Page 43 of Nothing to Fear

“You gave in?”

“No,” Alice said on a light laugh. “The opposite. I was deeply in love with the man who’d become my best friend. This was long before the days of social media and the scrutiny that brings. Long before smartphones and email, and constant communication. He was everything to me; some might say I became addicted.”

The end being apparent didn’t detract from the intrigue of the journey. “What happened?”

“I told him I wouldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t?”

“Be intimate with him.”

“Ever?”

“With anyone. Until I was married.”

“Wow.”

A side door opened and three servers came in with platters of food. They laid them out then departed without a word. Aliceselected a plate, put a few samples on it, and placed it between them.

“Do you have any allergies?” Alice asked. “I should’ve asked before ordering.”

“No allergies.” Alice took a bite of… something, she couldn’t take her eyes away or close her eager mouth. “So…?”

Alice swallowed. “So what?”

“You told him you wouldn’t be intimate with him until you were married and…”

“He proposed the next day.” Alice dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin. “I spend so much time eating with men that I forget some women aren’t as forthright. Please, help yourself.”

The story was better than the meal.

“He proposed the next day?”

“Very romantic.” Again, the woman urged the plate her way. “He pulled out all the stops. Flowers, music, moonlight.”

She didn’t care about food. “And you said yes?”

While sipping her wine, Alice nodded. “I was so young, my mother warned me not to leap into forever at that age, that I’d come to regret it.”

“Have you?”

“Not a single second. Not with Ben or with my boys.”

“Did you consciously decide to have so many children?”

“We didn’t trip and fall into it by accident,” Alice said and laid a hand over hers. “But I’ll talk about my boys all night if you let me. I’d love to learn more about you.”

“Not much to learn, nothing as exciting as what you live every day. Honestly, it’s awe-inspiring. Your family, the way you love each other, support each other…”

“We are blessed.” Alice pushed the plate toward her, so she selected a canapé. “Darroch was an advanced child. Lessinterested in academia, although he was more than capable, he has a knack for reading people.”

“Is he your favorite?”

Alice laughed. “Why do you ask that?”

“You talk about him a lot.”

“You brought him up first.”

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