“Sure,” he says. “I call her my star.”
“Your star,” Danielle echoes. “That’s sweet.”
But it’s clear that she’s underwhelmed by it, as is everyone else at the table. As pet names go, star isn’t particularly cute or romantic; it sounds like something you’d call an employee who’s agreed to work overtime.
“Like the North Star?” Peter asks.
“No,” Drew says. “That would be romantic, but it’s not what I was thinking.”
“Well, why then?” Danielle asks.
Yes, why, Drew?Since he rejected the North Star explanation, he’d better think of something good.
Drew turns to me, and there’s a warm glow in his dark eyes. “It’s because of a line from Shakespeare, actually,” he says. “That I should love a bright particular star.Because Alexandra’s luminous, and when we first met, I thought she was out of my reach.”
There’s a beat of silence. Drew did that so well, he almost has me believing it.
“Is it fromAs You Like It?” Nina finally asks. Of course, she would know the play.
But Drew shakes his head. “All’s Well That Ends Well.Helena says it about Bertram. It’s a pretty messed up play, but I’ve always liked that line.”
“And it ends well, right?” Peter jokes. “They end up together?”
Drew’s lips twitch. “They do.”
“That’s really sweet,” Danielle says.
In my opinion, sweet isn’t the right word. Honeybun is sweet, but Drew Malone quoting Shakespeare with that soft look in his eyes? Probably the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen.
Danielle brings out a decadent tiramisu for dessert, but I have a hard time focusing on my plate. My mind keeps straying to Drew, and the look in his eyes when he said I was luminous.
THIRTEEN
DREW
“That was a memorable evening,” Ally remarks. We’ve just said goodnight to the Tates, and we’re finally alone in my car.
“It sure was,” I agree, as I turn out of their driveway onto the road. “Thanks again for coming with me.”
I owe Ally big-time. With the way Nina behaved tonight—strutting around in a bikini like she was auditioning to be a Bond girl—I can only imagine how she’d have acted if I’d gone alone.
“No problem,” Ally says. “I think we convinced the Tates.”
“Yeah.”
“You put on a pretty good act, Drew. I almost believed you myself.”
“Thanks. You, uh, did pretty well too.”
“And Danielle was doing everything she could to emphasize that we were together,” Ally says. “She must be hoping Nina will accept that you’re taken and move on. Wanting a guy she can’t have will only make her unhappy.”
“Either that, or Danielle and Peter really don’t want me as a son-in-law,” I quip.
“Oh, sure, they’re trying to keep you away from their daughter,” Ally says sarcastically. “It explains why they keepdonating to your hospital, and why they invited you to their cottage.”
She isn’t wrong. I suspect that if I wanted to date Nina, Danielle and Peter would be all for it. I’m lucky they’ve been so reasonable about it.
“What’s the deal with the Spring Fling Gala?” Ally asks.
