Theo nodded.
"I get it," he said. "You've moved on. I don't blame you."
What did he just say? She shook her head. The nerve of him, to assume such things, to not even think about his engagement.
"That's not true. Not at all!"
The warmth behind her words seemed to catch at him. He searched the edges of the room again.
"Come on."
He put his arm around her shoulder and steered her out a side door into a deserted hallway. He took her wineglass, and quickly put it alongside his own on the floor. Before Nora could say a word, Theo was pulling her into an urgent kiss. Nora's response to him was swift. She pressed against him, at once closing the gap between them.
Unfortunately, she couldn't fully lose herself in the moment, too distracted by the guinea pig, which she cradled against her chest. Theo sensed her distraction and pulled away, his breath coming fast. When their eyes met, he closed his.
"I'm sorry. I should have asked if that would be okay," he said. "To kiss you."
"It's okay."
"Good. Because I've been dreaming about it for a very long time." He opened his eyes and leaned his forehead gently against hers. "GP is kind of killing the moment."
Nora laughed.
Theo shook his head, rolling it against her own, just enough pressure. She savored the warmth of his breath on her face.
"Nora, I have demons," he whispered. "I'm bad news bears."
"We all have demons," she murmured.
"You can't possibly. You're too angelic for that. You practically have wings. And a halo."
"Hardly."
To prove it, she kissed the scar on his chin, his lips, drawing her arm around the back of his neck, pulling him closer, nudging her hips into his. He pressed her against the wall, marking the skin on her earlobe, her throat, her chest with soft, burning kisses, his hands palming her. She tried not to make too much noise and closed her eyes. When she blinked them open, two women were slowing down as they walked by, watching them openly and smirking.
"I like the guinea pig," one said.
"Yeah, nice touch," said the other.
Theo paused mid-nuzzling. Nora's cheeks flamed. He took a step back. Not too far back.
"We need to stop making out in public."
She tried to stifle her giggles because she was afraid she might not stop.
"You're here with Rainey."
"Yes. How did you know?"
"She texted me."
Nora nodded. Of course. "So you're texting buddies with my sister?"
"Well, I don't have many friends. And you were dissing me." He took another step back. "Anyone else?"
"What?"
"Did you come with anyone else?"
"Just Bart. You?"
He shook his head.
They needed to cool down. To figure things out before they caught on fire again. She thought of something that would do the trick. "Carlo said it wouldn't be appropriate for us to dance together."
Theo looked quizzical. He hadn't expected this turn in the conversation.
"He said because we're related." Is that how you feel? She wanted to ask, but couldn't bring herself to say the words aloud.
Theo laughed mirthlessly. "That's so Carlo.What a pompous..." He shook his head instead of finishing.
"That's why he's dancing with a friend of mine instead." Her passion had taken a dangerous turn—anger. "Come on. I'll show you."
Nora picked up her glass of very fine pinot noir, secured GP in her other hand, and pushed the door to the ballroom open with her hip. Theo was right behind her, running his hand through his hair. She searched the dance floor and pointed when she found what she was looking for. Theo followed the line of her arm, and she watched as recognition dawned.
"That's my friend. Alexis Rogers."
Theo looked from Alexis and his brother Carlo, both now doing some ridiculous version of the twist, to Nora and back a couple of times, finally settling his gaze on Nora. His eyebrows rose.
"No kidding. Lex is a friend of yours? I'll be damned."
Nora sighed, her anger turning to a kind of worn out despair. Lex. He even had a diminutive for her. All of a sudden she was very tired of the game she was trying to play. Love—definitely not a game.
"Not really. She's a sales rep for a tea company. We met in a business meeting, but she thinks I'm her—a kindred spirit. At first I didn't really understand why. We're so different." She fixed her eyes on his. "And then, I got it."
Theo nodded. "So, I guess you know we dated in college."
"Come on, Theo. It was more than that. Wasn't it?"
His mouth opened but before a word came out, Bunny Furlan appeared at his side. She took hold of his arm. "Theo, darling, take the Pumpkin for a diddle, won't you?"
"I took him out an hour ago. He's fine." He turned back to Nora. "What do you mean—"
"Nora," Bunny interrupted. "What is that creature you're holding? A rat?"
