Diamonds Are Forever - Brooke St. James Page 0,23

and said how proud and happy he was to have such a wonderful support system as he tried his best to represent the great state of Texas. He went on about what a wonderful place we called home.

Everyone loved it when he complimented Texas, and he got lots of applause and response during that segment of his speech.

When he finished, Drew and I walked toward our table. Drew told his family I was leaving, and they made a slightly bigger deal about it than I wanted them to. They said they wished I could stay.

His family protested, but I told them I had to go. They offered to have a driver take me home if I needed to leave, but Drew insisted that he wanted to do it. He said he would be back in just a little while.

For a moment, I felt torn, like I didn't want to leave the party. But then I remembered that was ludicrous. I was doing this as a favor. I was happy to be leaving. I needed to get back to my life.

We were quiet during the first minute or so after we got into his Bronco.

"We used to stop at this place called Stuckey's," he said, finally.

"I know Stuckey's," I said. "My little brothers and I used to always beg my parents to let us buy this plastic switch-blade comb they had in the souvenir section. They had tons of little trinkets like that. In fact, I think that's where Mac got that coon skin cap he had on. It was Phillip's."

"I remember that switchblade comb," Drew said. "I had one of those things."

"My parents wouldn't let us get one. They said someone might see it from a distance and get the wrong idea. We were little, though. I haven't been in a Stuckey's in a long time."

Drew smiled and nodded. "I loved that place. I haven't been to one in a long time either, but I have this comfortable, nostalgic feeling when I think about it. That's what I feel like around you. Like Stuckey's."

"What?" I said, smiling.

"I don't know. I feel like Stuckey's around you."

I looked at him from over the console, smiling and shaking my head.

"What? It's true. That whole thing with Blake, I guess. It was just cool and comforting, watching you do your thing and tell that story to him. It was fun and different. It was nostalgic. Like Stuckey's."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said, smiling.

"You should," he said nodding with certainty. "It was one. It was amazing to see you get everything under control like that. Your personality… it's like some kind of ointment."

"Ointment?" I asked, laughing.

"You know what I mean," he said. "You come around, and it's like so… it's easy to be around you, that's all. Comfortable. You're weird. You're wise. I can't tell if you're like… eighteen or eighty."

I smiled. "I feel like you're trying to compliment me right now," I said, teasing him.

"I am," he said, nodding.

"Well, as long as we're paying compliments, you have a wonderful family." I paused, but then added, "And you're really good at interacting with everybody. I had a lot of fun tonight. I have to say, I enjoyed this fake date better than any real date I've ever been on."

I was being lighthearted, but I got nervous because I had a flashback of what he did to me on the dancefloor. Because of this, I switched to a fake British accent when I said that last part about enjoying the fake date. It was such a bad accent that I had to do a little voice with it just to distract. I really hoped he didn't think I was thinking about the kiss so I continued babbling.

"…I just didn't know what I was getting into when I met you at the dock tonight. A Senator's birthday party was not what I expected. I had fun, that's all. Thank you."

"I didn't think you'd come," he said. "I thought maybe that lady at the hardware store wouldn't even tell you I came by."

"She didn't," I said. "Someone overheard you and told me about it."

"You're kidding," he said.

"No," I said, laughing a little.

"This whole evening hinged on eavesdropping?"

"Yes," I said, laughing. "It actually did."

I stopped talking and pointed out of the front windshield when I saw my car in the distance. I had been giving him directions to get to my car since he had come to me by boat earlier.

"It's the red car right there," I