Chapter 1 #2
We take our drinks and head back through the ballroom to the table.
The place is filling up as more people arrive.
The cocktail hour goes on for another half hour and then dinner is served.
After that, the music will start. Noah and Lacey hired a local band.
I’m hoping Mia will agree to a dance or two, maybe more if the evening goes well.
‘We got some company,’ Chuck says as Mia and I get back to the table. There’s a woman sitting next to Chuck and one heading toward the empty chair next to mine. Two guys are now on the other side of Mia.
‘I’m Gary,’ one of them says to her as she sits down.
Gary better back the hell off. Mia already has a date for tonight.
‘Sorry,’ the woman next to me says as she sits down. She bumped me when she moved her chair out.
‘It’s fine,’ I say, smiling at her. She’s hot, with wavy blonde hair and wearing a tight pink dress. But as hot as she is, my attention is drawn back to Mia. There’s something about her, something I’ve never felt with anyone else.
‘This is Jason,’ Mia says, and when I turn to her, I feel her arm slip around mine as she looks at Gary.
‘Nice to meet you,’ I say, using my free arm to reach over and shake his hand.
Gary glances down at Mia’s arm around mine. ‘I thought this was the singles table.’
‘It is,’ I say.
‘Them two have been giving each other the eye since she sat down,’ Chuck says, motioning to Mia and me. ‘They’re both teachers so maybe that’s got something to do with it.’
‘I’m single,’ the woman next to Chuck says. She’s probably in her 40s, but the way Chuck’s looking at her, I don’t think he cares about their age difference.
‘Why don’t we get you a drink?’ he says, giving her the same smile he gave Mia when she sat down, the kind that says he’s hoping to sleep with her later.
The two of them get up and head to the bar.
‘I feel like I know you,’ the guy next to Gary says to me. ‘Do you work downtown?’
‘No, I’m a teacher and baseball coach in Haydon Falls, a town a couple hours north of here.’
He smiles. ‘That’s how I know you. My son wanted to go to your baseball camp. He showed me the website and I saw your photo. We live here in Chicago so I had to tell him no, but he really wanted to go. Do you run the camp yourself?’
‘Yeah, I started it a couple years ago. It’s getting to be really popular.’
‘You must be a good coach,’ Mia says, smiling at me.
The guy’s phone rings and he answers it. ‘Honey, you know I’m at that wedding tonight.’ He nods, then gets up from the table. ‘I’ll be there soon.’ He ends the call and says, ‘That was my daughter. She’s at a sleepover and got sick. I need to go get her. It was nice meeting you all.’ He takes off.
‘Glad I don’t have kids,’ Gary says, watching the guy leave. ‘They ruin your life.’
‘I can’t wait to have kids,’ Mia says to him. ‘I want at least three, maybe more.’
‘Good luck with that,’ Gary says, getting up. ‘I’m getting a drink.’
‘Angela,’ a guy says, coming up to the girl next to me. ‘I didn’t know you’d be here.’
‘Larson!’ She jumps up from her chair. ‘Where are you sitting?’
‘Over there.’ He points to the table near the exit door. ‘There’s an open seat if you want to move.’
She takes off with the guy, leaving just Mia and me at the table.
‘Thanks for saving me,’ she says. ‘As soon as I felt Gary’s leg touching mine under the table I had to do something so he’d know I was with someone.’
‘He was touching you under the table?’ I ask, my anger rising as I think of that jerk touching her.
‘He moved away when he saw me put my arm around yours.’ She turns to me. ‘I hope you don’t mind.’
‘Not at all.’ I lean down to her and talk in her ear. ‘Feel free to use me however you like tonight.’
She slowly backs away.
‘Sorry,’ I say. ‘I didn’t mean—’
‘No, it’s fine.’ Her smile turns flirtatious, along with the tone of her voice. ‘I was just surprised. You seem so . . . polite.’
‘Polite doesn’t mean I’m . . . well, I’ll let you finish that thought.’
She takes a sip of her drink, then turns to me. ‘Tell me more.’
‘More what?’
‘Tell me more about you. So far I’ve learned that you’re an amazing coach and that your family owns a very famous orchard. I’m already impressed and I’ve known you for less than an hour.’
‘I’d rather know more about you. I don’t even know where you live.’
‘Madison. I’m going to grad school at the university. I have one semester left.’ She lets out a sigh. ‘This is my last weekend to have some fun and relax before hitting the books again. Monday’s the start of another semester, my busiest one yet.’
‘Madison, huh? That’s not that far from Haydon Falls. Well, it’s over an hour but—’ I shake my head. ‘Never mind. I’m getting ahead of myself.’
‘Are you seeing anyone?’ Mia asks.
‘I go on dates, but I don’t have a girlfriend. How about you? Are you seeing anyone?’
‘I was, but we broke up a few months ago.’
I’m staring into her eyes, knowing I should look away, but I can’t. She’s got beautiful eyes, a deep brown color with specks of caramel. There’s kindness in her eyes, which I know sounds strange, but it’s what I feel when I look at them. Like she’s a kind person with a big open heart.
‘Hey, everyone!’ Noah says over the microphone.
The noise in the room quiets down. ‘I just want to thank you all for coming and hope you have a good time tonight. We’re doing the toasts after dinner before cutting the cake, so be sure to stick around.
Free booze for the toast if that makes a difference,’ he says with a laugh.
He takes his seat at the head table. I’m so far back in the room I can barely see him.
There’s so many people here, I probably won’t even talk to him tonight.
‘Want another drink?’ I ask Mia, noticing hers is empty.
‘I could have another,’ she says as she watches a woman walk by. ‘What a beautiful dress.’
‘Yours is better,’ I tell her, my eyes going to her dress. It’s black and fitted to her body with tiny straps at the top and ending just above her knees.
‘I’ve had this forever,’ Mia says, looking down at her dress. ‘I’ve probably worn it to at least three weddings.’
‘It looks great on you.’ I put my arm around her as Gary comes back.
‘They’re out of the vodka I wanted,’ he says as he sits down. ‘I hate these damn weddings. I don’t know why I keep going to them.’ He downs whatever drink he got, then stares at the waitress as she serves the table next to ours.
Mia moves closer to me, turning so her back is against my chest. I keep my arm around her and gently rub my hand over her bare shoulder. She looks up at me and smiles.
I wish I knew what was going on here. Are we just pretending to date or is this real? It feels real. I feel like we’re a couple, not two strangers who just met. Why am I feeling this way with someone I barely know?