“Fortunately for Jordan, Tessa was the most forgiving of the three, and it was when she reached out to Aubrey that they discovered they were half-sisters. The rest of it is sort of a complicated story, so I’ll let Aubrey tell you one of these days.”
“Wow.” Delilah shook her head in disbelief. “It’s like fate or karma or something, you know?”
The signal was given then for everyone to take their assigned seats for dinner. Delilah already knew that she and Finn would be sitting with Max and his date, along with two other couples she wasn’t acquainted with. And the announcement that Max was actually bringing someone with him to the party had been met with stunned disbelief by those in their little circle. It was definitely the first time since Delilah had met the reserved Brit that he had invited a date along, and if Finn and Jordan could be believed also the first time in a few years.
She’d asked Finn, of course, what had happened to turn Max off of the dating scene, and why he always looked both sad and even haunted. The speculation was that he’d met a woman on a business trip he had taken to Seattle several years ago and had his heart broken in some way, because things had never been quite right with him since then.
But Delilah and Finn’s relief at seeing Max here this evening with a woman by his side was short-lived, since his date proved to be about as friendly as a marble statue. She was almost icily polite, her responses to the questions directed towards her short and clipped, and it didn’t take more than a few minutes for Delilah to wonder what the hell Max had been thinking of bringing such an unfriendly, unsociable person to what was supposed to be a fun, joyous celebration. The woman – Eunice - was dressed in black from head to toe, as though she was attending a funeral instead of an engagement party. She was pretty enough, mused Delilah, though so thin that her cheekbones stood out sharply, and the short crop of her black hair made her look older than she probably was. Even her name made Delilah think unpleasantly of some strict, grouchy old librarian or schoolteacher. The only reason she could possibly come up with for why Max had invited such a person along was because Eunice was likely the complete and total opposite of the other woman - the one from Seattle who had managed to hurt him so badly.
Finn evidently shared her sentiments, whispering to her, “When I heard Max was bringing a date tonight I was thrilled, figured that he was finally starting to dislodge whatever bug had crawled up his ass and taken residence there. But he’d have been better off bringing a stray cat in from off the street rather than the grim reaper here. The cat might have hissed and scratched but at least it would have shown some emotion. Sheesh, I think I might get frostbite if I have to sit next to her much longer.”
In spite of herself, Delilah couldn’t help laughing at his exclamation, but that only made Eunice glare at her, as though laughter was some sort of crime. In response, Delilah merely lifted her wineglass in a mocking little toast and drank the rest of the contents down.
“Where the hell did Max meet her anyway?” hissed Delilah as Finn refilled her glass.
Finn’s green eyes twinkled with mirth. “If she wasn’t such a cold fish I’d take a guess and say he met her in actual hell. But with all that ice dripping off of her, she’d extinguish all the flames down there. In all seriousness, though, I think Max met her at one of his recent jobs, and she’s got some executive position there.”
“Where was the job?” muttered Delilah. “At a chain of mortuaries?”
He laughed uproariously at her sarcasm, loud enough to attract Max’s attention.
Max shook his head, though he was actually smiling for once. “I won’t even ask what’s amusing Finn,” he drawled. “Though I know from experience it doesn’t take much to make him laugh. Now, I know I sent you an email, Delilah, but I haven’t had the opportunity to congratulate you in person about sealing the deal with Bloomingdale’s. Gray assured me it’s a fantastic deal, more than even he had hoped for. You and your staff are going to be extremely busy over the next few months.”
Delilah beamed at him. “I couldn’t have done it without your advice, Max. And for referring me to Gray. He was more than a little ruthless when it came to the negotiations, but the representatives from Bloomingdale’s didn’t even dare to argue with him. And you’re absolutely right - the deal is so much better than I could have even imagined. Thank you again for everything you did to help make it happen.”
