“What’s wrong?” Sam noticed that she’d grown suddenly quiet.
“It’s just a little bittersweet, being here, and playing trivia. I haven’t played in over a year. Since Mark died. It was one of our things. We used to go almost every week to the Rose and Crown.”
“I’m so sorry. We could have done something else.”
“Oh no. I’m glad we came. It was just such a big part of our lives that it just made me sad for a minute. It also made me realize how much I missed it. It’s a fun night out and something to do mid-week.”
“I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do on a Monday night,” Sam agreed.
They made a good team, and by the end of the night were pleasantly surprised to find themselves in third place before the final question. But Mia knew that the final question often knocked out people who were in first place. It all depends on what the category was and how sure you were of your answer. And sometimes, even when you think you knew it, it turned out you were way off. They blew the final question and ended up with a score in the middle of the pack.
“Seinfeld questions always trip me up,” Mia admitted. “I feel like they should be easy and I’ve seen all the episodes.”
“I know. But there were so many seasons. I do the same thing. It’s easy to mix things up. It was still fun, though. I’m glad we came. Are you?”
“Yes, I’m glad you suggested it.”
It was just about nine when Sam pulled up in front of Mia’s condo. “So, same time next week? Are you up for a repeat?”
Mia grinned. “Absolutely.” It had been a fun night overall, and she’d enjoyed Sam’s company. He was easy to be with and smart. He knew most of the geography and history questions that she always had a hard time with, and she did well with the science and entertainment questions. She was looking forward to playing again next week.
Chapter 22
The co-open house was a success. It was a beautiful, warm night and just about everyone they knew stopped by at some point that Saturday evening. Mia, of course, made her guacamole and pasta salad earlier that day, while Ben manned the grill, cooking up burgers and dogs for everyone. Lots of people brought additional food. Kristen made her famous peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, Lisa brought creamy homemade potato salad, and Kate had Jack pick up cooked shrimp and cocktail sauce on his way home from the seafood market.
Lisa had never seen inside the condos before and was suitably impressed.
“Mia, this is really lovely. And Will did a fantastic job. It looks brand new in here.”
“I know! He really did.” Mia smiled as Will walked over and said hello.
“Your ears must be ringing. We were just talking about what a gorgeous job you did.”
Will blushed a little. “Thank you. I’m glad I was able to help. It was a fun project.”
“Hey, Will. Lisa,” Izzy said as she and Rick walked over. Will moved on after a moment to get a drink, while Izzy and Rick stayed to chat for a bit.
“The place looks really good, Mia.” Rick sounded impressed and Mia was glad to see that he also seemed to be in a good mood. He laughed and chatted with Lisa, too, and Izzy seemed more relaxed than Mia had seen her in a while. She hoped that things were getting better with them.
Sam arrived soon after and handed Mia a bottle of Bread and Butter chardonnay. He also had a six-pack of the local Nantucket beer, Whale’s Tale Pale Ale. Mia was touched that he remembered the kind of chardonnay that she liked.
“Thank you.” She handed him one of the beers and put the rest in the refrigerator.
“I can only stay about an hour or so. My parents have dinner plans with another couple tonight. But I wanted to stop by. Your place looks great.”
“Thank you. And I’m glad you were able to come, even if it’s just for a little while. Come out on the deck. That’s where the best view is.”
Mia led him out onto her deck, where Kate and Jack were chatting with Kristen and Lisa. Sam said hello to everyone and admired the view.
“You weren’t kidding. You must love being out here.”
Mia smiled. “It’s my favorite spot. I’m on the deck all the time, watching the boats as I drink my morning coffee or my evening chardonnay.”
They both turned at the sound of the door opening from the unit next to Mia, and Ben stepped out with more burgers for the grill. He waved to everyone on Mia’s deck and Sam frowned.
“He practically lives with you.”
Mia laughed. “We don’t actually see each other as often as you’d think. Ben is a good friend, but we have very different schedules. He’s not much of a morning person and I go to bed early. He’s a good neighbor, though. And we thought it would be fun to throw a party together.”
“I suppose it makes sense. Since you both just moved back in and you know some of the same people. And he’s just here for the summer, right?”
“Yes, Nantucket in the winter is not lively enough for Ben. He’ll probably head back to the city not long after Labor Day is my guess.”
Sam’s hour flew by way too quickly and he had to get back home to relieve his parents.
“I really wish I could stay. But, we’re on for trivia again on Monday?”
Mia smiled. “Yes, I’m looking forward to it.”
She walked Sam to the door and rejoined the party, which went on for several more hours. Izzy and Rick were the last guests to leave, around eleven, and Mia was glad they’d stayed as long as they did. Rick was on his best behavior and she hadn’t seen her sister this relaxed and happy in ages.
As soon as she finished cleaning, which didn’t take too long, she took Penny out for a quick walk and waved goodnight to Ben. He was on his deck and people were still streaming into his condo. He tried to get her to join them, but she laughed.
“I’m off to bed. I’ll see you later.”
