Page 19 of It Had to be You

"We should go to the dance room. That way we don’t have to move again."

Nodding, he gestured toward the door and walked just behind her until he slipped past to open the door and hold it for her.

Oh, manners.

Sure, she didn’t need a man to open it, but it was nice. Really nice.

"Thank you," she walked past him and an indrawn breath told her what kind of cologne he was wearing. Oh, she didn’t know the name, but it was subtle and spicy… and seemed to fit him to a ‘T.’

The room was empty when they arrived.

There was still a good twenty minutes before she was expecting anyone. And as soon as they were through the door, she realized that she’d made a miscalculation when she’d steered them toward the dance room. Someone had removed the chairs that had been against the walls. "Umm…" reaching into her purse she pulled out her phone. "Let me see if I can call someone and ask for-"

"No need on my account."

She looked up from her phone and didn’t see him. Tipping her chin down, she saw him sitting on the carpet beside the edge of the dance floor.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." He set his cup down and held out his hand. "At home growing up we sat on the ground a lot. I swear we had enough cushions to seat our extended family in the family room.

"My assistant is a childhood friend, and she was over enough to be my witness if you’re worried."

Tatum held out the fruit bowl and he took it, and her teacup so she could sit down beside him. "No, I trust you. I was just curious because dancers, we’ll sit anywhere."

"Like cats?"

He’d thrown out the question so easily she had to look at him with confusion pinching the skin between her brows. "Cats?"

He removed the cover off the bowl and set it on the floor in front of her. "You know.If it fits…"

"It sits! Are you a cat man? Or a dog man?"

"I don’t know really. My parents weren’t big on pets. I guess I’d have to spend time with them to see."

"My family splits the difference. I’ve had dogs in the past and my sister has cats." She picked up a grape and popped it in her mouth.

He seemed to be thinking over her answer. "Had?" He picked out a piece of melon and mimicked her gesture.

She picked up another grape, but instead of eating it right away, she looked at it as her emotions swam close to the surface. "That’s while I was growing up. When I started competing, I was

always going from state to state and sometimes other countries. I wasn’t at home enough to feel like I was doing right by a pet, but soon…" she let out a breath that she hadn’t known she was holding, "I’ll have the opportunity to find out."

"Hello?"

Tatum turned her head toward the voice.

Pearl was standing in the doorway waving at them.

"Pearl! Come in." Tatum got up and smoothed out her skirt. "Is Ben with you?"

Ben’s larger frame put Pearl in a gentle shadow. "Of course I am."

"Come on in, you two!"

When she turned, Alexander was getting up on his feet. She reached out and took hold of his arm to steady him. "You’re trying to stand with your hands full?"

He grinned at her. "Multitasking."

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