Max gave a light shrug, but she could tell he appreciated her gratitude. “It was nothing at all, Delilah. And my pleasure to help out a friend. You’re a very intelligent and capable businesswoman, and you’ve obviously worked very hard to get this far. Congratulations on your new venture, and best of luck. Needless to say, don’t hesitate to contact me if any financial questions come up, I’m always happy to advise you.”
At Eunice’s quizzical expression, Max explained about Delilah’s business and the lucrative contract she’d just inked with the retailer to sell her clothing line in their stores. Eunice looked distinctly unimpressed when she heard the word “fashion”, and Delilah snidely wondered to herself if the severely garbed woman owned anything besides plain, dark and rather frumpy business suits like the one she was wearing tonight.
And given Max’s rather formal, distant treatment of the woman, Delilah had to assume that they were nothing more than business associates. Max, she thought sadly, would have been better off coming alone tonight instead of bringing someone who was such a downer. But then, she reasoned, tonight’s party was to celebrate love and relationships and togetherness, and it made sense that Max hadn’t wanted to be the only one present without a companion. As the meal progressed through the various courses, though - each one delicious and beautifully prepared - Delilah sourly thought that Finn had been right in his previous assessment, even though it had been intended as a joke. A stray cat would have been more pleasant company than sourpuss Eunice.
‘God, please don’t let Max be seriously interested in this woman,’ Delilah pleaded to some unnamed deity. ‘Because I honestly don’t think I can tolerate her for even one more hour, much less on a regular basis. Though from the look on poor Max’s face, I’m guessing he’s sorely regretting his decision to bring her along.’
She knew that neither Finn nor Jordan had any real idea about what - or who - had been responsible for Max’s aversion to woman, and that their attempts to uncover the truth had been met with stone faced resistance. But she wondered if Max might be more inclined to open up to her about the matter, even though she’d only known him a few months. Perhaps, she reasoned, it might be easier to confide in someone who hadn’t been part of his life for the last twenty years, and especially if that person was a female. She made a mental note to be on the alert for the right opportunity to present itself, figuring that the worst that could happen was Max simply refusing to discuss the matter. He was too polite and reserved, too much of a gentleman, to get angry with her for asking, so she really wouldn’t have anything to lose by at least inquiring.
As the wait staff began to clear away the plates after the main course had been finished, she hurried off to the ladies room, murmuring to Finn that she’d be back before dessert and coffee were served. Delilah walked out of the dining room without a backwards glance, not wanting to put the idea in Eunice’s head that perhaps she should also take this opportunity to visit the restroom. Delilah honestly wasn’t sure she could think of anything remotely polite to say to the other woman face to face.
But she was more than happy to chat with Aubrey and her half-sister when she ran into them in the ladies room. Delilah had already spoken with Aubrey and Jordan earlier this evening, of course, greeting and congratulating them when she and Finn had first arrived. But the engaged couple had been so busy circulating among all of their guests, including family members they hadn’t seen in months, that they hadn’t had the chance to visit further with Delilah, Finn, and Max. And she had yet to be introduced to Tessa Gregson, the stunningly beautiful woman who so closely resembled her younger si
ster.
“Tess, Delilah is the designer I was mentioning to you,” reminded Aubrey. “She has her own clothing line, really gorgeous stuff. Unfortunately, it’s all in petite sizes, and since the two of us are well over five foot three, none of her designs would fit us.”
Tessa smiled at Delilah as they briefly shook hands. “That is too bad,” she agreed in a soft, breathy voice. “Especially if your designs are as striking as what you’re wearing this evening. At least, I’m going to assume it’s one of yours.”
“It is, yes. And thank you for the compliment, Tessa. Aubrey tells me you have an amazing wardrobe yourself. And if this D & G you’re wearing tonight is any indication, I’m green with envy. I’d love to wear other designers, but I’d have to spend a small fortune on alterations. Or take too much time out of my workday to do them myself.”
