One Breathless Night. Jo Leigh

she had to admit she was mystified by Payton’s behavior. He hadn’t mentioned they were engaged. He’d spent most of the brief encounter grinning at Faith. But maybe he’d just been caught off guard, seeing his old friend. Jenna could imagine herself fumbling if she’d run in to her college boyfriend, Martin, at a party. Of course that was a different thing entirely. She didn’t think anything had gone on between Payton and Faith. At least he’d never said as much. Anyway, Faith would be an idiot to roam when she had Rick. He’d been completely charming.

      Payton claimed a recently vacated spot at a bar-height table. She would’ve preferred to sit somewhere, but it was nice to be able to put her drink down.

      “Now that I’ve looked around,” Payton said, finishing off his whiskey, “I don’t think there’s a more beautiful Vesper Lynd in the whole hotel.”

      She smiled, knowing he’d have said that even if she’d thrown a sweater over a workday dress. “I honestly thought there wouldn’t be so many Vespers.” The words were just out of her mouth, as yet another one walked by. “I suppose it makes sense, though. The movie was relatively recent.”

      “None of them carry it off as well as you do.”

      Another compliment? Interesting. Payton normally kept his praise private. But then, he’d never kissed her like that in public, either. There was no reason why he shouldn’t say those nice things in front of Zane and Mindy, and yet...

      “And I’ve never seen your eyes look so alluring.”

      Okay, that was really over-the-top. What the hell was going on with him? Did it have to do with Faith? Were these guilt compliments? Or drunk utterings? Like her, he wasn’t a big drinker.

      One of the things she appreciated most about Payton was that he was predictable. It might not be an appealing trait for a lot of women, but for her it was. She loved him for his stability. For the fact that their future together would unfurl without a lot of bumps and tears. Still, three compliments in a row? “What did you and Zane talk about for so long when you went to the bar? Ways to woo a sure thing?”

      All of them laughed and Payton’s shoulders relaxed as he said, “I haven’t seen George and Cora for a while. Did they say where they were headed?”

      Mindy finally piped up. “They’re dancing downstairs. We’re going to meet them as soon as Zane’s finished eating. Want to join us?”

      Payton shook his head. “It’s too loud and crowded down there. I’ll probably stick around here.”

      Jenna’s chest tightened again, which was ridiculous. He and Faith, they’d been friends. If they’d been more than that, Payton would have told her. She’d been a Wellesley girl. Martin had been her boyfriend for two years. There had been a few others, as well. Payton knew about them. Just as she knew about Payton’s old girlfriends during his years before the two of them met. In all the time she and Payton had been together, jealousy had never been an issue. It had barely been a thought.

      She checked her watch before she turned to Mindy. “It’s ten thirty now. How about you two text if you decide to leave early, or we can meet by the second-floor elevator in an hour before the countdown begins?”

      “I think it’ll be easier to meet here,” Payton said. “We already know where it is and from what I’ve heard, the reunion committee is doing something special at midnight here in this suite.”

      Mindy and Zane agreed before they left, but not before Mindy gave Jenna an odd smile.

      “You know what, honey?” Jenna said, catching Payton’s gaze. “Maybe next year, let’s think about going somewhere different for First Night.”

      The way Payton looked at her, she might as well have asked if he wanted to go on a crime spree with her.

      “Sure,” he said unconvincingly. “Why not? We can talk about it. What say I try and slog my way over to the bar again? We’ve got plenty of time. As long as I’m back before midnight.”

      His expression, as eager as a she’d ever seen it, was all wrong. And why hadn’t he asked her to go with him. She’d known him too long to be this surprised. As he made his way through the throng of New Year’s Eve revelers, her heart sank.

      Had they been coming to this reunion party every year because of Faith?

       2

      RICK’S CELL PHONE VIBRATED. Stopped, and then did it again. Some oaf plowed into his back and the only thing that kept him on his feet was the mass of writhing, frenetic partygoers in a banquet room so packed it made him wish he and Faith had never come to the reunion. But she’d asked, and he’d just been talking to his friend Sam, who’d wanted Rick to check out the prototype apartment in Boston, so it was a no-brainer. He wondered now if Faith’s interest in attending the party had been a little more personal than she’d led him to believe. She sure had liked catching up with Payton. Anyway, it didn’t matter. He and Faith had been having a good time. And it was only going to get better.

      He pulled out his phone as Faith rubbed against him on the dance floor. It was a work call, and he couldn’t afford not to take it. There was no use telling her, not with the music so loud, but he held the phone up until she noticed and nodded at him.

      He was grateful for the call. He liked to dance, but the band was loud enough to wake the dead. It took a bit of maneuvering, but finally he found himself in an overcrowded hallway, where he spotted a sign pointing him toward the restrooms.

      Once inside, it was quieter. Still, his ears rang despite the high-end plugs he took out and put in his pocket. Not the pocket that held tonight’s surprise. The other one. Then he pressed speed dial.

      “Happy New Year, you bastard.” Even in the echoing bathroom with two hand driers running, his coworker’s Jamaican-tinged taunt came in loud and clear.

      “Antwan, if you just called to harass me, I’m going to program your iPod to play nothing but ABBA.”

      “You’re the devil incarnate,” Antwan said. “Here I am minding the weather of the world while you’re out dancing the night away. But being that I’m a nice guy, I’m still going to tell you that downtown Boston is looking tricky around two in the morning. Big snow dump, so you and Faith should hightail it to that fancy apartment right quick after she says yes.”

      Rick reached inside his other pocket and pulled out the one-point-four-carat engagement ring he’d put there just before they’d left the apartment. “Thanks, man. Any other trouble spots?”

      “Why do you care? You’re still going to ask her to marry you, yes?”

      “Yep. Right after we finish the kiss. It won’t be like...you know.”

      The last time he’d planned to propose, he’d hidden the ring in his jeans pocket. It had been her birthday. They’d gone up in a hot air balloon, which had seemed like a great idea at the time. The first ten minutes of their special flight? Fantastic. After that? A complete snooze. For both of them. The mood was irretrievably lost somewhere over the Oliver Wildlife Preserve a year ago November.

      Of course, if he’d really wanted to ask her the big question nothing would have stopped him, as Antwan had been quick to point out. But then his friend thought he was being an idiot to propose. Antwan liked Faith well enough, but he said he couldn’t see the sparks. He was too damn romantic. A shared sense of humor, purpose and comfort would last long after the honeymoon was over.

      “I’m sure nothing will stop you this time.”

      Rick’s pulse quickened, which was just his excitement over finally doing the deed. “You got it. Anyway—”

      “Hold your horses, Ricky. I’m not finished. Book your flight home for early Saturday morning. That’s the only break I see before Boston gets hit by a series of wicked storms. Potentially record-breaking snowfall.”