Falling For Sarah (Sarah Series Book 3)

by Julieann Dove

  “Well, honey, it wasn’t you. It was the baby.”

  She rolled her eyes and dropped her shoulders. “Oh, okay. I see. So we’re thinking I have a fat baby, now?”

  I had to remember, Liz wasn’t handling this pregnancy like anyone else. In the free world. Ever.

  “So where is the coworker?”

  “Oh, changed your mind about meeting him, I see.”

  “Yeah. Seems I’ve turned desperate.”

  “Honey, once he sees you, there’s no chance you’ll feel desperate. You’ll feel admired, adored, and hopefully euphoric in less than twenty-four hours.” She winked.

  “Point me to a drink, then I’ll meet him. Although I’m holding out very little hope I’ll feel euphoric. I’m not you, Liz.”

  A woman approached us, carrying a large silver platter. Unfortunately, it was empty. She leaned in and spoke in Liz’s ear. “Honey, I’ve got to go to the kitchen. I’ll be right back. Mingle. And get that drink. The bar is set up in Rick’s study. You know where that is, right?”

  “Yeah.” I took three steps toward that direction and was caught by Michael. “Hey there.”

  He did the full eye sweep. I almost waited to hear a metal detector noise go off. Shiny snaps held this thing together in the back.

  “Oh my.” He leaned in and kissed my cheek. “And she smells good.”

  I’m pretty sure I blushed. A rush of heat gathered in my cheeks. “Thanks, Michael.”

  “You look absolutely amazing, Sarah. Really.”

  Hot flash number two. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

  He’d just gotten a haircut and was wearing a navy-blue sweater. Why did all guys look good in this? He wore shoes that younger guys were wearing now. I could tell his wardrobe had changed for the better since he moved out of Maggie’s house.

  “This?” He pulled at the front of his sweater. “It’s only a week old, I guess. The salesgirl said it made me look smart. I was going for sexy, but hey.” He laughed. “Say, would you like a drink?”

  “I was headed that way. Yes.”

  “Allow me to show you.” He tossed the ice cubes in his glass. “I need to freshen this one up.”

  “I didn’t think you’d be here.”

  “Me? Yeah. This is my people. You. Liz. Some of the others from work. Just hide me if Margaret’s here. That woman hates my guts.”

  “I doubt Liz invited Margaret.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. But I saw Frank. He’s got new hair, hasn’t he?”

  “Yep. He got it before the school year began. I guess he didn’t want to freak out the freshman coming to school one day with a bad toupee, and then another day with a worse one.”

  Michael chuckled as we weaved between a few couples chatting. I waited till we were in line to continue our conversation. “I’m sorry about…well, I talked to Maggie.” She called me a few days ago to tell me she wasn’t pregnant.

  He swatted the air. “That?” I could tell he was bothered.

  He ordered my drink and we found a place to stand and talk. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not really.”

  “Have you talked about it? To anyone?”

  “No.” He took a long drink and jiggled the frozen cubes once more.

  “Maggie has me to vent to. And you have me, too, you know. I’m Switzerland.”

  “You’re not Switzerland, Sarah. You know very well if Maggie called you up with a voodoo doll shaped like me, you’d be the one to supply her the pins.”

  “Michael! I’m offended. I’ve always been your friend, too.”

  “I don’t mean you’d stick me. But let’s face it. Girls stick together. I’m not dogging you for it. I’m just saying your loyalty is with her. And it’s fine.”

  “We’ve been best friends since high school, Michael. Since ninth grade, in fact. I’ve seen her in headgear and retainers. She knows about the time I stuffed socks in my bra and went to a rated R movie with Tony Richmond, after my dad thought I was at her house. It’s sort of difficult not giving my allegiance to that.”

  “I know. That’s why I’m saying not to sweat it.”

  “I hate that nothing’s the same anymore.”

  He looked at the floor, swishing his empty glass again. “Ain’t that the truth. Tell me, is she back with Howard?”

  I hated being the one in the middle. I knew she was coming tonight and bringing him, so there was no sense in lying. “I think so.”

