Playacting Page 2

  Whatever possessed her to be so reckless, Jennifer would wonder later. But she opened her mouth and said, “Are you telling me you actually meant that? What happened in the garden?”

  “Will you go out with me if I say yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well then, yes. I meant it. Did you?”

  She allowed herself to smile. “Did it seem like playacting to you?”

  “I couldn’t tell, I was too preoccupied with hoping it wasn’t.”

  Jennifer’s smile spread to a grin. “I meant it.”

  Tom moved closer. “Could you show me after dinner how much?” he asked impishly, with a playful lift to his brows.

  But something in his tone told her he was very serious.

  “It would be a great relief if I could, Tom,” she answered.

  His face lit up. Then he cocked his head and said, “Do I need to bring the cape along?”

  Jennifer shook her head. “No, that won’t be necessary.” She leaned to him and kissed him on the cheek, then said, “I don’t know about you, Mr. Orphens, but I’ve been playacting long enough.”

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