Playing All the Angles

by Nicole Lane

  She disconnected the call to her mother and dialed Eve, surprised by the male voice that answered. “Hello. Eve D’Amico-Edmunds’ phone.”

  “H-Hello. Is Eve there?”

  “Yes, she is. May I ask who’s calling?”

  “This is her sister, Isabelle.”

  “Oh, hello, Isabelle. I’m Tad. The husband.” She could hear the happiness in his voice.

  “Oh! Hello. It’s nice to speak to you. I’m looking forward to meeting you in person.”

  “I’m looking forward to that as well. Let me give you to Eve.”

  A moment passed, and Eve’s voice came on the line, light and bright. “Hi, Issie!”

  “Hi. You sound happy and honeymooning.”

  “I love being married.” She sighed. “How are you?”

  “I’m disappointed.”

  “Well, you did marry Dominic.”

  “Haha. Funny. No, I’ve just spoken with Mum, and she told me that you aren’t coming to the reception.”

  “Oh. I’m sorry, Issie. I just think it would be too rough on everybody, especially Alora.”

  “It’s not Alora’s party. Or Mother’s. It’s mine, and I want you to come. I want you to bring your husband so we can all meet him. I want you to be there and celebrate with us.”

  “If I’m there, no one will be celebrating anything.”

  “There’s nothing I can say to convince you?” Isabelle asked in a final attempt.

  “I’m sorry, Issie. There isn’t. But you’ll meet Tad. You’ll be getting an invitation of your own soon, and there’s no reason in the world for you to keep away. I’m sorry, sweets. I really have to go,” Eve replied, and then she was gone.

  The invitations for Eve’s party arrived the next afternoon, special delivery service. The envelopes were cloth that felt like silk, and the invitations themselves were die cut with delicate floral edges and a beautifully elegant font. The RSVP was to Marcus Rode, and the event was presented as though he was the host, with a notation that this was a party to celebrate Eve’s nuptials, as well as her bundle of joy. There was a request that, in lieu of gifts, donations could be made to Sacred Heart Hospital’s pediatrics ward.

  Isabelle smiled as she read over the invitation, then called the number on the bottom and told Marcus’s assistant that she and her husband would be attending. As she was finishing up on the phone, Dominic came down the stairs after taking a shower and kissed her on the shoulder.

  “Who was that?”

  “We received an invitation to a party for Eve and Tad,” she said, showing him the envelope. “I was just calling to RSVP.”

  “Oh? Are we going?”

  “Of course!”

  “Just asking.” He put up his hands. “Since they aren’t coming to ours.”

  Isabelle sighed and ran through the explanation again. Dominic never listened to anything she said anymore. It was like marriage had turned him deaf.

  “Is anyone else going?” he asked her.

  “I’m sure they will.”

  He snorted. “I’m not. Did you see that huge basket she sent Alora when we had dinner over there the other night? Not even opened. Doyle said who it was from and said she hadn’t opened the one Eve brought to the shower either. I asked why she didn’t just trash it, and he said Alora kept hoping someone would tell Eve about it. Your sisters are bitches. How’d you turn out so normal?”

  “Just lucky, I guess,” she said, smiling.

  “Well, don’t be too surprised if none of the rest of your family turns up to Eve’s party, especially since they didn’t plan on throwing one for her in the first place.”

  “Eve’s really trying, Dominic. I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy or Tad or both, but she’s really attempting to reach out, and it’s only fair that the rest of the family meet her halfway.”

  “You should tell them that, because I guarantee that you’re the only one who feels that way.”

  “I’m sure Dad sees it my way.”

  “And he’ll do whatever your mother tells him, too. But that’s all right. If it’s just you who shows up, at least someone did.” He shrugged and shambled off into the kitchen.

  Isabelle frowned. She wanted her family to at least try. She wanted her husband to at least care. Patrick cared. She’d talked to him about it already, and though he’d made the same suggestion Dominic had, he had at least been concerned. He suggested that her family might be too afraid to go and had offered to play up the idea of the party himself. Suddenly, she wanted to speak with him, so she called out that she needed to go shopping and trotted out the front door.

