What a mess. Katy took another bite of vindaloo, feeling like its spice was rightfully vindictive.
“I wish Joseph could’ve made it to dinner,” David said after some time had passed. “Hope he’s not working himself too hard.”
“He used to really like that job. Until money got tight with the hospital bills. Well, that and the house,” Cerise replied. “Mom and Dad paid the house off, but Joseph had to take out a new mortgage to pay for treatment. And now he’s paying for a mortgage and hospital bills. I told him we should just sell the house at this point. A studio apartment would be cheaper.”
Katy was reminded how unfair the circumstances surrounding the Bests were. They seemed like such lovely people, yet so much misfortune had befallen them. Then again, Katy mused, cancer certainly didn’t pick and choose. It affected the rich and the poor. And all the money in the world hadn’t been enough to save her paternal aunt, who’d died of leukemia before she was born.
“Maybe I can help,” David said. “My inheritance is dwindling, but I was thinking about getting a job to offset some expenses that my scholarship doesn’t pay for.”
“Joseph is too proud for that,” Cerise replied, her face portraying that she really believed it. “And he’s too much of a believer in college coming first. But that’s sweet of you for offering.”
When they were finished eating, Katy and David carried the plates to the kitchen, throwing away the disposable containers.
“Just leave those dishes for me,” Cerise yelled from the dining room. “I’ll come wash them in a minute.”
“Nonsense,” David replied. “We’ve got it.”
Katy looked over just to catch David winking at her. Her heartbeat sped up in anticipation. Was David testing her? To see how much she knew how to do, whether everything had always been done for her? She grinned at him. If this was a test, then he was going to be surprised. Katy was no damsel in distress. And she certainly knew how to scrub a plate.
“Want me to show you how to do it?” David asked, picking up a sponge.
“Very funny.” Katy picked up an empty bottle of dish soap and tossed it into the trash, looking for a new one. “I’ll have no problem washing these”—she spotted what she was looking for on a shelf above the sink and pointed at it—“if you can hand me the new bottle of dish soap up there. I guess only tall people like yourself are privileged enough to reach that high.”
David laughed. “Point taken.”
When he leaned over her and stretched his arm toward the shelf, the hem of his shirt rose just an inch or so, displaying the smooth, tan skin on his abdomen over his jeans. Katy averted her eyes, her face heating, before David could catch her staring. He handed her the dish soap and grabbed a plate.
“Maybe you could show me the best way to do this,” David said.
Katy saw an opening and took her chance, trying to cover up her accelerated heart rate. “Ah, so you were bluffing just then? I thought you were a master at this.”
David shrugged. “That’s the perpetual bachelor life for you, I guess. I live off paper plates at the Wolf Club.”
Katy smiled and began to scrub Indian food off a plate. Then, considering that David had just given her an opportunity, she decided to press a little further.
“So, how perpetual are we talking?” she started, easing her way in.
David laughed, grabbing the scrubbed dish from Katy to dry it. He was tantalizingly close to her, but their eyes were on their plates, which gave Katy a boldness she didn’t usually feel. “I mean, I’m not completely inexperienced with the opposite sex. I just prioritize my education. Not many girls fancy coming second to that.”
“Maybe you haven’t met the right girl,” Katy said. A hot blush exploded onto her cheeks the second the words escaped her lips. Too bold, Katy! In her periphery, she saw David completely stop what he was doing to look at her. And, in utter panic, she followed up with something very stupid. “Like Cassie.” It was the only thing she could think of.
Nice one, idiot! But she had never been so forthright with a guy before, and, suddenly, years of modesty lessons had come crashing back down around her, screaming that she was playing the harlot. She really liked David, but this was all so confusing! And now she’d probably made it much worse by bringing Cassie back into the fray. She was careful to continue scrubbing, unwilling to turn and see any hint of interest—or anything else—in David’s eyes.
After a pause in which she could feel his gaze on her, David turned back to his plate.
“I’m not interested in Cassie,” he said flatly.
Katy couldn’t help it now. She lowered her dish and looked at David. “You aren’t?”
David turned to face her as well. “I know you’ve been trying to set me up with her. And she seems very nice. So please don’t take offense, but I’m just not interested.”
Katy’s heart ballooned in her chest. She had figured as much, of course. But finally hearing it aloud felt like a giant weight off her shoulders. Maybe that meant Katy had a chance. If she could only convince Cassie to let her try.
“I’m not offended,” Katy replied, turning back to her dish. “We can’t help who we like.”
“Well, let’s hope Cassie takes it the same way,” David said.
Katy thought of the drama club play again, wondering suddenly just what kind of hijinks Cassie was writing them into, but she decided against bringing it up. That was between David and Cassie. And, knowing what she did now, that suddenly seemed like the only thing between the two of them. And Katy wasn’t complaining about that. She’d happily find a dozen suitors for her cousin if she could just have this one.
When the dishes were finished, David and Katy found Cerise in the living room, still studying.
