Momentary Marriage(14)

“I get involved,” Kelsey insisted, feeling insulted at the image her sister presented. “Sometimes.”

Tossing the damp ball of toilet tissue into the trash, Amy yanked a paper towel from the holder and held it under a stream of water. “Please. You admitted it yourself. You date like a fifties prom queen—a different guy every month. I’m surprised you’re here with Jared tonight after what you said about him demanding a lot from a woman. You avoid commitment of any sort. Never serious, never long term. I don’t blame you. I understand you don’t want to get hurt if things don’t work out.”

Leaning back against the cold tiled wall, Kelsey didn’t bother hiding the grimness in her voice. “Well, you remember that old saying about the apple not falling far from the tree.”

“No,” Amy disagreed, swinging around to look at her. “Mom always gets involved. She falls into infatuation and thinks it’s true love and marries the guy before she even gets to know him. You, on the other hand, never keep them around long enough to get anywhere. Certainly not long enough to start caring about them.”

“That’s not totally true!” Kelsey argued indignantly. “You make me sound like some sort of sleaze with a string of one-night stands!”

Still patting her face with the paper towel, Amy’s glance was searching. “I’m not saying that. I know you don’t sleep with them. At least, not many of them—“

“Thanks!” Kelsey huffed.

“—you just go out with different men and have fun. You never let yourself close enough to get hurt. Never let yourself really fall in love. You’ve never made a secret of that. But that’s what I mean. I’m not like that. I love Doug.”

Kelsey looked at her younger sister, overwhelmed with guilt. How had she let this happen?

“I know he’s blind and stupid and insensitive,” Amy declared, tossing the towel in the trash. “But he’s also smart and sweet and really committed, when he makes up his mind.”

“Unfortunately,” Kelsey sighed.

“I’ve known him since I was thirteen,” Amy said, tears welling up in her eyes again. “I know his faults, but I also know all the wonderful things about him.”

Reaching out, Kelsey drew her sister close, hugging her tightly. “It’ll be all right, little sister. I’ll make it all right.”

***

Under the cover of the lowered lights in the ballroom, they made their way back to the table. Kelsey slipped into her seat, ignoring Jared’s searching look.

Somehow, she had to get through to Doug that his interest in her was hopeless. Only then was he likely to realize how wonderful Amy would be for him.

Her face turned toward the podium at the front of the large room, she schooled her features to look attentive, but all she could think about was how to fix the problem. She had to talk to Doug. Had to make him see that they had no romantic future.

Aware that Doug, sitting next to her, was trying to engage her attention, Kelsey tried to focus on the screen where the television commercials up for awards were played. At some point, Jared excused himself.

Within seconds, Doug leaned over, taking her hand in his. “Don’t be angry with me for what I said about you and Jared. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I know,” she whispered with as much patience as she could muster, drawing her hand away. “But you have to think about Amy's feelings.”

“Amy?” he said blankly.

“Yes,” Kelsey hissed as quietly as she could. “Remember her?”

He looked over at her sister as if he’d forgotten her existence.

Kelsey looked away, resisting the urge to give Doug a whomp upside the head. Men were so dense. Somehow she'd convince Doug that his hopes were in vain. He had to get over this infatuation.

“Kelsey,” Doug said, leaning toward her yet again. “Maybe we can go to that gallery tomorrow evening.”

Kelsey had had enough.

“Doug,” she muttered back, trying to keep her voice low. “Please try to remember that you have a date for the evening. It might be nice if you acted like you were with her.”

He blinked at her, uncomprehending. On the other side of him, Amy sat unresponsively staring ahead, but Kelsey knew she was drinking in every millisecond of their conversation.

Kelsey turned away, frustrated.

She could only be relieved, a few minutes later, when the lights came up and the evening’s band began to play while people made their way to the small dance floor.

Instantly, Doug stood up. “Would you like to dance, Kels?”

“I don’t think so,” Jared said, appearing next to her, his hand on Kelsey’s shoulder. “We're making an early evening of it.”