  He was undoubtedly working, so she headed for the hospital, sending him a text when she arrived in the visitor’s parking lot. She was almost at the door before he responded.

  Meet u in caf abt 15

  She went into the lobby and headed for the lifts. When she arrived in the cafeteria, she chose a table by the windows. She got them both a cup of coffee so it would be ready for him when he arrived. She’d done this a couple of times before now, stopping in to see him while he was on shift rotation so they could talk a bit while he had a break, since his days off were limited. He’d already told her he was pulling double shifts the rest of the week so he could have Saturday off for her party.

  He walked in a few minutes later, looking handsome in scrubs and his white coat, and he smiled as soon as he saw her sitting there. Isabelle smiled back, feeling her breath catch at the sight of him, but managed to keep her cool.

  “This is a nice surprise,” he told her, kissing her cheek before sitting and thanking her for the coffee.

  “I needed to get out, and I couldn’t think of anywhere better to be.”

  “What’s going on in your world today?” he asked, putting in sugar and cream. “Getting ready for your party?”

  She shrugged. “All that’s left is to show up,” she said, sipping her coffee. “I’ll be glad when it’s over, to be honest.”

  “Eve still not coming?”

  “No, I couldn’t convince her. I did get the invitation to her do today, though,” she said, slipping it out of her purse to show him. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

  “Ooh, nice,” he agreed, rubbing his fingers along the edge. “It’s just like mine.”

  Isabelle laughed and snatched hers back. “I didn’t know you’d gotten one already.”

  “Yeah.” He winked. “It was couriered in to me. Guess she didn’t know my home address. Mum even left me a voice message in spasms over going to the Savoy.”

  “Mmm, I’ll bet. She always loved that place.”

  “Ever since we took her there for—”

  “Mother’s Day Tea! Yes!”

  “And she was planning our wedding before the desserts were served, remember?” he asked.

  Isabelle blushed, nodding. “Yeah. She had big plans, your mum.”

  “Yeah.” He laughed, rubbing his hands around his cup. “Well…excited about Eve’s bash? Talked to your mum or Alora yet?”

  “No, but Dominic’s sure they won’t come.”

  “I think they will,” Patrick disagreed. “All you need do is tell them that Eve will have one over on them if they don’t. Voila! They’ll be there with bells on.”

  “I hope so. I’m definitely going to talk to them, especially Alora. Do you know she still hasn’t even opened the gifts Eve gave her? Dominic said she’s just hoping someone will tell Eve about it.”

  “Don’t play into it.” He shook his head and swallowed a drink. “She’d love nothing better than to get you in the middle.”

  “I know. I don’t know how to stay out of the middle.”

  “Anyone asking you to choose sides?”

  “Alora is.”

  “As per usual. Just say no. And then steal the gifts. Eve gives the best gifts.”

  “Patrick!” she exclaimed.

  “What? She does.”

  “That’s not helping.”

  He thumped his knuckles against the table. “But you consider
ed it for a second, didn’t you?”

  “No,” she said firmly, though the corners of her mouth twitched.

  “Uh-huh.”

  She took a drink of her coffee to hide her amusement and then cleared her throat. “Are you going to Eve’s party?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it. I suspect she throws the best parties, too. Besides, I honestly want to see her friends. I never really believed she had any. I’ve got to get a look at the Marcus Rode and the husband. Have you seen him at all?”

  “Tad? No, but I spoke with him on the phone very briefly. He’s got a nice voice.”

  “I wonder if this is going to be one of those beauty and the beast arrangements. Her married to some short, portly, bald thing.”

  “I don’t think so. She told me he was gorgeous when she first described him. I can’t see Eve with anyone but a model type. Not for keeps anyway.”

  “Likely, but wouldn’t it just be something if he wasn’t?”

  “Alora would think Eve was mocking her if he was as unattractive as Doyle.”