Tessa gave a little shrug. “I do have a lot of clothes, I confess. Most of that is because my very generous husband insists on buying me things I don’t really need. But since Ian can be incredibly stubborn at times, there’s no sense in saying no to him. And speaking of having a ton of clothes. My best friend Julia has a wardrobe to rival a supermodel’s. Her walk-in closet is practically a whole room in itself. And I know for a fact she’s worn some of your designs, Delilah, since she’s on the petite side. You’ll have to meet her one of these days. Julia loves nothing better than to talk about fashion.”
“And doesn’t her aunt work in the fashion business?” reminded Aubrey.
“I believe she just recently retired,” corrected Tessa. “Julia’s aunt Madelyn was the head buyer at Bergdorf Goodman for decades. I’m guessing she knows just about everyone in the fashion industry. And since she and her husband live part of the year down in Carmel now that they’re retired, I’m sure I could arrange with Julia for you to meet her one day. If that would be helpful to you, of course.”
“You don’t mean Madelyn Benoit, do you?” asked Delilah incredulously. At Tessa’s nod, she continued. “When I was going to design school in New York, I worked part-time at Bergdorf’s during my sophomore year. I never actually got to meet Ms. Benoit – Madelyn - but I saw her walk through my department at least once a week. She was one of the most beautiful, best dressed women I’ve ever seen, even though she was probably in her early fifties at that time. I would love the opportunity to meet her in person, Tessa. Thank you for offering.”
“Of course,” agreed Tessa easily. “I owe Julia a phone call anyway, so I’ll be sure and contact her over the next few days and see what she has to say. I understand your business is already quite successful, Delilah, but it never hurts to make new contacts.”
As the three women returned to the dining room together, Delilah couldn’t help reflecting on how good life was for her at this particular moment. Her design firm was expanding rapidly, and she had just scored a possible introduction to a very valuable business contact. She was attending a really fabulous party this evening, at one of the most elegant and prestigious venues she’d ever set foot inside. She was among good friends and companions - well, except for the icy Eunice, of course - and couldn’t remember a time in recent months when she had enjoyed herself so much.
And then, of course, there was Finn - her handsome, sexy, devilishly amusing lover, who seemed extra attentive towards her this evening. The fact that all too soon he was going to return to his broadcasting job, which meant frequent absences and even more frequent temptations he’d have to find a way to resist, was not something she wanted to contemplate tonight. The very last thing she wanted to do was ruin this perfect evening by worrying about the future of their still-budding relationship, and the very real obstacles they were going to have to overcome if they wanted to make a serious go of it.
***
“As much as Jordan’s engagement was a shock, that’s been nothing in comparison to your continued relationship with Delilah. Though the longer it lasts, of course, the richer I get,” commented Max drolly. “How much time is left until I win our latest bet, Jordan?”
Jordan scowled. “Numbers are your specialty, Maxwell. I figured you’ve got it calculated out to the closest hour.”
“Hey!” protested Finn. “You two aren’t seriously taking bets on how long things are going to last between me and Delilah, are you? Because that’s just kind of sick. And not very supportive.”
Jordan pointed a finger at Max accusingly. “It was his idea. Both times.”
“Both times?” screeched Finn. “How the hell long has this been going on, anyway?”
Max and Jordan glanced at each other a bit guiltily, until Max gave a little shrug.
“Calm down, Finn,” he drawled. “It was nothing really. When you first started dating Delilah I merely bet Jordan a hundred dollars that it wouldn’t last a month. I’m pleased to say that the night we all had dinner at Jordan and Aubrey’s he gallantly handed over my winnings. Well, perhaps gallant isn’t the right word. More like hostile.”
“And why are you getting all fired up about us making a friendly little bet anyway?” demanded Jordan. “You, the unofficial campus bookie who would take bets and make bets on just about anything.”
“Except college football, of course,” reminded Max. “Because if you’d been found out that would have meant the end of your athletic scholarship, not to mention your football career.”
Finn glared at his friends. “I don’t ever remember taking bets about how long either of you would date a girl.”
