“How do you know Kenneth?”
“Kenneth?”
I pointed across the ballroom.
“Oh, that Kenneth. Sheesh, I wish I were half as clever at developing my business as he is. His instincts are stellar. If I could follow his example, I’d own a whole chain of bike shops. Every time I see him, he tells me about a new initiative or a word-of-mouth campaign. He’s got that men’s skincare line, and Hank tells me that every one of his gay friends is a dedicated fan of Kenneth’s products.”
The praise for my ex’s business acumen caused me to seethe with rising rage inside. My gut roiled and twisted. Between clenched teeth, I asked, “But how do you know him well enough to invite him to your wedding?”
Luke reached up to my forehead with the back of his hand. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay? You look a little pale. Where’s your boyfriend? You should be concentrating on him or…” Luke’s expression changed like he’d realized something. “Or does Kenneth have your blood pumping? Is that what this is? He’s a good catch. Hank tells me that he’s been single without even dating for years.”
I wanted to grumble about Kenneth’s dry streak ending when he signed up with Match Made, but Luke wasn’t finished talking him up. He continued to ramble.
“Hank thinks he’s more fun than most clients. Meetings often turn into dinners, and sometimes they call me to join in. I either hop on my bike or the train, and we go out to elegant restaurants in Chicago. Hank’s on a retainer with Kenneth’s company, and that comes with a big, fat check every month. Once in a while, he even gets us prime tickets for theater or the symphony.”
I’d heard enough about Kenneth. I patted Luke on the shoulder. “I’m so incredibly happy for you and Hank. I think you should find your husband. He’s the one to hang out with at your wedding reception, not me.”
Before Luke could answer, his daughter, Jasmine, raced across the dance floor with one of her friends. She threw her arms around me, interrupted the conversation, and knocked me back a step.
Luke mumbled, “I told you to be a little more gentle.”
With the lilt of laughter in her voice, Jasmine said, “I didn’t get to say hi to Daniel yet. He’s the reason everything happened. Right?”
“He played a crucial part. That’s true. Give him a harder squeeze for me.”
While Jasmine tried to knock the wind out of me, Seb returned. He carried a glass of punch and immediately apologized. “Oh, I guess I should have brought one for you, too.”
I gently waved a hand and dismissed the drink. “Jas, have you met my new boyfriend?”
She turned around with her mouth formed into a surprised and shocked “O.” Without addressing the two of us, she turned to Luke. “You didn’t tell me Daniel has a boyfriend. Does he have kids? Maybe a baby that I can cuddle.”
I chuckled softly. “Not unless he’s hiding something from me.”
“Kids? Never.”
Seb’s response was so firm that both Luke and Jasmine frowned. Seconds later, they left us to find their way through the crowd to speak with other friends and family. I tried hard not to show my displeasure, too.
Seb was blissfully unaware of any negativity, and he instantly launched into comments about the wedding reception. “It looks rather cheap. Don’t you think? Paper streamers and plain mylar balloons? They should have hired better wedding personnel. I’ve got a friend down in Chicago who works mostly with celebrities. He could fix this up in an instant. It would be a wedding to remember both for the happy couple and the guests.”
I interrupted. “I think I could use that drink.”
While we strode side-by-side to the punch bowl, Seb whispered in my ear. “And the catering. I probably should let it go when it’s in my own business sector, but you know I could do better than this. Don’t you, Daniel? I shared those photos with you on the trip. Luncheons. Wedding cakes. Elegant parties. We do it all. Those little ham and cheese tea sandwiches are awful. It should be authentic country ham all the way. You could find those in the pre-made deli section of a cheap grocery store.”
We didn’t quite make it to the punch. I didn’t know what would happen next until it was too late. I was busy trying to focus on Seb and his monologue about everything wrong in Hank and Luke’s wedding reception.
“Daniel! Who would have thought that I’d run into you here?” It was Kenneth up close. I’d tried to keep a watch on him at the reception without drawing his attention. I wanted to avoid direct contact, particularly with Seb at my side.
