After the Party

by Jackie Braun

“There were enough left for one meal. I sent them home with Uncle Elliot.”

  “Did he enjoy himself?”

  “Yes.”

  Even in that one syllable, she heard concern. “Chase?”

  “He arrived late, said he’d mixed up the date even though I spoke to him earlier in the day to remind him. Then, throughout the meal, he seemed...scattered.”

  “Have you had any luck on getting him to the doctor? He needs to be seen by a specialist, whether he wants to go or not.”

  “I know.” Chase sighed. “I called my physician and asked for a referral. He gave me the name of one of the most respected neurologists in the field. I mentioned it to Elliot. He doesn’t see the need. He said he’s fine.”

  “He’s probably just scared. I’d be if suddenly I couldn’t remember simple things.”

  “I don’t know what else to do,” Chase admitted.

  They talked a little longer, touching on inconsequential topics. While they spoke, she pulled the futon flat. The thunking sound it made wasn’t overly loud, but Chase must have heard it.

  “What was that?”

  “The futon. I’m getting ready for bed.”

  They both were silent for several seconds. Then he said, “You’re probably tired.”

  “You’d think so. In fact, I’m wide awake, thanks to nerves and excitement. My first party was a success.”

  “That was never in doubt.”

  “Thanks for that.”

  “For what?”

  “Having faith in me. You don’t know what that means.”

  “Ella...I...I do have faith in you.” His emphatic tone seemed out of place. But then he was saying, “I should let you go.”

  “Yeah. It’s late,” she agreed, albeit disappointed.

  A few seconds of silence ticked by during which she could hear Chase breathing. His labored breaths matched her own.

  “Ella?” he said at last.

  “Uh-huh?”

  “It’s not that late.”

  Her heart knocked out an extra couple of beats. “What do you have in mind?”

  She’d been thinking phone sex. But she liked his idea much better, when he replied, “I’ll tell you when I get there.”

  TEN

  With Chase’s party out of the way—and by all accounts a success—Ella began to focus in earnest on Elliot’s wake. The older man had signed off on the invitations. Ella was especially pleased with her design: white ink on black cardstock that was layered over another piece of white cardstock, both of which were held together with a quarter-inch-wide piece of grosgrain ribbon. Elegant, sedate, they set the tone.

  Ella had addressed and mailed all of them a week earlier. Already a few dozen of the 692 guests had confirmed their attendance.

  Nearly seven hundred guests! OMG!

  With just six weeks left to plan it, she already had spent more than a few sleepless nights thinking about the logistics involved.

  Before the invitations had gone out, she’d tried to talk Elliot into having the wake in the city. Several hotels had banquet facilities that could accommodate such a large party, with the added bonus of providing valet parking, catering, bar services and a wait staff. But he’d been adamant about hosting it on his estate. That meant she had to hire people to perform all of those services.

  Even if she got lucky and the weather was gorgeous on the day of the event, Ella needed to have places for everyone to sit, to eat and facilities for them to use when nature called. Chase had reminded her of that, although she’d already figured it out for herself. He was full of suggestions, and a surprisingly good sounding board. Despite the unorthodox way she’d launched her business and the job he’d given her out of pity, he took her seriously. He believed in her. Talk about a powerful aphrodisiac. But then, what was going on between them went beyond sex. At least it did for her.

  California.

  Ella had made it her buzz word. Every time she found herself falling for him, she said it as a reminder that eventually he would return to his home on the West Coast.

  She’d been repeating those four syllables a lot lately.

  On the agenda for this day was visiting Elliot’s estate so she could draft a layout and determine where everything would be set up.

  She had blocked off what remained of the morning for their meeting, as well as a couple of hours in the early afternoon if need be. But she wanted to wrap up by two o’clock. Sandra’s family barbecue started at three. To save herself time, as well as a trip back into the city, Ella had a garment bag with the outfit she was going to wear. And, since Sandra’s mother had insisted Ella stay the remainder of the weekend, an overnight bag was packed and sitting near the door.

  Elliot had called the day before to say he would be sending a car to fetch her. As Ella waited, she consulted her notes, which already had grown from a few paragraphs to a few dozen pages, and were now organized alphabetically and cross-referenced by potential vendors and typed into her handy new tablet—a gift from Chase.

  Elliot may have told her that cost was no object, but Ella was determined to get the best price and value for the money she spent. That meant getting estimates. And getting estimates took time, more time than Ella felt she had to spare. But it couldn’t be helped.

  When the buzzer sounded—the super had repaired the intercom system at Chase’s insistence—she pressed the intercom and said, “I’ll be right down.”

  She didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, she stuffed the tablet into her purse, slung it and the overnight bag over one shoulder, snagged the garment bag and headed down.

  She was out of breath by the time she reached the lobby. The sight that greeted her did little to improve her lung capacity. Chase was waiting outside. He was dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a white button-down shirt whose sleeves he’d rolled halfway up his forearms. It was as casual as she’d ever seen him, and she had to say, she liked the look, especially since his expression was as relaxed as his attire.

