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"I made you feel that way. It wasn't my intention, but that doesn't change the fact I made you feel unworthy." The tears rolled down Sheryl's cheeks. "If I ever say anything about being proper again, don't listen to me. Listen to your heart, Mara, always. I let my mother convince me that being proper was the only way to survive in this world, but she was wrong. Find your own way."
Mara started crying too, wiping the tears away with her fingers.
Peter draped an arm around Sheryl's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "It's okay, Sher. Everything's okay. Now that Mara understands why you are the way you are, she won't be afraid anymore."
"That's right," Mara said, sniffling. "I might have accidentally wound up staying at a nudist resort, but being there has made me realize I need more out of life than being accepted by the upper-crust elite. I don't care about any of that. Not sure what I do want, but I know I need to change my life."
Peter handed his wife a napkin.
She blew her nose delicately. "I want you to do whatever makes you happy. Promise me you'll do that."
"I will, Mom."
The ladies excused themselves to go powder their noses, which I figured meant they needed a few minutes to stop crying and splash some water on their faces or whatever women did to freshen up after a round of tearful confessions. Guys didn't do tearful confessions, so I had no idea what happened after something like that.
Peter and I talked about sports while we waited for our girls to come back. We were in the middle of a debate about which baseball team would win the World Series this year when I spotted a waiter leading two people toward an empty table across from us.
I froze. That was Heidi and Nico.
They couldn't be on a date. Heidi would never go for a jerk like Nico Marshall. Would she? Nah, she had to be trying to make me jealous or something.
Jeez, was I really that narcissistic? Thinking Heidi wanted me so badly that she'd hook up with Nico to get my attention. That had to be the dumbest thing I'd ever thought.
Nico settled onto a chair at the table, not more than fifteen from where Peter and I sat.
The waiter pulled out a chair for Heidi, who smiled and said something to him, probably "thank you."
Of course Nico hadn't bothered to get her chair for her. What a douche.
Heidi noticed me, her eyes flaring wide for a heartbeat, then she smiled and waved.
I waved back.
She waved at Peter too, who reciprocated.
When Nico saw me, he puffed up like a baboon who'd claimed his mate and wanted every other boy baboon to know she belonged to him. He aimed a smug smile at me.
Did he really think I'd get jealous? Did he think I'd care if he dated Heidi? Well, maybe I would---but not because I still had feelings for her. She was a nice girl, and I didn't want to see her get tangled up with somebody like Nico. Heidi deserved a lot better.
Mara and Sheryl came back to our table, giving me a great excuse to stop wondering what Nico was up to with Heidi. She was an adult who could make her own decisions.
The music started up again.
I guessed the band had taken a break, though I hadn't really noticed the lack of music. The conversation between Mara and her mom had kept the four of us distracted from everything else.
Nico got up and offered Heidi his hand. "Let's dance. You look so beautiful in that dress, it's a shame to waste it by just sitting here. I'm so lucky to have a date with a woman of your caliber, and I want to show you off to the world."
What a load of bullshit. I could practically smell it, that's how deep he'd shoveled into the shit to dig out that smarmy line.
Heidi blushed and took his hand, letting Nico lead her out onto the dance floor.
No, she couldn't be falling for his bullshit. Heidi was smarter than that.
"Ollie," Mara said sharply.
I realized I'd zoned out on the conversation at our table and smiled at Mara. "Sorry. What were you saying?"
Her gaze sharpened on me like a laser beam zeroing in on its target. "Dad asked if you've ever gone fishing."