  “Alora’s going to think she’s being mocked if Eve’s married to Jesus Christ himself. Although…” Patrick was thoughtful. “That would be a clever one to pull off. Is Dominic going? Or is he bothered about her getting married?”

  “Ugh. Who knows. You’d have to ask Lara Croft. He’s certainly not talking to me about it.”

  “Is he still loafing about?”

  “Not so much this week. He talked to his club contacts, and he’s started training again.”

  “For what? Racing?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I thought he’d retired.”

  “He did. But I don’t think either of us realized how much he was going to miss it, and I really do feel terrible for having forced his hand to quit.”

  “How do you feel about him racing again?”

  “It was my idea. I want him to be happy. It’s what he loves, and it beats having him moping around the house, waiting for me to get pregnant.”

  Patrick pressed his lips together and nodded. “Any chance of that?”

  Isabelle looked up at him and gave a small shake of her head. “I started taking my pills again. I’m not ready to have a baby yet.”

  “Does he know?”

  “No, and I’m not going to tell him just now. We’re finally getting past the row we had a few weeks ago. I don’t want another one,” she said, taking another sip of her coffee. “Is that terrible of me?”

  “You know your relationship better than I do, Issie. If the time’s not right, then you’ll tell him when it is.”

  She sighed. “He doesn’t seem interested either way. I don’t think he’s really in any hurry to have a baby, either.”

  Patrick could only nod before his pager beeped. “Oh, that’s me. Break’s over,” he said, standing up. “I’m glad you came, Isabelle. I’ll see you on Saturday.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek again, then hurried back to work.

  Isabelle took the long way home, stopping at the chemist’s to pick up a few things, so that if Dominic had heard her say she was running to the shops, he wouldn’t wonder. She felt a thread of guilt, even though the time spent with Patrick was innocent. They were friends. Good friends. They always had been, ever since they were little. He was nearly two years older than her, but that had never seemed an impossible difference. They’d grown together, easing into a romantic relationship when she was fifteen and he was almost seventeen. They just fit together.

  Dominic was kick-starting his bike when she walked up on their street, but he geared down at the sight of her. “Hey.” He flipped up his visor. “I’m going to go meet Sean and David and do a few laps around the track. Probably not home till late. You get everything you needed?”

  She nodded, letting him pull her in for a kiss. “Have fun. Tell the guys I said hello.”

  “Will do.” He gave a thumbs-up.

  “Does ‘not home till late’ mean before or after dinner?”

  “After,” he said. “Late. Dark out. We’ll probably hit the pub on the way home.”

  “So don’t wait up?”

  “Nope.” He kissed her again. “Call up Jeanne and have a girl’s night. You haven’t done that in a long time.”

  “Hmm. Maybe I will,” she said, hefting the plastic sacks and stepping back so he could go.

  He flipped his visor down and revved the engine, giving her a wave as he headed off. She watched him go, then continued into the house, going upstairs to put away the things she’d bought. She supposed she should be glad he was getting out and actually doing something before holding down a stool at the pub, but it rankled that he was leaving her on her own. She sighed, wondering if she was just trying to find things to pick at, give herself excuses for thinking about Patrick and what might have been.

  The next few nights were the same, though. He left the house around three, then returned after ten, smiling and happy but smelling of gasoline, sweat, beer, and cigarettes. The night before their party, she met him at the door, but backed away from the pub fumes rising off him.

  “You are naff.” She shook her head.

  “But I’m getting fit again.” He modeled his waistline for her. It was nice, as always.

  “You know,” she heard herself saying, “smoking and drinking are bad for your sperm count.”

  “We haven’t had sex in days. I can spare a few,” he said, pulling his jacket off and hanging it on the peg by the door.

  “Is that a complaint?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

  “Well, you’ve hardly been offering, have you?”

  “You’ve hardly been home,” she said darkly. “Or sober.”

  “I haven’t been drunk. I’m not drunk now.”

  “You’re not sober, either.”

