A Compromising Affair (The Harringtons)

by Gwynne Forster

“Of course she does. They love her, and she knows it.”

  “Maybe if I don’t play the piano, they won’t know where we are,” Denise said.

  “I don’t think they care, Denise. They have accepted that we’ll be married, and we have their blessing. Do you think they’re concerned about whether we kiss or even whether we make love? Your mother’s a modern-day woman, and if she’s concerned about anything, it’s whether you’re happy in bed with me.” He grinned. “Put her at ease about that the first chance you get.”

  “You’re not serious.”

  “Of course I am. That’s extremely important in a marriage.”

  “Hmm. I’ll tell her if she asks me, but I’m not going to open up about the topic.”

  He raised one eyebrow. “Maybe it isn’t true.”

  She stepped closer to him. “Are you asking me to stroke your ego? If you weren’t sure, you wouldn’t have raised the question. Want me to brag?”

  “That’s up to you. I can’t imagine it would hurt a man’s reputation.”

  She stroked his cheek. “Are we talking seriously here?”

  He closed his right eye in a slow wink. “About the bragging? Why not?”

  “Oh, you!” She reached up to him and, unable to wait, he pulled her closer, covered her mouth with his and took what she gave him. When she parted her lips, bubbles danced in his stomach. Shaken, he stepped back.

  “I think we’d better reserve that for when we’re in your place or mine. It wouldn’t do for one of your parents to see the result of what you were about to do to me.”

  She hugged him and rested her head on his shoulder. “I hope I never get used to feeling like this with you. It’s like the whole world can go to hell and just leave us alone.”

  “Trust me, baby, the first time Second Chance locks horns with my office, we’ll both discover how solid this relationship is.”

  “I know what my priorities are,” she said.

  And I know what my responsibilities are, he thought, but didn’t say. To her he said, “I certainly hope that our feelings for each other aren’t so shallow that we’d break up about immigration policy. Play something for me,” he said, changing the subject. “I heard you once, and you play beautifully.”

  She opened the Steinway grand piano, sat down, closed her eyes and began to play Chopin’s Mazurka in F. Within seconds, she was alone in the world with her music. As she played, she swept him along with her as the music reached a crescendo and then slowly declined.

  “How is it that you didn’t choose music as a profession? You are magnificent at that piano.”

  “I considered it for a short while, Scott, but there are many people who play better than I do. If I couldn’t be outstanding, there was no use in pursuing a music career. I love to play, but I wouldn’t do it professionally. I have degrees in music, and I can teach piano and other instruments at the university level. I could take care of my family if I had to, and I wouldn’t hesitate to. In any case, I wouldn’t be happy sitting at home all day and not doing anything constructive.”

  He sat on the piano bench beside her and put both arms around her. “I hope you never have to take care of our family.” He needed to change the subject. “We’d better get dressed. I imagine your dad is a man who is somewhat impatient.”

  “You’re right on the money.”

  At the top of the stairs, he brushed against her lips with his own. “I’ll wait for you in the den.”

  Denise wore a red off-the-shoulder silk crepe dinner dress that stopped a few inches above the knee. With her hair styled with flowing curls around her shoulders and diamond studs in her earlobes, she knew she looked stunning. She didn’t compete with her mother, but she was aware that when Katherine Miller stepped out with her husband she dressed to keep her husband’s eyes on her alone.

  “I’ve got the two loveliest women anywhere around here,” Clyde said. He looked at Scott. “Would anyone disagree with me?”

  “Certainly not any sane person with decent eyesight. If whistling wasn’t bad manners, I’d definitely split the air with one.”

  “I might have enjoyed it,” Katherine said. “It’s been years since I got a wolf whistle”

  Minutes after they took their seats at their table, he noticed that Denise seemed uncomfortable. Watching her from the corner of his eye, he saw her glance from time to time at a nearby table. He glanced in the direction of her line of vision. He could hardly believe his eyes when a smooth-looking man about his age, who apparently didn’t have a date, smiled and winked at Denise.

