. “Thanks again for inviting me. I had a really nice time.” She turned to leave, yawning again.
“No, don’t go. Come in.” Layla put a hand on her hip. “Have a glass of wine with me.”
Darlene knew it had to be close to midnight. “I can’t, Layla. We’ve got church in the morning, and I need to get home.”
Layla held up one finger over Darlene’s shoulder. “We won’t be too long,” she yelled to the driver before she looked back at Darlene. “Please.”
“Five minutes.” She followed Layla in and closed the door behind her. Layla kicked off her gold spiked heels in the middle of the room and kept walking toward the kitchen. Darlene followed, glancing at the clock on the mantel. Twelve fifteen.
She watched Layla pull two glasses from a cabinet in the kitchen.
“None for me, Layla.”
“You are no fun, you know that?” Layla filled both glasses and handed one to Darlene. She accepted the glass and watched Layla shuffle into the large living room where she plopped down on the couch with the carelessness of someone who didn’t worry that she might ruin a dress worth several thousand dollars by sloshing wine on it. Darlene, on the other hand, carefully lowered herself onto a wingback chair.
“So you’re church