A Merry Little Christmas (23 page)

Soon the aroma of strong espresso was scenting the room and the women were sharing an intensely rich flourl
ess chocolate cake with
creme
fr
aiche and raspberries. Confidences just seemed to flow when there was high quality chocolate at hand. Paris was naturally the first one to speak up.

“So you don’t want to divorce Donnie even though that was the plan? You want this to be like a real marriage? When did you come to that conclusion?” she asked with ill-concealed curiosity.

Angelique sighed and looked at the morsel of cake on her folk before devouring it. This was the first thing that had tempted her appetite in days; chocolate had always been her weakness. “I don’t know exactly when I realized I didn’t want to let him go, but I can’t pretend I don’t care about him. He’s been so sweet to me, so kind and caring and just...
sweet.
He made me soup one day, really good soup. He won’t let my family say anything bad about me, or his family, either. And he doesn’t act like it was
all my
fault. He says he’s to blame, too. He hasn’t yelled at me one time, and that includes when I was screaming at him after he told that pack of reporters we were married for real.”

She shuddered slightly at the memory and ate the last bite of her cake. “May I have some more, please? This was wonderful.”

Lisette served her the cake and asked what she meant about screaming at Donnie.

“Oh, girl, you should have seen me,” she said, making an
embarrassed
face. “I went ballistic because he was acting all cool and suave like this was a real wedding, and he never said a word to me about wh
at he was going to do.  H
e just blurted it out at the hotel and I had to go along with it. And he did the same thing after we got home, he just told everybody that this was our business and to stay out of it. It was the best thing to do, I guess, but it was just driving me crazy that he could be so cool and tell all those lies without blinking an eye. So I went off on him. More than once, I might add, and he never yelled at me or told me I was being a spoiled brat, which I was.” She sighed.

Paris and Lisette were completely captivated by this story and were both leaning forward on the milk-painted farmhouse kitchen table. Paris wanted more information. “So did you ever apologize?”

Angelique stopped with another bite of cake halfway to her mouth. “Of course I did, I’m not a heathen. At least, not anymore,” she amended. “I apologized the next day and he was very nice about it. He even hugged me....” Her voice trailed off and she remembered that morning in great detail, the fact that they’d been in the kitchen and that Donnie was still getting dressed and had on a wife-beater and an old flannel shirt he’d yet to button. The memory of his hard, flat stomach and the glimpse of the silky hair on his chest still made her heart beat erratically.

Paris, bless her nosy heart, zeroed right in on that expression. “You also realized
that you’re married to a big ol’
sexy man, didn’t you? You really
want
him, cousin, in every way. So why don’t you get him?”

By now the second piece of cake was gone and Angelique stared unhappily at her plate. “I can’t ‘get’ him, Paris. Just because he’s being really sweet to me doesn’t mean he wants me, too. And I’ve told you before, I’m not his type. I’m not a woman he’d ever go for, I’m just some pitiful child he feels sorry for right now. I’m stupid, I’m not crazy,” she muttered.

By mutual agreement Paris and Lisette both gave her a playful smack on the back of the head. When she looked up in surprise, Lisette told her, “We said we would do that if you started being
mean
to yourself again. You have to be honest with him, you simply must. Besides, I don’t think you know what you’re talking about this time. Come with me,
cher
,
I have something to show you.”

Mystified she and Paris followed Lisette into her second bedroom she had outfitted as a small, feminine study. She took out a manila folder and handed it to Angelique. “Look at that picture and tell me the man is indifferent to you! You can’t do it, can you?”

Angelique opened the folder and there was a newspaper photograph of her and Donnie as they were leaving the Bellagio. Their coats were over their left arms in deference to the Nevada heat.
Donnie’s right arm was around her waist and he was looking down at her as though she was the most precious thing in his universe. Her face was turned toward his and they looked radiantly in love, even in the midst of the media ambush. Without realizing what she was doing, Angelique’s fingers touched the image of Donnie’s face. She looked
more unhappy
than ever.

Lisette looked shocked at the sadness in her friend’s face. “What is it, Angel? Don’t you see how much he cares for you?”

“No, I don’t. Don’t forget, I’m a photographer. And I know better than anyone that pictures
do
lie
.”

Lisette disagreed with her at once. “Angel, I’ve seen you together and you’re not alone in your feelings. He cares for you, I can tell. If you want this marriage to be real, you have to make it so. Tell him how you feel. I finally told Warren I was the one who had caused his engagement to be broken and you know how afraid I was to do that.”

This news caused Angelique to forget her own situation for a moment. “You’re kidding. What did he say?” she demanded.

Smiling for all she was worth, Lisette told them. “He had just told me he loved me and I told him I loved him, too, but I had to tell him something. We sat down and I explained how angry I’d gotten when that wretched Tracy said those terrible things about him and I wanted him to know what kind of creature he was about to marry. I told him how I set the whole thing up, how I plotted and schemed. Then I shut up and I waited. I just knew he was going to be furious and I was waiting for him to say something terrible to me. Instead, he started laughing. He laughed and laughed, and when he could talk he told me he’d always suspected I’d done it on purpose and he’d always wanted to thank me for keeping him from the biggest mistake of his life. And the next day he bought me this, the sweet man,” she cooed as she showed them a delicate gold chain with a sizable round diamond in the middle.

“So, telling the truth brought us even closer together. You should tell Donnie how you feel, Angel. What could you possibly lose?”

“Besides my sanity and what’s left of my dignity?
My heart, probably.”
She looked at her digital watch, which was buzzing. She’d set it to alarm because she had to leave early. “Look, thank you for dinner, it’s my turn next. I hate to run, but I have an assignment. There’s this wonderful black hockey player and I get to take pictures of him for
Sports Illustrated
—
Jarome
Iginla
with the Calgary Flames. He’s one of the best players in the NHL and quite handsome, too. A.J. is taking me to the Red Wings game tonight.”

