by Marie Astor
“I spoke with Nicholas. His visa got denied again…”
“Sabina, I’m so sorry.” Alec squeezed the girl’s shoulder. Now he felt like a total jerk. It was bad enough that Sabina had been separated from her husband for over a year. Alec did not have to make her life harder.
“I know. I’m sorry too. I just miss him so much. I really hoped that this time he would finally be able to come here, and we would compete together…”
“Well, the tournament is six months away. There is still hope.”
“Yeah, right. Even in the best of circumstances, we would not have enough time to train. Why can’t they just let him in?”
“I don’t know, Sabina. I wish I had the answer.”
Claire plunked the week’s mail on the kitchen and started sifting through it. As usual, there were several bills in the pile, and she made a mental note to pay them later in the day. Just because her love life was in a rut did not mean that her credit scores had to follow suit. She was about to get up for a second cup of coffee when an oversized ivory envelope caught her attention. What could this be? Claire wondered as she tore open the envelope.
Mr. and Mrs. Allan Lawson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of
Claire Chatfield
to their son, David Lawson
on Saturday, the first of June
Two thousand and thirteen
at four o’clock in the afternoon
St. Paul’s Church
Westchester, NY
Reception to follow
Inside was a note:
Dear Claire, I took the liberty of putting together a sample invitation. I sent a copy to David as well, but knowing how busy he is, I wanted to send you one as well. Please let me know what you think.
Love,
Sylvie
For several minutes Claire stared at the invitation in dumbfounded stupor. She was not sure what shocked her more – the fact that David’s mother had gone on with planning the invitations without consulting her (apparently Mrs. Lawson had also picked the wedding date while she was at it) or the fact that David had not mentioned anything about the invitation.
It was so quiet in the apartment that when the phone rang, Claire jumped up.
“Claire? It’s Stephanie.”
“Hi, Stephanie.” Claire hoped that her voice sounded neutral, as she deliberated whether to mention the wedding invitation to David’s sister.
“Listen, I was just chatting with Mom, and she told about the wedding invitation. I really hope that you won’t take offense. She was just trying to be…” Stephanie paused. “Proactive – yes, that’s the best way to put it.”
“Oh, it’s fine. I have to admit that I was a bit surprised, but it was a good surprise,” Claire added lamely. This was the best she could do at the moment.
“Yeah, well, I’ve got to say that you’re taking the whole thing rather well. If I were in your shoes, I’d be pissed. What did David say?”
“Well…” Claire stalled to come up with a diplomatic answer. “I haven’t actually talked to him about it yet, but I’m sure he’s gotten his copy in the mail.”
“Don’t you worry. He’ll talk to Mom and settle everything. I mean, the two of you might want to elope. Mom’s got no business butting into your wedding plans.”
“Oh, I don’t know about eloping.” Claire twirled the phone cord. “David made it pretty clear that the wedding would have to be an official affair.”
“Well, as long as the two of you are in love, it doesn’t matter where the wedding is, right?”
“Yes, I guess so.”
“You guess so? You’re a riot, Claire. Listen, I’ve got to run, but I’ll be in the City next week for a modeling gig. Thanks for hooking me up with Amber. She really came through. I’ll ring you up then, all right?”
“Sounds good, Stephanie. I’ll see you then.”
Claire hung up and stared at the photograph of her and David that stood on her dressing table. The picture had been taken a little less than a year ago, when they first started dating. Back then, David used to call her every day. She got up from her chair and dialed David’s cell number, pacing the floor. As had been the norm lately, the call went straight to voicemail. David, call me back as soon as you get this. We need to talk.
Chapter 18
“Wake up, sleepy head.”
David opened his eyes and smiled at Claudia’s face leaning over him. He had taken Friday off work in order to spend it with Claire, but when Claudia called him last night, he had abandoned his plans without any hesitation.
“Good morning.” David had to blink twice to make sure that he was not dreaming. Finally, after months of sneaking around in hotels, Claudia had agreed to come to his apartment. And Claudia had stayed the night – something she had never consented to before. Well, technically, it was not an entire night, as the two of them had slipped into David’s building through the service entrance at three a.m. (David had previously obtained a spare key from one of the doormen for just such an occasion), but it was a start.
Last night had been a blur of drinking. For the first time, Claudia had agreed to brave being seen in public with him, and from Village to SoHo, they had painted the town red. Of course, there had to be precautions. Claudia wore a brunette, cropped wig to conceal her golden mane, and David donned tattered jeans with a T-shirt and an old sports jacket that he found in the back of his closet. They became the perfect imposters, yet David had not felt more real in months. He might have donned a disguise, but when he was with Claudia, he wore his heart on his sleeve.
“Go and shower, baby. I’ll make breakfast.” Claudia kissed him on the cheek.
“There are a few things I can think of that are way better than breakfast.” David kissed Claudia’s neck. God, the woman smelled good.
“Yes, but first, breakfast. When I stay the night with a man, I always make him breakfast in the morning.”