  He rolled his eyes. “At least Charlie will get free medical.”

  “I guess you could look for the silver lining like that.” I began rocking a bit on my heels. “Have you been seeing anyone?”

  He set his glass on an empty tray that a lady was walking around holding. “I’ve taken one woman out. She was a mess. Two kids. One of them came along because the therapy session ran over and her ex wouldn’t pick him up.”

  “Yikes.”

  “Yeah. I feel your pain now. All those times we laughed at your dating experiences. It’s complicated to say the least.”

  I nodded my head and grabbed for whatever another lady was peddling on her silver tray. Maybe beef wellington? I popped it in my mouth and let it melt. Dreamy.

  “Don’t look now but my favorite person just entered the room.”

  Of course I looked. It was Carter. He was arm-in-arm with Mitzy. She wore a flashy red dress. Short and plunging. I hated that her boobs looked more perky than mine. And Carter had the nerve to wear that same tie he wore when we went to dinner at the Morgans.

  “Well, I’ve got to find Liz. She’s introducing me to someone who’s hopefully single and not having to take any child to therapy.” I began to walk toward the living room.

  “Hey, Sarah,” he called out.

  I turned. “Yeah?”

  “What about a date sometime? After all, I know Rose and you know Charlie. It’s not like it would be all that bad.”

  I backed up my steps and stood close to him. “Michael, you know how you said Maggie and I go way back and you were okay with that? Just a few minutes ago, in fact?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Well, there’s an honor between besties. And that’s the unwritten rule that you don’t date exes. No matter how handsome.” I had to end it on an up note. And I wasn’t lying. If Michael walked into that party tonight without any history affiliated to me, I’d be all over that. But not like this.

  He grinned and hid the corner of his mouth with his hand. “I get it. Thanks, Sarah. I might take you up on that talk. If the invitation still stands.”

  “Of course it does.”

  I made a beeline out of that room before Carter saw me. At least I didn’t think he saw me. His nose was too far up Mitzy’s and whoever she trapped in her web to drone on about insignificant things in her small world. Perky breasts, ha! At least I had conversation skills. When we were eighty years old, the only thing men would see with her is her breasts lying on her knees. I relished in this daydream.

  “Liz.” I pulled on her arm when I finally found her in the closed-in porch outside. There was a group of three guys singing carols in the corner. They actually sounded amazing.

  “Sarah, we were just talking about you. I was telling Brian how I’d just seen you and you’d disappeared.”

  I looked at Brian, suddenly forgetting why I was so hurried to find Liz. He seemed tasty. A mixture of sweet and salty. His dirty-blond hair was pushed up in the front, his teeth could pass the tissue test, and his smile sent a direct beacon out to my undercarriage. Hello, Brian.

  He took my hand and smiled. “It was worth the wait to meet you.”

  My head flipped back and I caught myself baring too many teeth when I grinned like a deranged caged animal. Forgive me, I haven’t been outside of my pack in years. All I know are couples and the lunatics they set me up with. Liz obviously would’ve kept him to herself had she been single. I kind of liked her big and pregnant. It offered more to the blind date pool.

  “Would you care for a drink?”<
br />
  “Sure.” I touched his sleeve. “Say, are you divorced?”

  “No, never been married.”

  “Any children?”

  “No, but I love them. I have nieces and nephews I spoil rotten. Their moms and dads hate to see me coming. I’m a sucker for dimples and puppy dog looks.”

  “I’ll have a Coke and Bacardi. Thank you.”

  I pulled Liz to me and embraced a nice long gasp of air out of her. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about, Liz Macarowski.”

  She laughed. “I thought you would! It sickens me to have to throw him back. You don’t get that prime filet just anywhere.”

  “You certainly don’t.”

  “Enjoy, darling. I’m off to find my own Prince Charming. He assures me he has a surprise to give me later.”

  Brian came back carrying two drinks. I clinked his glass and cheered him to drink up.

  “Liz says you two work together.”

  “We do. I’m a guidance counselor at the same school she teaches physical education.”

