Page 29 of Kiss Me at Midnight
“Is it?” Dotty swirled the water with bigger strokes. “Or does it take commitment to hang in there through the rocky and uncertain times so that love will deepen and last? If commitment nurtures love, how can someone believe a commitment-phobe like yourself or Rachel is in love?”
That gave Jud pause. “Who are you? And what have you done with Dotty Summer?” Because this wasn’t the same woman who’d stolen a phone charger from Abe and wrapped it around her waist.
Dotty laughed, a thin, delicate sound that was becoming endearing to him. “I’ll let you in on a secret. For a few hours every day when I’m invigorated, I feel like me.”
“And the rest of the time?”
“I feel like I’ve lost touch with myself.” Frowning, Dotty splashed Jud with a very small amount of water. “Now, can we performThe Music Manstart to finish? Tomorrow night, I’ll let you choose the show.”
“Sure. But we won’t finish until close to midnight.” Nearly two hours. “Are you okay with that? We’re going to be waterlogged by the time we’re through.”
“Yes.” Dotty splashed him again. “But we’ll be so very happy.”
And oddly enough, he believed her.
Chapter Six
“Marion the Librarian has arrived.” Jud sat in the steamy hot tub facing the door, not that Lily could discern his features without her glasses on. But she recognized his voice, hoarse as it was.
“Harold Hill.” Lily greeted Jud as the character he’d played on Broadway, the love interest of Marion. “You made my grandmother’s year by singingThe Music Manwith her.” Lily was wrapped up in a terrycloth bathrobe, reluctant to disrobe. “No one will ever be able to top that.”
“Your grandmother is one-of-a-kind. We had a conversation that blew me away.” Jud stared at her, as if he couldn’t look away.
That’s my imagination talking.She couldn’t see his exact expression without her glasses.
Still, the idea that he couldn’t take his eyes off her made Lily continue to clutch her robe. She dug her fingers deeper into the thick terrycloth. “Thank you for being patient with my grandmother. It’s hard to witness her losing her grip with reality.”
“Oh, no. Our conversation was very real.” Jud stood, holding out his hands toward Lily. “But frankly, I was glad when the singing was over, and I could turn up the hot tub temperature. Come here. I’m not going to bite.”
Whether he was a biter or not wasn’t the issue. The issue was that Lily regretted not wearing her glasses. The issue was that she had to imagine his torso looked like he spent hours in the gym and never ate carbs instead of seeing the real deal. The issue was that she wanted his kisses and nothing more.
Men labeled women like that a tease.
But she hadn’t come this far to run away. Rachel had practically dared her to reclaim her youthful courage. So Lily came forward, placing her hands in his. His touch was soft and warm, although his fingers felt wrinkled.
Human.
Not perfect. Not intimidating.
“Tell me you have bad hair days,” she blurted.Tell me you’re not perfect and you don’t expect me to be either.
Jud chuckled. “Everybody has bad hair days. And bedhead. My morning bedhead is frightening.” He squeezed her hands. “Do you know why I wanted to ask you out?”
She tried to joke. “You’re tired of swiping right?”
Jud didn’t even laugh. “What you said earlier about image and respectability…It struck a chord. The same chord that has been playing in my head since I decided I wanted to do more than act and encountered one roadblock after another because the world apparently doesn’t believe I’m a grown-up.”
“So you looked to me, a mature-looking woman.” The evening took on a less than romantic tone.
Before Lily could say anything more, Jud swung her into his arms and into the hot tub.
Water splashed everywhere–over her, over him, over the edge. Her hair was drenched, ruining Marta’s hairstyle.
Jud cradled her in his lap, the ends of her soaked bathrobe dragging her toward the bottom. “Adult me looked across the room at Lily Summer and wanted to learn more about her. But…” Jud moved his lips closer to her ear. “I’m still the same Judson Hambly who recognizes the sizzle of sexual attraction. You have it all. Brain and body. Smarts and sexy. It’s not every day I ask a woman out. Believe me when I say it.” And then he finally stopped talking and put his money where his mouth was–kissing her like he’d been impatiently waiting to do so.
When they came up for air, her robe was on the bottom of the hot tub and Lily’s hands were on Jud’s firm, bare chest. Who needed to see that hard body when she could feel it?
“I’m so glad that grown-up you appreciates mature women in glasses,” Lily whispered, knowing that now was the time to tell him more about her past before he pressed for more than kisses. “I need to–”
