Page 33 of Love From the Ashes

“Really?” Della said, sounding surprised. “It wasn’t a one-night stand?”

“No. Reid said he wanted me for more than a single night.” I clapped my hand over my mouth as soon as I said the words. Damn, Della.

She cackled and then let out a huge snort. I had to laugh; she sounded ridiculous, and I pictured Porky Pig every time she did it.

“Okay, fine. I’ll stop badgering you for now. You’ll let the details slip eventually. I’ll bet on it.”

“Bet away. You’ll lose.”

“Wait and see. Anyway, now that the subject of Reid Morgan is off the table, Adam and I were curious why you freaked out so bad when that bouncing idiot came up behind you in the club and tried to get you to dance. Was it because he was drunk? We know you hate drunks based on what you said when we had dinner at Adam’s apartment.”

“It was because the guy tried to slip his hand under my dress when he grabbed me from behind.”

“Oh, shit. We didn’t know. None of us saw that. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s over with, and I can’t change it. The guy was an asshole like every other drunk person I’ve been around. My dad was one, and Dean…well…he got whiny, mushy, and sloppy most of the time.”

“And put his hands all over you? Sorry, but you let that information slip out at Adam’s too.”

I sighed, wishing I’d kept my mouth shut that night. There was nothing I could do about it now. “Yes, Dean did that. He’d paw and fumble around, wanting sex even though he was physically unable to do anything because he was so drunk. Then he’d demand that I try. It was uncomfortable,” I said, my tone devoid of emotion.

“I’m sorry, Sofie. That sounds so awful.”

“It was.” I sat there on the worn carpet, thinking about the incident from last night. Yes, I’d gotten upset when the guy came up behind me in the club, his body sweaty and stinky, his whiskey-laden breath at my ear while his fumbling hand tried to work its way between my legs. But I’d completely lost it when I’d pictured Denny doing it in his place. He was the piece of shit who called himself my mother’s boyfriend, although he fulfilled another role in her life. I was fourteen when he attacked me like that. My mom had thrown a lamp at Denny to get him off me, which caused him to turn his wrath on her. I ran like crazy, learning to hide from him from that point onward.

“Umm…Sofie. You stopped talking. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. I was thinking about something. Sorry.”

“No worries. Well, I better let you go. I’m glad you’re okay. I’ll see you at work on Monday.”

“I’ll see you then. Bye.” I hung up my phone and crawled over to my mattress, making a second attempt to lie down. I needed a nap so I’d be well rested for my outing with Reid tonight.

*

“These are niceseats. How did you manage to get them at the last minute?” I said, my view unobstructed as I looked down at the stage. I’d never been to a play and looked forward to Reid’s special treat.

“Anderson tracked them down for me. He has an extensive network of connections,” Reid said, putting an arm around my shoulder. “You said you haven’t seenAnastasiabefore, right?”

“I haven’t. This performance is my first play.”

“Perfect. You’ll like it. Ahh, it looks like the curtain is going up.”

I snuggled against Reid the best I could with the armrest between us. The evening felt so magical. It made the trauma of last night seem like the distant past, Reid now a constant thought in my mind. He made me feel comfortable and oddly secure, and I enjoyed every moment I had with him. He’d taken me to the seafood restaurant across the street for dinner before the play, the outing including another of several firsts for me, eating oysters on the half shell and filet mignon. Reid had gotten a kick out of my oyster fiasco. The little delicacy had almost launched from my mouth when it had submerged my tongue in a slimy, salty blob. Then he’d teased me about not minding something salty in my mouth when I’d gone down on him at my apartment this morning after he’d taken me home. My cheeks had burned like a lit bonfire when I’d informed him he tasted much better than an oyster, my comment rewarded with a devilish grin.

Relaxed and wonderfully content, I watched in awe as the play continued, the singing and acting riveting my attention to the stage. Reid grinned at me every once in a while as I alternated between wiggling in my seat to the music and eagerly leaning forward as I intently followed the plot. We’d watched the performance for a while when the curtain came down, and lights went on. Confused, I turned to Reid.

“What happened?”

“It’s the intermission. We’ll have a short break to get some refreshments and use the restrooms if needed. Let’s get a glass of wine.” Reid stood and placed his hand on my back as he escorted me from our seats to an open area with a bar. After a short wait in line, he bought two glasses of white wine and led me to a spot overlooking the lobby.

I was taking a sip from my glass when I noticed a woman scrutinizing us from a place near the wall. It was Reid’s mother, Virginia Morgan. Startled, I choked on my wine, some of the beverage going down my windpipe. After several coughs, I looked up at Reid, my eyes watering. “Your mother is here. She’s standing by the wall with a group of people.”

“Where?” Reid slipped his arm around my shoulder before glancing across the concession area, looking for his mother. “I see her. She’s with Maddie Langston, Maddie’s partner, Harold, and several of their friends. Maddie is my mother’s best friend.” Reid smiled at her when she waved. “She saw us, and it looks like she’s coming over here.”

To say she’d seen us felt like an understatement since her scrutiny had been intense, and if her eyes were a camera, she’d have a photo album full of snapshots by now. She had done the same thing when I’d returned Reid’s jacket to the administration office. Except at that time, there had been some secret communication going on between her and Mavin Prescott. I couldn’t help but wonder why we were of such interest to her. Was it acceptable for the company to hire me but not okay for me to fraternize with her son? Was she surprised to see me with Reid tonight and not happy about it? My mind was leading me down a dark path, and I needed to stop it. I was jumping to conclusions.

“Mother.” Reid hugged his mother and kissed her cheek. “I didn’t know you had planned to see the play tonight.”

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