  “Do you know that man?” he whispered to her.

  “Who’s that fellow, Denise?” Clyde said, almost at the same time.

  “I’ve never seen him before,” she replied.

  “Let’s put an end to this. If you’d rather he didn’t ogle you, you can change places with me,” Scott said.

  Denise stood. “That’s a good idea.” They exchanged places and Scott laughed at the man’s obvious disappointment.

  Itching to teach the guy a lesson, Scott stared at the man until he looked elsewhere. He enjoyed the meal and the evening with Denise and her parents, but one thing bothered him. He decided then and there that he was going to take the first step toward correcting it.

  And on his lunch hour the following Monday, he thought about going to New York to buy an engagement ring at Tiffany’s, but the opportunity to do so was nearly a month away. Impulsively, he called Denise. “Can you meet me at Mervin’s at twelve-thirty today?”

  “Yes, of course. But we don’t have to do it today, do we?”

  “Yes, we do. Before some fool hits on you again, I want him to be able to see that you’re engaged. I wanted to annihilate that guy Saturday night. Can you meet me?”

  “I’ll be there at twelve-thirty.”

  He chose a four-carat diamond ring flanked by baguettes. “Do you like this one?”

  She gaped at the dazzling lights in the ring. “Of course I do, hon. But that’s a down payment on a house.”

  “Why not?” he said, laughing. “It’ll last longer than a house.”

  “It’s so beautiful. Why are you letting him put it in that box? Can’t I wear it now?”

  “This is not the ideal place for a man to put a ring on a woman’s finger. Hell, I can’t even give you a decent kiss in here.”

  She gave him a withering look. “Hmm. I suppose so.”

  He put the ring box in his shirt pocket, eased his arm around her and left the store.

  “I drove, hon,” she said, “so you can’t take me home. Incidentally, I have to go to Wilmington, Delaware, tomorrow. Second Chance has a relatively new group there, and I need to visit with them. They’re a great group of immigrant families there and I’m excited about meeting them.”

  “One of these days, you’ll invite me to one of your groups.”

  “That’s an idea. Can we meet for dinner?”

  “Yes… Oh, no. I have a radio interview tonight. My secretary has the information on that, so I’ll have to call you and tell you the time and station.”

  “Good. Then we can get together tomorrow night.”

  The week didn’t go as Denise had planned. Members of the Delaware group argued over fundraising and over all of their activities. She realized then that having board members like these might not serve the purposes of a nonprofit organization such as Second Chance. While she digested that problem, a call on her cell from the secretary of Second Chance brought another.

  “Hello. Denise Miller speaking.”

  “Denise, this is Carole Jacobs. We want you to come to Phoenix and see if you can talk our local assemblyman out of proposing a bill that would, in effect, require children of undocumented immigrants to pay tuition to attend public schools. There are so many immigrants that the people are blaming them for everything, but this is too much.”

  “When is he considering putting the bill up for a vote?”

  “Thursday or Friday. Naturally, voting on it at the end of the week will
lessen the media coverage. By Monday, it’ll be old news. I can get you a meeting with him. Will you do it?”

  “Of course. Make the appointment for tomorrow. I’ll book a flight. Please reserve me a good hotel room for the night, and have someone meet me at the airport. See you tomorrow.”

  She turned her attention to the Delaware group, did her best to resolve the members’ differences and got busy reserving a flight to Phoenix. An hour later, she’d booked a flight to Phoenix from BWI International Airport. She’d get a taxi from the airport to Eagle Park or Scott would come for her. Scott! What was he going to say about her change of plans? They had a date for tonight that she couldn’t keep, a date during which he’d planned to give her the engagement ring. He was not going to take it lightly, and she didn’t blame him. But what could she do about it? Nothing!

  She phoned him, hoping that he would not be in a meeting or dining with colleagues. “Hello, Ambassador Galloway speaking,” he said in his deep velvety voice. From the sound of it she knew that he wasn’t alone.

  “Scott, this is Denise. Please give me a call as soon as possible.”

  “Of course, I will,” he said in a quiet tone.

