Free NorthernPassion by Cynnamon Foster

name, but from the speed
with which the subject was changed, she was to know nothing about them. Had she
touched on a sore spot? “So nice to meet you, Stan. I will take a drink.”
Desiree flashed a smile. “And my husband if you can find him.” The crowd had
grown thicker in the few minutes they were talking but Sam was nowhere in sight.
    Stan took Desiree’s hand and kissed it on the back. “My
pleasure. This won’t take long.” He turned to his wife. “And Kim, please keep
your hands off our new neighbor, okay? She doesn’t seem quite ready for all
that friendliness yet.”
    Kim guffawed, her chest heaving with each laugh. “Oh honey,”
she said. “You are so silly.” She was clearly completely lost in an alcohol
fog. She covered her mouth with her hand.
    By now Desiree was more comfortable with Kim’s state of
undress but forced herself to glance around the room to avoid looking at the
woman’s huge breasts. From the looks of things, Kim was on the verge of a
wardrobe malfunction and she might see nipple any second.
    Kim didn’t seem to notice. She huddled up close to Desiree,
putting her arm around her new friend’s waist. Desiree took a deep breath and
tried to squash the urge to get away from her, her large breasts and her breath
heavy with vodka.
    “We are going to be great friends,” Kim said. “I can tell
things like that. Boobs like these make you somewhat of a fortune teller.” She
laughed. “Don’t tell the hubby. He doesn’t know.” Kim laughed again, hugging
Desiree this time as she did.
    “Are we now?” Desiree talked through her forced smile. She
hadn’t planned on having anyone this close to her tonight, but she could take
anything to get the job done. She could and she would, but Sam was going to
have to pay for leaving her alone like this.
    Desiree continued to mingle with the other guests and she
met quite a few couples, none quite as friendly or as animated as Kim and her
husband had been. Nobody seemed to be there without a spouse or significant
other. Like Noah and the ark, everyone had come in pairs. Desiree tried to pick
out the significance, but had no time to think it over. Everyone else in the room
seemed to know one another. She was the only stranger and everyone appeared
quite eager to meet her. They took turns introducing themselves and were
careful to only come over in groups of two or four. None of them used their
last names. It was eerily orderly for a cocktail party. Desiree was overwhelmed
with names by the time Sam resurfaced.
    Geneva was still on his arm looking even more inebriated
than she had when she let them in. Sam’s shirt looked wrinkled and he had sweat
on his brow. Desiree narrowed her eyes as they came toward her. Geneva could
hardly stand.
    She raised her eyebrows and tried to keep her face calm even
though she was eager to see what he had uncovered.
    “There you are,” Sam said. He smiled as the remnants of
laughter danced on his face.
    Their gazes locked. “Right where you left me.” Desiree
didn’t have to tell him how annoyed she was. It clearly showed on her face.
    “This man of yours is something else.” Geneva’s words
slurred. “You are quite the lucky girl.”
    “You seem happy. What’d I miss?” Desiree looked from Sam to
GG and then back to Sam again. Just what in the hell was going on?
    “Oh nothing. We just spent some time chatting and getting to
know one another.” Geneva grinned.
    “And how did that go?”
    Geneva laughed and Sam had to steady her on her feet. “Quite
well, I would say. What do you think, Sam?” She ran her hand down his forearm
in a way too familiar for Desiree’s tastes. She glimpsed a darkness on the
inside of Geneva’s arm.
    “It was interesting.”
    Was that code for “I have a lot to tell you”?
    Geneva continued. “I introduced him to my husband, Martin.
He’s quite eager to meet you too.”
    Desiree raised her eyebrows but she was sure she and Sam
would have some time to debrief