Page 76 of The Suitcase Swap

‘Handsy?’ Mike clasped the back of his neck with his hand. ‘I don’t want to be groped by strange older women.’

‘Only older women you know well?’ Sophie asked. She placed a hand on Mike’s shoulder. ‘I’m kidding. No oneexpects anyone to be groped. I’ll try to handle table five, but if anyone makes you uncomfortable, tell Manny.’

‘I’m more confused now than I was when I came in here,’ Mike admitted. ‘Who knew bingo could be so fraught with danger?’

‘Oh, you poor man,’ Tom said, shaking his head. ‘You sweet summer child. You have no idea.’

Mike was starting to severely question his choices for the evening.

‘I’ve got you,’ Sophie said, taking his arm. ‘Just have fun and try to sell as many sheets as you can. Every penny goes towards the senior centre.’

Chapter Twenty-Two

Sophie was starting to understand why Drag Queen Bingo was such a draw. Dazzle Camouflage could work the room, keeping up an engaging patter between the numbers. Manny the Man-tamer, as he was being called, handled the bingo programme on the laptop, the projector that showed the number on the screen, and the sound. Everyone was in high spirits as they competed to win donated prize packages and cash pots. There was a wide range of people there, their only common denominator seeming to be people who liked having a good time.

After two games, Dazzle sang ‘Luck Be a Lady’while Sophie and Mike sold the special game sheets. Sophie had a pocket apron around her waist full of cash, which she took back to the person handling the money as soon as the song was over. Mike met her back there to do the same thing, handing her a small plastic container when he was finished. The jelly inside was a vibrant, unnatural blue colour.

‘Nothing good has ever come from jelly shots,’ Sophie said, having to raise her voice and lean close to him to be heard. This close, she could smell his skin, which smelled as good as always.

‘Good and fun aren’t always the same thing,’ Mike said. ‘Besides, I bought them from Manny’s grandmother, who’s also selling fudge. It’s going to a good cause.’ His mouth was so close, she could feel his breath. ‘Are you going to let the seniors down, Sophie?’

‘Well,’ she said, ‘when you put it that way . . .’ She popped the lid, squeezing the sides until she could get the jelly into her mouth. She shuddered. ‘It tastes like blue and vodka.’

He laughed. ‘I’m told it’s easier if you use your finger to loosen the sides first.’

‘I’ve been handling money. No thank you.’

He was still grinning when he downed his, which was green. ‘Mmm, chemical lime and cheap vodka.’ He threw away the container. ‘I’m going to go get us another round.’ He strode back to the tray of shots, falling quickly into discussion with Manny’s grandmother. She couldn’t hear him, but Mike was gesturing to the different colours and she was responding, her hands flitting all over the place.

Sophie tried to picture this same scene when she’d been married and couldn’t imagine it. Despite all his bluster about being a pillar of the community and all of that, there was no way Andrew would have come to something like this. He’d talked a lot about the importance of being there for your neighbour, but that rhetoric had all seemed to circle back to supporting local small businesses, mostly his.

Though a little overwhelmed at first, Mike had thrown himself in, which couldn’t have been easy. She knew full well how little sleep he’d managed. She’d taken a nap earlier, but he’d worked all day. You wouldn’t know it from watching him. All she’d had to do was tell him that someone needed help, and here he was. Not complaining. Not grudging. But like there was nowhere else he’d rather be. He never made anyone feel like they were a burden. Even sleep-deprived and changing her sheets, he’d acted this way.

And this, she thought, was what was so dangerous about Michael Tremblay. Not that he was a stunner, not that he was good in bed, though she liked both of those things, but his kindness and decency. His sense of humour about life.

Because it was those things that would make it very easy for Sophie to fall in love with him, and that was the last thing either of them wanted.

As if feeling her attention on him, Mike looked up at her and winked. Even that was somehow sexy, though she usually thought men winking at her was creepy. She gave him a little wave and a smile, then turned her attention back to the players and put everything else out of her mind.

Five hours later found her and Mike half naked on her couch. The remnants of their dinner was still on the table, curries they’d grabbed from a takeaway place. Mike was rubbing her feet, pausing occasionally to guzzle some water while mumbling about ‘smooth-talking seniors and their tricky jelly shot ways’. She was enjoying the foot-rub – there had been a lot of running around during bingo – and was attempting to rub one of his feet while also looking at the photos and short videos on her phone.

Mike groaned.

‘You okay over there?’

‘A little drunk,’ Mike admitted. ‘I wasn’t expecting to get any drunk. Manny’sabuelais not to be trusted.’

‘I did tell you that Manny said she was ruthless. There you were, an innocent with cash in your hand. Her job was to part you from it, and she was very good at it.’

Mike closed one eye and squinted at her. ‘How come you’re fine?’

‘I gave mine away after the second one,’ she admitted.

Mike’s eyes widened as he gasped, pausing the foot-rub to point at her. ‘Foul betrayer.’

‘I told you I didn’t want any more,’ she said, flipping to a new image on her phone. This one was of Mike holding up a winner’s hand in victory. From the way they were both carrying on, you would have thought he’d won the serving tray set. ‘Not my fault if you didn’t listen.’

Mike sighed. ‘It was too loud in there. I didn’t hear you properly. I thought you’d asked for more.’ He slumped back against the couch. ‘I wouldn’t have bought you more if I’d heard you say no.’

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