Jay stopped her forward march. “We’re an affectionate company?”
“What were you going to do, Jay? Were you about to pose as my boyfriend again? This is not college, and we’re still not dating.”
***
“I’m sorry. You’re right. We need to look professional and we don’t want to give people the wrong impression of us.” He opened the castle doors for her and stepped inside, looking around in the sudden dim compared to the sunny day outside. It matched his feelings perfectly.
We’re still not dating.The matter of fact way she said it spoke volumes. He’d forgotten how he used to pose as her boyfriend, but his instincts hadn’t. There were always sketchy guys around campus, and it was their unofficial agreement that he step in as needed. He’d used it as an excuse to dance close to her, to whisper in her ear. What a fool he’d been. It hadn’t changed her mind about him back then and it certainly wouldn’t work now. Too easily, he’d slipped back into the old Jay, and it was time to stop before he made a fool of himself again. She’d asked for his friendship, but it was too much for him to give if he didn’t get his hormones in check. He’d give his whole heart or nothing else. That’s really what he wanted. He wanted someone to love him as much as he loved her. Maybe he’d never get it, but he wouldn’t settle for pining from afar.
Dennis, the caretaker approached, holding his polishing rag. “Two guests are using the restrooms. A couple came in to look around, and I gave them a quick tour. But I heard noises in the north tower a minute ago.”
Jay shook his head. “I’ll go check.”
Since the Phillips had opted for an outdoor wedding and reception, most of the rooms were locked, but it was best to make sure no one was wandering around, especially on the winding staircases.
Marlise came in through the headset. “I need ice from the kitchen. Jay and Rebecca, where are you?”
“I’ll get the ice. Jay’s checking for stragglers.” Rebecca headed to the kitchen, and he jogged upstairs, running his fingers along the cut stone as he curved round and round. Finally, he reached the tower room up top. A boy, and presumably, his mother were standing at the window, looking through the bars.
“It’s just like being at Hogwarts,” the kid exclaimed. His carefully combed hair had already lost a battle with a stubborn strand sticking up in the back, and his white button down was untucked. He couldn’t have been more than six or seven.
The woman turned and saw Jay. “Sorry, he begged and begged, and I figured a quick look wouldn’t hurt.”
“I understand.”
The kid frowned up at him. “One more minute?”
“Sure. See if you can spot our resident dragon before we go.”
“You have a dragon here?” He looked both skeptical and hopeful at the same time.
“Yep. Lives in the hills. Every once in a while he’ll fly out and steal a trout from the lake.”
The kid stared out intently, and when the sun temporarily ducked behind a cloud he grabbed the bars and pressed his face against them. “That’s him! Mom, I saw his shadow.”
The woman raised an eyebrow at Jay as she coaxed her son away from the window. “You’re lucky the clouds cooperated, or we could have been here all night.”
“Or until they brought out the cake.”
“True.” She looked him over as they descended, and he tried not to notice.
She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring and appeared to be about his age, but if there was a rule more important than not sampling the alcohol at weddings, it was not fraternizing with guests. He immediately thought of Patrick and wondered if he was bothering Rebecca again.
He’d hated hearing him try to pick her up like she was an easy mark. Rebecca was not just anyone. His head began to pound. He could conquer this.
***
The problem with telling Patrick that Jay was nothing more than her boss, was that it didn’t deter him from approaching her again. His date left with stomach pains right after the luncheon, and like a jerk, he let her catch a ride home with one of his terrible relatives. It didn’t take him long to seek Rebecca out, as she’d feared he would.
“Hey, dance with me.” He tried to take her hand, but she pulled it out of reach.
“I’m not here to dance or drink. I’m here to work.”
“They won’t miss you for a three-minute song. Do you remember this song? We used to dance to it in the car.”
She didn’t remember dancing to it in the car. If anything, she and Jay had probably jammed out to it, but she wasn’t about to mention that. Patrick hadn’t made the connection between her college friend and present-day Jay, and she wasn’t about to jog his memory.
“I don’t want to dance with you. Not now, not in ten minutes.”
