Page 14 of One Weekend in Sydney

“Thanks,” I murmur. If only she knows…

Then something occurs to me. “If I had said yes, what would have happened?”

She giggles. “I haven’t exactly propositioned you, have I? When I asked if your partner won’t find out, I meant you and Cat Woman.”

My jaw drops. I’m appalled. “Wow, I’m so sorry. I totally misinterpreted that, didn’t I?

Tara pats my arm. “Don’t be sorry. I like that you showed your true colours. I’m glad I’m sitting here at a Masks On event with a very decent man.”

Well, how the hell do I respond to that? Thank God she never has to know who this Romeo really is.

“Don’t get me wrong,” she continues. “I find you very attractive, too. I’m partial to honest men, so even though you rejected me, I’m impressed. My friends and I talked about me having a one-night stand this weekend. I didn’t think it was a good idea. But you did make me consider giving myself a hall pass.”

Again, I’m stunned. She really wants to have sex with me?

Tara chuckles. “I’m guessing this stare you’re giving me is one of shock. Look, honesty begets honesty. I’m just enjoying having this conversation with you in this kind of environment. I come from a small town, and I live a sheltered life,” she says with a self-deprecating laugh.

“Sheltered?” How can a woman running for mayor be sheltered?

“I mean, from sexual activities like this.” She sweeps an arm at the different couples kissing and touching each other.

My curiosity pierces through the stratosphere. I was the one who took Tara’s virginity, and there was a time when I rejoiced at the thought that I’d be her one and only sexual partner for the rest of her life. I stuffed up that chance when I let myself be blackmailed, and now I’m dying to know what she’s trying to say. “What exactly do you mean by being sheltered from sexual activities?”

“I’m not a virgin, but…” She stares at me for a long moment, frowning in thought, before exhaling heavily. “I never thought I’d be so open to a total stranger. It must be the anonymity afforded by our masks. There’s safety and freedom to it,” she adds in a wistful tone.

My breath catches. I’m thankful for the anonymity, too. I never thought I’d have an intimate conversation like this again with Tara.

And she thinks I’m a decent, honest man.

I ignore the guilt poking at my chest. No way can I come clean now. We’ve crossed a line with this chat, and we can’t go back. It’ll only hurt her even more if she learns who she’s talking to.

“I’ve only ever been with two guys,” Tara says rather regretfully. “I loved sex with my first boyfriend, but let’s not talk about him.”

My heart bangs hard in my chest.

“With my second ex, sex wasn’t as amazing…” Her blush is obvious as she furtively stares at the couple across from us. The man’s hand is clearly under his companion’s skirt as they talk, her legs wide apart.

“Uh-huh,” I say dumbly, not interested in the other couple. I’m eager to hear more from Tara.

“I’ve been on a dry spell for four years now,” she says with a laugh.

I frown. “I’m surprised by that. I mean, someone as pretty as you would have plenty of guys tripping all over themselves to date you.”

Tara sends me a close-mouthed smile. “That’s sweet of you to say. But I don’t date much. I’m very picky because I didn’t have a great start to dating.”

I take a sharp intake of breath. I’m not sure I want to hear the rest of what she has to say.

To my dismay, she continues. “My first boyfriend broke my heart when I was eighteen. I was crazy about him, but…I was a very bad reader of people at the time. I thought he was a good guy.” She paused, looking down at the ground. “He humiliated me in front of a lot of people, and that’s what made me very picky when it comes to men. I know that sounds dramatic, but in my defence, I had an idealistic view of love at that age, and that was shattered. It took me a long time to recover from it. A few years later, I met my second boyfriend. I wasn’t really in love with him. I guess I still didn’t want to be vulnerable again.”

I can only stare for a long moment, guilt swamping me as if I’d done that terrible thing just a minute ago. “I’m so sorry,” I croak. “Your first boyfriend should be very ashamed of himself.” And I am.

“Thanks. And then there’s my career. Please don’t ask me what it is. Let’s just say that I have a high profile in my community, and I need to keep proving that my relatively young age is not a detriment to my job. So, I’ve been ensuring that I don’t look like having too much fun because I don’t want people thinking I’m not ready for more responsibilities.”

“Surely age doesn’t matter as long as you’re good at what you do.”

“I know, right? Unfortunately, even though I have great support, my enemies have a huge financial backing. It’s not easy to fight them, especially when they’re determined to win by hook or by crook.”

“That sucks.” I’m lost for words. I had no idea how constrained Tara has been feeling with her career. I choose my next words carefully. “Can you make changes so that you don’t have to feel uncomfortable being yourself?”

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