  “Wow, that’s gotta be a difficult profession. Teenagers are a complicated breed. I know, I was one of them not so long ago.”

  “Yeah, they come with their challenges.”

  “So you asked me if I was divorced. Are you?”

  Oh my goodness. And here is where it might all come to a screeching halt. No amount of glitter or stilts could erase the dreaded used factor. Yes, I’ve been test-driven and returned. Not really, but that’s what you think when someone professes to be divorced. Like, what was wrong with you?

  “I am.” I swallowed hard after confessing my fatal flaw. I could’ve lied, but if this went anywhere, I’d be both divorced and a liar. It was hard to come back from two offenses.

  “So it didn’t work out. I mean obviously.” He rolled his eyes, presumably unhappy with his comment.

  “No, but it only lasted for a couple months. Technically, we had it annulled. But that never seems to be a question that comes up when you’re getting to know someone. You know?”

  “Wow, a couple months?”

  “Yeah, seems he had a deranged ex I didn’t know about. Nor the child they shared. I guess I needed to do a little bit more investigating before I strapped on that ring and pledged to be ignorant.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  I felt as though this was going way better than expected. I’d be the victim, and not the praying mantis. Worked for me.

  I saw Carter move into the room. He saw me, too. I quickly averted my attention to Brian. “I’m going to step into the ladies’ room. Please excuse me. I’ll be right back.”

  “Take your time. I’ll freshen our drinks. And try to find that tray of hors d’oeuvres. Have you tried the beef wellington yet?”

  “Oh my gosh. It’s the best.”

  “I think they use olive oil instead of butter. There’s a crispness to the pastry.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re a foodie.” Please Lord, be a foodie.

  “I’d be lying if I didn’t say I watch more Food Network than NFL.”

  Yes! Jackpot. I would find Liz and give her a big ol’ kiss. Thank you, thank you, thank you. This dress would be inducted into the lucky garment section of my closet. It was skimpy, really, in that section. Just a sweater and a pair of jeans. This was possibly being stored in its own dry-cleaning bag.

  “Well, you look for the tray and I’ll look too. We’ll meet back here with something to try.”

  “You’ve got it.”

  I adjusted my dress in the mirror and slipped on more lipstick. It was amazing. My eyes still looked good. And my hair hadn’t fallen yet. That extra hour paid off. I shut the bathroom door and went in search of the food trays. I was so excited to finally be talking to someone who spoke my language. And looked that good. And didn’t seem exhausted from all the baggage they were carrying, or that I carried either. Brian was a five row of cherries on the slot machine. An enigma that eluded women for lifetimes. I was almost one of them. Until tonight. I’d found the albino squirrel, Big Foot, a UFO, you name it. He was mine! Or least there was a super good chance he would turn out to be. Finding this elusive creature was half the battle.

  That was, until I came around the corner and saw Carter talking to him. No doubt lacing the water with poison. The eternal fountain of youth, getting dumped in by Carter. What was he doing? Divulging I slept in socks because my feet were blocks of ice? And the only reason he knew this is because my daughter complained of it when she had nightmares. Then sleeping with me caused her frostbite. I walked toward them.

  “Hey man, let me know about those stocks. I’d like to get in on something like that.”

  “Stocks?” I asked, wondering what Carter was up to. And where was his ball and chain?

  He nodded and smiled at me. “Sarah.”

  “Carter.”

  “You look nice tonight.”

  Nice? Nice? Khakis look nice. I was suffering pain for this getup. Leg pain, foot pain, eyelid pain from the fake eyelashes that weighed my lids down. Nice?

  “Thank you.”

  “I better go. I need to find Liz and congratulate her on a great party. Isn’t that piano player wonderful?”

  “Wonderful.” I looked at him sideways.

  “Well, have fun.”

  I offered a wrapped asparagus to Brian. He took it without making eye contact.

  “Wow, I wonder if they blanched these first?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Were you able to find any beef?”

  “No, I guess they’re all gone.” I noticed he waved at a girl across the room.

  “Okay, well, back to you. So you trade stocks?”

  “Uh, yeah.” He sipped from his glass and looked around the room.

