The Millionaire Claims His Wife(6)

"I am, too." David held his hand out to her groom. "You're a lucky man, son. Take good care of her."

Nick nodded as the men shook hands. "I intend to, sir."

Dawn kissed Chase again. "Get out and circulate, Daddy. That's an order."

Chase tossed her a mock salute. The bridal pair moved off, and he  sighed. "That's the only good thing comes of a marriage. A kid, to call  your own."

David nodded. "I agree. I'd always hoped..." He shrugged, then picked up  his drink and the glass of white wine. "Hey, Cooper," he said, with a  quick grin, "you stand around a bar long enough, you get maudlin.  Anybody ever tell you that?"

"Yes," Chase said. "My attorney, five years ago when we got wasted after my divorce was finalized."

The men smiled at each other, and then David Chambers slapped Chase lightly on the back.

"Take Dawn's advice. Circulate. There's a surprising assortment of good-looking single women here, in case you hadn't noticed."                       
       
           



       

"For a lawyer," Chase said with a chuckle, "sometimes you manage to come  up with some pretty decent suggestions. What's with the brunette at  your table? She spoken for?"

David's eyes narrowed just the slightest bit. "She is, for the present."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," the attorney said. He was smiling, but there was a look in his eye that Chase recognized. He grinned.

"You dirty dog, you. Well, never mind. I'll-what did my daughter call  it? Circulate. That's it. I'll circulate, and see what's available."

The men made their goodbyes. Chase finished his drink, refused to give  the bartender the satisfaction of telling him he wouldn't pour him  another, and circulated himself right out the door.

* * *

Annie kicked off her shoes, put her feet up on the old chintz-covered  ottoman she kept promising herself she'd throw out and puffed out a  long, deep sigh.

"Well," she said, "that's over."

Deb, seated opposite her on the sofa, nodded in agreement.

"Over and done with." She flung her arms along the top of the sofa and  kicked off her shoes, too. "And I'll bet you're glad it is."

"Glad?" Annie pursed her lips and blew a very unladylike raspberry.  "That doesn't even come close. I'll bet Custer had an easier time  planning the battle at Little Bighorn than I had, planning this  wedding."

Deb arched a dark, perfect eyebrow. "Bad analogy, if you don't mind my saying so."

"Yeah." Annie heaved another sigh. "But you know what I mean. The  logistics of the whole thing were beyond belief. Imagine your daughter  walking in one night and calmly announcing she's going to get married in  two months and wouldn't it be wonderful if she could have the perfect  wedding she'd always dreamed about?"

Deb stood, reached up under her chiffon skirt and wriggled her panty hose down her legs.

"My daughter's in love with the seventies," she said, draping the hose  around her throat like a boa. "If I'm lucky, she'll opt for getting  married on a hilltop somewhere, with the guests all invited to bring...  What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Annie shot to her feet and padded to the kitchen, returning a  moment later with a bottle of champagne and a pair of juice glasses.  "He accused me of wanting that, you know."

"Know what? Wanting what? Who accused you?"

"You mind drinking this stuff out of juice glasses? I know you're supposed to use flutes, but I never got around to buying any."

"We can drink it out of jelly jars, for all I care. What are you talking about, Annie? Who accused you of what?"

"Chase. Mr. Ex." Annie undid the wire around the foil, then chewed on  her lip as she carefully worked the cork between her fingers. It popped  with a loud bang and champagne frothed out. Some of it dripped onto the  tile floor. Annie shrugged and mopped it up by moving her stockinged  foot over the small puddle. "A few weeks ago, he called to talk to Dawn.  I had the misfortune to answer the phone. He said he'd gotten his  invitation and he was delighted to see I hadn't let my instincts run  amok." She held out a glass of wine, and Deb took it. "Amok," she said,  licking her fingertips, "can you imagine? And all because when we were  first married, I threw a couple of parties in the backyard behind the  house we lived in."

