Page 76 (1/1)

He snorted "Maybe I’ll think about that when I’m forty" He ate for a moment in silence before he looked at me "And you? What’s your plan?"

I chewed a mouthful of chicken and bell pepper It was spicy, flavorful and tender I shrugged "I told you, I don’t date If I don’t date, I’uy--especially since I don’t believe he exists in the first place I’le and on h for ht about that for a , hter If I ever have the desire to become a mother, there are options for that, too, that don’t require ain reply and we finished our lunch soon thereafter He took a phone call that cath of our walk back toof the Styrofoam box that carriedthe phone in his pocket "Emilia, will you come to the party withwhen you were going to askas you already volunteeredyou now"

I took in a deep breath, knowing that I probably shouldn’t "I don’t think--"

"I’ve been waiting to see you in the red one" He meant the red dress--the one I hadn’t worn yet I’d kind of been wondering what it would look like as well

Maybe I could get aith this by not telling Heath I knehat he’d say He’d say the exact sa that tiny whisper of rationality at the back ofhiht

I took a deep breath "Okay" Geez So in ment And lately, every one of those decisions somehow involved thisaway as if afraid I’d change o, headed back into Old Towne to get his car A knot twisted in erous I was in too deep And he was in control, just as he’d said Instead of one ht, as I’d promised him, it was now a cocktail party and a week in the Caribbean Soon it would be ly difficult to tell him no

My head wanted me to resist, but my heart wouldn’t allow it

Chapter Eleven

After work the next day, I s for a Caesar salad and he’d bought the ground beef and stuff for has were aard at first I could tell Heath was studiously avoiding the entire subject of Adam and the auction He was done, it seeers, I asked hi on my er, his eyes widening "Da to clear led "I’ this Cosht there If you get your sex education from Cosmo then you are in for a world of hurt--or he is Those articles are insane"

"Okay So would you be embarrassed if I asked you to explain to ay Penises are like my favorite subject--shit, that’d probably be the case if I was straight, too, with boobies a close second"

Over dessert--I’d picked up fresh strawberries at a local stand and served theel food cake for strawberry shortcake--he used a banana to deht have had radiation burns onafter that, but I did follow his advice and duot home

Lindsay’s cocktail party was an absolute dud When she saw us arrive together, she widened her eyes in exaggerated surprise--or mock horror, I couldn’t tell which She then pretended to be called away on so Adaht, she pretended I didn’t exist The other guests ht have done the same but for the fact that Adam stuck to my side like Velcro the entire time