"So, Violet, you're not gonna go with your boyfriend?"

"My who?"

"I saw you at the beach with him. He's freaking gorgeous! Is he in college?"

'Oh," I mumble uncomfortably. "He's not really my boyfriend. We just kind of hang out."

"Uh-huh," Kim says disbelievingly. "Well, if I was hanging out with a guy who looked like that, I would be showing him off to everyone. You looked really hot together, like a supermodel couple."

"Yeah, whatever." I laugh. Zane, sure. Me, not so much.

"No, seriously. Oh, I would have come over and said hi, but you two looked pretty busy." She waggles her eyebrows suggestively.

Ugh! I feel a ma.s.sive blush come on, but it doesn't wipe the huge smile off my face. Well, if anyone had to catch me making out on a beach with Zane, I'm glad it was Kim. She wouldn't go blabbing to the whole school.

But I wonder if she told her brother?

Kim says she'll see us in Spanish and rushes off. I pretend to be working on my essay, but the smug smile probably gives it away what I'm really thinking about. Or who. Whom. Lauren just shakes her head at my ridiculousness.

I don't care. I think...I think I'm going to ask Zane to clarify our relationship.

I just hope I like his answer.

Chapter 18.

The day of the dance.

I decide to wear my long gray dress with little white flowers scattered all over it. It's not a s.e.xy dress by any means, because I don't want to offend the residents by looking trashy. I end up putting my hair back in a ponytail when a curling attempt goes awry.

I'm glad Zane's meeting me at Sunset instead of picking me up at Lauren's like usual. I am ridiculously nervous. I screw up Helize's hair so many times, she decides to wear a beret. It's jaunty.

"Will you get me ready for bed tonight?" she asks me for the third time.

I'm squatting in front of her wheelchair, trying to get her leg brace on right. "I don't work today, remember? Today's the sweethearts dance. I came to dance with you."

Helize waves a hand in a "pshaw!" way. "Why would a young beauty like you dance with an old lady like me? Violet, I think you have that on the wrong leg."

I smack myself in the face. No wonder. "Sorry, Helize! I guess I'm really nervous."

"Oh, right. Is your young man coming to the dance?"

I stand up slowly, rubbing my back. "I think so. He said he was. I haven't talked to him today, though. Do you think I should call him?"

Helize lifts her frail shoulders in a shrug. "If you feel like it, why not? Dear, check that drawer for some tissues, will you? My nose gets so drippy from the oxygen."

I check her nightstand. "Ugh, you need to stop re-using Kleenex, Helize. It's disgusting. I can get you a box from the supply room."

She sniffs haughtily. "And get charged an arm for it? I refuse to be nickel and dimed to death."

I hide a smile. My penny pinching old lady. "If you don't tell anybody, I'll bring you in a bunch of boxes from home."

"Oh, Violet, you're too good to me. Don't you worry about it." She reaches a wrinkled hand over to pat my arm. "Now, what time is it? We haven't missed the dance yet, have we?"

I check one of the five clocks she has in her room. "It's 5:53. We should go down now, probably."

Helize checks her watch anxiously. "Oh, dear. Maybe I should go to the bathroom again. I don't want to have an accident."

"Sure," I say, and wheel her back in, resigning myself to being at least five minutes late.

Helize makes a distressed sound, and I change that estimate to fifteen.

By the time I wheel her down to the dining room, it's ten after and the dance has just started. Helize immediately starts humming along to the romantic old music playing over the intercom. Tables have been cleared from the middle of the room and rearranged around the edges. Orange and black decorations festoon the area, and two long tables are set up with delicious refreshments.

I park Helize at a table next to her cronies, Mel and Gretchen, then hurry over to the lobby.

Zane is here, talking to the insanely hot receptionist Marissa. She's laughing flirtatiously up at him, and he's smiling down at her.

I fight back a wave of nauseous jealousy. I see Marissa has no problem dressing trashy in that little black see-through napkin she has on.

Zane better not be looking down her dress.

"Hey," I say hesitantly, walking up to them. I can't help but feel like I'm interrupting something.

"Hey, yourself," Zane says, flashing that killer smile at me. He looks fantastic and s.e.xy in an olive green dress shirt and black slacks.

"Oh, hey, Violet," Marissa chirps to me while continuing to point her perky b.o.o.bs at Zane. "Does this one belong to you?"

I force a smile to my face, but I choose not to answer such a stupid question. "Thanks for coming," I say to Zane.

"You don't have to thank me." I only realize he's holding a bunch of blood red roses when he hands them to me. "Happy 'senior' prom, Violet."

"Oh," I gasp, holding them up to my nose.

"That's so sweet," Marissa sighs. "I wish someone would do that for me."

