Page 21 of The ABCs of You & Me

When he backs away and lets me step to the podium, I thank my colleagues who helped make the program possible. I keep my eyes on Foster the whole time, loving the way his hard gaze remains squarely on Gregory as if he heard what he had said. Foster is so often smiling that his expression halts me mid-sentence. As if me stopping snaps him out of it, he turns his eyes to me and a soft smile appears. I finish my little speech, leaving Gregory out of it entirely and then brush off his attempts of guiding me off the stage with as much grace as I can muster.

Back at the table, Foster stands as I approach and pulls me in for a hug before I can sit down.

“What did he say to you?” he asks quietly, his voice so deep I can barely hear him.

“Nothing,” I say, leaning back and smiling at him. “Nothing important anyway.”

He looks like he’s going to push me, but he just gives a single nod and lets me sit down without any more discussion.

When the dance floor opens, Foster pulls me to him and we sway slowly together. “Remember the senior dance in elementary school?” he asks, his mouth right beside my ear.

“The one where you danced with a group of us because the other boys pretended they wanted to, only to then ignore us for the whole night?”

He pulls back, looking confused. “There was a whole group?”

“Yeah, and you danced with each of us. You made a big show of it too. Bowed when you offered me your hand.” I laugh, remembering the flourish of it and the anxious anticipation of laying my hand in his. I’d been jealous of the other girls he’d offered his hand to until it was my turn.

“I hope my skills have improved since then.”

“Definitely,” I sigh, laying my head on his chest. His cheek comes to rest on the top of my head, and I catch a thumbs-up and okay signal from a couple of my former colleagues at the university.

I see Gregory look at me a couple times. See him chatting to Edwin and gesturing toward me and then the look on his face when Edwin says something with a knowing grin. I know he’s trying to get intel. Trying to find out who this man I turned up with is.

Foster’s arm tightens a little more, and I slide my hand down his back, stopping just above his ass, and a loud, somewhat nervous laugh bubbles out of me. Gregory wouldn’t recognize it; it was always forced with him.

“Thank you for going with me tonight,” I say, turning in my seat toward Foster when he pulls up in front of my house.

“I had fun, despite the hodenkobold, of course. Did you have a good time?”

I take in his hopeful expression and realize that while the night was tainted, I did actually have a pretty decent time. “Thanks to you. What time should I be ready on Sunday?”

“I’ll pick you up at 11:30 if that’s alright?”

“Should I be prepared for hijinks and tomfoolery?”

“Absolutely.” He flashes me a mischievous grin.

“Excellent,” I say, stepping from the car. “I love me some tomfoolery.”

I’ve been nervous about our little arrangement, but after how easy being with him tonight was, I’m already very much looking forward to Sunday. Even if it confuses my heart more.

ELEVEN

FOSTER

I’m baking cookies at three in the morning because I can’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes I could see his eyes on her, could feel her tense beneath my touch when she felt them. It wasn’t the playful interactions or the feel of her skin beneath my fingertips that kept me up. It was purely her discomfort. Eventually, I gave up trying to sleep and got up to focus on something else.

My phone lights up just after I put the first batch in the oven.

Sunshine

What does one wear to an April Fools’ BBQ?

Why are you up?

Why are you?

Couldn’t sleep.

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