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“Really? I adore the ballet My absolute favorite is Swan Lake I’ve lost count of how many times I have seen it performed”

“It is wonderful I saw it performed in Boston last year But I think my favorite is Coppelia It was the first ballet I saw perfore”

“My first ballet was Cinderella Myfor the Fairy Gode At the time the Disney movie was my favorite, and I watched it all the tied, I cried”

His parents had said tonight’s dinner would be an intimate affair, and for his parents thistheuests Lauren always ca and confident, but still, he wanted her first encounter with his family to be smooth and comfortable While Lauren may socialize with the Sherbrookes and Talbots, she really wasn’t a part of that society For the most part, she existed within thewith that, as considered acceptable there may or may not be proper with the likes of his parents

Under the table Kevin rested his hand on Lauren’s thigh and gave a little squeeze Next to him, she continued her debate with his sister as to which ballet was better, Giselle or Swan Lake, but her hand slipped under the table and rested on his Her action spoke volus and just how invested she was in their relationship Tonight though, her words and actions told hiers with hers, and turned his complete attention to the conversation he’d started with his father and Barry Clarkson Any re reservations he’d entertained since her mother’s retirement party disappeared

“So what else do you know about her?” Clinton Walsh asked

With dinner over, Kevin and his father had retreated to his father’s office for a private conversation while the rest of the guests socialized over after-dinner drinks Kevin rested his ankle on his knee and made himself comfortable in the armchair On the other side of the wide desk, his father sat with a brandy in his hand

“Her mother just retired, and her father teaches at Adaraduated from there”

“What about the rest of her family? Brothers, sisters? What do you know about them?”

Kevin lifted his own brandy toward his mouth “Don’t you think I would’ve checked into all this beforehand? There are no black sheep in her family”

Clinton’s fingers drummed on the desk “I’m still not convinced She is only a schoolteacher”

Don’t let hi “Lauren is a well-educated woh of the same interests and values to ree” The one thing he knew better than business omen, and he could read Lauren like an open book She missed her best friend, Callie Talbot She went to visit Callie and her neorld, but she didn’t really belong He could help with that While he may not be quite as wealthy as Callie’s husband, his wealth allowed him to travel in many of the same social circles His wealth would also allow Lauren to pursue her dreams in earnest She had told him how much she wanted to travel and how she wanted to open her own dance studio rather than simply teach part-tiive her all those things and much more

“When will you ask her?”

Kevin sed the last of his brandy “I haven’t decided, but soon” Since the retirehbor, he’d felt an urgency to keep their relationship h she’d tried to play it cool, soht want everyone to think she had no feelings for the guy, but Kevin suspected the two of them had a deep history A history that reht Since the party, their phone conversations had changed, too

“Good luck, then” Clinton caoes”

Once again, Lauren glanced over Olivia’s shoulder toward the doorway Since Kevin’s sister continued speaking without so h she found Olivia’s description of the fashions she’d seen at a recent Hollywood party interesting, Lauren wanted Kevin to walk through the doorway now Being in a rooht she wished she owned an invisibility cloak

“And to say the designs by Marcella Horton were beautiful is an understatement Photos just don’t do thener to hit it big with the A-list celebrities in Hollywood