But I was selfish. I didn’t want to let him go and I felt horrible for being selfish.

“There it is again,” Becca said, tossing the pillow at MaryAnn.

MaryAnn deflected the pillow. “So, are you going to tell us what you were thinking about? We want details.”

I scrunched my nose. “Ew.” I was not the sharing type.

“Ah, come on! We want to know. Is it good? Mind-blowing? Oh, and the size. We definitely need to know the size.”

“Hmm, no, we don’t,” Becca said. Thank goodness one of them was a little more conservative.

“You’re no fun,” MaryAnn said.

“Who isn’t fun?” Joan asked, descending the stairs and joining us in the family room. She stopped and glanced at us with a smile. “Are you guys watching a movie?” She pointed to the TV and to us. We were huddled on the couch, practically with our backs to the TV.

“That’s just background noise,” Liana said to her mother.

“You know, so you can’t hear the dirty things we’re talking about,” MaryAnn said, winking.

Joan shook her head. “Girls, girls. Keep that up and I might start spying on you.”

“No, you won’t,” Liana said. “You trust us.”

“Oddly enough, I do.” Joan grabbed a pillow from the floor and tossed it at us. “I need to go to the grocery store. Anyone want something from there?”

“Handsome, hot, honest, and faithful men?” MaryAnn asked.

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m afraid we don’t find those on sale,” Joan teased.

“Too bad,” Becca said.

Joan chuckled. “All right. I’ll be back in a bit. Behave.”

“Always,” Liana said.

Joan disappeared through the kitchen door and MaryAnn turned to me. “Where were we? Oh yeah, the size. Spill!”

I rolled my eyes and hid under one of the pillows.

Mason

Only two things could make me happier now: to find a job in a good company, and to see more of Charlotte.

I had been called for an interview for one of the entry-level jobs I had applied for, but hadn’t heard back yet. In a few days, it would be August, and a couple of weeks later, classes would start and I would work at the university, but working outside the school would pay much better. I had to be called for a job before classes started.

As for Charlotte, I saw her three or four times a week, but that didn’t seem enough. That didn’t feel like enough anymore.

“Hey.” David nudged his elbow on my arm.

“What?” I turned to him.

He gestured to the controller in my hand and the TV. “You just stopped playing. Where’s your head? Wait. Don’t answer. I know. On Charlotte.”

“Well …”

“I know. You’re always thinking about her. If she was my girl, I would think about her all the time too, so you’re forgiven.”

I couldn’t decide between feeling proud or wanting to punch him.

My cell phone rang, saving him from a probably punch, and I reached for it. A smile spread across my face when I saw Charlotte’s name on the screen.

“Lovebirds,” David muttered.

I flipped him off and answered the phone. “Hey, baby,” I said, standing up and walking to my bedroom.

“Hey. Are you working Saturday night?”

I glanced at the calendar on my wall. It was Wednesday and I worked every goddamn night this week. “Yeah, but I have the early shift, so only until one. Why?”

“My mother has an event in Washington this Saturday. She wants me to come with her, so I was thinking about telling her that I was going out with Tracy after the event, and actually go to your apartment.”

Sneaking wasn’t my preferred method, but if it was the only way to be with her, then so be it. Besides, how could any reason compete with the freaking marching band act my heart performed each time I set eyes on her?

My smile widened. “I would really like that.”

Charlotte

The event was downright boring.

Donnie and his father were there and stayed close to us all evening.

I carefully avoid talking about going out with Tracy later, in the hopes that my mother wouldn’t tell him to go with me. No such luck.

“Donnie, did you know Charlotte is meeting Tracy later? They are going to some club. You should go with them.”

I groaned on the inside. “No, Mother. He can’t go.”

She turned her cold stare to me as if I had insulted Donnie in public. “Why not?”

“It’s a girls’ night out. Only girls. No guys allowed,” I explained.

“Ah, what a shame,” she said. “But you could let the name of the club slip, couldn’t you? And Donnie could meet you there by accident.”

Donnie smiled his million-volt smile at me. “I like that idea.”

Oh, crap. “Tracy would kill me.”

“She wouldn’t know,” my mother insisted.

“Oh, she would,” I said, ready to lie about Tracy having a crazy impulse to strangulate her best friends who brought dates to girls’ night out. Thankfully, another senator joined our circle and engaged everyone in another subject, saving me.

I watched as a few couples danced in the center of the ballroom, in tune with the romantic song the band played on stage.

Donnie touched my arm. “Want to dance?”

Not really.

“Of course she wants to,” my mother said, rudely cutting off whatever Senator Williams was saying. “She would love to.”

She gave me a look with murder written all over it.

I gulped and let Donnie guide me to the dance floor.

Not long now. Just hang in there for another half an hour. You can do it.

Donnie caught my right hand with his left one, and then rested his right hand politely on my waistline. With a smile, he led, swaying us around the dance floor.

“You look beautiful,” he said.

Broken record. “Thanks.”

“It’s a shame I can’t come to Tracy’s party, but we should do something else. Maybe tomorrow?” He paused, probably waiting for an answer. Well, he wasn’t getting any. “We could go out for lunch. Or catch a movie. Or have a picnic.”

“I’m—”

I felt my phone vibrating on the hidden pocket of my skirt. I dropped Donnie’s hand and reached for it.

Mason: Good news. I was able to get out early. Going home now.

I couldn’t help the smile that spread over my lips.

“May I ask who is it?” Donnie asked.

“It’s, hmm, Tracy. She’s asking me to go meet her now. Why?”

He stared at me, more serious than I had ever seen him. “I was just wondering who had the power to make you smile that way.”

I chuckled nervously. “Tracy is my best friend. She makes me smile all the time.”

“That’s good. I’m glad you like her so much.”

“I do,” I said. “Hmm, I should probably go now. Thanks for the dance.”

I walked away from him.

“Anytime,” he said, but I didn’t acknowledge it.

I fought against the urge to run out of there. Instead, I held it together while I warned my mother that I was leaving, then walked out like Miss America and waited for the valet to bring my car to me. But once inside my car, I closed my eyes for a second and mentally let everything go, only focusing on Mason and how happy he made me.

Charlotte

Something moved under me and I woke up. Mason’s heavy arm was draped around my waist and his face was tilted to me.

I smiled, but only until my eyes fell on the clock on the nightstand. It was 4 a.m.

“Oh, shit,” I said, scrambling off the bed.

“Hmm, what?” Mason asked, his voice heavy with sleep. “Wait, baby, where you’re going?”

I fumbled for my clothes on the floor. “To the hotel. I have to get there before my mother wakes, or she’ll have my skin.”

“But you’re supposed to be at Tracy’s.” He sat up. The sheets slipped off him, revealing his taut chest and abdomen, and for a moment, I considered sending my mother to hell.