Always A Bridesmaid (Left At the Altar)

by Richards, Jana

  How utterly ridiculous.

  She followed Zach and Adele into the beautifully decorated living room. Two white leather sofas faced each other in front of a massive brick-fronted fireplace. Another cozy sitting area with three plush chairs and a round occasional table had been set up in front of the large bay window. The walls were painted a muted gray and accents of black and yellow gave life to the room. The room remained comfortable while still looking elegant and chic.

  Camp Campbell sat close to the fireplace, his thick white hair a stark contrast against the black leather of the armchair he was seated in. Foster and Margaret sat together on one of the leather couches, wearing the confident air of the elegantly rich. All three watched Dani closely. Zach addressed Camp first.

  "You remember Daniella DiPietro, don't you? She's to be Fiona's bridesmaid. She and I are dating."

  His face brightened. "Really? It's very nice to see you again, young lady. I haven't forgotten your kindness to Adele and me last year. It's about time Zach stuck his toe into the dating pool again, especially when he's made such a fine choice."

  "You make it sound as if I've been living like a hermit the past year," Zach said.

  "If the shoe fits."

  Zach ignored him and guided her toward the couple on the couch. "Margaret, Foster, I believe you know Daniella as well."

  "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell. It's nice to see you again." Fiona had invited Dani to her parents' home in Ottawa during their university days, but she'd never felt comfortable there. Margaret Campbell's house was like a show home; immaculate, orderly and perfect, completely unlike the controlled chaos of her family's home. She'd always been afraid of leaving finger marks on the furniture or, God forbid, breaking something.

  "Hello, Dani." Foster shook her hand.

  "Dani, how lovely to see you again, dear!" Margaret said. She was tall, slim and elegant and, even though she was pushing sixty, still quite beautiful. Or perhaps well preserved was a better description. Chantal and Fiona had obviously inherited their good looks from their mother.

  "What's this about you two dating?" Foster asked. "That's wonderful news. Isn't that wonderful news, Adele?"

  "I'm tickled pink," Adele answered. Dani inwardly winced at the irony she detected in her voice. Had she guessed this whole thing was a sham?

  Zach slung a casual arm around her shoulders. "Why don't we take Daniella upstairs to her room and get her settled, Mom?"

  "Good idea."

  He grabbed her suitcase from the foyer where she'd dropped it. Dani followed him and Adele up two flights of stairs to the third floor. The landing was wide and airy with tall ceilings and dark hardwood floors. Down the hall, three doors led to what she assumed were bedrooms, while a glass door opened onto a sunroom facing the street. Adele opened one of the doors to reveal a lovely, feminine bedroom in shades of cream and blue, with a window seat in the dormer window, and a luxurious ensuite bathroom.

  "I trust you have everything you need?" Adele said.

  "More than everything. It's beautiful. Thank you."

  "Good." Adele closed the bedroom room, and then turned to face them. "Now, how about telling me what game you two are playing?"

  * * *

  Chapter Three

  "Keep your voice down, Mom. I don't want anyone to hear."

  Adele folded her arms across her chest. "Start talking, Zach. I know you haven't been dating Dani. You barely know her. What's going on?"

  "I thought Chantal's fiancé would be here. I thought I'd be safe this weekend."

  "Camp said she broke off her engagement to Harry." Anger crossed his mother's face. "She's very good at breakups."

  "What do you mean, Zach?" Dani asked. "Are you saying Chantal wants you back?"

  He sighed. He hated dragging Daniella into his problems, but he hadn't seen any other way. From the moment he'd arrived at Camp's rented house, Chantal had made it quite clear she wanted to pick up their relationship where they'd left off, as if her cheating on him, and all the pain and humiliation that followed, had never happened.

  "Yeah, she wants me back."

  "And what do you want?" Dani asked, her dark eyes searching his face as if weighing the truth of his answers. "Do you want to be with Chantal again?"

  He looked her straight in the eye. "No, I definitely do not."