They all looked down at poor GP, who was totally unaware of their interest. Hadn't Bunny seen Alexis holding the guinea pig when they'd been introduced? Nora was sure this was some sort of ploy to make her feel insignificant.
"It's a guinea pig," said a familiar voice.
Nora sensed salvation.
Sam Brandon strolled towards them, looking dashing in a suit and dress shirt but no tie, his hands in his pockets. Nora couldn't believe it. Who wasn't at the Fur Ball this year? "Cavia aperea if I'm not mistaken. Now this—" he took his hand out of his pocket and showed them a bewhiskered animal. "This is a rat."
Bunny took a step back from the tan little creature with the pink nose and thick, whippish tail.
"Her name is Ginger," Sam said.
"I didn't know you had a pet." Nora and Sam exchanged kisses on the cheek. Theo, watching them, went very still.
"She's not mine. She belongs to my niece, Rory." He put Ginger back in his pocket. "She's manning the adoption information table, so I'm taking care of Ginger."
"So that's why you're here!" Nora was ashamed to admit that for a moment, she'd thought perhaps he was there to "run into" Rainey.
"Well, after we talked the other day, I thought I should support the cause." He gave her a sly smile and a wink.
Nora sensed Bunny and Theo taking in this tidbit of information. She also caught Sam glancing around the room before he turned back to her. Maybe he was here for Rainey after all.
"She's stalking Amy Tan," Nora whispered in his ear.
"Oh, Amy's here?"
Nora introduced Sam to Bunny and Theo, who had a look on his face of cold curiosity.
"Sam Brandon," Bunny said, her voice fake and bright. "That name is very, very familiar."
"I'm a journalist. Maybe you've seen my byline."
"Right. You did an article in Harpers about the Arab Spring."
"I did."
Bunny looked sufficiently impressed. She gave her son a look, but he was pointedly ignoring her. "How fascinating. I'd love to know more about it. The dance floor is a wonderful place for conversation, don't you agree?"
"You're absolutely right. You don't mind if I bring Ginger, do you?"
Bunny hesitated but turned her lip curl of disgust into a winning smile, glancing at Sam's coat pocket. "If you can promise you'll sweep me off my feet like Fred Astaire."
Sam gave a slight, courtly bow and escorted Bunny onto the floor. She tossed Pumpkin's leash to Theo, who caught it.
"So, that's the famous Sam Brandon. I didn't know he was a journalist who writes for Harpers." He emphasized the name of the magazine. Sarcasm?
"And The Nation. And the New York Times. And the Atlantic Monthly. To name a few."
"Hm." He scrutinized his mother and Sam on the dance floor. "And he's your boyfriend?"
Nora laughed. "Not at all. He's just a friend. He comes to the Cottage every day."
"Every day? Then he must really have the hots for you." He sounded serious.
Nora laughed some more. "You are way off base, Theo Furlan. I wouldn't have kissed you if he were."
He didn't laugh along with her. "If you say so. But I was definitely getting some kind of vibe."
"You mean, a vibe that says he's fond of me and cares about my feelings and doesn't carry a whole lot of complicated baggage?" She had meant to keep her tone light, the laughter in her voice at the fore. But instead, she sounded bitter and accusing, spiteful and judgmental. She regretted it immediately. He had confided in her, had been vulnerable with her. Maybe he shouldn't have. She wasn't worthy of his confidence.
"I didn't mean that."
Theo regarded her with a yearning sadness. They stood there together, awkward. If only they could go back to that moment in the hall when he'd kissed her. If only those women hadn't walked by. If only she weren't holding this poor, silly guinea pig! Another reason to curse the appearance of Alexis Rogers.
"He sounds like a good guy. Anyone who is a good friend to you, Nora, deserves to have everything...good." He fiddled with Pumpkin's leash. "You do, too."
"Really. It's not what you're implying." But he didn't seem to hear her.
"I think I will take Pumpkin for a walk after all."
She barely nodded.
"See you later."
She watched him walk away, her heart aching all over again.
===
Thank you for reading Part 2 of Chapter 20: Demons. I'll post more of HEARTS & MINDS later this week. Until then: be well! x, Olivia