Page 57
She hands me a martini glass that contains a green liquid.
“Ummm?” I grumble. I’m not drinking some mysterious concoction that looks as green as Nickelodeon slime.
Maggie smiles and wiggles her eyebrows up and down. “It’s good, just try it. You too, Sean.”
Sean grabs a glass for himself and takes a sip before me, his face giving nothing away.
I take a small sip, pleasantly surprised at the sweet green apple flavor.
Maggie watches my reaction with confidence. “Right?”
She has the painting she’s been working on for an exhibit sitting on an easel in the middle of the living room. It’s a woman hanging upside down, floating among stars. She’s naked, with long black hair and blue highlights. The moon shines brightly behind her.
“How’s the trip been so far?” she asks, distracting us.
Every fiber of my being wants to turn around and make sure that Graham isn’t coming this way.
I wonder what’s going through Sean’s head right now. Maybe he’s thinking about the perfect angle to punch Graham in the face.
No. That’s not Sean. He’s too gentle. A gentle giant—but still gentle.
“It’s been great,” Sean says for me. “Bee is the perfect guide. Happy birthday by the way.”
She smiles behind her glass. “You call her Bee? That’s so cute. And thank you.”
Christine and Hannah, Maggie’s college roommates, are calling her over. “Maggie! Mags!”
“You guys good?” she asks, eyebrows curved.
“We can handle ourselves,” Sean tells her confidently.
She twirls away to her friends.
My lips purse as he smiles, taking another drink.
“We can handle ourselves?”
“Sure, we can.”
“And what happens when Graham finally makes his way over here,” I subtly point to Graham who is stealthily coming closer, “and I have to introduce my ex-husband and long lost love to one another?”
His smile is bigger than earth itself. “Long lost love?”
“Now is not the time to dive into any of that.” I push his shoulder, holding in a laugh.
“Hey, you started it. And by the way, it’s always a good time to talk about us.”
“Okay,” I whisper, inching closer to him. “Well, Graham is only a few feet away now.”
“What’s the plan then?”
“I have an idea,” I say with a lifted brow.
“Let’s hear it.”
“Pretend to be my boyfriend for the night.”
His eyebrows pull high up to his forehead, his jaw slack. His breath hitches beneath me, then he sighs loudly. “Only for the night?” he questions.