And when she climbed into bed, she cracked her window a little and could faintly hear laughter and music coming from Ben’s condo. It sounded like they were having a good time, and she suspected his party might go until the wee hours. She yawned and snuggled into her pillow. She was just not a late-night person. It had been a fun evening, but she was very happy to be comfy in bed.
Chapter 23
A few weeks later, Angela surprised Mia the day before the Nantucket Book Festival Gala by calling to offer her two tickets.
“Philippe and I are flying out to LA this weekend and we won’t be using the tickets. I thought you might want to go?”
“I’d love to. Thank you!” She hung up and immediately called Izzy to see if she wanted to go with her.
“Ordinarily, I’d say yes. But, I already told Rick I’d go with him tomorrow night to a party at his friend’s house. He wouldn’t be happy with me if I bailed on that.”
“Okay. How are things going with him?” Izzy had been quiet on the subject for a few weeks, and Mia wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.
Izzy sighed. “It depends on the day. It’s still up and down with him. But his job is going well and there have been more good than bad days lately. So, I’m optimistic and don’t want to break that streak by going to the Gala. Although, I would love to go. Why don’t you ask Ben or Sam? I bet one of them would want to go. It seems up Ben’s alley. I think I’ve seen him there in the past.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll do that.”
Mia ended the call and thought for a minute. Ben would probably say yes in a minute, if he wasn’t already going. She agreed that it did seem like an event he’d enjoy. But she found herself calling Sam instead. She hoped that it wasn’t too short notice for him to find a sitter.
“Hey, Mia, what’s up?” He sounded happy and surprised to hear from her in the middle of the day.
“I don’t know if this is too short notice for you to find someone to watch the girls, but Angela just gave me two tickets to the Book Festival Gala. It’s tomorrow night. Any interest in going with me?”
“Oh, wow. Yes. I’d love to. Let me just chec
k with my mother to make sure she can watch the girls and I’ll get right back to you.”
Less than ten minute later, he called back. “She’s a little too happy to watch the girls. I told her I was invited to go to a black-tie event, and she was thrilled. She’s funny.”
Mia was glad that his mother seemed to approve of Sam spending time with her. They saw each other twice a week now, every Monday for trivia and Wednesday for the bereavement group meeting. Mia looked forward to both nights each week.
* * *
The next day, getting ready for the Gala, she felt nervous for the first time. Butterflies nervous, like when she went on her first early dates with Mark. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that or what it meant. She tried to ignore the nerves and focus instead on what she was going to wear. She had a few dresses that would be appropriate—cocktail dresses she’d worn to various events in the past—but her eyes kept going to a black dress in the very back of her closet. A dress that still had tags on it and that she’d been unable to throw out or to wear. She’d loved the dress when she’d first seen it. It was a basic little black dress, sleeveless with a ruffled bottom that flared out at the knee. It was very flattering. But she’d bought it to wear to her rehearsal dinner.
She took the dress off its hanger and tried it on, then twirled in front of her bedroom window. It still fit, and it still looked good. And she didn’t feel like taking it off. Instead, she found a pair of scissors, cut the tags off and found the new shoes she’d bought the day she found the dress. They were still in the box they came in, packed with tissue paper. She tried the shoes on, too. They were a delicate, strappy silver sandal with a medium-high heel. Just enough to give her a lift, but she’d still be able to walk without too much trouble. She kept the shoes on and went to do her makeup and fix her hair. She ran a curling iron through it to give it some soft waves, added a final swipe of pink lipstick and she was ready.
Sam arrived fifteen minutes later and at first glance, he took her breath away. She’d only seen him dressed casually before. He looked elegant and so handsome in his black suit and blue-gray silk tie. His shoes gleamed and his hair was lightly gelled and his eyes—had she never really noticed his eyes before? How green they were? Maybe it was the black suit, but it really made his eyes stand out. Especially when he smiled.
“You look beautiful, Mia.”
The butterflies came rushing back. “Thank you. You look very distinguished and handsome, too. Let me grab the tickets and we can go.” She found them in the kitchen drawer, put them in her small black evening bag and they headed out. They probably could have walked as the event was being held at the White Elephant, but it was a hot and sticky night and Mia didn’t want to go too far in new shoes. Sam drove and when they arrived, handed his car off to the valet parkers.
There was a steady stream of well-dressed people making their way into the event. Mia looked around to see if anyone was there that she knew and smiled when she saw Ben and Bethany in line at the cocktail bar. She should have known that they’d be at this event.
They made their way in and went to get a drink. Ben looked pleasantly surprised to see them.
“Mia! I didn’t know you’d be here. We have room at our table, join us after you get a drink. I’m buying, what can I get you both?”
“Chardonnay for me, thanks.”
“I’ll have a Dewar’s and water.”
Once they all had their drinks, Ben led the way to their table. It was a round table that sat ten people, and Bethany’s fiancé and Alexis were there as well. Mia noticed with interest that Ben handed Alexis a drink and then sat next to her. Maybe Bethany’s matchmaking efforts were paying off.
