Page 42 of Book and Ladder

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I smile, laughing lightly. Thatwasfunny.

Franklin cracks up.

Our food arrives and the phone disappears.

Patrick and Blaire’s desserts arrive.

“Ohhh,” Blaire says after a bite of some apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. “This is too good not to share.”

She bats her lashes at Patrick, but in a refined manner that actually looks seductive. If I did that, I’d probably look like an insect had flown into my eye.

“Open your mouth,” she says to Patrick.

Am I staring? Probably.

How can I not?

Patrick opens his mouth obediently and Blaire reaches across the table, slipping her fork into his mouth. His lips close around it and he smiles appreciatively.

“Looks good,” Franklin says.

“Huh?” I say, turning my head to focus on him.

“The dessert. It looks good.”

“Let’s get some!” Denise suggests. “I promise not to feed you.”

I glue my eyes to Franklin, dead ahead.

If Patrick heard that … nope. No. Not even going there.

Chapter 12

Patrick

I may have had a lot of luck in my life,

but I still need to find the right woman.

~ George Best

I dropBlaire at her home, a beautiful colonial that’s more house than any one person needs. I’m guessing it’s a five or six bedroom.

“Do you want to come in?” Blaire asks.

She reaches across the car and twirls a piece of hair at my neck. It’s not the first time she’s touched me tonight.

I haven’t been touched by a woman in years. I’m not going to lie to myself. It feels nice.

I’m also not going to lie to Blaire. I softly grip her wrist, remove her hand from my neck and set it on the console.

“It was nice spending dinner with you, Blaire.”

The dazed look on her face morphs into one of near clarity.

“Is this anIt’s not you, it’s metalk?”

“Mmmm.” I glance across the car. “I think so.”

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