chemist at Dow in Atlanta. Or at least, I used to be. That’s rather uncertain right now.”
“What do you mean?”
A healthy gulp of rum and fruit juice bolstered her confidence. “I found out this afternoon that the company cancelled my project. When I go home I may be job hunting.”
“Bad luck! I wish I could help, but Dan’s in a better position since he lives in Atlanta, too.”
“It’s okay. I can handle it.”
“I’m sure you can handle a good many things.” His smile flashed like the morning sun and her knees weakened. A girl could get lost in that smile. But it didn’t melt her insides like Dan’s.
Pete moved a little closer.
“Um, you know I’m here with Dan, don’t you?”
“Dan and I are good friends. His mother taught him to share.” His finger stroked her arm, leaving goose bumps in its wake. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if we were good friends, too.”
Really? “Well, of course.” Mary deliberately ignored Pete’s staring at her lips and the way his finger had moved from her arm to her cheek. “Right now you can be a friend and tell me where the little girls’ room is.”
Pete smiled and stepped back. “Just go out the door and hang a right. It’s a short distance down the hall.”
“Thanks. Maybe I’ll see you later.”
“Count on it.” His eyes caught hers and held. Then very slowly, he lowered his gaze to her lips. They parted on her sharp inhalation. His eyes blazed, and suddenly, Mary was hot from more than the desert heat.
“Excuse me.” She skated by him, left her glass on a nearby table and found the bathroom.
She checked her makeup and looked around the plush vanity area. Not seeing anybody else, she viewed herself in the mirrored wall and said, “Wow. When have you even been in a position where two men are handing out compliments like they were candy?”
A toilet flushed. She jumped and turned at the sound of a stall door opening. Her face blushed as scarlet. “Mrs. Higgins. I didn’t know you were there.”
“Well, hello, Mary. How did I miss seeing you when you arrived?” She waved her hand before Mary could answer. “Never mind, I’m seeing you now. I hated to miss your wedding, but there’s always so much to oversee here before the conference.” Her brow wrinkled. “Speaking of your wedding, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be on your honeymoon? ”
“I am.” Mary glanced away. “Kind of.” She looked back. “Not really. Dan brought me to the party. He’s staying in the extra room of my suite.”
“ Oh? ” The woman packed a lot into one word.
“Yes.” She waited for Mrs. Higgins to finish washing her hands, taking every moment to think of how to explain the situation. There was no good way.
“There was no wedding.” Her cheeks heated. “I found out my fiancé was cheating, not with one other woman, but two.”
Mrs. Higgins clucked her tongue. “My dear, you must have been devastated. I’m so sorry.” She tossed the paper towel away and then stared at Mary in the mirror, as though judging her ability to take bad news. “If you don’t mind my saying so, you deserve much better and you’re well rid of whoever he is. I do hope you’re not wasting any tears on a man who would do that to you.”
“Well…” She ducked her head before facing Mrs. Higgins’ reflection. Somehow, talking reflection-to-reflection was easier than face-to-face. “Where does a girl find a nice man who’s fun to be with, smart, uh—” she took a breath, “—sexy and honest? Someone who will appreciate me as I am, and who knows what being faithful means. Good looking and rich would be nice, too, but I’m not greedy.” Mrs. Higgins chuckled and so did Mary. “If he just wanted to make me happy, and was someone I could make happy, it would be great. But I’m beginning to think those men only exist in the minds of romance fiction writers.” A tear slipped to the corner of her eye.
Mrs. Higgins handed her a tissue. “I’m
“What do you mean?”
A healthy gulp of rum and fruit juice bolstered her confidence. “I found out this afternoon that the company cancelled my project. When I go home I may be job hunting.”
“Bad luck! I wish I could help, but Dan’s in a better position since he lives in Atlanta, too.”
“It’s okay. I can handle it.”
“I’m sure you can handle a good many things.” His smile flashed like the morning sun and her knees weakened. A girl could get lost in that smile. But it didn’t melt her insides like Dan’s.
Pete moved a little closer.
“Um, you know I’m here with Dan, don’t you?”
“Dan and I are good friends. His mother taught him to share.” His finger stroked her arm, leaving goose bumps in its wake. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if we were good friends, too.”
Really? “Well, of course.” Mary deliberately ignored Pete’s staring at her lips and the way his finger had moved from her arm to her cheek. “Right now you can be a friend and tell me where the little girls’ room is.”
Pete smiled and stepped back. “Just go out the door and hang a right. It’s a short distance down the hall.”
“Thanks. Maybe I’ll see you later.”
“Count on it.” His eyes caught hers and held. Then very slowly, he lowered his gaze to her lips. They parted on her sharp inhalation. His eyes blazed, and suddenly, Mary was hot from more than the desert heat.
“Excuse me.” She skated by him, left her glass on a nearby table and found the bathroom.
She checked her makeup and looked around the plush vanity area. Not seeing anybody else, she viewed herself in the mirrored wall and said, “Wow. When have you even been in a position where two men are handing out compliments like they were candy?”
A toilet flushed. She jumped and turned at the sound of a stall door opening. Her face blushed as scarlet. “Mrs. Higgins. I didn’t know you were there.”
“Well, hello, Mary. How did I miss seeing you when you arrived?” She waved her hand before Mary could answer. “Never mind, I’m seeing you now. I hated to miss your wedding, but there’s always so much to oversee here before the conference.” Her brow wrinkled. “Speaking of your wedding, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be on your honeymoon? ”
“I am.” Mary glanced away. “Kind of.” She looked back. “Not really. Dan brought me to the party. He’s staying in the extra room of my suite.”
“ Oh? ” The woman packed a lot into one word.
“Yes.” She waited for Mrs. Higgins to finish washing her hands, taking every moment to think of how to explain the situation. There was no good way.
“There was no wedding.” Her cheeks heated. “I found out my fiancé was cheating, not with one other woman, but two.”
Mrs. Higgins clucked her tongue. “My dear, you must have been devastated. I’m so sorry.” She tossed the paper towel away and then stared at Mary in the mirror, as though judging her ability to take bad news. “If you don’t mind my saying so, you deserve much better and you’re well rid of whoever he is. I do hope you’re not wasting any tears on a man who would do that to you.”
“Well…” She ducked her head before facing Mrs. Higgins’ reflection. Somehow, talking reflection-to-reflection was easier than face-to-face. “Where does a girl find a nice man who’s fun to be with, smart, uh—” she took a breath, “—sexy and honest? Someone who will appreciate me as I am, and who knows what being faithful means. Good looking and rich would be nice, too, but I’m not greedy.” Mrs. Higgins chuckled and so did Mary. “If he just wanted to make me happy, and was someone I could make happy, it would be great. But I’m beginning to think those men only exist in the minds of romance fiction writers.” A tear slipped to the corner of her eye.
Mrs. Higgins handed her a tissue. “I’m
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