Graham?” Janice asked as she pulled out a chair for him to sit down in. His heavy form landed roughly in the seat, and I felt every ounce of hurt that weighed him down.
“It looks like I didn’t need to tell him that I was going to stay here. He threw me out.”
I heard my gasp before I knew I had even let one out. “But why?”
Graham’s shoulders shrugged, his head heavy with disappointment. “Does it matter? I want you to know that I’m going to pay for my meals and for use of the couch, Janice,” he said, gazing up at her with a half-smile looking very out of place with his stark eyes and ruddy cheeks.
I raised an eyebrow at him, the question unspoken on my lips. His half-smile grew into a full blown grin as he continued, “I got a job at the movie theater today. That’s where I went this morning. I applied and they interviewed and hired me on the spot. Apparently I’m exactly the kind of guy who belongs taking tickets at the twelve- plex .”
Janice reached out and hugged him, her voice sounding thrilled and hopeful as she congratulated him. “I think that’s wonderful, Graham. But please don’t worry about paying us for anything. You save that money for school.”
The look on my face must have resembled one my father would have probably given under the circumstances, because when Janice looked at me, she burst out into hysterical laughter that grew infectious as Graham began to laugh as well. “Well, you know Dad will ask why can’t Graham pay for food. He does eat more than the three of us combined, you included, Janice,” I complained, my arms folding across my chest at their continued outburst.
It took nearly ten minutes before the two of them calmed down. Looking for a change of subject that wouldn’t turn them into hyenas again, I asked them what their plans were for New Years. Janice patted her belly and sighed. “Unfortunately, heartburn and swollen ankles have made it nearly impossible for me to enjoy going out and dancing, so I’ll be staying at home with your father and watching the ball drop on television.”
I looked over at Graham and he smiled sheepishly. “What?”
“I saw Lark at the mall and she invited me over to her house to watch the ball drop with her and Stacy.”
Now this was a surprise! “You’re going to spend New Year’s Eve with Stacy?” I asked incredulously, the image of a strangled Graham suddenly filling my head.
“And Lark.”
I nodded. Of course. Stacy was the buffer. He was playing it safe, and what better way to do so than with the female bodyguard?
“Lark told me that Robert had some special plans for the two of you,” he teased, pleased with the blush that bloomed across my cheeks.
“Yes, although I don’t exactly know what it is that he’s got planned. I told him to surprise me, and so he’s going to. He’s quite literal in that sense, I suppose.”
“How romantic,” Janice cooed, ignoring my rolling eyes and grunt of disapproval, especially after the conversation we’d had earlier that morning. “It’s a lovely way to start the New Year off.”
A sudden wave of panic filled me then as I remembered that Robert had told me that Lark would be picking me up. If Graham was at her house, how exactly would this work? And was he serious about me still wearing the green dress I had worn to the wedding?
“Grace?”
I looked at Janice’s face and she cocked her head to the side, confusion covering her face as she saw the panic in mine. “What’s wrong, Grace?”
I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and managed to somehow squeeze a small smile onto my lips. “Nothing. I just remembered that I had a few things I needed to get done before I start getting ready.”
I turned to face Graham and said through my false smile, “If you want to take a shower before you head to Lark’s house, I suggest you do that now. I’m going to be in
“It looks like I didn’t need to tell him that I was going to stay here. He threw me out.”
I heard my gasp before I knew I had even let one out. “But why?”
Graham’s shoulders shrugged, his head heavy with disappointment. “Does it matter? I want you to know that I’m going to pay for my meals and for use of the couch, Janice,” he said, gazing up at her with a half-smile looking very out of place with his stark eyes and ruddy cheeks.
I raised an eyebrow at him, the question unspoken on my lips. His half-smile grew into a full blown grin as he continued, “I got a job at the movie theater today. That’s where I went this morning. I applied and they interviewed and hired me on the spot. Apparently I’m exactly the kind of guy who belongs taking tickets at the twelve- plex .”
Janice reached out and hugged him, her voice sounding thrilled and hopeful as she congratulated him. “I think that’s wonderful, Graham. But please don’t worry about paying us for anything. You save that money for school.”
The look on my face must have resembled one my father would have probably given under the circumstances, because when Janice looked at me, she burst out into hysterical laughter that grew infectious as Graham began to laugh as well. “Well, you know Dad will ask why can’t Graham pay for food. He does eat more than the three of us combined, you included, Janice,” I complained, my arms folding across my chest at their continued outburst.
It took nearly ten minutes before the two of them calmed down. Looking for a change of subject that wouldn’t turn them into hyenas again, I asked them what their plans were for New Years. Janice patted her belly and sighed. “Unfortunately, heartburn and swollen ankles have made it nearly impossible for me to enjoy going out and dancing, so I’ll be staying at home with your father and watching the ball drop on television.”
I looked over at Graham and he smiled sheepishly. “What?”
“I saw Lark at the mall and she invited me over to her house to watch the ball drop with her and Stacy.”
Now this was a surprise! “You’re going to spend New Year’s Eve with Stacy?” I asked incredulously, the image of a strangled Graham suddenly filling my head.
“And Lark.”
I nodded. Of course. Stacy was the buffer. He was playing it safe, and what better way to do so than with the female bodyguard?
“Lark told me that Robert had some special plans for the two of you,” he teased, pleased with the blush that bloomed across my cheeks.
“Yes, although I don’t exactly know what it is that he’s got planned. I told him to surprise me, and so he’s going to. He’s quite literal in that sense, I suppose.”
“How romantic,” Janice cooed, ignoring my rolling eyes and grunt of disapproval, especially after the conversation we’d had earlier that morning. “It’s a lovely way to start the New Year off.”
A sudden wave of panic filled me then as I remembered that Robert had told me that Lark would be picking me up. If Graham was at her house, how exactly would this work? And was he serious about me still wearing the green dress I had worn to the wedding?
“Grace?”
I looked at Janice’s face and she cocked her head to the side, confusion covering her face as she saw the panic in mine. “What’s wrong, Grace?”
I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and managed to somehow squeeze a small smile onto my lips. “Nothing. I just remembered that I had a few things I needed to get done before I start getting ready.”
I turned to face Graham and said through my false smile, “If you want to take a shower before you head to Lark’s house, I suggest you do that now. I’m going to be in
Similar Books