  His mother let out a pent up breath. "Thank God you've finally come to your senses!"

  "Mom--"

  "I'm thrilled you're finally finished with her. That woman's been playing you for years. She only wanted you last year when she didn't have anyone else, and you went back to her."

  He let her rant, knowing there was no stopping her when she was in full righteous indignation mode. His mother had been against him dating Chantal from the beginning. Too bad he hadn't listened to her.

  "You'd think that getting dumped once, eight years ago, would be enough for you, but no, you had to go back for round two last year." Adele turned to Daniella. "Did you know they'd been engaged once before?"

  "Yes, actually I did. I've been friends with Fiona and Chantal for years, since university."

  "They met when they were kids, when Chantal would visit her grandfather. Zach and I lived in Camp's house; I still do. He was smitten with the girl from the day she turned thirteen and developed breasts."

  "Geez, Mom." He felt his face grow hot with embarrassment.

  "By the time he was sixteen, he was determined to marry her. He saved and worked for three years to buy her an engagement ring. She agreed to marry him, but after a few weeks, we suddenly got news that she was engaged to the son of rich investment banker from Montreal."

  "That would be Harry, I presume?" Dani said. "Husband number one?"

  "That's right. Chantal decided she didn't want to marry the housekeeper's son when she realized she wouldn't be living in the style to which she'd become accustomed. Zach was devastated. He didn't sleep or eat for weeks." His mother turned her attention back to him. "After everything you'd been through, I couldn't believe you took her back again!"

  He wasn't exactly proud of being Chantal's doormat. He couldn't explain, even to himself, the hold she'd had over him for so long. Some of it was her beauty, and a lot of it was the sex, but no one really understood how sweet and vulnerable she could be. All he knew was that there had always been something magical between them.

  But it was over now. For the sake of his sanity, it had to be. That's where Dani came in.

  "Chantal and I were engaged twice and she let me down both times. You know that old saying, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me? I'm the sucker who got fooled twice and I'm not looking for a third time."

  "At least now I know why Chantal's acting so hostile towards me," Dani said with a grimace. "So, what do you expect me to do? Ward off the evil seductress with a string of garlic and a crucifix?"

  "Actually, I think that's for vampires, but you never know, it might work."

  "Be serious, Zach."

  "I'm very serious. I don't want to get mixed up with Chantal again, and she can't seem to take no for an answer. And what about you? You could have refused to go along with the idea."

  "You didn't give me a lot of time to think over my answer."

  She was right. He hadn't given her feelings much thought when he'd grabbed her like a cave man and kissed her in front of Chantal. He'd felt her shock as he held her in his arms, and he'd tried to quell her astonishment by gentling the kiss. It seemed to have worked. She'd relaxed into the kiss enough to kiss him back, and perhaps even enjoy it. What he hadn't expected was to enjoy kissing her as much as he had.

  He suddenly felt overcome with remorse. Manipulating her this way made him no better than Chantal.

  "I'm sorry. You're right. I was way out of line dragging you into my problems and putting you in this awkward position. It's not too late to go back downstairs and tell everyone the truth."

  "Maybe that's the best thing to do before you both get in too deep," his mother said with
a sigh. Her face was full of worry. "I just hope it doesn't make Chantal think she's got a green light to pursue you."

  "Wait a minute," Dani said. "Let's not do anything rash. Let's think about this for a moment."

  "What are you saying?"

  "If we go downstairs and say 'Just kidding. We aren't really dating', we'll both look like idiots. And besides, I don't want anything to embarrass Fiona or to take away from her wedding. This is her special time."

  "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" He couldn't believe she'd be willing to help him. It was way beyond what most friends would do for each other, and they hardly knew each other.

  A smile tugged at her lips. "Maybe I owe you one for lending me your jacket in my time of need. Or maybe I enjoy the fact that for once Chantal isn't getting what she wants."

