by Cee, DW
“Early in the year, she and I ran into each other at a party and we ended up going out one night. I’d kinda forgotten about her but she called and invited me to her friend’s art show at some gallery in Mayfair.”
“Oh.” That was a stupid answer but I didn’t know what else to say.
After our New York trip, Michael and I developed an easy working relationship, but an uneasy personal relationship. Brendan didn’t help our case, if there was a case between us. Who is us? That, I could not answer. Depending upon the day and the man next to me—he became the other half of us.
Did that make me a loose woman? A slut? A tart? A tramp? A slapper? I hoped not. Since nothing physical ever happened with Michael and happened very little with Brendan, who knew what the hell I’d be classified as?
With our other projects tied up between permits and undelivered materials, I’d been busy decorating Michael’s new flat and helping the duke coordinate his schedule. It was nice to have a job without the strictures of going into an office from eight to five.
“This place looks so much better after you put your designer touches on it. It was too industrial looking before.” Michael picked up a decorative pillow wondering its purpose.
“What’s with the sewing machine and big artist desk? Do you have an artistic side to you I never knew existed?”
Michael laughed. “Bee Taylor stayed with me a few days.” That meant absolutely nothing to me. “You met her in Paris? She’s Laney’s aunt-in-law. My friend. A clothes designer. Probably dating Jake’s younger brother.” Michael continued with the descriptions.
All I could think was, “I thought Emily was going to introduce me to her brother-in-law?”
“What? Why would Emily introduce you to Nick?”
Shoot! Had I said that aloud? “It’s nothing. So this Bee Taylor stayed here?”
“For about a week, I think. Being the gentleman that I am, I thought I’d give her the comforts of home. When I ordered these items for Bee, I didn’t think about them staying with me. Perhaps I’ll send them to her as a wedding present.” Damn! She and Nick were getting married? “What’s your sudden interest in Nick Reid? You haven’t even met him before…have you?” Shoot again! Why were my thoughts being broadcasted? “Talk, Chloe Darcy!”
“Never mind. If we’re done here, can you drop me off at His Grace’s residence in Belgravia, or shall I walk?”
Michael almost glared at me. “What would make you think I’d make you walk all the way over there?”
“It’s practically around the corner,” I returned the glare. He let out a very loud sigh and shooed me out the door.
“What does Grandfather need?”
“We have a few scheduling conflicts, nothing we can’t resolve, and he probably wants me to have lunch with him. We’ve been having these wonderful late lunches/early teas the past few days. You know how much I adore Grandpa Harry.”
Finally! A smile donned his face. “Niles, Rubes and I will always be grateful that you enjoy spending time with him when his own grandchildren ignore him.”
“You don’t ignore him. In fact, Niles will be at lunch.”
“What the hell? Why wasn’t I invited?” Mr. Sour Grapes returned.
“Consider this your invitation, Your Grace Jr.”
He let me know he was annoyed and zipped us over to the house.
“Hi Grandpa.” I gave the duke a warm hug and kiss. “What’s going on with that busy calendar of yours? How can I fix this mess?”
“What mess?” Michael asked. “Why do I not know any of this, Grandfather? How can I help you?”
Grandpa Harry slapped Michael on the back and said, “Let’s eat. Niles has an appointment so we need to have an early lunch.”
“Chloe!” Niles stood up from his comfortable position to give me a bear hug. “Where have you been? It’s been ages since we’ve seen each other.”
“True, but we talk weekly. It’s as if we’ve been together every single week.”
Michael pulled us apart and asked, “You talk weekly? Since when?”
“Since…I don’t know, Mikey. You’re not Chloe’s only beau. She might prefer the slightly poorer, no-title-but-definitely-better-looking, Bennington.”
“Definitely prefer the less-pretentious, less-of-a-pain-in-the-ass Bennington,” I added.
“Ha ha ha.” Michael found no humor in our humor. The rest of us laughed all the way to our seats.
“I feel like a stranger in my own family. Where have I been not to know what’s going on in everyone’s lives? Where’s Rubes?”
I answered, “Perhaps you need to get your head back in London rather than with a very pregnant, married woman back in the States?” I’d known Michael long enough to know he was not happy with me. As a diversion, I mentioned Ruby. “Rubes has an audition today. She’ll be back in a few hours if all goes well. If not, she’ll be home for lunch.”
That didn’t do the trick. Michael went silent on me.
“Chloe, you want to have dinner with me tonight?”
“Would love to, but I have a date, Niles.”
“A date?” The duke and Niles asked.
“A date,” I confirmed. “Is it so hard to believe a man asked me to dinner?”
