Page 65 of Love and Other Champagne Problems

Nancy lifted her hand from her lap and held it up to me, wrinkled fingers outstretched to me. I stared at the hand, puzzled about what she was reaching for when it was as if Sumner spoke into my ear.Comfort.

I wanted to knock it away. I wanted to laugh at it, because it was an absurd thing, Nancy offering her hand out to me. Nothing about Nancy was warm and fuzzy, but prickly, like a cactus. She didn’t offer her hand out without pricking your finger. Her reaching out was a silent admission following the verbal one I’d tried to push past.I’m not feeling too good today.

An invisible grip tightened around my throat as I placed my hand in hers.

We stood there for the longest time, watching the water that hardly moved, wondering when it had lost itscharm. Neither one of us spoke, and we didn’t look at each other. My eyes burned, and the pond grew blurry, but my cheeks remained dry.

I didn’t know how much time passed before my phone in my jacket pocket buzzed. I was going to ignore it at first, but eventually ended up pulling it out just to check the notification.

Aaron Astor.

Before even reading the email, I turned around and searched for Sumner on the back deck. He leaned against the side of the railing, not facing us, but it was still clear to see the phone in his hand.

Sender: Aaron Astor

Subject: RE: Touching Base

Hello Margot,

I completely understand what you mean about being busy. I hope nothing too negative is keeping your schedule booked. Perhaps when I come, it will be a nice reprieve—a vacation of sorts—and I can take your mind off anything that’s bothering you.

Sending you my best wishes.

Fondly,

Aaron

“Anyone important?” Nancy asked. I hadn’t realized she would’ve been able to hear the notification buzz.

The question of it all continued toswirl in my mind, but I didn’t want to say anything to Nancy. Not yet. “We’ll see,” I replied to Nancy, all while typing out a quick email in my right hand.

Sender: Margot Massey

Subject: RE: Touching Base

Aaron,

I just realized, I never said where we should meet. There’s a restaurant in Bayview called Pierre’s. I’ll attach the address to the email. Wear something red so I can see you.

See you then,

M.M.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The next week passed by in another slow montage, where I spent my days either walking the grounds with Sumner or going to Nancy’s with Sumner. Either way, he and I spent nearly every moment of the day at each other’s sides, so much so that when we parted for the day, it felt… strange. Him stopping at his own hotel room door, me continuing to mine. He would wait until I had my own door unlocked before entering his room.

A time or two, we ordered room service and ate it in one of the common rooms. Another time, Sumner even coerced me to play a round of tennis with him on the court, which we were both quite terrible at. I’d thought that the night my father came into my room, and he realized the truth behind the mask of Margot Massey, that our friendship would crumble. It was almost like the opposite happened. It felt like his whole life had begun to revolve around mine—or, rather, my whole life had begun to revolve around Sumner Pennington.

I wasn’t sure if I was the sun or he was, but eitherway, spending time with him left me warm, an Ice Queen with a melting heart.

A dangerous thing.

I knew I enjoyed spending time with him more than I should’ve, but I kept it all to myself. The fluttering that appeared each time he touched my hand, the tingling that surfaced whenever his eyes traced my smile. I tucked it all away, relishing it in secret. It was enough, for now.

Saturday night, less than an hour before the event my mother was hosting began, I was having an existential crisis as I stared in the mirror. I’d thrown a slight curl into my hair and applied a bit of makeup, like how I used to do in high school, but it wasn’t the hair or makeup that left me feeling like a fish out of water.

It was the white cocktail dress that currently stretched out on my bed. I could see it in the reflection of my bathroom mirror. I’d known my mother was sending an outfit for tonight, and I’d figured it would be a dress, but it wasn’t what I’d been expecting. Which, in hindsight, was ridiculous.

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