Kenneth spread his arms wide and offered a hug. I couldn’t reject it without a fabricated explanation that would make me look petty. My skin crawled, and, instead of providing warmth and comfort, the hug felt more like a punch in the gut. It brought back so many memories: the end of our first date, our embrace under the mistletoe at our first Christmas celebration, what I didn’t get from Kenneth when we broke up.
Between clenched teeth, I said, “Kenneth. Hello.”
“It’s been forever. How are you? I’ve meant to give you a call. Your associate, Ben, Bob—what is his name?”
“Blake.”
“Yes. Blake was exceedingly helpful.”
The only thought that prevented me from breaking out in a cold sweat was the one that reminded me that Kenneth lived in Chicago. Despite my twice-monthly trips down to our expansion office, I didn’t spend a lot of time in Chicago. The chances of Kenneth and I crossing paths again soon were remote. I only had to make it through the reception, and then he’d disappear back into the crowd.
Seb poked at my side once Kenneth released me. I knew that I had to come up with an introduction, but the last thing I wanted to mention was the old relationship.
“Seb, this is Kenneth, an associate of mine.”
With a furrowed brow that was clear for anyone to see, Kenneth asked, “Associate? Now, that’s an interesting term.”
Sometimes the world provides proof that somewhere out there, all of us have guardian angels. They didn’t work for us as full-time employees, but sometimes events happened that could only be explained by believing in spirits that looked after our wellbeing.
“Daniel!” A loud voice cut through my awkward conversation. “Will you be one of my groomsmen when it’s my turn? Better yet, can you take over with my fiancé? I think I’m about to drop.”
Ollie silenced the three of us, and my eyes sparkled when I saw his broad, happy face.
“Iris is wearing you out?”
“I think she could dance through the rest of the afternoon and all night long if that were allowed.”
Before I could respond, Iris took my hand and tugged me in the direction of the dance floor. I shrugged at Seb and tried not to look at Kenneth again. I feared that they might talk about the failed relationship in my absence, but I had to let it go. At least I’d escaped the awkward conversation.
A slow dance began, and Iris wrapped her arms around my neck. She was beaming.
I said, “You look like the cat who swallowed the canary.”
“You can thank Ollie later. I watched Kenneth start to talk to you and your new boyfriend, explained the situation, and Ollie insisted that we rescue you.”
“He’s not actually exhausted from dancing?”
“Oh, please. Ollie’s like a dance floor athlete. I’m lucky they don’t still have those dance marathons. We saw one of those in a movie once, and Ollie told me we could have won it. Maybe if I dance with you for a while, he’ll save a little of his energy for the afterparty at home. If you know what I mean.”
Spinning in slow circles, we made our way to the edge of the dance floor closest to the band. My escape was complete, at least temporarily. I didn’t have to deal with the hot-and-cold up-and-down rollercoaster of Seb or the gut-wrenching horror of meeting Kenneth again.
Both Iris and Blake grew into far more than business colleagues over the years. They were my best friends, and I knew that I could trust them with anything. I owed Ollie and Iris a sophisticated restaur
ant meal for their rescue mission. I decided that I would even add on a night at one of the best downtown hotels in Milwaukee.
At the next break, Iris asked if it were okay for her to find her big lug of a fiancé again.
“Of course, and thank him again.”
“You’ll be okay?”
“I’ll survive.”
Seb was smiling when I found him. I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d worried that he might be upset about Iris whisking me away from him. Instead, he told me about news from Hank.
“He has a big event coming up with fellow lawyers that celebrates ten years of collaboration. I casually said something about how great it would be to cater an event like that. One thing led to another, and I think I have a contract on the way.”
“You were conducting business with the groom at a wedding reception. Isn’t there a law against that?”
“I guess not—since he’s a lawyer.”
