Mala laughs, but not unkindly. “Scots are passionate. And loud, very loud. Fortunately, they pursue life and love with just as much passion, which mitigates the loud part.” She takes two glasses of champagne off a waiter’s tray and hands one to me. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you since I heard about how courageous you were on the island.” Her voice instantly drops on the last three words.
“I didn’t feel very brave,” I whisper back.
She’s so pretty, she doesn’t even look old enough to be Michael’s mother, but the gentle squeeze she gives me is definitely maternal. For a moment, I can remember the feeling of Mom’s arms around me, but it’s insubstantial, like a ghost of a memory.
“You saved your friend. You fought back,” she says quietly. “Do you know how many people in that situation would have just fallen apart? You were amazing.”
I don’t feel amazing, but Mala’s boost gives me enough confidence to smile and nod after Kai introduces me to rich person after rich person, looking like crows with their black clothes and their curious, glittering eyes.
“How did you two meet again?”
This is the third time this woman’s asked me, she’s been chattering at me and subtly moving enough to step between me and Kai, who’s talking to her husband.
“Aye, I’ve been dying to hear the story.” Her friend joins us. They’re both platinum blonde, both in their early fifties, I think, with enough plastic surgery to pass for forty.
“As I’ve said, we met in London. I lost my backpack and he helped me find it,” I repeat our cover story. Again.
“Well, how long ago was that?” Rich Broad #2 asks petulantly. “Because he was dating my Laura only a few weeks ago.”
“Hmmm,” I nod, smiling sweetly. “I can understand your disappointment. Kai is the total package, isn’t he?”
“Ladies, I see you’ve met my beautiful bride. I do need to introduce her to a few more people.” Kai moves in, steamrolling over all their attempts at conversation and hustling me away.
He kisses the top of my head. “Ya looked like you were done with those two.”
“Thank you,” I agree fervently. “I don’t know how many mothers’ hopes we crushed tonight, but I almost enjoyed it.”
“For the record, I never dated her daughter. Laura showed up at my place one night last autumn, claiming that her car wouldn’tstart and asking for a ride to her place. She was mighty upset when I had Angus drive her.”
I suddenly realize he’s led me to the middle of the dance floor, and the orchestra starts up again.
“No!” I hiss, trying to pull away. Kai’s got me locked down, gripping my hand in his with his arm pressed firmly on my back.
“Aye,” he says, “you’ll be fine.”
“I can’t dance to this music!”
My swine of a husband pleasantly ignores me, leading me around the vast expanse of elaborate marble tiles, moving flawlessly to the music. Thank god he’s a strong lead because I’m tripping over his feet, and he lifts me just enough each time to make it look like a turn.
Sweating under the lights, I lean at an unnatural angle to avoid knocking into another couple as they swoop too close. I don’t dare look anywhere but at the center of Kai’s chest. I’ll bet everyone is enjoying the spectacle, watching a MacTavish getting trampled on by the rhinoceros-like moves of his date. Finally, blessedly, the music ends and there’s polite clapping as I scuttle off the floor.
“Youoweme after the most painful ten minutes of my life,” I say, squeezing Kai’s fingers as hard as I can. “Get me out of here!”
Laughing, he pulls me down a dim hall and into another room. The chandeliers are dark, the only illumination is from the little lights on the glass display cases.
“Where the hell are we?” I can’t take my eyes off an enormous display of stuffed lizards.
“The Creatures of the Past exhibit,” he says, pulling me behind a glass display of fish fossils. His hands cup my face, forcing me to look up at him. “What lesson do ya want?”
“What?”
“You’re a bonnie thing and I want to kiss ya,” he says, his breath warm on my skin. “Tell me what I can teach ya next.”
Excellent, another opportunity to get a concession from him. Still, I’m surprised by what comes out of my mouth. “Ballroom dance lessons.”
“That’s really what you want? Not learning how to fly a helicopter or private cooking lessons with a Michelin-starred chef?” Kai draws his head back, leaving an inch of space between our lips.
“I want to learn how to ballroom dance,” I say stubbornly. “I’m not going through another dance floor debacle like that. You clearly learned in like, finishing school or whatever they do for rich Scottish kids. So that’s what I want.”