“Not exactly,” agreed Jordan. “However, I distinctly remember a bet going on during our junior year when everyone in the frat house was trying to guess how long that nerdy freshman Elliott would remain a virgin. Pretty sure Max won that bet.”
Max nodded. “I even remember the winning bet - eight months, almost the very end of the school term. And believe me, that five hundred dollars I won came in handy. The academic scholarship I had didn’t extend to pocket money.”
Finn shook his head in disbelieving admiration. “Christ, how do you remember all those little details, Max? I didn’t even remember Elliott the Spaz until just now.”
Jordan poked his longtime best friend in the shoulder, grinning. “Probably because Max didn’t spend the majority of his college days drunk or hungover like you did, and always had fully functioning brain cells.”
Finn would have happily given Jordan the finger if Aubrey’s parents hadn’t been in his direct line of sight. “I wasn’t drunk or hungover nearly as often as you like to make it out to be,” he retorted. “I mean, I couldn’t very well show up to practice or a game in that condition, or I would have been kicked off the team sooner than later.”
“Hmm.” Max took a sip of his after-dinner drink, some brand of horrendously expensive cognac. “Don’t forget your practices were all in the afternoon. Plenty of time for you to bounce back after partying the night away. And I definitely recall any number of occasions when Jordan and I dragged you into a cold shower, and then made you drink three cups of black coffee. Not to mention the eye drops, mouthwash, and painkillers. I remember having to re-stock our supply of Advil on a regular basis.”
Finn rather sullenly acknowledged that maybe he had partied just a little too often during college, not to mention in recent years as well. “But that’s all different now,” he announced. “Not that I’ve given up drinking, of course, but I’ve cut way back. Haven’t really tied one on or had a hangover since I met Delilah. And since she’s not one for loud, boozy parties, I’ve been living a more - let’s call it sedate - lifestyle these past few months.”
“In other words,” joked Jordan, “you’ve fallen under her spell. Nothing like the love of a good woman to put a man on the right path.”
“Whoa!” Finn held up his hands. “Hey, nobody’s said anything about love here. Delilah and I like each other a lot, we’re having a good time together, and keeping things low key.”
Max smirked knowingly. “In other words, you haven’t told her exactly how you feel beca
use she hasn’t done so first. Either that, or you’re afraid she doesn’t return your feelings. Because it’s been obvious to Jordan and Aubrey and me for awhile now, Finley, that you’re quite taken with your Delilah. One might even call it true love.”
Jordan nodded in agreement. “Dude, just own up to it already, would you? You’re head over heels in love with the woman, but for whatever reason you’re hesitant to tell her. Do you really believe she doesn’t return your feelings?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Finn reluctantly. “I mean, she cares about me, of course she does. But she’s got some issues with commitment, and definitely with trust, going back to her parents’ marriage. Without getting into a lot of detail, basically her dad was a serial cheater who wound up leaving his wife for a much younger woman. Delilah’s mom was so wrecked that she committed suicide when Delilah was only fifteen. So all of that has left her a little messed up about relationships, you know?”
“Understandably so,” replied Max somberly. “I can see now why she was so reluctant to go out with you at first, Finn. I’m sure you reminded her of her father. And that’s why it’s so important for you to never betray her trust. I don’t think Jordan and I need to warn you about that.”
“Yep. With a woman like Delilah, if you screw up even once, your balls are going to be on the chopping block,” chimed in Jordan far too cheerfully. “And I’d tell you to behave yourself, but it seems like your woman has you well under control.”
Finn glowered at his friend. “Hey, it’s not like that, okay? Yeah, maybe for the first time in my life I’m actually learning how to compromise and think about someone but myself. But, hell, I’ve never had someone like Delilah in my life, you know? So what if I want to do stuff to make her happy? Or go along with what she suggests most of the time? It’s my choice to do so, my free will, and it makes me happy, too. So if that’s what being controlled is like, then she can control me all she wants.”
The Player Gets Coached Page 28
