Chapter 40
“What’s up, Rah Rah?”
Sarah blinked. She’d forgotten she had company for lunch. How long had she been staring out of the balcony door? More to the point: how long had she been replaying the conversation she’d had with Charles the previous day in her mind?
She cleared her throat and focused on the uneaten sandwich on the plate in front of her. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve been away with the pixies since I got here.”
“I’m sorry, Ames.”
“What’s going on? Is it Paul?”
Sarah shook her head, “It’s not Paul.”
Although he wasn’t helping her mood. The more Sarah thought about his behavior the more irritated she became. She didn’t want to talk about it. That would make the emotion worse. Then there was the problem of her increasing feelings for Charles Morgan and the fact she’d agreed she wouldn’t talk about him or Joan to anyone. Best friend included.
Amy interrupted her thoughts, “Then what is it?”
Sarah pressed her lips together. She had to get this out or she would go insane working it over and over in her head with no answers. Besides, she wouldn’t be saying anything personal or negative about the Morgans.
She drew in a sharp breath, “Promise you won’t tell anyone?”
“Promise.” Amy fingered a cross over her heart.
“Okay.” Sarah paused. “I think I’m falling for McDreamy.”
A slow smirk worked its way across Amy’s mouth, “Sexy.”
Sarah rolled her eyes, “Oh God. Not you too.”
Amy laughed.
Something clicked in Sarah’s mind. “Hang on, you haven’t even met the man, so how do you know he’s sexy?”
Amy shot her a mock innocent expression from under her eyelids, “I may or may not have looked him up on the internet.”
Sarah burst out laughing. “Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. Nothing will come of it.”
“Why do you say that?”
Sarah sighed. Where did she begin? The aloof side to his personality? The feeling he was hiding something? The dashes of vulnerability she’d spotted? The caring side to his nature? The way he made her heart race? Then there were the other things she’d barely let herself consider until now: the age difference, the chance he felt nothing for her, the possibility he was already in a relationship, and the fact he was her mentor’s son. What if they started something, but broke up? Would it ruin her new, valued relationship with Joan?
“What is it?”
Amy’s question tugged her back to the conversation. How could she explain?
She let the most basic of the issues slip out first, “Well, he’s a decade older than me.”
“Twelve years, actually.”
“I can live with that.”
“So what else is stopping you from pursuing this?”
“What if he has a girlfriend?”
Amy shook her head, “He doesn’t. Not for the past three or so years apparently.”
“Really?”
Amy grinned, “According to what I found, his last girlfriend, Maxine, left him to pursue a writing career in Paris. Since then he hasn’t really dated anyone. Well, unless you include Linda Scott-Jackson, but that . . .”
Sarah didn’t hear any more. Charles had dated Linda Scott-Jackson? A stab dug into Sarah’s gut and almost took the wind out of her.
“Rah Rah?”
“Mm?”
“Are you okay?”
She moved her attention back to her friend. Worry marked the corners of Amy’s eyes.
“Oh, sorry. What were you saying?”
“I was saying from all accounts, he’s available.”
Sarah nodded, “Okay.”
What do I do with that information?
There were still other factors getting in the way.
Sarah exhaled, “I don’t know what to do. I’m so confused. Sometimes he seems aloof and rude then other times he comes across as vulnerable and caring.”
Amy gave an understanding nod, “The only thing you need to consider is how he is with you. How he treats you.”
Sarah thought about that. Aside from the first time they met at the awards dinner, he had been polite and considerate with her. “You’re right.”
With the words, her head felt light and her heart did a jitterbug toward her throat. A memory burst forth. Sunday. The “weird” moment they’d had. And the phone conversation yesterday. When he hadn’t seemed like he’d wanted to hang up.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Why was she surprised that her friend had read her mind?
“We kind of had a . . . moment . . . on Sunday.”
“A ‘moment?’”
“Yeah, a ‘staring at each other’ sort of moment, and then again on the phone yesterday we had a ‘not wanting to hang up’ moment.”
Her friend’s eyebrows darted up in a display of excitement, “Ooh, sounds like something to me.”
“So what do I do about it?”
“You flirt like you’ve never flirted before.”
Sarah snorted. A pain shot through her forehead. She lifted a hand to her wound, “Ouch.”
“It looks sore.”
Sarah shook her head, “It only hurts when I laugh.”
“Then we’ll have to stop having fun.”
Sarah giggled. Another stab shot through her head. She hissed, “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Okay, tell me how the session went.”
“Oh, they had to cut it short . . .”
She trailed off, remembering she wasn’t supposed to be talking about this.
Amy groaned, “What, again?”
“I know, but Charles said he wanted to make up for it, so he asked me to stay at the cottage next weekend for an extended session.”
Amy’s face brightened, “Oh my God!”
Sarah shook her head, “No, he didn’t mean it in that way. I’ll have the cottage to myself. He’s going to stay with Joan.”
“So, he invited you up for the weekend without ‘inviting you up for the weekend?’”
“Exactly.”
“Well, that’s a little disappointing.”
“Yeah, but I’ll have the whole weekend to focus on writing. And you should see the cottage, it’s beautiful.”
Amy smirked, “Maybe I should come up and inspect the, um, cottage.”
“Ha. Ha. You haven’t been invited and you’ll distract me anyway.”
Amy pouted again, “Oh, you’re no fun.”
Sarah smiled, “I’ll have fun when I get my first publishing contract.”
Amy reached out and clasped her hand, “It’s going to happen. I can feel it.”
Sarah looked away, “You’re my best friend. You have to say that.”
“Don’t do that. You’re a talented writer, that’s why you won this mentorship. Joan can see it, and Charles clearly does too. It won’t take long before a publisher notices.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so.” Amy pumped Sarah’s hand, then added, “You never know, there could be a publisher at the festival tomorrow looking for new talent.”
“Don’t say that. It’ll make me even more nervous when I’m doing my speech.”
“Maybe you should mention that you’re looking for a publisher in your speech? Or call the newspapers for an interview about it?”
“I can’t. It’s a condition of the mentorship.”
“That you don’t talk to the media?”
Sarah nodded, “Mm-hmm. For now, I’m letting my work speak for itself.”
Amy flashed a crooked smile that showed Sarah she didn’t agree with her stance.
Sarah laughed, “You think I’m wasting an opportunity, don’t you? Mom thinks the same thing.”
Amy winked, “Yes, well, I’ve always liked your mother.”
Sarah grinned.
As Amy bit into her sandwich, Sarah’s thoughts wandered. Amy had helped to settle her fears about starting a relationship with Charles Morgan. Some of them at least. The more Sarah thought about it, the more she felt there was nothing standing in her way. Unless Charles didn’t want anything besides a professional relationship from her . . .