Waiting on the Sidelines

“Honey, you look beautiful,” my dad said, swallowing a little and turning his head to Reed to give him a stare, or rather a threat. I loved it when my dad was fatherly.

Reed just stood and came up to me and took my hand, kissing it. “You’re dad nailed it, you look beautiful,” his dimples deep with his big grin and his green eyes crinkled on the sides in awe. It took my breath away.

“Thanks,” I half whispered, blushing and turning my head sideways.

“Well, we better hit the road. I can’t go dressed in basketball shorts with you looking like that,” Reed joked.

I kissed my dad on the cheek and followed Reed out to his Jeep and we made our way to Millie’s house.

Reed, of course, had a complete suit at his mother’s house. In fact, he had a closetful. He put on a simple black one with skinny black pants that just made him look like one of those classic movie stars from the 50s like James Dean or Cary Grant. He had a white shirt with a thin black tie. I could eat him, he was so delicious.

The party was at a ballroom at a big hotel in downtown Phoenix, and it had been going on for about an hour when Reed and I arrived. I was worried about being late, but Reed assured me that most people were late to these events. He also warned me about all of the rich old men with cocktails that would probably leer at me in a creepy way. I wasn’t sure I was leer-worthy, but I decided to keep my guard up nonetheless.

When we walked in, there was faint piano music playing and a woman standing on a stage singing jazz, exactly what I pictured it would look like in my mind. There were dozens of tables around the room where everyone had left their purses and jackets, most of the people congregating around the middle of the room. This must be mingling, I thought.

Reed squeezed my hand, sensing my unease, which shot up tenfold as soon as I realized Millie was approaching us. She was upon us quickly, and I wasn’t ready.

“Reed, dear, I’m so glad you could come tonight,” she planted fake kisses on both sides of his cheeks, careful not to smear her lipstick. She smiled tightly and turned to me, reaching out to touch my arm and giving it a squeeze.

“So glad you could come, too, Natalie,” I am sure my eyebrows shot up in surprise. I was about to correct her, when Reed rescued me.

“Nolan, mom. We went over this,” he gave her a closed-lip smile, grimacing and showing his disapproval.

“Right, right. I know we did, honey. Sorry, it’s just such an…unusual name. It doesn’t seem to stick in my mind,” she turned her fake smile to me. “We’re at the front table, there should be two seats reserved for you. Excuse me, though, I have to greet some more guests.”

And in a blink she was gone, back to flitting about the room. This was where she and Buck were similar. They could turn it on and were both all business when they needed to be. It just seemed Millie was more business than pleasure, like 99 percent business.

Reed and I found our seats and sat down at the table, picking at the breads stacked on plates in the center. We were both starving. We giggled each time we scarfed down a roll, laughing about how uncouth we were amid this high-end dinner crowd. I teased like I was going to put one in my purse, and Reed actually stuffed one in his jacket pocket to one up me.

I was finally relaxing and having a good time when I caught something out of the corner of my eye that made my body jolt. I wasn’t sure I had seen things right, so I talked myself out of overacting and almost had myself convinced when I heard that familiar cackle behind me.

“Oh my gawd, Reeeeeeeeed,” it was Tatum. “I thought you never came to these things?” She was moving right past me, walking over to touch him, reaching for his shoulder.

Reed’s surprise was genuine as he stood and pushed his hands in his pockets, quickly closing himself off to her. “Tatum, what the hell are you doing here?” he accused.

“Oh, I’m on the Sigma charity board. We’re one of the scholarship recipients tonight, silly,” she was acting like nothing had ever happened. And I was invisible. “I wish I was at your table, I’m so far away, over there in the corner. Maybe I could switch with someone.”

She was seriously getting on my nerves now. I coughed a little to get her attention, and she turned and looked down where I was still sitting. Her brow scrunched a little as realization spread over her. “No f**king way, are you serious with this shit, Reed,” she was talking about me. Nice.

I decided long ago that I was done being bullied by Tatum Hernandez. I had rehearsed many comebacks during my showers every morning, and I was finally going to get to use one. “Uh, yes. Quite serious,” I said, standing and pushing past her to link myself through Reed’s arm and kiss his neck, laying my head on his shoulder. “I’m afraid all of these seats are taken.”