The Return of Antonides: Christmas at the Castello(32)

       
           



       

"You won't have time to come to the reception."

He shot her a moody look as he shrugged into his suit coat. "I'll be there."

He wouldn't be.

Holly knew Lukas. Lukas dealt with what was in front of him. He was a  man who responded to the moment, and today would be full of moments  requiring him to deal with the MacClintock Foundation winners, the mayor  and lots of other movers and shakers of the Big Apple. He wouldn't have  a moment to think about her.

Which was, Holly assured herself, actually just as well.

They only had a few days left. She needed to wean herself away from Lukas, stop thinking about him day and night.

Althea's wedding was a perfect chance to do that. Just as Lukas  wouldn't have time to think of her today, she'd barely have a moment to  give him a thought. It was a relief to get to the hotel where the  wedding party was changing into their finery. She was hustled up in one  of the elevators to the thirtieth floor where Althea, her mother, a  hairstylist and a makeup artist swooped down upon her.

"Hairstylist? Makeup artist?" Holly gave Althea a wide-eyed  disbelieving look. None of her other weddings had required such  expertise.

Althea shrugged. "I've got a famous groom. What can you do? There's  press here. I don't want them to think Stig is marrying beneath  himself."

"He's not," Holly assured her.

"But there will be stories," Althea's harried mother, Laura, said.  "Stig and Althea haven't made it a secret that Althea has had a bit of  trouble, er, making up her mind. The least we can do is look elegant and  put-together."

Elegant and put-together sounded like a plan. Holly did her best to get  with the program, to focus on the wedding, all the while wondering  where Althea found the courage to give her heart all over again.  Sometimes Althea seemed shallow, vague and flighty. Today, though, Holly  thought she was incredibly brave.

"Sit." The stylist pointed Holly to a chair. "We don't have much time."

This wedding was a bigger madhouse than any of Althea's other weddings  had been, and yet Holly recognized that this time there was a sense of  rightness that the others had lacked. Maybe it was the look Holly saw in  Stig's eyes as he looked past her to watch Althea come toward him down  the aisle. Maybe it was the tears that had brimmed in Althea's when she  spoke her vows. Or the way they kissed the first time as man and wife.

Holly didn't know. But as the wedding turned into the reception, as  Stig and Althea danced together, were toasted and celebrated, smashed  wedding cake in each other's faces and never ever stopped smiling, she  knew she was happy for them, happier than she'd been at any of Althea's  other weddings.

She sat at the head table and watched them swirl around the floor once  more, this time in the company of many of the other guests, and she  smiled, too. Theirs was the way weddings should be. For once she didn't  compare it to her own wedding. Barely even thought about it.

"Dance with me."

Startled, Holly turned and looked up.

Lukas stood behind her, a somber expression on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." His tone was almost curt.

"But...the Plaza? The mayor-?"

"The mayor is charming the first MacClintock Foundation grant winners  and their extended families. Probably enough people to win him the next  election. He couldn't be happier. Dance with me," Lukas said again and  held out his hand, waiting for her.

But even as he did the music ended. The next piece was moody, almost  plaintive, with lots of soulful clarinets. It touched a chord deep in  Holly's breast. Echoed the way she felt.

One last dance. One more memory. Savor it, she told herself, and she put her hand in his and stood.

Effortlessly, Lukas steered her onto the dance floor and took her in  his arms. It felt warm and right. The place she ought to be. And Holly  couldn't resist. She let herself be wrapped in his embrace.

More than let. Relished it, drew strength from it, sustenance. So much  for weaning herself away. She laid her cheek against the smooth summer  wool of his jacket, felt the easy glide of muscle beneath, and gave  herself over to the music, to the moment.

To the man.

When it ended, Lukas said, "Let's get out of here."

"I'm the bridesmaid!"

"They're married," Lukas said impatiently. "Your job is done."

And once more he drew her with him, this time toward Althea and Stig,  who were in conversation with Althea's parents. Matt's parents.

"Say goodbye," Lukas instructed her.                       
       
           



       

But before Holly could open her mouth, Matt's dad, Joe, stuck out his  hand to greet Lukas. Then Laura wrapped him in a warm embrace. "We've  missed you," she murmured. "So glad you're back. You must come out and  see us."

"I will," Lukas promised, the huskiness in his voice telling Holly that  his promise was more than perfunctory. "Soon. We have to leave now."

All four-Stig and Althea, Joe and Laura-turned their gazes from Lukas  to Holly. Four sets of eyebrows lifted. Althea was, of course, the first  to speak.

"Of course you do!" she said with every bit of warmth of which Althea  was capable-which Holly knew from years of experience was a lot.

"I don't have to," Holly began. "If you need me to stay..."

"I think I am the one she'll be needing now." Stig gave her a grin and a wink. "Nice dress, don't you think?" he said to Lukas.

"Very nice." Lukas's voice was clipped, his arm possessive around her. I  can hardly wait to get her out of it. Holly heard the words as if he'd  spoken them aloud. She was sure Stig did, too.

"Go," Althea said, making shooing motions. "I'll call you when we get back from our honeymoon."

Holly nodded. She wouldn't be here, but Althea was a smart woman. She'd figure it out.

Lukas had brought his Porsche. He tucked her into it wordlessly, then  went around and got in the driver's side. If Holly had thought the cab  of his truck shrank when he got in, it was nothing compared to the  suddenly minuscule confines of the Porsche. She looked over at him,  willing him to smile.

But he'd gone into one of his distracted moods. He put the car in gear and they were off.

Another night he would be regaling her with stories of the event with  the mayor and the grant recipients, charming her, making her laugh as  she saw it through his eyes. Lukas could do that. He'd done it millions  of times. Notably, she recalled, the night of her senior prom.

But tonight he drove straight through Saturday-evening midtown traffic, jaw tight, eyes straight ahead.

Fingers knotted in her lap, Holly didn't speak, either. But by the time  they reached union     Square, her nerves were beyond frayed. "What's  wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." But there was an edge to his voice.

"Tell me."

"Not now" His fingers flexed on the steering wheel. He stared straight ahead, focusing on heavy midtown traffic.

Holly turned in the seat to see him better. "Lukas, what's going on?"

"Just wait."

"Since when can't you drive and talk at the same time?"

His jaw bunched. "I can't drive and propose marriage at the same time!"

Holly stared at him, stunned. "What?"

"Oh, hell." He shot her a hard look. "You heard me."

Had she? Holly swallowed. Marriage? Lukas was proposing...marriage? She couldn't find any words.

"Would it be such a bad thing?" Lukas demanded. "I thought we had a  good month." He hit her with the glare again. "Didn't you think we had a  good month?"

"Yes," she said faintly. "But..."

"But what?"

"It was an...affair." Just saying it made it sound weak and insubstantial. Nothing like what she'd experienced. And yet...

"An affair?" Lukas fairly spat the words. "So, I was just an itch you wanted to scratch?"

"As I was for you," Holly retorted.

"You're more than an itch," Lukas told her. He slammed on the brakes at  a red light and cursed under his breath. "You couldn't wait, could you?  You had to push."

"Me, push?" Holly gave a sharp laugh.

"You could have waited till we got home."

"You could have acted less like you were going to the dentist!"

They glared at each other. Holly looked away first.

"It's green," she said. "The signal."

Lukas ground his teeth and stomped on the gas pedal. Neither of them  said another word until they reached the door of her apartment.

There, Holly fumbled with the key in nerveless fingers until Lukas took  it away and opened the door for her. "Thank you," she said primly.  "Good night."

But of course, Lukas came in before she could shut the door on him. "I  love you, damn it," he said raggedly. "I want to marry you."