Mel chose that moment to step into the room. It was clear she’d heard the bulk of the conversation. She looked far from pleased.
Mel pulled out a chair and tried to clamp down on her horror. She could hardly believe what she’d heard. As much as she loved the Perlman sisters, sometimes they went just a tad too far. In this case, they’d traveled miles. The last thing she wanted from any man, let alone a man the likes of Ray, was some kind of sympathy date. And she’d be sure to tell both the ladies that as soon as she got them alone.
For now, she had to try to hide her mortification from their overnight guest.
“How do you feel, dear?” Greta asked.
“Fine. Just fine.”
“The swelling seems to be going down,” Frannie supplied.
Mel merely nodded. She risked a glance at Ray from the corner of her eye. To his credit, he looked equally uncomfortable.
Frannie stood suddenly. “Well, the two of us should get downstairs and start prepping for the weekend diner crowd.” She rubbed Mel’s shoulder. “There’s still fresh coffee in the pot. You obviously have the day off.”
Mel started to argue, but Frannie held up a hand to stop her. Greta piped up from across the table. “Don’t even think about it. You rest and concentrate on healing. We can handle the diner today.”
Mel nodded reluctantly as the two sisters left the kitchen to go get ready for their morning. It was hard to stay aggravated with those two.
Except now she was alone with Ray. The awkwardness hung like thick, dense fog in the air. If she was smart, she would have walked away and pretended not to hear anything that was said.
Of all the...
What would possess Greta and Frannie to suggest such a thing? She couldn’t imagine what Ray must be feeling. They had put him in such a sufferable position.
To her surprise, he broke the silence with an apology. “I’m so terribly sorry, Mel.”
Great, he was apologizing for not taking her up on the sisters’ offer. Well, that got her hackles up. She wasn’t the one who had asked him to take her to the ball.
“There’s no need to apologize,” she said, perhaps a little too curtly. “I really had no intention of attending that party anyway. I hardly need a date for an event I’m not going to. Not that I would have necessarily said yes.” Now, why had she felt compelled to add that last bit?
Ray’s jaw fell open. “Oh, I meant. I just—I should have listened when you were trying to tell me about your dress. I didn’t realize you’d dropped your parcel.”
Mel suddenly realized her mistake. He was simply offering a general apology. He wasn’t even referring to the ball. She felt the color drain from her face from the embarrassment. If she could, she would have sunk through the floor and into another dimension. Never to be seen or heard from again. Talk about flattering oneself.
She cleared her throat, eager to change the subject. Although this next conversation was going to be only slightly less cringeworthy. “I was going to mention this last night, but you ended up staying the night.”
“Yes?”
“I know you paid for my hospital visit. I have every intention of paying you back.” Here was the tough part. “I, um, will just need to mail it to you. It’s a bit hard to reimburse you right at this moment.”
He immediately shook his head. “You don’t need to worry about that.”
“I insist. Please just let me know where I can mail a check as soon as I get a chance.”
“I won’t accept it, Mel.”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You don’t understand. It’s important to me that I pay back my debts.” Unlike her ex-husband, she added silently.
He actually waved his hand in dismissal. “There really is no need.”
No need? What part about her feeling uncomfortable about being indebted to him was he unable to comprehend? His next words gave her a clue.
“Given your circumstances, I don’t want you to feel you owe me anything.”
Mel felt the surge of ire prickle over her skin. She should have known. His meaning couldn’t be clearer. Ray was no different than all the other wealthy people she’d known. Exactly like the ones who’d made her parents’ lives so miserable.
“My circumstances? I certainly don’t need your charity, if that’s what you mean.”
His eyes grew wide. “Of course not. I apologize. I meant no offense. I’m fluent, but English is my second language, after all. I simply meant that I feel responsible for you incurring the fees in the first place.”
“But you weren’t responsible. The cyclist was. And he’s clearly not available, so the responsibility of my hospital bill is mine and mine alone.”
He studied her through narrowed eyes. “Is it that important to you?”
“It is.”
He gave her a slight nod of acquiescence. “Then I shall make sure to give you my contact information before I leave so that you can forward reimbursement at your convenience.”
“Thank you.”
Ray cleared his throat before continuing, “Also, if you’ll allow me, I’d love to attend the Boston mayor’s annual holiday ball as your escort.”
MEL BLINKED AND gave her head a small shake, the action sending a pounding ache through her cheek straight up to her eye. In her shock, she’d forgotten how sore she was. But Ray had indeed just shocked her. Or maybe she hadn’t actually heard him correctly. Maybe she really did have a serious head injury that was making her imagine things.
“I’m sorry. What did you just say?”
His lips curved into a small smile and Mel felt a knot tighten in the depths of her core. The man was sinfully handsome when he smiled. “I said I’d like to attend the ball with you.”
She gently placed her coffee cup on the table in front of her. Oh, for heaven’s sake. She couldn’t wait to give Frannie and Greta a speaking-to. “You don’t need to do that, Ray. You also didn’t need to cover my expenses. And you didn’t need to stay last night. You’ve done more than enough already. Is this because I insist on repaying you?” she asked. How much of a charity case did he think she was? Mel felt her anger rising once more.
But he shook his head. “Has nothing to do with that.”
“The accident wasn’t even your fault.”
“This has nothing to do with the accident either.”
“Of course it does. And I’m trying to tell you, you don’t need to feel that you have to make anything up to me. Again, the accident yesterday was not your fault.”
He leaned closer to her over the table. “But you don’t understand. It would actually be something of a quid pro quo to take me to this ball. You’d actually be the one doing me a favor.”
Okay, that settled it. She knew she was hearing things. In fact, she was probably still back in Frannie and Greta’s guest room, soundly asleep. This was all a strange dream. Or maybe she’d accidentally taken too many painkillers. There was no way this could actually be happening. There was absolutely nothing someone like Mel could offer a man such as Ray. The idea that accompanying her to the ball would be a favor to him was ridiculous.
“Come again?”