“I feel so guilty,” Cerise began, “but I really am swamped with studying. Would you mind if I called it an early night? Maybe we could have breakfast tomorrow before you leave?”
“I’m afraid we have a very early train,” David said. “But don’t feel guilty at all! We’ll come back soon. I promise.”
We. Katy wondered if David had had a slip of the tongue, or if that word had been intentional.
“Thanks,” Cerise replied. “I’ll definitely see you off in the morning, no matter how early.”
Cerise grabbed her books and retreated back to her room. When they were alone again, David rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at the couch.
“That bad?” Katy asked.
David looked embarrassed. “Either you’re a mind reader, or I was pretty obvious there.”
Katy giggled. Then, feeling a rush of strange emotion, she heard herself say, “Why don’t we share the bed?”
It was almost like someone else had grabbed the controls of Katy’s brain. Share the bed? Was she insane? But, even though she could barely hear over the sudden roar of her own nervously beating pulse echoing between her ears, she didn’t hear herself walk back the offer.
And she didn’t want to take it back. Some crazy part of her wanted David there, beside her.
David looked as surprised as Katy felt. “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind that? I mean, the couch is totally fine.”
“As long as you don’t try anything,” Katy tried to joke. But, she realized too late, she’d forgotten to smile! He’ll think you’re being serious! And in the awkward pause that followed, Katy realized that it was too late to smile now without it looking totally forced.
Is this how it’s going to go from here on out? One bad relationship, and now I’m the most socially awkward person in the world? Great!
David, however, seemed to sense that she was joking; he looked mischievously at her, rather than looking truly worried.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied, his smile unwavering.
Katy finally found her grin; then she stared up at him just long enough for it to feel too long.
She had to get out of here before she embarrassed herself further. She exhaled, perhaps a little too loud and long for th
e act to look casual, and then turned to head back to the guest room.
“I’m just going to get changed!” she called out over her shoulder.
And then I’m going to sit and overanalyze every second of this incredibly embarrassing encounter. Don’t wait up!
28
David
David turned again, trying desperately to find a position in which he could actually fall asleep. But as he stared at the ceiling through the posts of the guest bed, he felt fairly certain that no such position existed. Not while he was lying in bed next to Katerina, the princess of Lorria.
Or, as he preferred to think of her: Katy, the Queen of Mixed Signals.
Not that she was alone in that. David understood that he was probably doing the exact same thing. He’d step toward her, let his gaze linger just a bit, working up the courage to tell her the truth about how he felt, and then lose his resolve at the last minute. Or he’d say something confident and flirtatious, only to remind himself that she was a princess and he was . . . well, a nice chap. A nice chap with no titles, no land, and no power. Probably not the most suitable match for royalty.
David looked over at Katy lying next to him in the dark, her back to him. She was suspiciously still. The most logical reason for that would be that she was asleep. Obviously. But David had his doubts. She had seemed to fall asleep instantly, the moment her head hit the pillow, despite being visibly nervous and fidgety seconds before. And then she hadn’t moved a muscle since. Was she awake too, feeling as restless as he was? Or was he reading too much into her nervousness? Maybe she was just a bit socially awkward. Although, that didn’t quite mesh with what he knew of her. She’d been nothing but polite and gracious throughout the trip, and David didn’t think that someone who had probably rubbed elbows with presidents and chancellors would be the type to get nervous over nothing.
David turned back to the ceiling. Whatever the case was, if he didn’t get some sleep, then the morning was going to be hell. He closed his eyes again but found that his ears were finely attuned to Katy’s breathing, listening for any sign that she, too, was awake.
David’s dreams were positively scandalous that night. His vivid imagination failed him at times, only able to deliver abstract concepts of heat and pleasure. But other times the picture in David’s mind—a longing he had successfully chosen not to indulge in until he found himself lying in bed beside Katy—was clear as day.
Katy, dressed in a ballgown, striding toward him. Katy with her hair fully blonde and cascading over her shoulders, gently pulling the top of her dress down, leaving her bare down to her slender waist, revealing her lovely torso. Katy reaching David, touching the hem of his shirt, her fingers brushing lightly against his lower abdomen, peeling the fabric up and away until his own chest was bare as well.
Katy leaning in to embrace him, skin to skin . . .
When he opened his eyes the next morning, it was immediately evident how little sleep he had gotten. His brain had the kind of fogginess that it usually reserved for the morning after a Wolf Club social event. Should’ve stuck with the bloody couch. But before he could turn to see if Katy had awoken yet, his skin lit with the fiery realization that he was being touched.
David tried not to even breathe, first from the shock of feeling Katy’s form curled up against his back, and then in the hope that he wouldn’t yet wake her and sever their physical connection. He already knew that when she awoke she would be embarrassed and pull away. But feeling her so near was so fulfilling, so soothing. He never wanted to move.
