Page 43 of The Perfect Mistake

I shake my head. “Dancing for hours every day didn’t leave much time for dating, at least not outside of the Company. Barely inside it too, to be fair. It was my entire life for so many years that… yeah. No partner.”

“I can see that, about before. But now?”

“Now?” I ask. Nerves flutter in my stomach. “Well, I guess I’m open to it now. If the right person comes along.”

“And what would the right person be like?” he asks. His eyes are intense, almost piercing. I’m not sure if the TV is even on anymore. The tea I brewed is forgotten in my cup, probably cold by now.

“I don’t know. Funny. Intelligent. I think I want someone who’s driven, because I… I was about to say that I am, but maybe the truth is that I was. He needs to be understanding. I hope to start dancing again, and he’d have to handle my crazy schedule.”

Alec makes a humming sound. It sounds thoughtful, and I’m scared of what he might say next.

“What about you?” I ask.

He looks away. Eyes lock on the windows behind me, and something around them hardens. I can see him restacking brick after brick of the fortress wall. Even as his hand still rests right next to mine, on the back of the couch. I look at that instead of watching him visibly closing himself off.

I’ve always had a thing for men’s hands, and his… tanned and agile, with neatly trimmed nails. They look manly. Capable and strong. A bit weathered. Large.

He doesn’t answer my question. I can feel him working up to it, the air between us turning tense. If it was charged before, it feels electric now.

I put my hand on his.

He flinches slightly at the contact but doesn't pull away.

“I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “I shouldn’t have asked that. I know that… Well, I’m sorry.”

He doesn’t answer me. He turns his hand over instead, his long fingers wrapping around mine. Electricity shoots through me as we touch, and I can’t look away from our intertwined hands.

“It’s fine. I just don’t really think about it,” he says.

“That’s understandable,” I whisper. Heat radiates from his skin into mine.

His voice is self-deprecating. “Is it? Maybe.”

“Everything in due time.”

“Yeah,” he says, and we sit there, our hands together, the silence between us charged. It feels like something passes between us. A secret I can’t decipher, a hint at something to come. I don’t know what it is, but I taste it all the same.

His eyes flicker down to my lips, and darken. I have the wild thought that he’s thinking about kissing me. But then, he lets go of my hand. The moment disappears, floats away, and I’m left rooted to the ground.

“Good idea about tomorrow,” he says. His voice sounds gruff. “I’ll ask Connie if she can attend instead of me.”

I clear my throat. “Great! You could go to the movie night with Willa, and I’ll stay home with Sam.”

His eyes slide back to mine. “Oh, no. You’re coming, too.”

“I am?”

“Yes,” he says. “I’m happy to watch movies with my kids, but I don’t want to suffer through a single conversation with the other parents.”

My voice comes out teasing. “Am I your chaperone, too, then?”

“Oh, Isabel,” he says. “You’re my saving grace.”

Alec

The St. Regis schoolyard has been entirely transformed. Even I can give them that. String lights swing between buildings, illuminating the grassy lawn, and a giant screen has been positioned against the side of the sports hall. All over the grass, little seating areas are set up. Blankets and pillows form makeshift sofas, one for each family.

The scent of popcorn hangs heavy in the air. It’s a beautiful October night, clear and cool, with a gentle breeze blowing through the schoolyard. Heaters are evenly spaced to keep the surroundings from being too cold.

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