"I thought you lived in a condo."

"We did, eventually, but not then. Chase knew somebody who got us this really cheap rental in Queens."

Deb nodded. "What kind of parties did you throw?"

"Outdoor parties, mostly."

"So?" Deb made a face. "Big deal."

Annie's lips twitched. "Well, it was wintertime."

"Wintertime?"

"Yes. See, the thing was, the house was so small, the mice pretty much ran it. And-"

"Mice?"

Annie sank down on the chair again. "It wasn't much of a house, but  then, we didn't have much money. I'd just graduated from high school and  the only job I could find was at the local Burger King. Chase had  transferred to City College. The tuition was lots cheaper and besides,  that way he could work construction jobs for his father a couple of days  a week." She sighed. "We were dead broke. Believe me, we found a  million ways to save money!"

Deb smiled. "Including having parties outdoors in midwinter."

Annie smiled, too. "Oh, it wasn't that bad. We'd build a fire in a  barbecue in the backyard, you know? And I'd make tons and tons of chili  and homemade bread. We'd put on a huge pot of coffee, and there'd be  beer for the guys..."                       
       
           



       

Her voice drifted away.

"A far cry from today," Deb said. She reached for the champagne bottle  and refilled both their glasses. "Bubbly, caviar, shrimp on ice,  boneless beef with mushrooms..."

"Filet de Boeuf Aux Chanterelles, if you please," Annie said archly.

Deb grinned. "Pardonnez-moi, madam."

"No joke. Considering what that stuff cost, you'd better remember to give it its French name."

"And you didn't let Chase pay a dime, huh?"

"No," Annie said sharply.

"I still think you're nuts. What're you trying to prove, anyway?"

"That I don't need his money."

"Or him?" Deb said softly. Annie looked at her and Deb shrugged. "I saw  you guys on the dance floor. Things looked pretty cozy, for a while  there."

"You saw the past worm its way into the present. Trust me, Deb. That  part of my life is over. I don't feel a thing for Chase. I can't quite  believe I ever did."

"I understand. A nostalgia trip, hmm?"

"Exactly. Brought on by my little girl's wedding..." Annie paused, swallowed hard and suddenly burst into tears.

"Oh, sweetie." Deb jumped from the couch and squatted down beside Annie.  She wrapped her arms around her and patted her back. "Honey, don't cry.  It's not so unusual to still have a thing going for your ex, you know.  Especially when he's hunky, the way Chase is."

"He's getting married," Annie sobbed.

"Chase?"

"To Janet Pendleton."

"Am I supposed to know her?"

"I hope not." Annie hiccuped. "She's rich. Gorgeous. Smart."

"I hate her already." Deb put her hand under Annie's chin and urged it to rise. "Are you sure?"

"He told me so." Annie sat back, dug a hanky out of her cleavage where  she'd stuffed it after the ceremony and blew her nose. "So I told him  I'm marrying Milton."

"Milton? As in, Milton Hoffman?" Deb rocked back on her heels. "My God, you wouldn't!"

"Why not? He's single, he's dependable and he's nice."

"So is a teddy bear," Deb said in horror. "Better you should take one of those to bed than Milton Hoffman."

"Oh, Deb, that's not fair." Annie got to her feet. "There's more to a relationship than sex."

"Name it."

"Companionship, for one thing. Similar interests. Shared dreams."

"And you can have enough of those things with Milton to make you forget all the rest?"

"Yes!" Annie's shoulders slumped. "No," she admitted. "Isn't that awful? I like Milton, but I don't love him."

Deb heaved a sigh as she stood up. "Thank you, God. For a minute there, I thought you'd gone around the bend."

"Not only am I sex-obsessed-"

"You're not. Sex is a big part of life."

"-but I've used poor Milton badly. Now I've got to call him up and tell  him I didn't mean it when I introduced him to Chase as my fiancé."

"Wow," Deb said softly. "You certainly have had a busy day."