What the Heart Needs by Jessica Gadziala Page A

it, their bodies touching from head to feet. She kept her eyes closed against the curious expression she was sure she would find.
    After a few moments, James was unable to keep the silence. “Did he step on your toes?” he asked and a hysterical laughed escaped her. He laughed too and patted her knee. “I always suspected he was a terrible dancer but I never thought he would reduce his dance partner to tears.”
    “Hush,” Hannah giggled, slapping him across his stomach.
    “What happened, love?”
    Hannah looked up at him and shrugged. “I shouldn’t be here. I’ve been an outsider since everyone arrived. And I should have known better than to drink.”
    “Let me try again,” James said, patiently. “What happened?”
    She sighed, knowing there was no way she was going to get away with having broken out the water works and not have to explain herself. “You didn’t save me,” she said simply.
    James’ eyes immediately sank. “What? Who? What happened?” His body was taut as a bow and he looked ready to spring into action if he felt he needed to.
    Hannah placed a calm hand on his. “It really wasn’t that big of a deal. I’m just over-wrought today and I overreacted.”
    “To what?” James prodded.
    “Some guy came up to me and was touching me and asking me how I could go about pleasuring him.”
    James let out a sound that was somewhere between a scoff and a growl. “Who? Who said that?”
    “It doesn’t matter, James.”
    “It matters to me. Who?”
    She sighed a little. “Bob. Bob who is in construction.”
    James hopped off the chair, letting out a string of curses at Bob’s character. Apparently he was all talk and no nothing to show for it and everyone knew he was a slime bucket who just happened to have been lucky enough to inherit and nice chunk of money. James stopped pacing, turned to a shocked Hannah, and his anger immediately deflated.
    James’s lip quirked up at one end. “Shall I challenge him to a duel, milady?” he asked, pulling and imaginary sword from his belt and holding it up in the air.
    Hannah giggled, marveling at his ability to jump from one mood to another so effortlessly. She wondered how it was that he was still single. Was it by choice? Was he still in the phase of “sowing his wild oats”? Or did his silly arrogance and lackadaisical work ethic turn off the more serious women of his age? He was certainly good looking enough to get any girl he wanted, not to mention charming. She could think of ten women who would love to jump into bed with someone like him.
    James raised an eyebrow at her. “Thinking about me naked?” he asked with a smirk.
    Hannah’s eyes shot comically open and her cheeks blushed to her hairline. “I was wondering why you were single,” she covered.
    “Oh, oh sureee you were,” James laughed.
    “Scouts honor,” Hannah sobered.
    James shrugged and Hannah felt she had overstepped a line.
    “Want me to drive you home?” he asked, suddenly.
    “I… um…” she looked at the clock and realized it was already after midnight. “Yeah. I would really appreciate it. I’ll get a cab to bring me here to get my car in the morning.”
    James went about gathering her belongings and ushered her out the door through the kitchen so they “didn’t start a scandal”.
    He looked over at her snort, “Listen, it’s fine if we want to have an illicit affair, but we cant have it getting around. I have a reputation to defend.” He looked over, fluttering his eyelashes innocently at her.
    She laughed and ran behind him as he raced across the lawn. She knew right then that there would never be anything but a goofy comradely between them. And while there may have been a strong initial attraction for both of them… they had too much fun with each other’s company to want to ruin it in any way.
    He drove her home and made sure she was safely behind her front door before driving off, back in the direction they came in. Back, she assumed, to the