He gazed her, his eyes pleading. “Come on, you know you want to.”

Was she that desperate? She frowned at him. “So I’m your last resort, a reserve in the waiting.”

“Don’t think of it that way,” he said. “Think of it as I’m an idiot for not asking you in the first place and you’re a better person than me and I will be at your beck and call if you do this for me.”

“My beck and call? Really? I doubt it. I’ll do this and then you’ll do something that you think makes up for the fact that you’re asking me to a formal event about an hour before it starts. I should really say no.” She wanted to hold firm to that thought, but she realized she gave him an opening.

“So you’ll do this?” He smiled. “I knew I could count on you.”

She cursed her helpful nature. “I didn’t say I would do it.”

“Please. I will owe you so much. Just say yes. I know you’ve got something in your closet. You always do.”

Why couldn’t she just stand up and gently throw him out of her home? She stood up and sighed.

“Yes. Just this time.”