Fragments of his dream came back to him as he lay as still as possible; he tried to forget them, lest his body betray his excitement with a physical response. That’s the last thing you need right now! Besides, he was content just to be so near to her, without any expectations. Her small body felt warm, her breathing rhythmic and steady as she dozed. David could feel her hands pressed against his back, her chin resting on his shoulder blade, her breaths heating his skin through his pajama top. It was wonderful, like a dream. No, it was better than the dreams he’d had last night.
But then Katy began to stir. David snapped his eyes shut. He definitely didn’t want her to know he’d been awake, if only to spare her any embarrassment. And, sure enough, after a few groggy seconds, Katy seemed to bolt upright, her warmth leaving his body in a rush. David’s heart lurched. It wasn’t the response he had been hoping for, even if he had expected it.
But why would she do anything different if she doesn’t know how you feel?
David lay still and quiet as Katy swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood quickly. He listened as she hurriedly picked up her suitcase and exited the room, probably to go change. His hope sank.
After a few long minutes of pretending to sleep, he sat up and left the guest room in search of her.
The sweetly bitter aroma of coffee marched him directly into the kitchen, where he quickly spotted Katy. But she didn’t notice him right away. She clutched her mug in one hand and rested the other on a china hutch laden with decorative dishes. She was looking down at the flat surface of the hutch, at a piece of paper someone had left there.
Maybe he had caught Katy looking at something that she wasn’t supposed to. Rather than embarrass her by announcing his presence, he pretended as though he hadn’t seen her, going straight to the coffee pot. Katy turned to face him with a start, perhaps grateful that he hadn’t caught her snooping.
“Good morning,” David said with his back turned, pouring a hot cup of coffee for himself.
“Good morning,” Katy replied coolly. “Sleep all right?”
Absolutely not. “Just fine. You?”
“Also fine,” she replied.
Quite the conversationalist you are, David. No wonder she slept all right. Who was going to lose sleep over such a bore?
“Ready to get back to campus?” he went on, turning to face Katy. She had changed out of her pajamas and was now in a sweater and fitted jeans, looking lovely as always. David’s mind wandered as he tried to remember what her figure felt like pressed against him.
“Not really, but it’s probably for the best,” she said. “I haven’t studied near as much as I should have for finals.”
David felt the same way. Primal Scream was bearing down upon them, which meant finals would be starting only the day after. That was the whole tradition behind Primal Scream: streak through the Old Yard to blow off steam after all of the strenuous studying, a last hurrah before the real work began.
David wasn’t looking forward to either of the events.
“I’m going to get packed,” Katy said. She disappeared out of the kitchen with her mug, leaving David feeling a bit confused. Was she acting so distant because of the previous night? Or perhaps she was anxious about returning to campus? Either way, he didn’t like the tonal shift.
When Katy was safely down the hall, David walked over to the china hutch to peer down at the tri-folded piece of paper she’d been looking at, which he found lying open. He furrowed his brow while he read. It was an itemized bill printed on Memorial Cancer Center letterhead. David realized pretty quickly that he shouldn’t be looking at such private information, but—probably just like Katy—he was curious.
The number at the bottom of the monthly bill astounded him. He walked back to the other side of the small kitchen, the number echoing in his head.
Poor Joseph.
As if he had read David’s thoughts, Joseph himself appeared in the kitchen entryway, holding a cup of coffee that he must have poured for himself sometime earlier.
“Morning, cuz,” Joseph said with a tired smile. He was wrapped in a navy-blue bathrobe, with dark socks that stretched halfway up his calves and hard-soled slippers. David smiled at the sight. “Sorry about last night. We have a big ad campaign rolling out next week, and I needed the overtime.”
“No worries, mate,” David replied. He genuinely understood, even if he didn’t take into account Mary’s astronomical bill. “Besides, I don’t plan on
being a stranger. Just wish I could host you in Cambridge sometime.”
“I have an old college buddy who lives in Boston. I’m sure he’d let me crash for a night or two,” Joseph said.
David nodded happily. That sounded wonderful to him.
After downing his coffee, David returned to the guest room to pack the rest of his things and get dressed for the trip back. And, of course, to seek out Katy. He still didn’t know why she had been so tense, and David was hoping to smooth things over before their long train ride back to Boston.
Katy was just ending a phone call when David entered the room. She looked up anxiously to meet his gaze, as if she didn’t want him to know who she was talking to.
“Oh,” he said, shaken. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You didn’t,” Katy said too quickly, and, rather than explaining, she changed the subject. “I think I’ve got everything packed now. Do you think we should leave soon? I know the train doesn’t leave for an hour, but I figured you can’t be too careful with New York City traffic.”
“Quite right on the traffic,” David replied. “I’m just going to toss the rest of my stuff into my backpack and change clothes. Then we’ll grab a cab.”
David stooped to grab his backpack from the floor, snatching up a few stray articles of clothing that he’d tossed beside it. If I’d known I was sharing a room with a princess, I probably would’ve been a little more orderly to begin with. Then he retreated to the bathroom to get changed and pack his toiletries.
When he emerged, Katy was waiting in the hallway.
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