I can see out the corner of my eye his hands are in fists on his knees.
“Is that all it would take? Because it can be arranged.”
“I was shocked as hell and I acted all weirded out the next day. Exit the highway here?”
As the off-ramp approaches he makes a sound like a strangled yes. I indicate and exit. He shifts again in his seat. I glance over at his lap. A streetlight helpfully gives me one gorgeous freeze-frame of a hard, heavy angle.
“So why’d you lie then, about your dream?”
“I didn’t want to even say a word, but you wouldn’t let up. How could I confess? I was too embarrassed. I thought you’d tease me. So I lied.”
“Your tiny little dress . . .” He mutters something to himself. We both do identical squirms in our seats.
His eyes slide sideways to my lap, and we both understand each other perfectly.
The main street of Port Worth is wide and divided by wide verges planted with mounds of petunias and geraniums that glow red in our headlights and under brass streetlights. During the day, this place is undoubtedly gorgeous.
“It was the same day I thought you were lying about your date. Left here, then follow the road as far as it goes.”
Surely he’ll laugh. It’s sort of funny when you think about it.
“Yeah, I did lie about it.”
There’s a pause, and this time I’m in a hell of a lot of trouble.
“Lucinda. What the fuck? Why would you do that?” His anger is visceral.
“You were sitting there at your desk, looking at me like I was a loser.”
“Fucking hell. Is my face so fucking difficult to read?” When I say nothing, he shakes his head.
“So somehow I caused all of this? Danny sniffing around like a little dog?”
“Yes, it was a lie, but you wouldn’t let it go. You said you were going to the same bar too. How could I sit there alone? I had to go down to design and find someone. He was the one I knew would say yes.”
“You wouldn’t have been sitting there alone. I would have been there. It would have been me.”
My mouth drops open, and he raises a hand to silence me.
“You think he’s your friend, but he wants more from you. It’s painfully obvious. Next time I see him, I’m going to explain a few things about you and me. Just so he’s clear.”
“Is that right? I think you should try explaining things to me first.”
“The entrance is there.”
I pull up in front of the Port Worth Grand Hotel. It glows, opulent and gold, lawns groomed to perfection in the beam of our headlights. A parking valet signals to me and I manage to put the car in park and slide out onto shaky legs, grabbing at my purse.
I go to the trunk, but another hotel guy dressed like a toy soldier is already taking our bags out. Josh looks on with a bored, irritated expression.
“Thank you.” I tip them both. “Thank you so much.”
Josh goes to the reservations desk. The receptionist visibly flinches when blasted by his blue laser-eyes. I turn a full circle in the lobby. Everything is in shades of red; strawberry, ruby, blood, wine. A giant tapestry with a faded medieval scene hangs down one wall. A lion and a unicorn both kneel before a woman. A chandelier hangs above me from the center of an elaborately corniced ceiling. There is a spiral staircase above me, scrolling up about four floors in concentric circles. It’s like being inside a heart.
“It’s something, huh?” A man in a suit says to me from the bar nearby.
“It’s gorgeous.” I have my hands clasped in front of me like a schoolgirl. I look for Josh, but I can’t see him.
“It looks even better from here at the bar,” the suit guy says, gesturing me over.