  He breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully this time he wouldn't fall into the trap of thinking Chantal had changed, if Dani was around to remind him to keep his head above water. He didn't want to admit it to his mother, but he'd never really gotten over her. He knew she was a spoiled rich girl who liked to get her own way. But she could also be the girl who cried over sad movies, loved puppies and little kids, and was generous to her friends and family. And it was that girl he'd fallen in love with so long ago and couldn't quite give up, even though he knew he had to for his own self-preservation.

  "Thank you, Daniella. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. We'll spend the weekend holding hands and making eyes at each other, just enough to convince Chantal to back off. And when the weekend is over, we'll tell everyone we've decided to go our separate ways. I promise I won't make any more Neanderthal moves on you. So, how good an actress are you?"

  "Oh." Something suspiciously like disappointment crossed her face, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by a mischievous smile. "I don't like to brag, but I'm quite a fine actress. I played the second bystander on the left in the senior class play in high school. My family said I was very convincing."

  He laughed. Maybe this charade could actually turn out to be fun. He held out his arm to her. "Are you ready to call up your inner Meryl Streep?"

  She slipped her arm through his, her dark eyes sparkling with amusement. "Ready as I'll ever be."

  "Let's get this show on the road."

  Adele shook her head as she opened the bedroom door. "I really hope you two know what you're doing."

  Zach laid his hand on Dani's and sucked in a deep breath. So did he.

  * * * *

  Dani sipped champagne from a delicate crystal flute as she stood beside Zach in front of the fire. Their location struck her as totally appropriate, since she felt like she was in the proverbial hot seat. Seven pairs of eyes watched their every move, judging them and gauging their reactions to each other. Chantal in particular kept a close watch on them, waiting to pounce. Dani knew she wasn't buying their status as girlfriend/boyfriend.

  "So, Daniella, what is it you do?" Camp asked her.

  "I'm a lawyer specializing in wills and estate planning."

  "Dani was always the smartest one in our group of friends," Fiona said. "Grandfather, maybe you should talk to her about your estate."

  Camp winked at Dani. "Maybe I should. Do you enjoy your work?"

  "I do, very much. I like to think that I help people plan for a worry-free future for their families."

  Chantal made little attempt to hide her smirk behind her champagne glass. "Our sweet little Dani. Always striving to be helpful."

  "I try." She turned back to Camp. "I've seen the hard feelings that can tear families apart when someone dies without a will. It's not pretty."

  "What a little do-gooder you are!" Chantal said.

  Dani heard the mocking tone in her voice, but chose to ignore it. She pasted a smile on her face. "What are you doing these days, Chantal?"

  "Oh, this and that. I volunteer at the Royal Ontario Museum when I have time, and I've had a few contracts with the National Gallery in Ottawa, helping out with acquisitions."

  She knew that Chantal had studied art history at Carleton University and then at the University of Toronto before pursuing a degree in art restoration at the Sorbonne in Paris. But she'd heard from Fiona that she'd never finished her Masters degree at U of T, and had been kicked out of the program at the Sorbonne for non-attendance. She knew art students who would have walked over shards of glass for the opportunities Chantal had squandered.

  She waved a dismissive hand. "Enough shop talk. I can't get over how much weight you've lost since last year, Dani. And when I think back to university, it's like you're a different person." She turned to Fiona. "Remember those thick glasses she used to wear? And isn't it remarkable how her skin cleared up? What a difference!"

  Dani shifted uncomfortably, knowing Chantal meant to shine a light on her less than beautiful past and embarrass her in front of Zach. She tried for a light tone. "I owe it all to the wonders of acne medicine and laser surgery."

  "Well, I'm very proud of you. When I think back to how heavy you were in university, even how heavy you were last year, I can't believe the change in you. How did you ever manage to lose so much weight?"

  Chantal had no idea how hard she'd worked, both physically and mentally, to take off the weight. But she wasn't about to get into it in front Zach and the others.

  "I had a very supportive diet counselor."

  "Chantal, quit grilling Dani." Fiona put a warning note into her voice.