About an hour later, it was time to leave. Blake and Hunter were already gone. We’d sent the married couple off on their honeymoon, and the band announced only three songs remained.
As I gathered up my jacket, Seb ran cold water over our connection. “I’m sorry. I can’t do dinner. I have to get home right away and get to work on preparations for the Collins family gathering.”
I was too exhausted to do much more than shrug. As we approached the exit, I heard footsteps behind me, and then Kenneth’s voice. “Daniel, hold up!” He followed the request with a hand on my shoulder.
Seb continued to walk and only turned his head as Kenneth pushed his mouth close to my ear and began whispering. The clamor of sensations and the memory of those hands as they trailed over my skin, my naked body, nearly drowned out the words.
“We really should have coffee. Forget the past and move forward—if we can.”
By the time a questioning expression filled Seb’s face, Kenneth had ceased talking and left us alone. I shrugged again and followed Seb to his car. We parted with another small peck of a kiss. My eyes clouded over as he drove away, and I saw Kenneth’s lopsided grin come into focus in my head.
6
Kenneth
I dragged myself to the front door of my house. Internal battles over my behavior around Daniel followed me all the way home like a rattle of tin cans behind the car of a just-married couple. Fortunately, the scene that greeted me as I entered the house was pleasingly familiar and even comforting.
Sean reclined on the couch in the living room, and he pointed a remote control at an oversized television screen. He had a beer that rested on a coaster on the coffee table and a bag of tortilla chips at his side.
“How’d it go? Did the marriage go off without a hitch? You know I like Hank. He deserves the best, even if life with a daughter is complicated.”
I couldn’t address any of the questions until I found myself a drink. “Is there beer left?”
“In the fridge. You know I always have you on my mind, and I keep it well-stocked.”
After I returned to the living room, I settled myself on the opposite end of the sofa from Sean. He pulled his socked feet up off the floor toward his chest. A genuine smile played across my lips for the first time since I saw Hank and Luke kiss in the church as husband and husband.
Sean spent nearly two years in my employment exhibiting formal behavior twenty-four hours a day. One morning, when he lost his composure after dropping a glass bottle of orange juice on the kitchen floor, I put a stop to the formality. Sean’s behavior evolved toward acting like a family member, and he knew that I didn’t mind. His laidback presence was a comfort to me.
Sean lowered the volume of the TV, and he focused on my end of the sofa. “Tell me something fun about it. I don’t much care to go to weddings, but I like hearing about them or seeing them in a movie or a show. Were there any embarrassing flubs at the altar?”
“I guess it went off without a hitch. Hank and Luke both looked happy to me.”
Sean started to point the remote control at me. He laughed and set it on the coffee table. Then, he gestured with a finger instead. “There’s a ‘but.’ I hear it in your voice. It wasn’t just the happy couple. There’s something else.”
I tried to figure out a way to keep everything about Daniel to myself, but Sean knew me too well. He wasn’t only a skilled, efficient assistant. He was a confidant, and he performed acceptably well as a low-stress counselor.
“I was an ass.”
“You? I can’t imagine that. You always glide along under the surface, so nobody notices. What the hell did you do at someone else’s wedding?”
I knew that many people would recoil at such a direct question. The tone of Sean’s voice indicated that he believed I’d committed a dreadful sin. Perhaps he was right.
“It’s not me to be like that. I’m not the kind of cad who would steal someone’s man away.”
Sean wrapped his arms around his knees. I’d caught his attention. “This sounds juicy. I hope you didn’t try to carry off one of the grooms. That would be unforgivable. It had to be somebody else. Please tell me it was.”
I reached up and raked both hands across my scalp. Maybe it wasn’t that bad. It was only a whisper, and it was only about coffee.
While I stared at Sean’s expectant gaze, I wanted him to say it was only natural. I didn’t try to poach a boyfriend. I merely expressed appreciation—for what happened ten years ago.
“You remember Daniel. Right? The man who owns the dating company.”
