Page 46 of Pretty Please Me
Her smile fades, and she pulls her hand away and picks at the charcuterie board. “Things are good. I haven’t heard from him since he sent me the venue information.” She pops a strawberry in her mouth and nearly moans.
“What do you mean the venue? For the reunion?” My question comes out quickly.
She takes another bite, this time of chocolate, and licks it from her finger before responding. “Yeah, he said he was stressed out about planning everything, so I offered to help. It’s no big deal.”
“And he just agreed?”
“I mean… yeah.” She pauses sucking the chocolate from her fingertips and looks at me. “Was I not supposed to offer to help?”
I sit back with a sigh, crossing my clasped hands over my knees. “No, I guess I’m just surprised he took you up on it. That’s all.” I scratch the back of my neck. “So, what are you helping him with exactly?”
“Oh, you know, just catering, checking everyone’s RSVPs, and helping with the venue.” She counts off on her fingers. “There was a huge misunderstanding with the place he originally booked. He had the right time and place and even enough seating, but he booked it for the wrong year. Can you believe that?” She pops a grape in her mouth and laughs. “If I didn’t call to ask where to set up the catering, I don’t know if he would’ve caught it.”
My jaw flexes in annoyance, but I keep my comments to myself, even though it goes against everything I stand for. I don’t know that the guy’s taking advantage of Maggie, but if I were a betting man, I’d have my money on it. It seems far too ironic that they’ve only spoken briefly, and she’s suddenly doing the brunt of the work for him. Typical guy.
“I want you to be mindful of your stress level,” I remind her. “With everything going on with the studio renovation, I’m not so sure you need to be taking on so much of someone else’s responsibility.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just–”
“Helping.” I clasp my hands together and lean forward. “I know you’re helping, but this was his responsibility. You do too much for everyone else. I’d like to see you focus on yourself for a little while, at least while you belong to me.”
I watch her fumble with her napkin, dropping her cracker accidentally, then overreacting as she tries to wipe the crumbs away. I can’t help but laugh. “Why don’t we move over here, and you can teach me about the stars?
She perks up at my suggestion. “You really want me to talk about the stars?” She looks around, gesturing to the whole scene around us.
“Of course I do. I’ve nowhere else to be, and I’m curious about your hobbies. What do you say?” I wink.
“I guess I’m just surprised. No man has ever even pretended to care about my hobbies. I know it can be boring, and I don’t want to bore you.”
Her voice trails off, and I place my fingertip on her lips. “That’s enough talking back, or I’ll have to come up with another punishment for you.”
She sucks in a breath, “If I remember correctly, it wasn’t so bad.” She bats her eyelashes and smiles, then tugs me by the arm.
I don’t think she knows just how much I’d love another opportunity to punish her again, but for now, maybe I’ll just settle with pleasuring her.
EIGHTEEN
Maggie
We lay on our backs, staring up at the night sky for what seems like hours. Sam never once interrupts me or tries to change the subject. He just lays next to me and listens. It’s cold out, especially when the wind gusts around us, but between Sam’s warm body snuggled next to me and the outdoor heaters around us, I’m perfectly cozy in only a long sleeve t-shirt and throw blanket.
We discuss our thoughts on the universe, religion, and the meaning of life. It’s surprising to find someone so willing to talk openly about the deep stuff. I’ve never met someone who could match my enthusiasm, but Sam seems to enjoy our conversation as much as I am.
“Tell me something about yourself that you’ve never told anyone,” he says after a moment of silence. He turns to face me, propping his head on his hand, and I mimic his position.
“Something I’ve never told anyone? Let’s see…” I tap my finger to my lip as I try to think. “I’ve never been on a roller coaster. Never even been to an amusement park, actually.”
Sam sits up, his eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “You’re kidding. How have you never been to an amusement park? That’s like childhood 101 or something.”
I force a smile and shrug. “I think you and I have very different ideas of what childhood looks like.”
Sam winces. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry, Mags. I’m such a dick. I’m sorry.” He adjusts his pillow underneath him and scoots toward me. “So, why haven’t you gone as an adult? I feel like everyone needs to experience puking their chili dogs up from a rollercoaster ride. It’s one of the most basic human experiences.”
I throw my head back and laugh, picturing a perfectly put-together Sam puking in the bushes at a theme park. “Well, now that you put it that way, I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I should’ve come to you for help a long time ago.”
Sam’s smile falls a little. “What was it like growing up in foster care? I mean, if you feel like talking about it.” He stares at me like I’m the only one in the world, giving me all his attention.
I twist the tassel on the throw pillow as I consider how deep I want to go. I don’t want to derail the evening with tales from my sad childhood, but no one has ever asked me about it before either, and it feels nice.