David had to make a conscious effort to refrain from singing in the shower. To think that Claudia Block was cooking him breakfast this very moment was almost too much happiness to bear. It was not the breakfast itself that he cared about, of course, although he was so hungry, he could eat a horse. Keeping Claudia satisfied was a calorie-consuming endeavor. It was the thought of her attention that sent him leaping off the ground. No woman would cook a man breakfast unless she truly cared for him. Of course, Claudia did mention that she made breakfast for every man she stayed the night with, but David refused to let this uncalled for tidbit of information spoil his mood. Sure, Claudia had had plenty of lovers before him, but they were all gone now, and he had her all to himself.
For weeks, he had dreaded Claudia dropping him like a toy she’d gotten bored with. He had tried so hard to make her care for him that he never bothered to think what he would do if he succeeded, but now that he had finally achieved his aim, David was both elated and terrified. Elated to know that this very moment Claudia was making scrambled eggs for him, or perhaps an omelet, but terrified to think that in a year he would be married to Claire, with Claudia forever barred from his life. Sure, the two of them could try having an affair, but David seriously doubted that Claudia would agree to it. She was not the kind of woman who would consent to share her man, even if the “sharing” would be purely nominal. But there would be plenty of time to consider the future later. Right now, David had breakfast to look forward to, and then another long, steamy, lovemaking session with Claudia.
Despite her initial reluctance to visit it, Claudia liked David’s place. It was not the gaudy bachelor’s pad she had expected to see. Instead, David’s apartment was tasteful and measured, rather like David himself. Claudia was surprised to see that David even had a good eye for art. The Joan Miro lithograph in his bedroom had caught her attention, earning David another plus.
Claudia rummaged through David’s fridge. Her breakfast repertoire consisted of Eggs Benedict, omelet or French toast. She based her selection on how s
trongly she cared about the object of her affection – Eggs Benedict being the highest and French toast the lowest. For David, it would be eggs Benedict, bar none. Hell, she would go through the entire Joy of Cooking for him. If only preparing a delicious meal could restore her youth… For David was so very young that Claudia would be the first to admit that their affair was ridiculous, and yet, she continued seeing him.
It had started predictably enough. Claudia was smarting from her break-up with Gregory. She needed a poultice on her ego, and David was a perfect diversion. When Gregory left her for that twenty-eight-year-old tart, Claudia’s first impulse was to disappear on some remote island in the Caribbean and not return until she had a complete face and body lift. But then she decided otherwise. She would not hide. She was Claudia Block, and even though she was fifty-one years old, she still turned heads when she walked into a room. Instead, she would be at every party, at every event, admired and adored. Let Gregory see what a mistake he had made. In a few months, he would be crawling back to her. This tactic had always worked before. There was no reason why it would not work now.
But this time turned out to be different. Everywhere she went, Claudia felt people’s eyes upon her; only now, the glances were filled with pity instead of admiration. Young men ignored her, and older ones avoided her. How quickly it had all changed! But then she only had her own vanity to blame for not foreseeing the inevitable. It had been almost ten years since she had had a major picture. Sure, she’d been in some small parts here and there, along with a lead in an independent film that had won her critical acclaim, but there was no denying it. Claudia Block was no longer today’s leading lady. What she needed was a comeback. It was quite simple really; it always had been. Get one person to admire you, and the rest will follow.
When David had approached her at one of those endlessly boring parties she kept enduring, Claudia basked in his puppyish delight. David would do; in fact, David would be perfect. Young, handsome, and wealthy, he was just the trophy she needed to prove that she still had it. She played it cool, making him earn her attention, every little bit of it, and David bit right into the bait. What David did not know was that Claudia had spotted him when he first walked in. If he had not approached her, she would have found a way to be near him, but he made her task easier.
Claudia was no stranger to dating younger men; still, she had never gone this young. At first, it amused her, but now it terrified her. She had not expected to develop serious feelings for David. After all, Claudia knew how to separate sex from love, but David had taken her by surprise. Her initial intention had been to parade David around town; then, after having been seen in his company long enough to prove that Claudia Block still had it, dump him for a more suitable liaison. But, right off the bat, Claudia’s plan went awry. As much as David longed for her attention, he had been upfront about them having to see each other in secret. His father would not approve of David seeing an actress. David had shrugged apologetically at his explanation, but Claudia could see right through it. David’s father would not approve of his son seeing an older woman. And who could blame him? Her first instinct had been to send David packing, but surprisingly enough, Claudia found herself unable to follow through on her decision.
At first, she could not identify the emotion behind her hesitation, but then it came to her. She was afraid of being alone. Unwilling to admit the alien sentiment, she grabbed for excuses. What was the harm in seeing the boy while she looked for a suitable replacement? The only problem was that Claudia was not looking for anyone. She was too busy seeing David. Aside from their forced hiding, seeing David was simply sublime. The boy catered to her every whim as he waited with bated breath for their every encounter. And Claudia was clear about the rules. It was always her, not David, who decided when and for how long they would meet. At first, they met sporadically, a handful of times a week. But with time, their trysts grew more frequent. Claudia found herself looking forward to David’s adoration. His desire to please her turned out to be more addictive than any drug. As if to avenge her dependence on him, Claudia called David whenever she saw fit. There were times when she’d called him in the middle of the night, and he had shown up to meet her at a moment’s notice at the hotel of her choice. It pleased her to know that David was always there at her beck and call. She wanted David to be unable to plan around her, because she would not share him with anyone else.