A few minutes later, though, Ben wandered off to talk to some friends and Bethany did the same.
“Do you want to walk around and check out the silent auction?” Mia suggested.
“Sure, let’s go.” Most of the silent auction items were signed first editions from authors that were participating in the book festival. There were a couple of lunches with the author, too. Mia noticed that Kate, Tyler and Philippe all had signed books up for auction and Philippe also had a ‘lunch with the author’. He would host ten people at his Nantucket home, serve them lunch and answer all their questions. Mia smiled. She could picture him doing it. She looked around to see if Kate and Jack were there. She’d talked to Kristen the day before, and she’d said that Tyler wasn’t up for going. He hated those kinds of events and Kristen wasn’t a big fan of them, either, so they were staying home. But she said she’d thought Kate would be there. Mia had left Kate a message, too, but they hadn’t connected.
The room was filling up fast. There was a good crowd and Mia was a little surprised at all the familiar faces she saw—authors that she recognized from the back of their book covers like Jodi Picoult, Nancy Thayer and Elin Hilderbrand.
“There you are! Kristen told me you were coming, and Sam, too. I’m so glad you guys are here.” Mia turned around to see Kate behind her, looking gorgeous as usual in a sleek gold dress. Kate was so tall and slim that everything looked good on her. Jack looked sharp in his suit, but a little less comfortable than Kate was. Mia suspected that, like Kristen and Tyler, he’d rather be home but agreed to go because Kate wanted to.
“Did you just get here? I think there’s room at our table. We’re sitting with Ben and his sister Bethany.”
“We just walked in. Lead the way. I want to put my stuff down and then get a drink.”
The next few hours flew by and it was a really fun night. There was an elegant dinner, followed by music and dancing and the silent auction. They all needed to dance off all the food they’d eaten and as soon as the band started playing and the music was good, they made their way out to the dance floor. Mia and Sam danced and danced, one song after another, until they were exhausted and about to take a break, but then the music slowed and instead, Sam took her hand and pulled her toward him. And they swayed to the music. They were so close that she could smell his cologne and the butterflies came back again as he moved a hand to the small of her back to guide her around the floor. She was surprised by how his touch made her feel. It was like all of her senses were heightened. She snuck a peek at his face to see if his expression would reveal that he was similarly affected. His eyes met hers, the vivid green that was even more disconcerting up close. She looked away and took a deep breath.
“Are you having fun?” he asked softly.
“So much fun. Are you?”
“I am. More than expected. I’m a little hot, though. Do you want to take a walk outside and get some air after this song?”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
When the music ended, Sam took her hand and led her off the dance floor and through a set of French doors that led outside. There was a nice breeze, and they leaned against the side of the building. Mia noticed that Sam was still holding her hand. She looked up at him and he smiled, and she found herself lost in his eyes again. Mesmerized by what she saw there.
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul and what she saw and felt was breathtaking. She understood, for the first time, that what Sam felt for her went beyond friendship. And she felt the same way toward him. It was like everything suddenly shifted and a world of possibilities opened up. She smiled back, an invitation extended. He accepted, leaned forward and touched his lips ever so gently to hers. Neither of them wanted the kiss to end, but finally they pulled apart.
“I didn’t realize how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he admitted.
“And I didn’t realize that I wanted you to until now. I’m so glad you were able to come tonight.”
“Me, too. I think we both owe Angela a big thank you.”
Mia laughed. “We do. You can thank her at her wedding, if you like?”
“Are you inviting me to her wedding?”
“Yes. I’m technically working it, but she told me I’m very welcome to bring a date.”
“So, that means we’re dating now?” He had
a twinkle in his eye.
“I guess it does.”
“Ken would be proud.”
Mia smiled. Ken gave them weekly reports on how his evenings out were going. He wasn’t ready to call them dates yet. But he’d been out with the same lady, Ruth, several times now and talked about her all the time.
They went back inside and danced some more. When Sam took a break, Mia, Kate and Bethany stayed on the dance floor and when the music slowed, Ben got up and asked her to dance.
“If you don’t mind,” he said to Sam. “I want to borrow her for a minute.”
Sam laughed. “As long as you give her back.”
Ben led her around the dance floor and while he was an excellent dancer, Mia didn’t feel the same way in his arms as she had in Sam’s.
“Something’s changed with you two. I don’t have a shot anymore, do I? You like this guy?”
Mia nodded. “Yeah, I really do.”
“Okay. Well if you get bored with him, remember you can always come back to Manhattan. We’d have a blast there.”
Mia laughed. He was too much. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Mia danced the last song of the night with Sam, and then he took her home and kissed her again at her door.
“I had a really great night. See you again on Monday for trivia?”
“I had a wonderful night and yes, I’ll see you then.”
Chapter 24
Mia had just changed into her pajamas and was getting ready to head to bed when her phone rang and it was Izzy. Mia’s heart sank. If Izzy was calling her this late, after midnight, something was very wrong.
“Mia, are you home yet?” Izzy sounded upset.
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