Page 49 of Flirting with 40

“I’m quite surprised you decided to show up,” Heather tries again to land a punch, but I just smile and wave when Slade catches my eye from across the distance where of course, he’s charming the pants off everyone.

And there’s something about the ease he has, the ability to make me feel like we’ve done this before, that has me thinking we might actually be able to pull this off.

Heather clears her throat, surely miffed I’m enamored with my man more than I am with her.

“I’m sorry. You were saying?” I ask and turn my full attention toward her.

“How did the two of you meet?”

“We met at The Bitter End.” Her eyes widen.

Yes, I’m cool like you and go there.

“He really picked you up in a bar?”

My smile turns sarcastic and just as biting as the judgment in her tone.

“We talked. We hit it off. I left without giving him my number. Out of the blue, we happened to bump into each other the following week and ended up going out for dinner.”

“Dinner? That’s all it took?”

“Slade has a way about him,” I murmur like the words are a hum of appreciation as I rise from my seat. “He’s not an easy one to say no to.”

And without another word, I offer her a placating smile and a wink before moving across the outdoor area toward Slade.

I’ve let the other women play with him long enough.

He’s mine, and any woman rightfully in that role would go and make her presence known.

“Hey, you,” he says and reaches his arm out to pull me against him and presses a kiss to my temple. “Gemma here”—he motions with his beer toward my coworker—“was just telling me how she met her boyfriend, Ted.” He points across the fire to where Ted stands. He’s well over six feet tall with broad shoulders and huge hands, but there hasn’t been a single instance where he’s been off his phone the entire time.

“I can’t wait to get to know him,” I say with sincerity.

“Well,” she says and puffs out a sigh, “maybe if I throw his phone into the lake, he’ll actually interact.” She gives a smile laced with embarrassment. “This is not his idea of a great time.”

“We’ll get him to put it down,” Slade says. “We may have to take a guy adventure when you ladies are in a meeting. A little bonding will have him enjoying it in no time.”

“Thank you. Truly.” Relief floods her expression as she glances over to Heather and then back. “I just idolize Heather and want her to like him.”

“Everything will be fine,” Slade says, squeezing my side in lieu of rolling his eyes.

“She sure was surprised to see you,” she says and bats at his arm as if I’m not standing there.

“Blakely likes to keep me all to herself, and I’m totally okay with that.”

He presses a quick kiss to my lips before their conversation drifts to data infrastructure or something that makes my eyes glaze over, and Gemma slowly begins crushing on him. Her laugh becomes a little lighter, and Ted’s head lifts to look our way a time or two when he hears it.

It’s a beautiful night with a chill to the air and stars dotting the sky above the pine trees all around us. I refuse to think about the mosquitos waiting to bite me, or even scarier, whatever else might be lurking in the darkness beyond. Instead, I think of Slade.

Of how I’m slowly and knowingly being seduced by everything about him and how there’s a strange empowerment in it. In having his arm around me and in having other women be jealous of it. Of being at his side and loving the light in his eyes when he glances at me every few seconds.

Slow down there, Tiger.

As if the powers that be knew I needed to stop overthinking in this moment, the activity director on duty—I forget what his name is—cranks up the music.

“Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond blasts through the speakers. Slade throws his hands up and shouts, “Sing it with me,” right before the chorus hits and he belts out, “Bom, bom, bom,” with his fist in the air to accentuate each word.

We all join in singing the song with him, and he grabs my hand and spins me out and then back into him. Then he puts his arms around me for a short, quick slow dance.