“You ready to go?” he said.
“I think so. Take me home and put me to bed.” She yawned and then offered a tired smile as farewell.
Christy slid her arm around my waist. I put mine around her, and we said goodnight to the other couple.
“Are you having a good time?” she asked when they’d gone.
“Mmm hmm. You?”
“The best!” She beamed. “Everyone loves my pieces. Siobhan says the NEA’s going to give her a big grant, too. And I’m pleasingly drunk. Well, not drunk-drunk, but you know what I mean.”
“Mmm.”
“And I haven’t called you my future husband once.”
I chuckled. “It’s probably okay if you do.”
“Uh-uh, no, sir,” she said seriously. “I learned that lesson the first time. Speaking of which,” she added, “we should offer Terri a ride home, but I needed to ask you first.”
“Sure, no problem.”
We fell silent and looked into the well of the atrium, to where Terri was talking to a middle-aged man with a luxuriant head of hair that probably hadn’t changed since Ford was President. I could tell by her body language that he didn’t have a chance with her, but he thought he did.
“They’ve been doing that all night,” Christy said. “Guys, I mean. Hitting on her.” She shrugged. “I can’t say I blame them. She’s so exotic. And beautiful. Especially in that dress. I wish I looked more like her.”
“I’m glad you don’t,” I said. “First, you’re beautiful too. In your own dress, out of it, and everything in between. Second, I like you just the way you are.”
“You don’t think I’m too scrawny? What’s so funny?”
“I just thought of something.”
“What?”
“A new name for Mr. Big. ‘Confidence.’ As in, I’ll fill you with Confidence.”
“Oh my gosh, yes, please. But later! Right now we need to rescue Terri.” Her eyes widened with a sudden idea. “Lily left a while ago, but…”
“Uh-oh,” I said. “I know that look.”
“What look?”
“The one where you want me to do something impossible.”
“It isn’t impossible. Besides, it’s something you want to do anyway.” She made a show of looking around, like the tipsy little conspirator she was. “Seduce Terri,” she said in a low voice. “Slip her some Confidence and turn her bi or something.”
“Ha! I wish! But it doesn’t work like that.”
“Why not?” she grumped.
“Because. It doesn’t.”
“So? You can do anything! You turned me into a nudist. Then you turned me into a nympho—”
“You were a nympho before.”
“Stop interrupting. You totally turned me into a nympho. Now you’re going to turn me into a swinger. The least you can do is turn Terri bi for me. Oh, Paul, you have no idea how much I want her right now.”
“Oh, I have an idea,” I said.
“Why can’t you…?” She made a vague gesture. “Use your magic penis.”
“That only works on you.”
“You can say that again. But… you won’t even try? Please? I’ll make it worth your while.”
“No, sorry.”
“Not even a little? Give her the tip or something?”
I snorted a laugh. “I’ll give it to you, though. And more than just the tip.”
She closed her eyes and smiled beatifically.
“Later,” I promised. “For now, let’s rescue Terri. And then you need to circulate. Siobhan’s probably wondering where you went.”
“Yes, sir,” she said.
“Cheer up. The night’s young, the bar’s open, and you’re the star of the show.”
* * *
The party wound down a couple of hours later. The bartenders announced last call, and the catering staff began packing up. Most of the bigwigs had left already, and only the younger crowd remained, although a diehard group of administration types were doing their best to drink their retirement.
On that count, I wasn’t sure how much Christy had drunk, but she was in a mellow and flirty mood. Much to my surprise, Terri was the same. She’d only been drinking champagne, but she didn’t have a high tolerance or metabolism.
She wasn’t drunk, exactly, but she’d been dropping hints and giving me suggestive looks for the past hour. Christy noticed but didn’t say anything. Her radar must have been working, because she didn’t have any illusions about a threesome either.
“Are we ready to go?” I said.
Christy sighed. “I suppose.”
“We prolly should,” Terri agreed.
I ushered them toward the doors, and Terri rubbed her bare arms in the cool night air.
“Why don’t you let her have your jacket,” Christy said.
“One step ahead of you.”
“I’m fine,” Terri protested.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” I held it for her, and she slid her arms into the sleeves and pulled it around her slender frame. I did my best not to look down her cleavage, but my best wasn’t good enough. She smiled when she glanced up and saw the direction of my gaze.
“Thank you,” she said. “For the jacket.”
“My pleasure.”
Her dark eyes widened with a question about the rest, but I let it pass without comment. She and Christy started chatting as we walked to the parking lot, and Christy laughed about all the men who’d been hitting on her.
“Yeah,” Terri said, “but they were all married.”
“And old.” Christy shuddered theatrically. “Gross.”
“I don’t really care about age,” Terri said, “although I prefer someone younger.”
I knew exactly who she was talking about, and so did Mr. Confidence, who was a little too full of himself at the moment.
“Why aren’t you dating anyone?” Christy asked.
“No time,” Terri said. “I’m always teaching or dancing or working on my dissertation. Besides,” she added with a shrug, “I haven’t found a guy who’ll put up with me. Most of ’em want a nice little housewife.”
“Paul doesn’t,” Christy hinted.
“Yeah, but he’s taken.”
“I don’t mind sharing. I thought I told you.”
“You mentioned it,” Terri said vaguely, “but I didn’t think you were serious.”
We reached the Cruiser, and I fished in my pocket for the keys. I unlocked the passenger door and swallowed a laugh at Terri’s expression.
“I forgot,” she said. “I dunno if I can climb in. Not with this dress and heels.”
“Or modesty,” I added. “I’ll give you a hand.”
“Do you mind?”
“Not at all. But let me do Christy first.”
“Mmm, do me,” Christy teased. Then she turned mischievous. “Terri, too. Do us both.”
“Be nice,” I told her. “Terri isn’t interested.”
Terri’s expression said otherwise.
“Of course she is,” Christy said.
I ignored the bait and said, “Come on, Little Bit, up you go.”
“You aren’t going to do me?”
I gestured impatiently.
“Yes, sir.”
I lifted her onto the seat. She swung her legs in, but not before she gave me an insistent look.
Yeah, I get it, I told her with a look of my own. Relax.
She nodded reluctantly and scooted toward the middle.
“Next.” I gestured for Terri but then stopped. “What’re you doing?”
“I don’t want to wrinkle your jacket.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I brushed her hands away and pulled it around her again.
Our eyes met, and she moistened her lips. I resisted the urge to kiss her and put my hands on her waist instead. Her eyes never left mine as I picked her up and set her on the seat. Then her dress fell open from the thigh down. She gave me a moment before she gathered the fabric and swung her feet inside.
She and Christy made small talk during the short drive, mostly about the party. And when I pulled into the apartment parking lot, Christy touched my arm.
“Will you walk her up, dear?”
Some peevish part of me thought she was trying to get me in trouble, but I knew better. She was just being polite, and I’d have done it even if she hadn’t asked.