The hotels were her idea as well. As long as they met on neutral, impersonal ground, Claudia thought she would be safe. But despite all her precautions, she had gotten in over her head after all. Now, as she stared at the contents of David’s fridge, Claudia had to admit that David could no longer be dismissed as merely a pleasant diversion. Worse yet, she did not regret it. She understood that it could not last, of course. In time, she would end it, but for now she just wanted to enjoy it.
Oh well, Claudia shook her head. It would have to be French toast after all. David’s kitchen lacked the ingredients for Eggs Benedict or an omelet. Perhaps the next time she came over, she might send over some provisions… Claudia stopped herself short in the middle of her musings. If she were not careful, she would turn into a hovering hen, and Claudia was fairly certain that David would not find that the least bit appealing. Still, she liked being at his place, cooking him breakfast, pretending to be the mistress of the house. That was all she was allowed to do – pretend.
Claudia found a stainless steel skillet and turned on the oven range. She placed some butter and a bit of olive oil to keep the butter from burning on the skillet. Then, she dipped pieces of bread into a mixture of egg, sugar, and milk she had whipped together, and placed the bread on the skillet. While she waited for the toast to cook, Claudia strolled out into the foyer. She could hear David humming in the shower, and his frank delight brought a smile to her lips. She noticed a stack of unopened mail, and after glancing around, Claudia quickly sifted through the envelopes.
A heavy, ivory envelope caught her eye – probably a wedding invitation. Instantly, Claudia wondered whom David would bring as his date. Granted, taking her was out of the question. The jealousy Claudia felt at the thought was ridiculous enough to make her laugh, if only the emotion had not been so painful. The envelope had come undone in several spots. Gingerly, Claudia pulled at the loose ends.
Mr. and Mrs. Allan Lawson
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of
Claire Chatfield
to their son, David Lawson
on Saturday, the first of June
Two thousand and twelve…
A note fell out of the envelope:
David, darling,
Do let me know if Claire and you like the invitations.
Love,
Mother
Claudia’s vision grew dark. The two-timing snake! Had it not been for her accidental discovery - well, fine, her “discovery” was not so much an accident as an act of snooping - she would have remained in the dark. Claudia felt tremors running down her spine. Did the ungrateful snot expect that she would simply step aside when the time came for him to take his perfect little wife? Whoever this Claire Chatfield was, she was one lucky broad. She would get David while Claudia would be forgotten as second-hand goods. There was just one little snag in David’s scheme. No one pushed Claudia Block around, and David Lawson was about to learn this lesson firsthand.
Still humming, David emerged from the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. He had deliberated changing into a bathrobe, but opted for his current ensemble, glad of the opportunity to show off his chiseled abs before Claudia. His new trainer had him working like a dog, but David knew that the pain had been worth it whenever Claudia commented on how buff he looked.
A smell of burned bread tickled David’s nose. So much for Claudia Block the cook, he thought, smiling. There were many reasons why David worshipped Claudia, but cooking was not one of them.
“Claudia! Something is burning.” David rushed into the kitchen, anticipat
ing the pleasure of reclaiming Claudia into his arms. Perhaps they could skip breakfast and go straight to the bedroom.
At the sight of the smoking, coal-dark bread on the skillet, David stood frozen in a stupor for several moments. Finally, he woke up from his daze and turned off the oven range.
“Claudia? Claudia, where are you?” David raced upstairs into the bedroom, only to see all of Claudia’s clothes gone. His heart was pounding so hard he thought he was going to have a heart attack. David rushed downstairs into the foyer, but there was no sign of Claudia anywhere. Frantic, he searched for clues until he noticed the large ivory envelope on the foyer dresser.
After calmly informing her housekeeper to take the rest of the day off, Claudia slid up the stairs of her Upper East Side penthouse and closed the door of her bedroom. Then she finally let the tears flow. She rarely allowed herself the luxury of crying. Her eyes would look red and swollen for the rest of the day, but presently, she could not care less. It was not as though she had anything planned for the day or the night for that matter. And she had no one to blame for the current state of her social life but herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Claudia punched the pillows on her bed, as if sinking her fists into the soft down could calm the anguish boiling inside her.
No fool like an old fool. Claudia smiled bitterly. What had she been thinking, carrying on with David that long? Now, as she looked back at their improbable affair, Claudia had to admit that today’s discovery was bound to happen sooner or later. In truth, the fact that it had happened this late in the game was surprising, but then it was not really that late after all. David’s wedding was set to a year from now, which meant that the engagement had occurred recently, which also meant that David must have been dating his bride-to-be for some time. In fact, he must have already been seeing her when he met Claudia. What a snake! And what a fool Claudia had been.
