Page 69 of Dance with Me on New Year's Eve

“Yes,” he said after taking a sip.

“I’m honored to be here then,” I replied, trying not to sound sarcastic as I usually would.

He didn’t speak for a while as he swirled the champagne in his glass slowly.

“It was a whole ordeal. I asked if Lila could come here for once, and Aileen didn’t take that well. And she took it even worse when Lila freelychoseto come here.”

I nodded. “I can imagine. It seems like she’s used to getting her way.”

After a brief moment of thoughtfulness, he sighed. “I guess you’re right. She is.”

“May I offer some advice?” I heard myself asking. And that’s when I realized I was a bit tipsy, because everything seemed upside down: Jeff and I were hanging out basically alone. We were talking about something personal, and I was offering advice. In no sober world would that make sense.

He glanced at me with the corners of his eyes crinkled and then put his feet up on the coffee table, careful not to disturb Lila. “Sure, let’s hear it.”

I wondered if I’d regret what I was about to say. Or this whole conversation. “Don’t be so passive with Aileen.” I paused and continued a bit shakily, “You shouldn’t let her walk all over you.”

His jaw tensed as he looked at me steadily. Finally, he said, “Go on.”

Inhaling slowly, I continued, “You should set boundaries, for starters. And some routines so that all three of you have more predictability, which is especially important for children with divorced parents. The wordnowill be your best friend.” I laughed. “To her, that is. Don’t you dare tellmeno.”

Realizing what I’d just said, I immediately plunged into panic mode. I soundedflirty. I set my glass down, knowing I should’ve stopped at one glass. Or less.

But then the miracle of all miracles … he smiled. It wasn’t a full-on smile where your cheeks hurt, but it was more than a slight quirk of the mouth and lasted for almost two seconds. “Your ability to gauge all that from only a couple of meetings with Aileen is impressive.”

“Ah, I’ve met her type before.”

He rubbed his jaw a bit. “Right, you were a therapist. Sometimes I forget.”

“Yes.”

He didn’t say anything, perhaps waiting for me to elaborate. But that was the last thing I wanted to talk about. It wasn’t easy admitting I’d justquit. I try my best to avoid thinking about that whenever possible.

Finally, I cleared my throat. “Are you from Shipsvold originally?”

“No, I grew up in Superior,” he said flatly. “I had a friend here years ago, and he helped me get the job with Mariana.”

“Oh, does your friend still live here? Would I know him?”

Jeff’s mouth was set in a thin line as he shook his head.

“Sorry to hear that,” I said, unsure why I was apologizing.

“It’s nothing to be sorry about. The town is better without him in it.”

My brow was creased as I considered this. “Did you have a falling out?”

He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at some distant object across the room.

I mirrored his crossed arms. “You can just say, ‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ you know.”

He glanced over at me, his face softer. “I know.” He sighed. “Bart and I had been close friends forever. At times, he was my only friend.” He exhaled even more slowly this time. “I caught him dating my sister behind my back. He convinced her not to tell me, but she eventually did. After I cooled off, I tried to be accepting of the awkward situation.”

“Sure you did,” I said with a chuckle.

“I know, it’s hard to believe,” he said wryly. “But that’s not the worst of it. He cheated on her.”

My jaw dropped as my eyes widened considerably. “No! He’s scum. What kind of person does that to theirbest friend’s sister?”

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