“Why do I think that your daughter had an answer for that?” Rick says.
Maggie ponders her response.What the hell?she decides. Might as well come right out with it. “To paraphrase, she thinksyouthink I’ll be an easy lay.”
“That’s some paraphrase.” He laughs. “But hell, I’ll drink to that.” He raises his glass, clicks it against hers. “To easy lays.”
“Youdoknow that’s not going to happen.”
“Ever?”
“Well, never say…ever.”
Now they’re both laughing. Maggie sees Craig’s eyes shoot toward hers, and the laugh catches in her throat. She picks up her menu, buries her face inside it. “I think I’ll have the Dover sole,” she tells the waitress moments later.
“Prime rib,” Rick says. “Medium rare, with french fries and coleslaw.” He hands the menus back to the waitress. “So,” he says as the young woman withdraws, “is he still looking?”
“What? Who?”
“Your husband. Is he still looking this way?”
“I haven’t noticed,” Maggie lies. Then, quickly, “Yes, he is. On and off. I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault he’s still in love with you.”
“Oh, no. You’re wrong about that. Believe me.”
“I don’t think so.”
“He’s the one who leftme,” Maggie tells him, as she reminded her daughter earlier.
“Maybe, but he’s having second thoughts now.”
“He’s just surprised to see me with someone, that’s all.”
“Is he looking right now?”
Maggie pretends to push some hair away from her face as her eyes skirt toward Craig. “Yes.”
“Then you know what I think?”
“What?”
“I think we should give him something to look at.”
Maggie is about to ask what he means, but before she can get the words out, Rick is leaning across the table and kissing her full on the lips.
“Holy shit,” Maggie says as he falls back into his seat. She looks over at Craig, sees his head immediately turn away. “Holy shit,” she says again.