  She grinned as she opened the door. “I didn’t realize you were the one who had buzzed, or I would have let you in rather than racing down here with all my stuff.”

  “So I gather. Taking a trip?” He took the garment bag from her hands as he spoke and then transferred the strap of the overnight bag to his shoulder.

  “Not a trip. I have...a thing tonight,” she finished.

  Ella had debated formally extending to Chase the invitation Sandra had tossed out before his dinner party. The two of them had spent a lot of time together since then, either at his penthouse or in her tiny efficiency. He didn’t mind coming to her less-than-luxurious place.

  He’d done so after his dinner party, arriving at midnight with the slice of cheesecake he’d saved for her in hand and a gleam in his eye that had turbo-charged her hormones. They’d made fast work of stripping each other down to bare skin, after which they put her futon to good use. An hour shy of dawn, they shared the dessert before finally falling asleep.

  To Ella’s disappointment, she’d awoken alone just after nine o’clock. A note was on the pillow that Chase had used.

  I didn’t want to wake you, but I had to go. I’ll call you later. —C

  C for Chase.

  C for casual.

  C for California.

  Inviting him to attend Sandra’s party as her date seemed to cross a line that both of them had drawn, even if neither of them had said so aloud. They were an item, but they weren’t exactly a couple. The C didn’t stand for that.

  “Your friend’s barbecue,” he said now.

  Hmm, so he had remembered.

  She nodded and added, “I’m spending the night at Sandra’s parents’ place. But before then, I have a meeting with your uncle.” She glanced up the block, scanned the handful of cars, taxicabs and delivery tr
ucks. “Elliot said he would send a car for me. When you buzzed, I thought you were the driver.”

  “I am.” Half of his mouth quirked up as he deposited her garment bag and small carry-on in the trunk of his car. “When I heard he was sending someone for you, I volunteered.”

  Ella grinned in full. “How thoughtful.”

  “You only say that because you can’t read my mind,” he replied, his gaze turning intimate.

  She laughed before rising on tiptoe to brush her lips against his. As she started to ease away, however, Chase hauled her back for a proper, curl-your-toes kiss.

  “Did you have to stop?” she murmured breathlessly when he drew back.

  “Unfortunately. We don’t have time for anything else. My uncle is expecting you and, as you mentioned, you have plans yourself later on.”

  Oh, this was awkward, Ella decided, as fog from the kiss cleared from her brain.

  “Um, about that. Elliot had offered to have his driver take me over to Sandra’s parents’ house in the Hamptons since it’s not that far from his estate.”

  “I know. I will.”

  “You don’t mind?”

  “Not at all.”

  He opened the passenger door and Ella got in. She only had a few seconds to make up her mind as she watched him jog around the hood of the car to his door.

  When he opened it, she asked, “Do you want to come with me?”

  “To the barbecue?”

  “Yes.”

  Chase slid the key in the ignition and started the car. Cool air poured from the vents, which was a good thing given the heat outside. It didn’t help that Ella was in the proverbial hot seat thanks to her friend’s big mouth.

  “Look, Ella, you don’t have to feel obligated to invite me just because I’ve agreed to drive you there.”

  “I don’t. I want you to come.”

  She said it quickly, perhaps a little too quickly, she decided, when Chase frowned.

  “Ella—”

  She lifted her shoulders. “If you don’t want to go with me, I understand how things are.”

  Even though he had just eased his car into traffic, he hit the brake and shifted back into Park. Behind them, horns blared. He unrolled his window to put his hand out and wave them around. Then he gave Ella his full attention.

  “What is it you think you understand?”

  “Well, just that we aren’t that kind of couple.”

  “That makes things clear as mud,” he grumbled. “What kind of couple do you think we are?”

  The casual kind. The kind that sleeps together. Even though she didn’t say the words aloud, they left a sour taste in her mouth.

  “We’re not the kind of couple that spends time with family and close friends. Well, my family and close friends,” she clarified, since she already had spent plenty of time with Chase’s uncle and de facto father and would do so again today.

  He appeared ready to argue. His brow knitted and his mouth opened. But he clamped it shut, shifted the car into gear once again, and without another word, merged into traffic.

  Was he mad?

  If she had to pin an emotion to his current mood, perplexed would fit. Well, that made two of them who were confused. Other than awkward small talk, the drive to Elliot’s was accomplished in silence.

  * * *

  Elliot’s Long Island estate was much as Ella had expected it to be. That is to say, ginormous. And, much like his office in the city, it was a child’s fantasy brought to life with a full-size Ferris wheel and a go-cart track that snaked around a huge inground swimming pool, over a bridge and under a waterfall.

  “This is awesome,” she whispered. Even if it was going to complicate her layout plans significantly.

  Chase parked in the circular drive, the centerpiece of which was a fountain where a trio of life-size elephant sculptures spouted water from their upturned trunks.

  “Absurd is the word a lot of people use.” But his expression bordered on fondness. To her relief, the awkwardness from earlier appeared to have dissipated. “Wait till you meet Dermott. You’ll understand.”

  She did.

