Read Online Table for Seven by Whitney Gaskell - Free Book Online Page B

sheepishly. “And, again, it was all Will’s idea.”
    “I think it’s hilarious,” Will said, still giggling.
    Audrey felt her cheeks flush hot but she didn’t want to throw a hissy fit right in the middle of a dinner party. Revenge would have to wait. Instead, she drew in a deep breath and tried to regain her composure.
    “You must have spent most of this evening incredibly confused by my conversation,” Audrey said to Coop.
    “It certainly explains why you spent so much time trying to sell me on your man -icures idea,” Coop said. “I thought you were oddly excited about that.”
    “Is this the anti–set up? Put two single people together, and then try to make sure they’re not attracted to each other?” Mark asked.
    It was Fran’s turn to flush pink. “No, of course not,” she said.
    “If so, it didn’t work,” Coop said.
    Audrey felt her pulse kick up a notch. Was Coop saying that he was attracted to her?
    “No, there was a flaw in Fran’s plan. She should have told you something that would turn you off Audrey,” Mark said.
    “Like telling you that I’m gay, too,” Audrey said.
    All of the men at the table—with the exception of Leland, who was listening to the conversation with a puzzled expression—exchanged raised-eyebrow looks.
    “Oh, please. That would just have made him that much more interested,” Fran said.
    “Why are men so intrigued by lesbianism?” Jaime asked.
    “Oh, we’re talking about lesbians now?” Leland asked with interest. “I’ve never fully understood how that works.”
    “Well,” Will said, leaning forward, clearly about to hold forth on the subject. But Fran whacked him on the shoulder before he could continue.
    “Don’t start,” she warned him.
    “No, what Fran should have told Coop is that Audrey is one of those incredibly needy women who insist that her boyfriend check in with her four to five times a day,” Mark said, twirling his wineglass in one hand.
    “Every man’s biggest fear, right after Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction ,” Jaime said, rolling her eyes. She stood and began clearing the salad plates.
    “No, it’s really one and the same. The bunny-boiling is just clinginess taken to the extreme,” Mark said.
    Audrey noted that Mark wasn’t making any move toward helping his wife clear the dishes. It also hadn’t escaped her attention that he hadn’t managed to make it home before his dinner guests arrived. Which meant, of course, that Jaime had done all of the work. And the dinner party had clearly been a lot of work—everything from the table settings to the food to the wine had been just so.
    What a jerk , she thought. Occasionally, Audrey wondered if it had been a mistake to swear off ever marrying again. Then she saw how some of her friends’ husbands behaved, and it just reinforced the wisdom of her decision.
    She stood and began collecting dishes. Jaime flapped a hand at her and said, “It’s okay, I’ve got this.”
    Audrey smiled at her. “No, let me help. I just spent the last hour trying to set up Coop with a handsome architect who has a standing weekly appointment for a massage. I need to take a few minutes to regain my composure.”
    “And here I thought you were trying to talk me into hiring that guy,” Coop said. “Which was really confusing because I rent my condo.”
    Everyone laughed, and then Will said, “Leland, you owe me a fiver.” He held out a hand. “Bacon-flavored milk.”
    “I don’t think we’ve had an official ruling on that,” Leland said.
    As the conversation swung back to its previous bacon theme, Audrey followed Jaime into the kitchen, dishware balanced in her hands.
    “Wow, it’s gorgeous in here,” Audrey said, glancing around admiringly at the soaring glass-fronted cupboards and professional-grade appliances. “Like something out of a magazine.”
    “Thanks,” Jaime said with obvious pleasure. “I’m really happy with how the remodel came out. It’s exactly what I