Page 8 of Forever Mine

Chapter 4

The hole in my stomach should have signaled hunger, but it didn’t. The hollow sensation engulfed me for a reason I didn’t care to examine.

Another round of applause rose, and I turned away when Joey grabbed my arm.

While he introduced me to a young man wearing dreads, the emcee shared more information. “Please feel free to mingle. Dinner will be served in The Palms ballroom in a half-hour. That’s down the hall and to the right.”

I ignored the table loaded with hors d’hoeuvres since dinner was minutes away. After sipping on the last of my slushy, I looked for somewhere to leave the glass. A few steps took me to a bistro table, and I left it there.

A moment later, I was focused on the artwork I hadn’t finished looking at before the function began. Before I knew it, I was drawn into a discussion with a couple of young men, one of whom was the creator of two pieces on display.

Soon, I was introducing myself to a range of individuals, young and old, conservative and radical in appearance and speech.

Before long, my stomach growled. A trip across the room took to me to where Joey and Pete were involved in a heated discussion. I broke in to tell them I was going to eat.

Down the corridor, I found the eating area with seats arranged at circular tables covered with snowy-white tablecloths. I was one of the few people who’d already left the reception and that gave me adequate time to choose what I wanted from the buffet.

By the time I was seated, more people trickled into the room. I kept an eye out for Joey and Pete, in case they wanted to sit with me. I’d just unfolded the napkin and laid it on my lap when Scott walked up to me. “Mind if I join you?”

“No, you’re good.”

“I’ll be back.” He walked away, then stopped to talk to several persons on the way to the food. His movements were graceful and unhurried, as if he had nothing but time to spare.

Somehow, watching him felt like a guilty pleasure. As I stabbed a tomato wedge and put it into my mouth, I thought about his business. I didn’t get why anyone thought a cocktail party was the place to share that kind of information. Much too personal to divulge in that setting, for me anyway.

My mental rambling dropped a weight in my stomach, which was silly because Scott and I had barely known each other for an hour. Other than curiosity shining from his eyes, Scott hadn’t given any indication he was attracted to me.

Joey, Pete, and a couple of other young men walked into the room and I waved to get their attention. They gave me a thumbs up, which I took to mean they’d come over after they filled their plates.

Scott returned, carrying a plate laden with potatoes, slices of beef, and a healthy serving of vegetables. He sat next to me and dug into his dinner as if he hadn’t eaten all day.

We ate with the buzz of chatter and piped music providing background noise. The table was almost fully occupied with Joey and his friends, plus a couple persons who also knew each other.

Half way through our meal, a waiter came to our table, carrying a tray of wine.

Scott asked the server about the brand, then glanced at my remaining chicken breast and sautéed vegetables. He reached for a glass of white. Hand in midair, he asked. “You drink, right?”

“Depends on what that is.”

“A Sauvignon.”

“Sounds good.”

I preferred red wine but given what I was eating, Scott had made a good choice. He set the wine down next to my hand before snagging a glass of red for himself. Scott sipped, then met my eyes. “Believe nothing you hear, only half of what you see, and I would add, trust yourself with everything you feel.”

I cocked one eyebrow at him, thinking he had some nerve. Of course, I knew exactly what he meant and wondered why he felt the need to explain.

“Why would you want to clarify?” I said, “After all, we've only just met.”

He stroked his jaw, studying me as if he was seeing me for the first time. “We might have met today, but I have a feeling.”

Wearing a smile, I said, “Would you think I'm being obtuse if I asked what kind of feeling?”

He shook his head. “There's nothing wrong with you wanting specifics. Simply put, there's a certain something about you that makes me want to spend time with you.”

My brow arched again. “You know this after seeing me once today and meeting me again this evening.”

“Nah, it's more than that. It's what you're not saying.”