  When the door opened, a man of about seventy stood in the foyer wearing unrelieved black. The color was sedate. The style? Avant-garde would have been putting it mildly. A vest and genie pants. Yet the older man, chin raised in such a way that he appeared to be looking down his nose, carried it off with a definite air of dignity.

  Chase didn’t smile, but his expression told her he wanted to. “Hello, Dermott. I see you haven’t talked Elliot into a new uniform yet.”

  “Not yet, sir. No. But hope springs eternal. This must be Miss Sanborn,” the butler added then, a hint of British in his speech.

  “It is.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” she said.

  “The same. Your uncle is expecting you both. I believe you will find him in the media room.”

  “How is he?” Chase asked quietly.

  Dermott glanced at Ella. “It’s as we discussed on the telephone yesterday.”

  From Chase’s expression, whatever the two of them had discussed was not good.

  “I see.”

  “May I bring you something to drink?” Dermott asked before they could brush past him. “Lunch won’t be served for another half an hour.”

  Chase glanced at Ella. “A glass of water would be great, with a slice of lemon if you’ve got it,” she said

  Dermott nodded. “And you, Master Chase?”

  “The same, but bring me a couple of extra-strength aspirin instead of the lemon.”

  “Very good.”

  “Do you have a headache?” Ella asked as she followed Chase through the home.

  “No. But I will.”

  * * *

  Chase had predicted a headache. He should have predicted nausea, as well. His stomach started to churn as soon as they entered the media room. Elliot was dressed, but hadn’t shaved and his hair made it appear as if he’d just rolled out of bed. It stuck out in random tufts on his head. He was seated in the last of six rows of high-backed leather chairs, munching on popcorn as he watched an animated movie.

  He flashed a delighted grin when he saw them.

  “Oh, good. You’re right on time. Come and have a seat. The next episode is just about to start.” He nodded to the screen. “No one makes cartoons today that can hold a candle to the classics put out by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.”

  “Oh, my God! I know!” Ella took the seat next to Elliot and reached for some popcorn.

  She and his uncle were a matched set. Or they would have been if Elliot’s eccentricities were merely that. Chase was troubled by his uncle’s disheveled appearance and that was before Elliot smiled at Ella and said, “I knew I liked you. Remind me again who you are.”

  Ella paused with a handful of popcorn midway to her mouth. Her tone was gentle, her eyes full of understanding, even as Elliot’s had clouded with confusion.

  “I’m Ella. I’m here about your wake.”

  “Oh, God! I’m dying?” Elliot’s face crumpled.

  She immediately dropped the popcorn and reached for his hand with both of hers. “No. You’re fine. Perfectly fine, Elliot.”

  It was a lie, but one Chase was grateful for at the moment. Elliot was getting worse. Ella was right that he needed to be seen by a doctor. Even if the diagnosis was Alzheimer’s, Elliot, Owen and Chase all needed to know exactly what they were dealing with, what could be done to help, and what the future held.

  “Why am I having a wake then?” Elliot asked.

  “It’s not really a wake. You just wanted to call it that. It’s actually just a big party.”

  “A party? I love parties. I’ve been known to throw some great ones, haven’t I, Chase?”


  “Yes,” he managed around the lump in his throat.

  “What are we celebrating?” Elliot wanted to know.

  Ella didn’t miss a beat. “Your long and storied career as the head of Trumbull Toys.”

  “I’m the guest of honor?”

  The older man’s expression brightened even as Chase’s heart sank.

  “Yes, you are,” Ella told him.

  She was still holding Elliot’s hand. If she felt pity, she didn’t show it. Instead, her smile was reassuring, so much so that Chase himself took comfort in it.

  His heart squeezed. It was right then that he realized the danger he was in. He’d already fallen under Ella’s spell. How could a man not? She was sexy, gorgeous, vivacious and fun. But what he was feeling right now went beyond being charmed by her exuberance or turned on by her looks.

  “What’s wrong, Chase?” his uncle asked. “You look like you might faint. Are you feeling well?”

  Both Elliot and Ella were staring at him.

  “I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong.”

  Which wasn’t exactly the same as everything being right. But could it be? He couldn’t think straight. Hell, he was having trouble breathing. And that was before Elliot looked at him and asked, “What are you doing here?”

  This time when Chase’s heart squeezed it had nothing to do with soft emotions or the woman inspiring them.

  “You were going to send a car for Ella. I offered to bring her out for your meeting instead.”

  Please remember. Please remember. Please remember. Chase begged silently. It was a small consolation when he got his wish, because part of him knew the day could be coming when Elliot would not recognize his own family.

  “Yes. Of course you did. And I know why,” Elliot added slyly with a meaningful bob of his shaggy eyebrows. “She’s a pretty thing. If I were a couple decades younger, I’d give you a run for your money, my boy.”

  Whereas a moment ago Elliot was totally clueless, suddenly he was aware of everything, including romantic undercurrents.

  “Don’t count yourself out, Elliot.” Ella’s mouth curved with a smile. “There’s something to be said for a mature man.”