  After hanging up, it occurred to her that they should develop some shorthand or code for such occasions.

  An hour later she received his call. “Sorry I couldn’t talk. I was in a private conference. You caught on quickly.”

  “It was easy. You don’t normally refer to yourself as Ambassador Galloway. Honey, I have a problem.” She described it. “So I won’t get home until tomorrow evening. Can we see each other then?”

  She anticipated his reaction from the length of time he took to answer her, and she understood that it didn’t sit well with him. “How many members does Second Chance have?” he asked her.

  “Nationally, about six hundred, though only two-thirds are active.” If he wanted to vent, she’d give him an opportunity. The more she learned about him, the better for both of them.

  “And of those four hundred members, you’re the only one capable of discussing your organization’s goals with the legislator? Seems like the structure is pretty weak. I’m not happy, Denise. I’ve been counting the minutes until I see you this evening, and I’ve made dinner reservations. With your change of plans, what am I supposed to do?”

  “I’m sorry, honey. If that legislation should pass, other states could soon follow with similar laws.”

  “He’s not the first elected official to promote that idea, and he won’t be the last.”

  “But will you forgive me and meet me at BWI tomorrow?”

  “I would, but I’ll be at the Pentagon tomorrow afternoon until at least four-thirty. Denise…I hope this doesn’t happen again. If at all possible, try to discuss your change of plans with me before they’re a fait accompli. Whenever possible, I’ll pay you the same courtesy.”

  “All right. I apologize, and I want you to know that I consider myself the loser, because I won’t be able to flash my brand-new diamond at those Harrington women.”

  That brought a laugh from him, and she relaxed. He wasn’t pleased, but he understood. She could definitely live with that.

  “Sweetheart, they’ll flash their engagement rings right back. I hope you don’t plan to compete with them.”

  “Heavens, no! I’ve always walked to the beat of my own drummer, but I can see that you and I are going to have to get a drummer with whom we can both stay in step.”

  “That’s what I like to hear. We’re going to have to spend some private time working on that.”

  “I agree, but we are not going to spend it in Waverly, Texas.”

  “Why not? I promised your dad we’d come back in a couple of weeks.”

  “You did not! Look. Let’s not discuss that, because I don’t want us to fight. I hardly saw you when we were at my parents. No way!”

  “You liked my dad. Why don’t you want me to like yours? Denise, this is silly. I have to get back to work, so we’ll have to continue this another time. I’ll call you at nine-fifteen tonight.

  “I’ll be waiting for you. Love you. Bye.”

  “I love you, too. Bye.”

  Whew! She’d have to get used to being a couple and remember that she’d have to make decisions with her future husband. Husband… Scott Galloway was going to be her husband. She flung out her arms and laughed. Life couldn’t get any better.

  Sitting in the backseat of the limousine that was taking her to Eagle Park that Friday, she wondered if the twelve minutes she’d spent with that state representative was worth the time she’d spent away from Scott. When she arrived at Drake’s house, the sun was still fairly high, and Pamela and Heather were in the sunroom drinking coffee and wrapping toys for children.

  “Put your bag down and help us,” Pamela said after greeting her friend. “We’ve got a couple of boxes of toys downstairs waiting to be wrapped. How’s Scott?”

  She sat down, crossed her knees, picked up a Miss Piggy doll and began to wrap her in red-and-gold paper. “Scott was fine when I last spoke with him.”

  “You’d better shape up, Denise,” Heather said. “That man’s nuts about you. And you act as if guys like Scott Galloway are standing on every corner waiting for you. I know you’re attracted to him, so why are you playing hard to get?”

  “Who said I was playing hard to get?”

  “You are,” Pamela intoned, swinging her right foot rhythmically. “And you’re going to be sorry.”

  What a perfect moment to display her engagement ring. Unfortunately, she didn’t have it, and if she told them she was engaged to Scott, they probably wouldn’t believe her.

