It would have been interesting to spend the event on his arm, even though she had to check herself hard and fast for even considering it, but as the night went on and dinner turned to dancing, the invisible wall between them proved to be a blessing. It forced Amanda to really examine the impact her attraction to Sam had on her overall horniness. And that’s all it was, purely sexual. Beyond that there were no real feelings.

He was funny and charming, and on the surface, thoughtful and considerate. Amanda couldn’t ignore the way he doted on his grandmother until she was ready to call it a night. Sam Pleasant was a great guy, but what did that mean to her? Nothing. Definitely not enough to throw her hat in the ring with his hundreds if not thousands of lady admirers. Even if only a dozen or so had a real chance. On paper there was a lot to like about Sam Pleasant and she was sure, beyond what she’d already witnessed, he had even more to offer a lucky girl. Still she knew that none of it was for her.

It was so clear, Amanda should have felt good about the bullet she was going to dodge. The one where he realized she wasn’t actually his type. Or when she remembered that she would probably die alone, adjusting Dru’s IV in whatever assisted-living facility they’d both been stuck in by the kids Dru would eventually have with a pro-basketball player who refused to marry her. A calm, pleasant feeling should have washed over her. She should have felt light and carefree, able to enjoy the rest of the evening and the DJ’s impressive selections as she cut up her own corner of the dance floor.

Instead she found herself off to the side, nursing a glass of champagne as she swayed to the beat. Her smile refused to leave her face as she watched Helene, arms draped over her new husband’s shoulders. She was happy for them, and really the whole day, the whole weekend so far had been so much fun. She just wished she didn’t feel so lonely.