A Merry Little Christmas(42)

Surprisingly, Warren didn't have his usual snappy comeback. He looked  away from Donnie and finished his wine in one gulp, signaling their  server for more.

Meanwhile, Lisette and Angelique were back where their friendship  started, in the ladies' room. "Marriage really agrees with you, Angel.  You look even more beautiful than before. Donnie must be an extremely  romantic man," Lisette said enviously.

"Oh, Lisette, he's wonderful. We drive in to work together most of the  time and we have lunch together as often as we can. He brings me  breakfast in bed on Saturdays and we cook for each other during the  week. We go to church together on Sundays and then we spend the rest of  the day together just doing nothing. He's the best friend and support in  the world. And he's so romantic!" She fanned a hand in front of her  face to indicate extreme heat. "I'm so happy I could cry. But you know  what that's like-you and Warren are in love."

Lisette looked crestfallen and Angelique was alarmed at how quickly her friend's face had changed. "What's the matter, Lisette?"

"Warren doesn't want me," she said sadly. "He's sweet to me and  attentive and all of that, but he's a perfect gentleman. He's never  tried to, you know, make love to me. And when I try to get really  amorous, he manages to push me away. He treats me like a pretty little  doll, but there's no real passion. I don't know what to do, Angel, I  really don't."

Angelique was appalled for her friend's sake. "I don't know much, but I  do know that Warren loves you like crazy. You have to get to the bottom  of this and the only way I know how is to level with him. You've got to  talk it out. Maybe he just wants to wait until you're married, have you  thought about that?"

"Well, if that's the case, why doesn't he propose? Warren is so sexy,  such a big, handsome teddy bear, if I don't get with him soon I'm going  to drug him and tie him down!" She looked determined enough to do it,  too.

"Ooh, don't hurt poor Warren, girl! I'm sure there's a happy medium in  there somewhere. In Warren's defense, though, isn't it nice to be with  someone who likes you for you and not what he can get from you?"

Lisette looked shamefaced and agreed. "I should be smacked, I know. I  have a wonderful man who treats me like a lady and I'm complaining  because I want to jump his bones. I'm a wench, I really am."

"No, you're just in love. Now let's get back out there before they forget who we are," she said.

Lisette scoffed. "As if that handsome Donnie could ever forget his beloved wife."

"And Warren could never forget you. Open communication, Lisette, that's the only answer."

***

The day of the exhibit opening finally came, and with it a cases of  nerves Angelique wasn't anticipating. She was hot one minute and cold  the next, her head hurt and she couldn't keep anything down. She was  totally miserable and all the comfort Donnie had to offer didn't help.  At present he was holding her in his lap and rubbing her arms and back  while he nuzzled her neck.

"Look, sweetness, I'm going to get you some Vernor's and crushed ice.  It'll help settle your stomach. Maybe you can get some crackers down,  too," he suggested.                       
       
           



       

Angelique started to nod her head, then stopped as it made her dizzy.  "Do we have any gingersnaps?" she asked. Her favorite snack lately was  Vernor's ginger ale and the hard, crunchy, ginger-flavored cookies. The  thought of the combination made Donnie gag, but she'd been so nervous  about the exhibit, he indulged her every whim.

"I'll see. In the meantime, you lay here on the sofa and get some rest.  It's going to be fine, baby. We both walked through last night and it  looks perfect. It's an amazing display, Angel. You have every reason to  be proud of it."

"And every reason to be terrified, Adonis. My whole family is coming up  here for this and I don't want to disappoint them. I want them to be  proud of me," she admitted.

"Angel, how could they not be proud of you? You're so talented, it's  actually frightening. You make your subjects look so real, it's like you  could reach into the picture and touch them. They're astounding  photographs, Angel. And if it means anything, I'm so proud of you, I  could burst. You, my queen, are an extraordinary woman," he said as he  gave her a wet, tickling kiss right in her dimple. "Now, you sit here  and I'll be right back with your ginger ale."

Her eyes moistened in gratitude for his loving attentiveness. "You're too sweet to me," she murmured.

He held her for one more moment, and whispered, "It's not possible to be too sweet to you. I love you, my Angel."

A couple of hours before the opening, Angelique walked carefully through  the carefully displayed pictures, looking in vain to find something  wrong or out of place.

"You're wasting your time, Angel. It's perfect. Just like you."

Angelique turned to find A.J. standing behind her with a smile on his  face. She opened her arms for his hug and he enfolded her in his arms  and held her tightly.

"I'm so glad you're here. How'd you know I'd be a nervous wreck?"

"Because I know you Angel. How've you been? How's that husband of yours treating you?"

They hadn't seen each other since the night of the Red Wings game. After  calling Donnie from the hospital to let him know about her accident,  A.J. naturally waited with her until her husband arrived. He and Donnie  had exchanged words that would have led to a fistfight had not the  hospital personnel intervened. There was no love lost between the two  men. Donnie knew a predator when he saw one and he was sure A.J.'s  feelings were more than brotherly. And A.J. was equally sure that Donnie  wasn't capable of giving Angelique the unconditional love she deserved.

Angelique gave A.J. a beautiful smile and turned around in a circle in front of him. "See for yourself! How do I look?"

A.J. had to admit that she looked radiantly happy and totally fulfilled.  She was wearing off-white in the form of a slim-fitting, silk, jersey  wrap tunic and matching wide-legged pants. She had on a pair of  incredible gold earrings made of interlocking flat circles that hung  almost to her shoulders. They were a gift from Donnie and accentuated  her graceful neck, drawing attention to her sculpted collarbones. Her  hair was arranged in a sophisticated chignon that gave her the look of a  young Lena Home. She looked absolutely beautiful and AJ. told her so.

"I have to tell you, Angel, you look great. Just remember, if he makes  you unhappy in any way, any way at all, I'm here for you." He spoke with  such sincerity that Angelique blinked her eyes. She was about to say  something when Paris interrupted her.

"Girl, you have got to see this! Come on, Angel, hurry up!"

She and A.J. followed her to the front of the museum where they could  see the street. Three ultra-long black limousines had pulled up in front  and the doors opened to let out the Deveraux men. As Clay, then Malcolm  and Martin and Marcus emerged from the various cars, even Paris had to  draw in her breath.

"Ooh-ooh-wee, if they weren't my cousins I'd be having some issues,  girl," she said as she watched the tall, powerful and very handsome men  assist their beloved wives and children.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a lot more impressive when they're not coming  after you," she said, rubbing her temple with her forefinger. She went  out on the sidewalk to start greeting her family, leaving A.J. and Paris  looking after her. At least A.J. was looking at Angelique. Paris was  watching A.J. and, being Paris, said what was on her mind.

"You love her, don't you?"

A.J. honored her perception by not pretending he didn't know what she  meant. He looked at Paris with a bittersweet smile. "That's supposed to  be my secret. No one was supposed to know."                       
       
           



       

Paris's tender heart broke at the look on his face. "So why didn't you  ever tell her? I don't think it was because of the age thing, was it?"

A.J. smiled again. "Angel always said you were the most perceptive  person she knew. It was because I was waiting for her to grow into  herself. I didn't want to try to have a relationship with her because  she needed to have some independence, to have some success on her own.  She needed to prove to herself that she could take care of herself and  have a career of her own, not just bask in someone else's shadow. And my  wish for her came true. Just not in the way I expected," he said  ruefully.

Paris put her hand on his arm and gave him a gentle squeeze. "I don't know what to say, A.J."

"Say that you won't hesitate, like I did. Say that when you have a  chance at love, you'll take it and run with it. Don't lose your chance  at love, Paris. It's too rare and too special to be wasted."