  “I’m not going to be sorry,” she said. “And I wish you’d stop lecturing to me as if I’m a teenager who doesn’t know a man when she sees one.” She looked at Pamela. “Do you know what Tara’s playing at her recital?” she asked, hoping to change the topic.

  “No, I don’t. I didn’t think to ask.”

  “She left a message on my cell phone inviting me to come. If I’m lucky enough to have a child, I’ll be happy with one who’s half as delightful as Tara.”

  Pamela nodded. “So will I. But Henry says that for a child to be like Tara, it would have to grow up as Tara did with five adults showering her with love daily and a mother who disciplines her.”

  “There’s a good bit of advice in there somewhere,” Heather said, “and I hope I find it.”

  The phone rang, and Pamela rushed to answer it. “Hello. Scott! How nice to hear from you. Are you coming today?”

  “Yes. If Denise is there, may I please speak with her?”

  “Yes, of course. Denise, Scott wants to speak with you.”

  “Thanks. Tell him just a minute. I’ll take it in my room.” She quickly ran up the stairs to one of the guest rooms.

  “Hi. I’m glad you got there safely,” Scott said, when Denise picked up. “I should be there in about forty-five minutes. I just got a call from your dad. He wants us to come back next weekend, and I’d like that a lot. I told him I’d have to check with you and call him back.”

  “Next weekend? But we were just there this past weekend. What’s with him? I don’t want to go back so soon. I only saw you at mealtime.”

  “That isn’t true, and you know it.”

  “Well, it seemed that way. He completely monopolized you. You hardly got to say two words to my mom.”

  “Your mom knows me. Are you saying we won’t go? He’ll be very disappointed, and so will I.”

  “Let’s talk about it later.”

  “I told him I’d call him back. How much later?”

  “Oh, Scott. I didn’t enjoy last weekend because I hardly spent any time with you.”

  “I don’t fudge the truth, sweetheart, and I keep my word. I’ll call him and tell him that you’re not sure.”

  “Please don’t… Okay, we’ll go. Otherwise, I’ll be in the doghouse.”

  “Interesting. I’ll see you shortly.”

  It seemed to S
cott that Denise should have been overjoyed that her future husband got along so well with her parents. Granted, she had been an only child and hadn’t had to share her parents with a sibling. But now it seemed like she didn’t want to share him with her father. He parked in Judson’s garage, got out and knocked on the kitchen door. The kitchen was connected to the garage by an enclosed walkway.

  Rosa opened the door for him. “You’re just in time to get a little bite before we leave to hear Tara play. I made you a couple of smoked-salmon sandwiches, and I’ve got some good leek soup. I’ll set the table.”

  “Set the table? Don’t go to that trouble. After I run upstairs and freshen up, I’ll eat it right here in the kitchen.”

  “Mr. Ambassador, I’m not feeding you in this kitchen.”

  He put an arm around her shoulder. “Yes, you are, and stop calling me that. My name is Scott, and that’s what you’re to call me.”

  “You can’t be serious. It’s not every day one of us gets to be an ambassador. I’m as proud of you as I can be.”

  He kissed her cheek. “Thanks. I appreciate that, but I’ll eat right here in this kitchen. Be back in a few minutes.”

  Twenty minutes later, he drained his coffee and patted Rosa on her shoulder. “That smoked-salmon sandwich was just what I needed.” He met Judson in the hallway leading from the den to the living room.

  “Where’s Heather? Isn’t she coming?”

  “Of course she’s coming. She’s at Drake’s house with Pamela. I’ll pick her up there, and we’ll go on down to Harrington House.”

  “Good. Denise is there, too.”

  “I know you play it close to the chest, buddy. But isn’t it time something happened between you and Denise? How’s it going?”

  “Stop worrying about that. What will be will be. And you’d be the first to know.” His anger flashed as he thought about the reason why he couldn’t tell his best friend that the woman he loved had agreed to marry him. He wanted the proof on her left hand. Instead, the ring was in the inside pocket of his jacket.

  “Are you ready?” Judson called to Rosa. “Tara will be climbing the walls if we’re a minute late, and we have to make a stop at Drake’s place.”