“He would be the guy you dated. You’ve never said much more than there’s a history. You told me that he wasn’t around when you set up the date.”
I lowered my voice to a whisper. “I think I tried to set up a new date with him—in front of his boyfriend.”
Sean rubbed his chin. He was amused, and his eyes sparkled. He was probably happy that he wasn’t the one in trouble. Sean had a checkered past before I hired him.
“Seriously? Did you do that? I can’t believe you did that. The two of you broke up. It was ages ago.”
“I can’t believe I did it either, but there he was. He even hugged me. Maybe it’s because things aren’t working out between Joseph and me. I thought about him on the way to the wedding. Then I saw Daniel—we were on a different plane when we dated compared with what I have with Joseph.”
Sean pointed the remote control at the TV and turned it off completely. “Will this require another beer? Or something stiffer than that?”
I floated in a unique mental space while I thought about Daniel. “He still has that wavy hair. It’s salt and pepper now, but back then, it was dark, almost pitch black.”
Sean stood. “How about a glass of wine? Maybe it will help you wind down.”
I nodded as Sean headed for the small collection of spirits in the corner of the living room. I thought about the five-o-clock shadow Daniel wore. He kept it perfectly trimmed. Careful attention to detail was part of his DNA. The short whiskers impeccably framed his lips. Those lips.
Sean handed me a glass of red wine. I graciously took it from him with a nod.
“You didn’t tell me what happened in the past. Was it an explosion kind of breakup? Or something that just petered out?”
“It was like Cupid in reverse. I took up a bow and arrow and shot our relationship right through the heart. I didn’t stick around long enough to see whether it bled. It was over. We never talked again until I said hi today.”
“Why did you kill it? That’s a graphic image. Was he that bad.”
“He was almost perfect, but I wasn’t ready. I was scared.”
“Ready for what?”
“To get married. Daniel wanted to make it all very public and stand out as fighters for our cause.”
Sean drank a mouthful of the wine and slowly swallowed. I watched his Adam’s apple rise and fall.
“That was before…”
I nodded. “Yep, it was well before the court decision. It only feels like it’s been legal for ten years. We would have
been rabble-rousers traveling somewhere out of state to hold a formal ceremony. It was too much. I was different then.”
“Different? How so?”
“I liked to stay in the background.”
Sean choked on his wine. He coughed hard and had to set the glass down on the coffee table.
“Are you okay?”
Sean held up his right hand and choked out, “Yes.” After a few more coughs, he spoke in a strangled tone. “That’s different from now?”
“I know, but people change. I still feel anxiety, but it doesn’t paralyze me as much as it did in the past. Daniel helped that along. After I realized how stupid I was to walk away, I knew that I needed to be more forthright about what I wanted out of life. My personal reckoning gave me the drive to develop my business.”
“But it didn’t serve you so well in relationships?”
“Not at all in relationships.”
Sean’s voice smoothed out, and the cough ended. “What about the new guy? You said that it’s not working out.”
“No fire. Not even a few little flames. I’m not looking forward to navigating the breakup. I have to do it better than what happened with Daniel.”
“And what exactly did happen?”
“I suggested that we slow down and date other people.”
“Ouch! After he’d told you that he wanted to get married?”
“He strongly implied that.”
Sean reached out for the drawer in the coffee table. “I think we’ve talked enough about that. How about something to take your mind off Mr. Formerly Right.”
“Aww, come on. Call him by his name. It’s Daniel. I might have to drop your salary if you’re going to say shit like that.”
Sean laughed. “Okay, yeah. It was a huge mistake, but maybe you’ve still got a chance.”
I fiercely shook my head. “No. I don’t want to get in the middle of what he has with his new boyfriend. That’s like junior high meddling. I’m a better man than that.”
“Maybe they aren’t in a place any better than where you are with your new guy. Keep your eyes wide open. That’s all I’m saying. Second chances do happen. It’s not only in movies.”
Reunited: Matchmakers Book 4 Page 4