“Brendan O’Shaughnessy?” The duke’s inquiry was filled with disapproval.
Before I confirmed or denied, my phone rang. This was a no-no with the duke. We were not to have our phones at the table and if we had them, they had to be silent. Uh-oh… “Shall I answer? Judging by the area code, it’s an LA number.” Even knowing I’d be in trouble, I still had to look. Who could resist the temptation to peek at their phones when they’re ringing?
The duke sighed. “Go ahead.”
“Hello?”
“Hi Chloe. This is Jane Reid. We met a few times, once in Tuscany and another time in Paris?”
Jane Reid? “Yes. I remember. How are you? I believe you’re getting married soon? Congratulations.”
“Thank you. We are slated to marry in ten days, but we have a slight problem. I wondered if His Grace was in?”
“Just a moment.” His Grace watched me expectantly. “Jane has issues with her wedding.”
He answered the phone immediately. “Hello, Jane Reid. Chloe tells me there’s a problem with your wedding?” The conversation was a long one. I listened to the first part, and then I turned to Michael to see if he knew anything about Jane’s wedding.
“Do you know what’s happening?”
“How do you suppose I would know?” His snippy answer upset me.
“A simple yes or no would have sufficed.” I snapped back.
“My villa sits mostly empty if you don’t count the copious staff who are overpaid and underworked. You may have run of the entire villa, and Chloe can help you advise my staff on food preparations for your wedding.” I turned to the duke as soon as I heard my name mentioned. “Can you occupy Roland while I dance a few sets with your grandmother?” I smiled at the duke’s question. It was sweet how much he still thought of Estelle Cowper. “Then you’ve got a deal, young lady.” That sentence plus the smile said it all. We were having a wedding in Florence.
I believe I mentioned I loved the villa in Florence? I also love weddings! I thought I might one day get married at that property, or the property up in Fife. The phone was handed to me, and I immediately became a wedding planner.
“Yay!” I squealed. “You’re getting married at my second favorite wedding location.”
“What’s the first?” Jane inquired. “Maybe I’ll have to change,” she chuckled.
“The duke’s castle in Fife. The natural setting in Florence is stunning, but the castle in Fife is magical. That’s where your grandmother would have married had she chosen the duke.”
“But, she chose a commoner and had a ho-hum wedding instead.” We both laughed at her comment. “Are you able to help me, Chloe? Our wedding is in ten days.”
“Ten day
s? Yikes!” I didn’t realize it was so soon. “We can do it, Jane. I’ll drop everything and work as your wedding coordinator.”
“How can I ever thank you for this?”
“Don’t thank me yet.” I’ve never done this before, but I’ve secretly always wanted to be a wedding planner. “I assume you have a wedding file?”
“I do. I’ll send you everything that was supposed to happen at Antoni Villa.”
“Great. I’ll look it over this afternoon, then call you after my dinner. Is that all right?”
“This is my cell phone number. Please call me at any time. Thank you, again, Chloe.” I heard Jane’s sigh of relief.
“Believe it or not, you’re making one of my dreams come true. We’ll talk again soon.”
“What’s one of your dreams come true,” Michael asked when I got off the phone.
“Wedding coordinating was a backup plan if interior designing didn’t work.”
“Really? I never knew that.”
“That’s because I never told anyone, Michael. It was one of those fanciful thoughts in my head since I was little. And the fact that the wedding is at the villa in Florence is even better. I’m going to ignore both you and Grandpa Harry until the wedding is done, OK?”
Before Grandpa Harry answered me, he answered his phone during our meal. When he suddenly sat up straight and his face softened more than we’d ever seen, we listened intently to his conversation.
“Why don’t we move ourselves to Florence, Chloe?” None of us had to guess who had called to invite him to her granddaughter’s wedding.
I played along and nonchalantly asked, “When?”
“After lunch?” he casually mentioned. Niles couldn’t keep the laughter to himself. Michael joined in the teasing.
I almost jumped on that until I realized I had a dinner date with Brendan. Rather than bring that up, I used packing as an excuse to start our trip tomorrow.
I guess Brendan and I would be apart again for a while. Oh well. We’d have months to continue getting to know one another. What was a two-week separation?
Michael: New Relationship
Did you want to meet at the gallery or… Shit. Was the event tonight? This was the text that was left on my phone during lunch.
Sorry, Helene. I’ve failed to live up to being an English gentleman. Of course I’ll pick you up. What time is good for you? Good thing I hadn’t made plans with Chloe tonight. I could’ve been in big trouble for canceling.
The gallery opens at six. I’d like to get there on time to show support. Is that all right?