The three women went into the living room, where Lisette fetched Angelique’s coat and purse. Paris gave her cousin a big hug and reminded her that it was always better to tell the truth. “I think you’re going to get a better reaction that you know,” she said.

Lisette concurred. “Tell him how you feel, Angel. That was the advice you gave me and see how well it worked out?”

Angelique looked from one dear friend to the other and threw up her hands in defeat. “I’ll think about it, I really will,” she promised.

A.J. arrived to collect her for the Red Wings game and she left, saying she’d call later. Paris looked at Lisette and predicted that her stubborn cousin wouldn’t say a thing. “But that doesn’t mean
I
won’t. They don’t call me Martha May matchmaker for nothing.”

***

From the looks they were getting from the female patrons, Donnie, Warren and Adam were the best-looking men in
Champps
, a big sports-type bar in Farmington. It was a rare occasion when Adam took time off just to hang out, but tonight seemed to be a good time. Donnie was in the mood to talk and Warren and Adam were his best sounding boards.
 
They had finished their meals and were waiting for dessert.
At least, Adam and Donnie were;
Warren had sworn off all sweets. Donnie couldn’t resist a crack.

“What’s the matter, man, Lisette got you on a diet?” he asked with a grin.

“No, as a matter of fact she acts like she thinks I’m cute, which is real strange. I’ve never had a woman who didn’t start trying to get me to lose a few pounds. Lisette never says anything about my weight or how much I eat,” he said in a tone of wonder and gratitude. “But I need to lose some weight for
me
,
you know what I mean. Lisette
could have anybody in the world and
I don’t want her to think she has to be stuck with the fat doctor.”

Donnie scoffed at Warren’s concerns. “Warren, Lisette is crazy about you. You could gain fifty pounds and you’d still be her teddy bear, don’t be stupid. What’s your cholesterol? What’s your blood sugar? What’s your heart rate? Are you healthy? Because you’ve been thick ever since I met you. Look at your dad and mom, they’re both big and both healthy.... Aww, look at me
preachin
’ to the choir. You’re the doctor—how’s your health?”

“
It’s
fine, thanks for asking,” Warren said sardonically. “If you must know, this is a matter of vanity, not health. But speaking of health, what have you done to Angel? She’s lost a lot of weight, man. I don’t think she’s too happy right now.”

It came as a complete surprise to Donnie when Adam agreed with Warren. “Yeah, bro, what are you doing to my sister-in-law? She’s supposed to be blooming right now and she looks wilted. If you can’t take better care of her than that, you need to send her to me,” he said, giving Donnie a hard look.

Donnie’s arm moved abruptly and he knocked his water goblet over, spilling the contents onto the floor. Warren and
Adam looked at each other before looking back at Donnie, who was obviously furious.

“Look, I know Angel is unhappy and I’m doing everything I can to make it right,” he said. “There’s a lot going on you don’t know about and I’d just as soon keep it that way; it’s too personal. But no, she’s not happy with the way the families reacted and I can’t blame her. She’s
not happy about all the press coverage, and I wasn’t either. She’s trying really hard to make her exhibit perfect. Did you know she’s donating all the proceeds to charity? There’s a lot more to her than people realize. She’s smart and funny and she’s a good listener, she’s a darned good cook and she’s the most organized woman I’ve ever met in my life.” He shook his head. “She’s kind of frightening that way, as a matter of fact.”

Warren had to pick at him a little. “So you went shopping without a list and look
who
you ended up with, Cochran.”

Donnie looked blank for a moment until he realized what Warren was talking about. “Aww, don’t go there, Warren. All those grocery lists and special qualifications, that was just a bunch of crap,” he admitted.

Now it was Adam’s turn to dig. “But you were ready to marry Aneesah just a few months ago. You were all messed up because she’d turned you down. Are you sure this isn’t just some kind of rebound?”

Donnie looked disgusted for a second then answered his brother. “No, I’m not on the rebound from Aneesah. She and I had this same conversation, by the way, and it wasn’t nice. She got all over me and I barely got away with my life. You know she’s the one that’s setting up Angel’s exhibit at the museum, right? Well, that’s another story anyway.” He paused while the server removed the fallen glass and replaced it with a fresh one. After apologizing for his clumsiness, he waited until the server left and continued.

“This is how I know I’m not on the rebound. Listen, this is what happened,” he began, and proceeded to tell them the whole story of the Las Vegas wedding. When he finished, it was hard to say who looked more astonished, his best friend or his normally unflappable brother. There was silence around the table for a moment, broken when Donnie added wryly, “I don’t think I have to tell you that this is for your ears only.”

Adam gave a short laugh that held no amusement. “So you got drunk, woke up married and you’re planning on just getting a quiet
divorce at some point in the fu
ture?
This
was your big plan? Man, I ought to bust you in your head! You should have been taking care of Angel and this is how you treat her? No wonder she’s wasting away. This kind of pressure is too much for anybody and any fool can see she’s special. She’s creative and sensitive, you moron, and you’ve got her in a terrible position. She’s lying to her friends and family, lying to the whole world and just waiting for the axe to drop. What’s wrong with you, Adonis? Did we drop you on your head when you were little or something and I just don’t remember it?”

Before Warren could start on him, Donnie held up a weary hand. His brothers only called him Adonis when they were truly angry about something. “Adam, you’re not saying anything I haven’t said to myself. But if it gives you any pleasure at all, you need to know that I don’t want to divorce her. I want this to be a real marriage. I don’t see how I’m going to let her go,” he said quietly. “I’ve fallen in love.”