Page 90 of The Dating Charade

Cassie shrugged with a smile, her breath on his face. “Work. What are you gonna do?”

Dakota reached out from him just as he closed in again, grabbed for the string pearls around Cassie’s neck. Jett swiftly grabbed her hand, stilled it as he leaned down.

He was close enough to feel the tip of her petite nose against his.

The music stopped again. The infernal ringing blasted the room.

He felt his tie slacken. Felt her hang her head momentarily on his shoulder. Then, she lifted her finger.

“Just one second. One.” Her grin was bright enough to light the whole room. “Stay right there. Don’t move a muscle.”

She moved quickly to the teen, who was now mouthing apologies, and took the phone, making as though to cancel it again. But as Jett watched her face, she stilled. Her lips parted. She yanked the USB cord connecting the phone to the speaker, and the room went silent as she turned her back to the crowd and pressed the phone to her ear.

“I kiss you, Uncle Jett.” Dakota gingerly moved her neck up toward him and pecked his cheek.

Jett grinned and kissed her cheek back. “Thanks, baby girl. How about some candy?”

He moved slowly toward the candy table, sending furtive glances to Cassie while he loaded down a plate. She appeared very intent on whatever conversation she was having.

Food in hand, he moved over to Drew’s table, where his feet swung merrily between a flock of teen girls. His fingers and mouth were covered in chocolate.

Cassie’s head tilted down and, still clinging to Timothy on one hip, she began to nod rapidly.

“Sit here a bit?” Jett sat Dakota in front of a plate loaded with chocolate. “I’m going just over there for one minute.”

Dakota barely registered him as she stared at the plate then shoveled a handful of M&M’s as though they were jewels.

Jett swiftly went up to Cassie’s side. She was nodding to the floor. “Well, I’m very glad she told you to call me.” She spoke rapidly, the soft husk of the former moment long gone. “No, I don’t need a night to think on it.”

She paused, listening.

“I understand, and I’m prepared for that, sir.”

Again, pause.

“Right now. I’ll be there in three minutes.”

And before he knew it, the phone dropped to her side, where she began sliding it against the hip of her dress as if expecting a pocket. When none magically appeared, she pressed the phone to his chest, followed a second later by Timothy. “I’ll be right back.”

She danced around him, then began to sprint across the room.

“Where are you going?” he called back. “Don’t you want your phone?”

“Consider it collateral,” she shouted back.

Suddenly she stopped and plucked the heels off her feet, then bent down, lifted Bree’s legs one by one, and yanked Bree’s flats right off her.

Five seconds later, she was streaking across the yard.

Jett sidled up to Bree, who was holding the heels in her hands like they were jellyfish. “What’s happening?”

But Bree just shook her head. “I don’t know. The klepto took my shoes and left.”

They both looked out the window. “You know, I prepared myself for the possibility of her running away after seeing these kids. I just didn’t expect it so literally.”

For fifteen endless minutes he sat at the table beside Dakota, taking intermittent sips of tea, keeping his eyes on the door. Where could she have gone? What phone call could be so important she would, quite literally, drop everything and go? Not only deserting him midkiss, but the very program, the whole building she oversaw.

Just as his tea was at the dregs, the doors opened. His eyes lifted. He set his cup down and rose.