  “That’s interesting.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  Two words, three words—do I hear a four-word answer? “So, you have any plans for New Year’s?”

  “Actually, I do. My sister is coming out and I promised to show her around.”

  “On New Year’s Eve?”

  “Uh, I think so.”

  Okay, so did I miss something? “Are you okay? I felt we were connecting before I left to use the restroom. Did something happen? Don’t tell me I have toilet paper stuck to my shoe?” I turned to check.

  “It’s just I don’t have a spare room to offer you.”

  “A spare room?” I leaned in. Did he really just say spare room?

  “Yeah. It’s not like I’m hoping your landlord kicks you out. But writing bad checks will catch up to you. They can lock you up for that. I had a college roommate who got into big trouble. His parents had to hire a lawyer.”

  “Writing bad checks? I’ve never written a bad check in my life. Well, okay there was that one time. But I’d just gotten the bank account and I forgot I’d paid the electric. But I paid it. You could verify that.”

  I noticed him taking baby steps away from me. “I’m sure I could. It was really nice meeting you, Sarah. You seem like a nice girl. I’m just not looking for anything right now.”

  I shook my head. Was he really rejecting me? And bad checks? What happened? And then I remembered. Carter was talking to him. I scanned the room for that creep. He stood between the dining room and living room. I pounded the floor getting to him—my arches vibrated with each step. Without so much as a thought, I pulled his arm and drug him through the house to the outside.

  I swung him around. “Carter Williams. For as long as I’ve known you, I don’t think you’ve been this cruel. This ruthless. Why did you do it?”

  “I’m sorry, do what?”

  “Do what? You’re actually going to stand there and act as if you don’t know what I’m talking about? Brian, Carter. The guy I was talking to.” I pointed back toward the house. “The guy you were talking to when I came from the bathroom. Getting kicked out? Why would you make something up like that?”

  He slumped over, holding his laughter. “It was a joke, Sarah.”

&nb
sp; “A joke?”

  “Yes. I’ll go back and tell him I was just messing with him, if you’d like.” He cupped his hand and leaned closer to me. “Although he does look like a douche bag, Sarah. I mean, who knows what carps are? He told the girl that’s what they were on the tray. She had no idea what he was talking about.”

  “Guys I want to know know what carps are, Carter! He’s not a douche bag. But how deranged would that look with you telling him you were just messing with him? No one does that.”

  “Sure they do. It’s in good fun.”

  I began pacing. “What’s wrong with you, Carter? Who tells someone crap like that? Come to think of it, no one you’ve ever set me up with has been normal. Not that I am, but come on, seriously? That one guy was afraid of the outdoors. How in the world did you get him to go camping? And the one the year before that? Not to mention the guy you brought to that restaurant to meet me that one time. He was moving to New Hampshire the next month. Are you kidding? Is this a joke to you, Carter?” I stood still, staring at him. He had stopped laughing. “It’s easy for all of you.” I waved my hand toward the house. “You all have people. You’ve had Paige and anyone else you can find when she’s gone. Liz…Liz never has a cold seat next to her. Maggie and Michael, minus what happened recently, they had each other. Don’t get me wrong, I love Rose. And I’d take her over a hundred guys who could cook and shared my love for movies and popcorn, and starry night walks in the snow. But for once, Carter, I’d enjoy another man’s company. For just once, I’d like for him to be interested in me. Me, Carter.” I stabbed at my chest for dramatic effect.

  He was silent. I was out of breath.

  “Sarah, I—”

  I turned before he could finish. I’d had enough of his joking and sabotaging. Maybe it was in my mind, and I was the deranged one, but I was just at my wit’s end that evening. That year.

  “Sarah!” he called out.

  I didn’t look back. Halfway down the hill, I saw Maggie and Howard walking up. She must’ve seen my hurried state because she grabbed hold of me mid-stride. I remember smelling her perfume. It was so out of character to smell anything on her other than Gerber food and cornstarch powder. I even noticed the red shade lipstick.

  “What’s wrong? Sarah?” She shook me.