  "I'm not grilling her, Fee. I'm just expressing my admiration. Don't you find her transformation remarkable? I mean, considering where she started, she's improved significantly."

  Dani almost laughed. She knew she wasn't beautiful and never would be. Chantal's back-handed compliment underscored that truth for everyone else in the room.

  Zach took her hand and kissed it. "I think she's beautiful."

  He stared into her eyes, and for a fraction of a moment, she could almost believe he meant it.

  Chantal laughed. "Oh, Zach. You're such a good boyfriend for saying that. Tell us about you two. How long have you been dating?"

  They spoke at the same time.

  "Two weeks."

  "Two months."

  She stared at Zach. Perhaps they should have gotten their stories straight before they'd begun this game.

  "So which is it?" Margaret laughed. "Two weeks or two months?"

  "Both," Dani said quickly, scrambling to come up with something sort of believable. "Two months and two weeks. And seventeen hours, if you want to be precise."

  "Isn't that something!" Chantal exclaimed. "It's amazing you two were dating all this time and no one knew about it, not even Adele. In fact, it's almost unbelievable."

  She saw panic flare in Zach's eyes. If she didn't do something quick, the jig was up.

  She moved closer and looked up into his face, letting a besotted smile spread over her lips. For good measure she casually trailed her free hand from his waist to his right hip where it lingered as if it had the right to be there.

  "I guess we're just really good at staying undercover."

  Zach chuckled at her double entendre before dipping his head to kiss her and drive home the point that they were together. His kiss was soft and sweet, without the urgency of their previous kiss, but no less arousing. She leaned into him and sighed against his mouth. The man really knew how to kiss a girl.

  "Hrrummph."

  Camp loudly cleared his throat, bringing her back to the present. She blinked up at Zach a couple of times and he grinned back at her. It was ridiculously easy to pretend to be his girlfriend.

  And the perks were pretty good, too.

  "Dinner is ready, everyone," Adele said as she emerged from the kitchen. "Please seat yourselves in the dining room."

  Her stomach growled loudly as she took her seat at the dining table. Zach grinned as he helped her into her chair and then sat next to her.

  "Hungry?"

  "Starved."

  Camp sat at the head of the table wi
th Foster, Margaret, Jonathan and Chantal on his right, and Fiona, Todd, Dani and Zach on his left. Zach's mother entered the dining room carrying a tray of soup bowls.

  "That smells terrific, Mom," he said.

  Adele smiled as she placed the bowls in front of each person. "I hope you all enjoy it. Bon appetite."

  A moment later Dani confirmed that the soup tasted even better than it smelled. Chunks of fresh vegetables and bits of chicken floated in a flavorful broth, whetting Dani's appetite for the main event.

  The main course didn't disappoint. When Adele brought a crown roast of lamb surrounded by braised vegetables to the table, it was all she could do not to drool. Camp did the honors by carving the roast.

  "Pass your plate and I'll fill it up for you," he said. "Ladies first. Daniella, how about you?"

  She was only too happy to comply. She passed her plate to Camp and he filled it with a generous portion of meat and vegetables.

  "Chantal, pass your plate to me."

  She turned up her nose. "Just the carrots, Grandfather. I don't eat red meat. And there's too many carbs in potatoes."

  "Since when have you been a vegetarian?" Foster said, with equal parts surprise and annoyance in his voice. "And as far as carbs, you could stand a little meat on your bones. You're as skinny as a stick."

  "I've been a vegetarian for a few months, Dad."

  Dani blinked in surprise. This from the girl who used to make midnight runs to McDonalds five nights a week to satisfy her Big Mac cravings.

  Margaret laughed. "I believe Wallis Simpson said you can never be too rich or too thin. Such a wise woman."

  Camp lifted a bushy white eyebrow. "Why am I not surprised that the woman who nearly destroyed the British monarchy is your role model? What can I get for you, Margaret?"

  "Just the carrots as well. I have to watch my waistline."

  "Perhaps I could fix the two of you something more to your taste," Adele offered. "A salad maybe?"