Rebecca went back inside and got a gin and tonic. She
sat at a table with her back to the room and nursed it for as
long as she could, trying not to think about her brush with
the muscle man. She had nowhere else to go, and nobody
bothered her there. A few moments of calm in the middle
of the noisy crowd-just what she needed. Still, Tarzan's
smile was seared into her brain.
Who am I kidding? He wasn't coming back for her-
he'd gone off with Bubbles. They were probably at a motel
by now. Rebecca slumped in her chair and stared at the
ceiling, a dazzling array of lights sparkling across the festive
hall. Her eyes took it all in, unfocused and lost in a mild
alcoholic haze. When she got to the bottom of the glass, she
tossed back the last drops and lowered her head.
"Good thing I missed the wedding. You look much
better in green." The voice was deep and soft, but it jolted
her because she knew who it was without even looking up.
She inhaled sharply and raised her eyes to see Tarzan
standing there, smiling like the king of the jungle.
Rebecca's heart couldn't decide whether to beat faster or
just give up and stop. She forced herself to act normal.
"Who taught you about color?"
"My two older sisters. Both of them dedicated to
making my life miserable, one way or another." His gray eyes
twinkled. "What are you drinking?"
Rebecca raised her tumbler. "Gin and tonic. What about
you?"
"Straight bourbon. I'd go fetch drinks for us, but I can't
seem to stop looking at you. So I'm going to have to insist
that you accompany me to the bar." He held out his hand.
This guy is putting major moves on me. Rebecca gave
him a look of guarded excitement. She understood why he
had danced with Bubbles, but now he was back and that
was completely unexpected. It didn't make sense. Gorgeous
and smooth, he even knew about color.
She narrowed her eyes and looked up at him. "I've got to
say, you are much more polished than I would expect from a
jungle boy."
He raised an eyebrow. "Jungle boy? I'm a surfer, can't
you tell?" He held his arms out, floating them up and down
as if trying to balance on an imaginary surfboard.
Rebecca got up and watched him pretend to surf. As she
walked around him, his eyes tracked her every step, exciting
her with his rapt attention. Finally, she nodded. "Okay,
surfer dude. I get it. Sorry about the jungle reference, but