Back to Me

by Lindsay Paige

  His suit jacket is open, exposing a white dress shirt underneath. I pinch his side hard. Marc yelps like a little girl and that makes me smile and giggle.

  Marc doesn’t even seemed that bothered. My laughter stops as he leans in to whisper in my ear again. “Beautiful smile, Elizabeth. Even better laugh.” God, that voice is to die for. Marc chuckles.

  “What?” I ask, confused.

  “You like my voice?”

  My eyes widen. “I said that out loud?”

  “Yes, you did.”

  I push him away, not liking how much I like having him so close or how I’m wishing I could have him as Baby Blue instead of Marc. “Get your arm off of me.”

  “You like me,” he grins.

  “I don’t know you.”

  “But you like what you do know.”

  That couldn’t be truer. “No, I don’t.”

  Marc leans in again as I quickly finish off my drink. “I think you do, Elizabeth.”

  “Lizzy,” I correct, but he ignores me as usual.

  “I think you’re insanely attracted to me. I think you’re already all hot and bothered. I—”

  I’ve heard enough. Baby Blue, I’m definitely attracted to, and I’ve been hot and bothered since I heard his voice again. But Marc, I don’t think I like very much. I nearly fall out of my seat, trying to get away from him. Thankfully, Scott keeps me from falling flat on my ass. “Take me home,” I quietly order him. “Your wife is fucking insane. I can’t do this, Scott. Take me home.”

  “Hey,” Marc starts. “I was just messin’ with you, Elizabeth. No need to get your panties in a bunch and leave.”

  I glare at him. “It’s Lizzy!” My voice is too loud, gathering the attention of our entire table.

  “You’re one uptight woman, aren’t you?”

  My jaw drops in outrage for the second time tonight.

  “That’s enough, Marco,” Scott gruffly says from behind me.

  “Marco?” I question with confusion. I thought his name was Marc.

  “His last name is Polinski, so they call him Marco Polo,” Meredith explains.

  That cracks me up. Not just a giggle. I’m talking gut busting laughter. “Marco,” I laugh.

  “Polo,” Marc replies with a flat tone, which only causes me to laugh harder.

  “How many drinks has she had?” I faintly hear Scott asking Sylvia.

  My laughter starts to die down and I wipe the tears from my eyes, but one look at Marc has me giggling again. That’s just the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. This hot guy with the voice of an angel, or devil depending on how you look at it, is called Marco Polo like the pool game I used to play when I was a kid. God, I don’t remember the last time I laughed like this. Or at all.

  “Go on a date with me.”

  That’s one way to make me stop. “What?” He can’t be serious. I haven’t even shown any interest in him!

  “You heard me.”

  “Yes!” Sylvia bursts. “She says yes.”

  “I do not,” I say, shaking my head.

  “You said if there was a spark, you’d let me set you up,” she reminds me.

  “There’s no spark.” We’ve caught the attention of the entire table and they are all looking at me like I’m lying. “There’s not!” I mean, he’s hot and I already know the sex is great, but that hardly counts as a spark. I turn to Scott, fully intending on telling him to take me home, but he shocks me when he speaks first.

  “You should give it a chance,” he says quietly.

  “What?” For a moment, I hate him. He knows what it means to me for him to say this. I wish he wasn’t. I wish he didn’t care so much and would let me live my life the only way I know how since my world stopped and starting spinning in the opposite direction.

  Scott leans down and whispers, “He’d want you to try.”

  The dam is threatening to break, but I contain the tears and swallow hard to push down the sob waiting to break out. I turn to Marc. “Okay.” Then I face Scott, “Now take me home.”

  “I’ll take you,” Marc offers.

  “She’d love that,” Sylvia blurts out. I swear, I’m going to kill her!

  “He’s been drinking,” I try.

  Marc grins. “Haven’t touched it.” He lifts his beer. It doesn’t look like he’s had but a sip.

  Crap.

  “Fine.”

  How did I get myself into this mess?