Don't ruin the moment, b.i.t.c.h.

"Thank you, Zane," I say, embarra.s.sed by my shaky voice.

"No problem." He winks at me.

"Um, come on. The dance is in the dining room."

Excusing ourselves, I lead the way. I bring him straight over to Helize's table and introduce him to the ladies seated there.

"So you are the young man that has our Violet all in a tizzy," Helize declares, studying Zane with sharp eyes.

Zane shoots an amused glance in my direction, while I die a little inside.

"I sure hope so, ma'am," he says, taking her hand.

"So handsome and tall!" Gretchen beams her chubby smile at us. "What a lovely couple you two make. So, when is the wedding?"

At first, I think she's talking about my mom's wedding, so I say, "November thirtieth."

Helize's eyes widen dramatically. "Violet, you're getting married?!"

"Yeah...what?! Wait, no-"

But the ladies choose to go deaf at that moment, and the gossip chain is activated. Helize takes off, wheeling herself like the fast and the furious.

Great. The woman can't roll herself three feet to the bathroom, and now she's a rocket.

Zane is laughing his b.u.t.t off while I am crimson with mortification.

By the time I get around to introducing him to the other residents and my co-workers, everyone already knows him as my fiancee. Zane takes it all in stride, but I am horribly embarra.s.sed.

Of course, they all love him-his face and easy charm pretty much guarantee his acceptance. He works the room like a pro. My co-workers keep pulling me aside to gush about him, and Amy, one of the nurses, is disturbingly graphic in singing his praises.

Later, Zane asks me to dance. We join the few couples on the dance floor. I am self conscious until he pulls me into his arms and moves me in a rhythm that can't be taught.

"I like your old people," he says in my ear, sending shivers down my spine, and into the pit of my stomach.

"They like you, too," I say.

"Although," Zane leaves forward confidingly. "Some of the women are forward as h.e.l.l. This one tiny lady-I swear she had octopus arms. One hand in my shirt, one on my a.s.s, and six down my pants. Kind of wanted to scream for help."

"Oh, no," I laugh. "That must have been Mary. She's kind of...grabby."

"Short little thing? Crazy beehive wig, and a pincer-like grip?"

I can't hide my grin. "That's her."

"Yeah, you might want to think about keeping an eye on her because, d.a.m.n."

Zane has the most irresistible frown on his face right now. I pat his chest. "Aw, poor baby! Did she hurt you?"

He smiles and expertly spins me to the beat of the music. "Kind of. I might need therapy. To get rid of those painful memories. Know anyone who could help?"

I pretend to think. "I could probably hook you up with my school counselor, Mr. Bob."

"So, it's gonna be like that, huh?" Zane looks down at me with a sly expression on his too-handsome face. "And I was going to give you something."

"What?" I say suspiciously.

"It's a surprise," he says. "Check my pants pocket."

I snort. "Yeah, right. I've heard that one before."

"You have, huh?"

The song ends and Zane leads me off to the side in a little alcove by the fireplace. The location offers a little bit of privacy from everyone else, and I wonder what Zane has up his sleeve. Probably something dirty, knowing him.

"Come on, Violet," he taunts me. "Check my pockets. I'll give you a hint: it's the left one."

I stare at him suspiciously. He waits, holding his arms out at his sides, inviting me to search him.

Well, okay. If Mary can do it, so can I. I take a quick look around. No one's looking in my direction, so I cautiously stick my hand into his left pants pocket.

"I swear to G.o.d, if you make one little peep, I'll get Mary and her iron grip over here," I threaten him.

He just smiles. "I promise, I won't even enjoy it. Much."

I don't get very far when my fingers encounter something hard.

No, not that!

Frowning, I pull the light blue box from Zane's pocket.

Um. It says Tiffany & Co on the front.

I hold the box like it's a bomb. It's flat and square shaped. I look at him uncertainly. "What is it?"

Zane grins teasingly. "It's a box. Open it."

I blink rapidly for way too long. Then I thrust the box at his chest. "Whatever it is, I can't accept it. I'm sure it's way too expensive."

Zane sighs. "Violet," he says patiently. "You know I can afford it."

He tries to hand it to me, but I back away, my heart beating rapidly. Because I really want to open that box.

Zane grabs my hand and places the box in it. "You're starting to p.i.s.s me off," he says. If you don't accept it, I'll take it as an insult. Come on, it's no big deal."

He's watching me expectantly. Now I feel completely ungrateful.

Well, no harm in looking, right?

Feeling incredibly self-conscious, I carefully open the box. Inside, I find a soft drawstring pouch, and...

Oh, wow!

Very, very carefully I pull out a glittering diamond bracelet. Set in platinum, the diamonds are alternating sizes and shapes. It's beautiful.