  Dominic tossed his helmet aside. “What do you want, Isabelle? First I have to quit racing. Then you don’t like me being home. Now you don’t want me doing my job again? If I’m going to get back into condition, it’s hours of work a day. And I need to unwind before I come home.”

  “I never said I didn’t like you being at home. You were miserable,” she said. “And I’m glad you’re back into racing. I’m not the one who made a crack about us not having sex.”

  He shrugged at her and walked by, heading for the shower.

  “Are you unhappy?” she asked incredulously. “Is that what this is about?”

  “I’m fine,” he grunted, still moving ahead. “I’m just tired and I need a shower. And frankly, I’m not looking forward to four hours with your family tomorrow night.”

  “It’s our wedding reception,” she said, following him. “And it’s not just my family. Your family and our friends will be there too.”

  “Friends like your ex-fiancé?” he asked sourly.

  “I—”

  “Yeah,” he snorted. “Really looking forward to that.”

  “How dare you even bring that up! After you and Eve!”

  “Yeah, throw it back on me.”

  She gaped at him. “What is the matter with you? Where is all this coming from?”

  “You’re the one who met me at the door, bitching about my sperm count.”

  “You are unbelievable.” She shook her head, turning away. “Fine. Just go take a shower.”

  Chapter 13

  ISABELLE HAD A CHOICE TO MAKE, and she sat in her car for a very long time, pulled off on the side of the road. If she kept straight ahead, she’d be on her way to Eve’s. If she turned left, she’d be on her way to Patrick’s hospital. She knew his shifts by now, and he would be there. He’d meet her in the caf. He would buy her a coffee and listen. And he would smile, and his warm brown eyes would make her feel like she was the most important woman in the world. Something Dominic should have been doing.

  It would serve him right, she told herself. If she went to see Patrick, it would serve him right. It would also prove him right, and at the moment, that was the last thing she wanted.

  In just under an hour, she was at Eve’s
door, knocking, thinking she should have called first, but she was halfway there before she realized she’d left her mobile at home. She watched the peephole darken and an eye blink, and when the door opened, it was a tousled young man standing there, shirtless and yawning, rubbing a hand through his thick, dark hair. “Yes?”

  “Tad?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Isabelle. Eve’s sister.”

  “Oh!” His face lit with recognition, and he laughed. “Come on in.” He called Eve’s name, then, “Hey, Red! Your sister is here.”

  Isabelle felt herself warm to the nickname, and then she clapped both hands over her mouth when a very pregnant Eve started her way down the stairs, muttering, “I swear to fucking God I’m moving the bed down here. Those God damned stairs are going to be the end of me! Isabelle, what are you doing here?”

  “I—I’m sorry it’s late,” she said quickly. “I should have called, but I left my mobile at home. I just needed to talk.”

  “What did Dominic do now?” Eve asked as Tad closed the door behind Isabelle.

  She shook her head in response and started crying. “Everything’s a mess!”

  “I’ll be upstairs,” Tad offered, and he slipped away.

  Eve pulled Isabelle over to the sofa and held her as best she could, patting her back while her younger sister sobbed out her story. When Isabelle had collected herself, Eve kissed her forehead and said, “He’s flirting or worse, Isabelle. You know my opinion of him isn’t too high. I would think he’s got a guilty conscience, so he’s going to pick a fight with you to feel justified. It’s very male. Very normal. See what you missed only dating Patrick before?”

  “If I’d known this was what marriage would be like, I wouldn’t have eloped,” she said miserably. “Ever since the day of Alora’s shower, we’ve been at odds with each other. Even after we made up from the fight about his relationship with you.” She sniffed. “I thought getting back into racing would make him happy.”

  Eve bit her lips together and shook her head. “I am the type to say ‘told you so.’ And I told you so.”

  Isabelle choked out a laugh. “Shut it!”

  “I did. Baby sis, he’s not for you. I mean, I’ve waffled back and forth about it myself, but look at you, all misery and tears! He is not the man for you. I cannot say that enough times. Dominic’s not a bad guy, but he’s not cut out for a conventional marriage. He’s certainly not cut out for marriage to you.”