Chapter 22

They stayed that way for a few minutes, neither of them wanting to let go of the other. Keira thought of the song he had sung for her. The words were all gone, the time’s been too long. When she finally forced herself to back away, she stumbled and he grabbed her arm to steady her. She giggled. “I’m a little drunk.”

He put his arm around her and they walked back to the table. She was content to lean against him for support. That last glass of wine had been overkill.

Richie and Molly had turned their chairs to face one another, and she was using his lap as a foot rest. They were laughing and they looked completely comfortable together, as if they’d known each other for years instead of only one day.

Jon used his free arm to pull Keira’s chair out for her, and then he lowered her into it. Richie grinned. “Everything okay, kids?”

Jon made a big production of rolling his head from side to side, as if stretching his neck muscles after a long, hard day. “I think Keira’s ready to relax now. We went out in the alley and had a quickie. Took the fight right out of her.”

Molly gaped at them, speechless for once. Keira was too inebriated to say anything, so she just shook her head “no” emphatically. Then she waved her left hand in the air, flashing the ring.

Jon laughed. “I’m kidding. She’s not as easy as she used to be.”

Keira stuck her tongue out at him.

“You losing your touch, man?” Richie asked Jon in mock concern.

“I think I am, Rich.”

Keira nodded her head “yes” emphatically.

Molly looked at Richie. “Were they always like this?”

Richie nodded. “Pretty much. Never a dull moment. At least they kept us entertained.”

Keira found her voice. “I need water. Lots of water.” Jon went to the bar to get her some. She thanked him and drank half the glass in one big gulp. Setting it down, the flash of her engagement ring caught her eye and she groaned, dropping her head down on the table. Jon shot a questioning look at Molly, who shrugged. It wasn’t her place to say anything.

“What am I going to do?” Keira mumbled miserably.

Jon cleared his throat. “Do about what?” he prompted.

Keeping her head on the table, she thrust her left hand into the air. “About this.”

Sensing that Keira was about to say much more than she probably wanted to, Molly got up and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet. “Let’s go the ladies’ room, Keira. It’s been your favorite place tonight, anyway.”

Too drunk to resist, Keira let herself be pulled along into the ladies’ room. Molly took her face in her hands and said, “Okay, Keira, look at me and focus. You don’t want to say too much about Rob right now, right?”

Keira tried to let the words sink in. Then she nodded. “You’re right. Thank you. I need more water.”

“I’ll go get your glass. I’ll be right back. Just stay here and try to think clearly.”

“I want Jon to come here,” Keira said.

“That’s not thinking clearly.”

“I’m not worried ‘bout that right now. Want Jon.”

Molly raised her eyebrows. “Okaayyy…” She backed out the door, waiting for Keira to change her mind, but she didn’t.

At the table, Molly handed the glass of water to Jon and said, “She wants you to bring this to her.”

“Go get her, Jonny,” Richie laughed.

Jon knocked on the door of the ladies’ room and Keira opened it and beckoned him inside. She took the glass of water from him and finished it. “Thank you,” she said, and then moved unsteadily toward him. She reached up and put her hands on either side of his face. “You look so good. How is it that you get better with age?”

He knew she was drunk, and he didn’t want to take advantage of that fact. Still, he was a man, and curiosity got the best of him. He stood there and waited to see what her next move would be. She put her thumb on his mouth and stroked his lower lip, similar to the way Molly had earlier. “You have the nicest mouth.”

His eyes darkened and he took her hand, opening it and kissing her palm.

In one swift move, she pulled her hand away and put it on the back of his head, bringing his face down to hers and putting her mouth on his. She kissed him gently at first, and then she tilted her head and kissed him more insistently. She had forgotten what a good kisser he was, and as he opened his mouth to her and she tasted him, she let a soft moan escape from deep inside her.

The sound seemed to startle him back to reality, and instead of hauling her against him the way he wanted to, he pulled away and stepped back. “Kathy…” he said, and she looked up at him with swollen lips and dazed eyes. “You don’t really want to do this. You’re drunk. I want you, but I want you sober.”

She was completely turned on and didn’t want to stop, but he looked serious and she tried to breathe deeply and get her heart rate under control again. She hadn’t felt this way since early in her relationship with Rob, and it was a relief to know that her sex drive was still intact. Just not with Rob. A wave of guilt washed over her. “I’m sorry,” she said.

“Don’t be sorry. You’re just giving me what I asked for earlier. But you said no then, and you meant it.” He slung his arm around her again and said, “Let’s go back to the table. It’s probably almost closing time, anyway.”