“There you two are.” She hugged Delilah and then gave me a kiss on the cheek. “I made your favorite pasta dish tonight.”
“Baked manicotti?” My mouth started to water.
“Turns out it’s Seth’s favorite, too. Can you imagine that? You two have so much in common.”
“Mom.” I gave her a warning glance. “I already told him I’m not interested in dating right now.”
“Oh, pishposh. There’s never a right time for anything in your life. You’re going to have to learn that life keeps moving, whether you’re ready for it or not.”
A sentiment that rang all too clear.
“Are you trying to set us up?” I asked quietly, hoping she wasn’t.
“Your dad put him on the list.” She shrugged one shoulder. “Apparently, there’s been a bit of trouble between the Navy Department and the congressional Committee of Military Construction. Since Seth’s the newest member and young and impressionable, Dad thought it would be smart to befriend him. Just a little politics.”
“I hope that’s all it is.”
She laughed, revealing her dimples, and gently pushed me toward the family room. “Come say hi. He won’t bite.”
“If you won’t say hi,” Delilah said to me, “I will.”
“You can come with me.” Mom linked arms with Delilah, steering her away from Seth. “I want to show you the cool gift the Ambassador of Bulgaria gave me last week.”
Seth glanced up as Mom and Delilah passed him, and he must have remembered who Delilah was because he instantly looked toward the door to see if I had arrived, too. When he saw me, he quickly excused himself from the lady sitting with him and approached me with his blinding smile.
Oy, he was cute.
“Hello, Meg,” he said.
“Hi.” I was thankful Delilah had talked me into wearing my yellow dress with the black bow-tie belt and not the slacks and blouse I’d been wearing at the hospital that day. I felt a bit more like a twenty-year-old college student than a tired, overworked med student.
“You look beautiful,” he said, his eyes sparkling with appreciation.
“Thanks.” He looked good, too, wearing a blue pinstripe suit and tie.
“How have you been?”
“Good. Busy.” I didn’t want this to be awkward, especially because our day together had been so effortless. “I’m surprised to see you here.”
“I couldn’t pass up this invitation if it meant there was a chance I might see you again.”
My neck warmed at his comment. “I forgot how charming you are.”
He shrugged. “It’s easy when it comes to you.”
“Ha.” I shook my head. “I think it comes easily to you, regardless.”
“No.” He shook his head, serious. “Not like when I’m with you.”
I looked down at the plush rug, the heat rising from my neck to my cheeks.
“I thought about you a lot these past couple of weeks. I know you said I have to wait until January, but I was invited to the Ford’s Theatre Gala next month, and knowing how much you like history, I thought you might enjoy attending with me.” He spoke quickly—more like a young, untried schoolboy than a representative in Congress. “It’s for a good cause, and it won’t be a date. I promise. Just two people who want to support DC’s history and performing arts having a lot of fun together.”
“I do love Ford’s Theatre.”
“I thought so. And it’s not until June eleventh, so you’d have a lot of time away from me before then.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “I don’t want to be away from you.”
