Michael excused himself and stepped away from the table for a few moments to get away from Jana and her incessant yammering. He generally tried to match his dates with the appropriate outings. is event had Veronica written all over it and he’d tried her first but she’d been unavailable. Bringing Jana to a fundraiser featuring classic rock music had been a mistake. The twenty-two-year-old had dropped out of school at the age of fifteen to pursue a career in modeling. She’d spent a few years in Paris but had never bothered to learn French. She was undeniably hot, a trait required for her current job as a swimsuit model, and she was always a fun fuck, but she was too young to appreciate the evening. 

He wandered toward the house in a vague effort to give credence to his intention of finding the restroom, but he was scanning the crowd. Where is she? he wondered. He knew Maggie was coming. And bringing a date. He wondered why that fact irritated him, but it did. 

He stopped scanning when he glimpsed her bright red hair illuminated by the angle of the setting sun. A smile crept across his face. She was so easy to spot in a crowd. He began moving in her direction as he watched her and a young man in a dark suit take glasses of wine from a passing waiter’s tray, chatting as they did so. The guy saw Michael first and pointed him out to Maggie. Her face lit up in a smile. He’d been so focused on her hair he hadn’t noticed her dress until he was closer. 

Holy shit, he thought. Maggie was stunning in a low-cut green dress that t her like a glove. He’d never paid much attention to her tits before; now it was all he could do to tear his gaze away from them and meet her eyes. As he approached them, her date protectively put his arm around her waist. If she were with me, I’d do the same thing too, pal, Michael thought. 

“Hey, Mags, glad you made it,” he managed, taking stock of her date for the first time. He was about six feet tall with the kind of wavy brown hair women go crazy for, and clear blue eyes the color of the Caribbean. He was neatly dressed in a dark slim fit suit with a blue shirt and tie. Maggie introduced him as Ben and the two shook hands before Michael led them to their table. 

Once there he introduced them to Jimbo and Murph’s wives, and of course, to Jana who was already slightly drunk and behaving like a brat. I’m going to have to put Jana on the ‘last resort’ list, he realized. In contrast, Maggie was smart and funny and as dinner progressed, he saw that Maggie fit in well with the others at the table; he even enjoyed when she busted his balls on occasion. Visually she was so bright and colorful that next to her, the wives in their chic black dresses looked like pale moths in comparison. 

By the time dessert was served, Jana was sloppy drunk, as was Maggie’s date Ben, who seemed considerably less imposing with each glass of wine he consumed. Michael had seen her speaking quietly to him and wondered if she’d asked him to slow down. He knew better than to try to moderate Jana here at the table; she’d pitch a fit in front of everyone. 

Looking across at Maggie, he saw that she was fixed on him and grinning broadly. At first he didn’t know why, but then he heard it. The Ramones. The memory of her black t-shirt flashed through his mind and his eyes were drawn to her tits again, this time envisioning the band’s logo where it had been. He grinned back at her. 

“I love this song,” she said.

“I hate this song, it sucks,” Jana slurred.

Maggie gave him a smirk, her green eyes sparkling. He knew exactly what she was thinking. “I don’t think I could be friends with someone who doesn’t like the Ramones,” she’d said the other day in the office. He gave her a knowing look. It pleased him to share a private moment with her. 

He was not pleased with Jana. He stood and gently took her elbow. “Let’s go for a walk,” he told her quietly. “If you folks will excuse us for a moment, I think we’ll check out the silent auction.” 

The others at the table sat in stunned silence for a moment watching Michael guide the young woman towards the auction tent. Finally Pam broke the silence. “That Jana is quite something, isn’t she?” 

“Yes, but what?” Ben quipped, and the table dissolved into laughter. 

An announcement was made that the concert would begin in a few minutes. The Murphys and the Methenys rose to head over toward the stage that had been erected on the back veranda of the home. “Maggie, do you two want to join us?” Renee asked. 

Maggie looked to Ben then smiled at Renee. “I think we’ll stay here for a while, thanks. Toss a bra onto the stage for me,” she joked. The four laughed as they walked away from the table. 

Ben looked sheepish. “You don’t have to stay with me, Flynn. I’m clappy as a ham right here with my wine.” He laughed. “I mean... You know what I mean.” He smiled warmly. “Go find him.” 

Maggie kissed his cheek and left him at the table, making her way towards the silent auction tent. She hadn’t really thought about the items that would be up for auction so as she began to read the descriptions she was astounded. Tickets for a European cruise, a week in Aspen, a Rolex watch, a membership to a country club? Holy shit, she shook her head. 

She heard a low voice in her right ear and felt the prickle as goosebumps rose on her arms. “What are you bidding on?” 

Maggie turned to face Michael. “Nothing,” she answered. “It’s too rich for my blood.” She looked around for Jana but he seemed to be alone. 

“I put Jana in the car and sent her home,” he responded to her unasked question. 

Maggie’s eyes widened. “Oh,” she said. “So what are you bidding on?” 

He shrugged. “Well, I bid on some golf clubs, but I’m not sure I’ll get them.” 

“Do you golf ?” she asked. 

“Only when I have to,” he laughed. “Some guys only do business on the golf course.” 

They began to walk away from the auction tent towards the waterfront, David Lee Roth wailing in the background. Maggie found that a couple of glasses of wine made her feel bold. “It’s a shame your girlfriend had to leave.” 

Michael gave a low laugh. “Mags, you and I both know she’s not my girlfriend. She was just my date tonight. It seems I chose poorly. Jana and this event were not a good match.” 

Maggie frowned. “Let me get this straight. You match up girls with events?” she asked incredulously. 

“Yeah,” he answered. “Mind you, Jana was not my first choice tonight. She’s too young to really enjoy this kind of thing.” 

“How old is she?”

“She just turned twenty-two.”

“That’s only three years younger than me,” Maggie said.

“But you’re smart and educated,” he reasoned. “She’s a swimsuit model.” 

“Which explains her appeal,” Maggie gibed. 

Michael laughed easily. “So what’s up with your boyfriend,” he countered. 

She looked up at him wryly. “Ben is my good friend. He just went through a bad break-up. I was hoping a night out would be good for him.” Raising her eyebrows, she said, “He has a mad crush on you, by the way.” 

He chuckled. “I’m flattered.”

“No you’re not,” Maggie laughed.

“I don’t know, Mags, when I first walked up he looked pretty possessive. The way I’d be with a beautiful woman on my arm,” he said looking into her eyes. 

She blushed furiously and decided to ignore the compliment. “He was trying to wow you with his impression of a heterosexual guy,” she laughed lightly. 

“Is that right?” he asked, his expression inscrutable. Michael placed his hand on the small of her back. “It sounds like the concert is ending. Maybe we should go back to the table and check on your friend.”