Of course. Send me your address. I’ll pick you up at five thirty. Dinner after?
That would be lovely. See you then.
Until then.
“Gotta go. I’m running late.”
“Where are you off to so suddenly?”
“I forgot I have a date tonight. See you later, Niles.”
“See ya.”
“Can I catch a ride…never mind.”
I waited for Chloe at the door. Why she stared at me, I had no idea. “Are you coming?” That came out a bit short.
“Where?”
I pushed her out the door and said, “For a smart girl, you can be a little dense at times. I’ll drop you off at home.”
“I thought you’re going to be late for your date.” I stopped and asked myself what was wrong with this picture? Why was my friend annoyed with me, again?
“What’s with the attitude?”
“No attitude.” I couldn’t believe she was trying to play it off.
I decided it wasn’t worth the fight. I dropped her off at her flat on the other side of town, sort of, and I quickly came home to shower, change, and step out the door. I hated this rushed feeling.
“Hello Helene. You look beautiful,” I greeted a lovely woman who had been an acquaintance since our uni days.
“Thank you, Michael. I hope my call wasn’t too random. It took me some time to work up the courage to ask you out since you never asked again. Since I wasn’t too memorable the first time, I didn’t think it was the best idea to call, but…” I liked how she poked fun at herself with a smile.
“But you did and I’m glad you called. I apologize for not having called first. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind when I asked you out a few months back.”
“Why was that?”
“I was still getting over a woman who left me for another man.”
“Ouch,” she uttered and placed a delicate hand on my wrist. Helene’s consoling touch was comforting.
I decided to follow her lead and poke fun at myself, too. Close to a year later, it was time to own the ridiculousness of what happened last summer and how long it had taken me to get over my “duchess.”
“Ouch was an understatement at the time. I was a lost cause for too long.”
“And now?”
“Now, it’s fine. She’s happily married and pregnant with twins.”
“Wow. She works fast.”
I chuckled. “Tell me about it.” My phone interrupted our easy conversation. “Will you excuse me?” I asked for permission before putting the caller on speaker.
“Sure.”
“Hello?”
“Michael!”
“Laney Reid. I was just talking about you.”
“Laney Taylor,” I heard the husband in the background. Where she was, he was never far behind.
“Donovan. You promised not to hover.”
“That was before the duke-in-training forgot you were married and purposely called you by your maiden name.”
“Laney Reid, did you call me so I can hear your harmonious disagreement with your husband?”
She giggled. Though she was no longer my woman, I loved the way she giggled. It still made my heart spin like I was on a children’s merry-go-round. It felt dizzy, fast, fun, and full of nostalgia.
“Jane just told me she’s getting married at the Bennington Villa. I’m calling to make sure you’ll be there.”
“I don’t see why I would attend when I wasn’t invited.”
“But you’re the owner of the villa. Of course you have to attend,” she insisted.
“The duke, not the duke-in-training, is the true owner of the villa, and he will be there.”
“Don’t you want to see Bee and me?”
“Is this a trick question Laney? Will your husband jump through the phone, into my car, and grab me by the jugular if I answer yes?”
“Damn straight, Duke-in-training.”
“It was nice catching up, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. Laney, I’ll call you again when I don’t have a date in the car and you don’t have a husband mauling your earpiece.”
“A date? Chloe?”
“Good-bye, Laney Reid.” I chose to annoy Donovan Taylor one last time.
“Wait. No…!” I hung up.
“Sorry. Not an intended part of this date.”
Helene couldn’t contain herself. “I assume she’s the one who caused the ouch?”
“She’s the one whose ouch hurt so badly there wasn’t a plaster big enough to cover the pain. But, eventually, all things heal, no matter the size and depth.”
“Good to know she’s not my competition. She sounds adorable. Are her looks as magnanimous as her personality?”
Was this also a trick question? I had to think about this answer. “Her husband would probably tell you there’s no one more beautiful, inside and out.”
“She’s an American residing in America?”
“Los Angeles.”
“Thank God she’s married, pregnant, and living far, far away,” Helene joked. At least I thought it was a joke. “And Chloe?”
“Chloe Darcy? You two haven’t met through mutual friends?”
“I don’t think so. Maybe? Not sure,” she answered after sifting through her memory bank.
“If we hang out beyond tonight, I’m sure you’ll come in contact with her. She’s n
ever far from me.”
Helene looked at me quizzically and left my statement alone. It wasn’t a smart statement to make. Either I made Chloe sound like a seven-year-old sister who tagged along everywhere I went, or I made Chloe and my relationship out to be more intimate than necessary.