Chapter Forty-Three
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Beth was a nervous wreck as she got ready for her date with Sean. She was meeting him at his house. She was finally able to drive again, now that she had the brace instead of the cast, and she steeled herself for the conversation she knew she had to have with him. She was torn between wanting to see Sean and dreading the conversation over dinner that might not go the way she hoped.
She brought a bottle of wine with her, a Daou Cabernet as he’d said he was serving steak. When she arrived at his house, he had the door open wide before she even reached it.
“I heard your car in the driveway,” he said as he pulled her in for a welcome kiss. She pulled away quickly, though, and handed him the bottle of wine. “This is one of my favorites.”
He took it and glanced at the label. “Thanks. Looks great. Come on in.”
She followed him inside and was struck by how cozy and yet how masculine his house was at the same time. It was a rustic contemporary with wood beams and a cathedral ceiling. Hardwood floors with a living room that opened into the kitchen area with a beautiful island in the middle.
“Did you make that?” Beth asked. It was shaped like an L, with a raised counter made of two different kinds of polished wood. It was the first thing she noticed when she entered the room. He looked pleased that she mentioned it.
“I did. I came up with the design myself and it worked better than expected.” He set the wine on the island counter and fished around in a drawer for an opener. While he opened the wine, Beth looked around the room and took in the chocolate-brown leather sofas, and the potbellied stove in the fireplace that heated the room. She could feel the heat it generated from where she stood in the kitchen.
Sean poured two glasses of the wine and handed her one.
“What are you making?” There was a sauté pan on the stove with something simmering in it.
Sean walked over and gave the sauce a stir. “It’s a red wine and shallot sauce for the filets. I browned them in butter first in this pan, then moved them to the oven to finish cooking. They have a blue cheese panko crust and they should be almost ready.”
Beth was impressed. “That’s pretty fancy. I pictured you as more of a throw the steaks on the grill kind of guy.”
He laughed. “I am that, mostly. But I like to cook and I have perfected a few dishes that are winners. This is one of them.”
Beth’s thoughts immediately went to Marcy. Did he ever make this dish for her? She didn’t ask. Didn’t want to know. But she suddenly felt a little less hungry.
Sean checked the steaks. “They still have a few minutes. Want to relax by the fire for a bit before we eat?”
“Sure.”
He led her to one of the leather couches, the one facing the stove, and clicked on some music. It was a classic Marvin Gaye tune. It would have put Beth in the mood for romance if she hadn’t overheard the conversation with Marcy. Was this what Sean did? Cook a fabulous meal, turn on smooth music, and have the night end in the bedroom? She told herself she was being silly. This was a normal progression in dating. It didn’t have to mean Sean was sleeping around. But she did need to find out what was going on with Marcy. She took a deep breath but just couldn’t get up the courage to have the conversation yet. Maybe over dinner.
But when they sat down to eat, everything was so delicious and Sean was so charming that she relaxed again and just enjoyed herself. She didn’t want to ruin the evening. Not yet.
Sean had picked up a cheesecake for dessert with a cherry sauce. Beth was full but she couldn’t ever pass up cheesecake and cherry topping was her favorite. She remembered mentioning that to him at one point and was touched that he remembered. Or maybe it was just the way he preferred it, too.
She helped him clean up in the kitchen, passing him the dirty dishes before he rinsed and stacked them in the dishwasher. When they were done he topped off her wine and his and they settled on the sofa again. Beth felt her stomach clench. She couldn’t put off the conversation much longer.
“You’re quiet tonight. Is everything okay?” Sean asked.
“It’s fine, I’m just a little tired,” Beth lied. The words had come out automatically. She took a sip of her wine and braced herself to ask Sean about Marcy. But she just couldn’t find the words.
Sean smiled at her and set his wine down. “Come here.” He leaned toward her, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her in for a kiss. As soon as her lips touched his she pulled back. She just couldn’t do it until they talked.
“Something is wrong,” Sean said.
“It’s just that I have a few questions,” Beth began.
“You can ask me anything. Shoot,” Sean encouraged her.
“Did you see Marcy Christmas night?”
She could see in his eyes that her words had shocked him and he didn’t deny it. He nodded.
“I did. She stopped by. It was unexpected and it was late. I didn’t get home until after nine and it was almost nine thirty when she showed up and knocked on my door. I wasn’t exactly thrilled by it.” He frowned. “How did you know that?”
“I was out with Donna and Riley last night at the Squire. Marcy was there, too, and stood right next to me when she ordered from the bar. It was crowded. I am pretty sure that she meant for me to overhear her.”
“What else did she say?” Sean looked frustrated and annoyed.
“She implied that she was going to see you again. That she told you she was fine with not being serious and that you said things weren’t serious with us.” She cringed at the last part of that. She knew they weren’t serious yet, but Beth wanted to be and she thought that Sean did, too.
Sean sighed heavily. “She did say that. But I made it clear I had no intention of seeing her again. I also said that we weren’t serious yet… but that I hoped that we would be. I think she only relayed part of the conversation.”
Beth nodded. She wanted to believe him but she was still concerned that Marcy had gone to see him at all. And that he hadn’t told her. She supposed he didn’t need to tell her, but it still made her nervous.
“Okay. It was a little unsettling to hear that. Especially that she’d seen you on Christmas. I didn’t know what to think.”
Sean took her hand. “I’m sorry she did that to you. This is the kind of reaction she was hoping for. But Beth, even if things don’t work out with us, and I hope that they do, please know that I will never date Marcy again. She is not a threat to our relationship.”
Beth took a sip of wine. She wanted to believe him and she felt that he was telling the truth. But she’d been lied to before and she just needed a little time to process this and she told him that.
“I do believe you. But I think I need to head home now and just digest all this. It’s a lot,” she said.
He looked concerned. “Beth, please don’t give up on us. Let me take you out on New Year’s Eve like we planned. Let’s make it a special night.”
Beth suddenly felt exhausted and anxious to go home and crawl into bed.
She put her wineglass down and stood. “I’ll let you know. Thank you for dinner tonight.”
Sean walked her to the door and he didn’t try to kiss her. He just pulled her into a tight hug and gently kissed her forehead. “Sweet dreams, Beth. I’ll talk to you soon.”