Page 55 of Tuxedos and Tinsel

“You were looking a little pink,” he said, as he guided her to a seat on a nearby rock. The air was noticeably cooler by the water.

“We’re going to get in trouble for being off the walkway.”

“We won’t stay long. Besides, the gardeners or whatever walk through here, don’t they? That’s why there are paths.”

Susan shook her head. “You’re funny. One minute you’re telling me you worry about fitting in and the next you’re flouting the rules. One would think you’re self-sabotaging.”

“Psychoanalyzing again, are we?”

“I told you, psychology’s my thing.” Fat lot of good it ever did her though. Being able to psychoanalyze everyone but herself.

“Bit of an odd hobby, isn’t it?” Lewis asked.

“What can I say? I’m rubbish at arts and crafts. I got into it when I was a teenager. My attempt to understand my mother better.”

He touched her knee, his hand bringing a steadying warmth. “Did you? Understand her better?”

“I learned a bunch of terms, all of which boiled down to her being a selfish piece of work who didn’t want to share the spotlight with a child. They want so much attention, you know.”

She tossed aside the last part with an overdramatic voice, but the sting never really left. When she was younger she blamed her looks, thinking if she was taller or thinner or elegant like the Collier boys, then her mother might have wanted her around. As she grew older, however, she realized her mother wouldn’t have wanted the competition. The sad truth was her mother just plain didn’t want her.

“At least you knew how she felt,” Lewis said. “My mum cried holy hell when they took me away, but not so much that she couldn’t get her act together.”

“Just like Belinda,” she said. “Guess that makes us two odd peas in a pod.”

“Guess so,” Lewis replied with a smile.

She slipped her hand over his, and their fingers entwined. With the connection came a strange, full kind of feeling. Kinship, Susan realized. For the first time she felt understood. It was a heady, seductive feeling.

Ironic that she would set out to comfort him and end up being the one comforted.

“I’m not the only one who’s an enigma,” he continued.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, for one thing, I keep looking for this unlikable shrew part of you, and I can’t see it. I mean, you’ve got sharp edges, but who hasn’t, right?”

He couldn’t have said a nicer thing if he tried. “Thank you.”

“Just calling it like I see it. And what I see looks pretty nice. Very nice, in fact.” His smile sobered as his gaze dropped to her lips. Susan’s pulse quickened, remembering the last time he’d looked at her mouth.

Instead of leaning in like she thought he would, however, Lewis suddenly released her hand and rose to his feet.

“We should get back on the path before we get in trouble,” he said. “Won’t do either of our reputations any good if we get tossed out on our ears. I can see the headline now. Stay Off the Grass, Lewis!”

“I’m sure they’d come up with something punnier than that.” Although an example escaped her. She was too busy hiding her disappointment behind smoothing her dress. Her embarrassment too, for thinking he’d been about to kiss her. Talk about foolish. There were no cameras, no giant screen. Why would he want to kiss her if there was nothing to gain?

They snuck out of the plants the way they’d come, emerging to the backs of several other partygoers who were standing on the path.

“And here we thought we were being so sneaky. I bet half the party saw us.” She looked over at Lewis who was smoothing the front of his jacket. He looked as crisp and elegant as before.

“If they did, no one would say anything,” he said. “My guess? They didn’t care.”

“Or they were too polite to make a scene with photographers about.” She and Lewis might have joked about negative headlines, but in reality, the sponsors of the event wouldn’t want the bad press.

“Either way, we lucked out then, didn’t we? Come on, I’ll buy you a glass of champagne before we mingle. I don’t suppose you know anyone here?”

Other than one or two faces she recognized from Collier’s functions, not really. Since attending solo wasn’t much fun, she only went to charity events when Linus needed an emergency date, which wasn’t often. She didn’t want to tell him that though, because it would reveal how pathetic her social life was. This faux romance was the most social activity she’d had in who knows how long.