An aroma of coffee awakened her the next morning. "Thank you, Stephie," Dana mumbled as she slowly drew back the covers. The digital clock showed nine. Time to get busy. Quickly showering and dressing – just in case her unwanted guest was up and about – she went to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Miss Slugabed," Stephanie chirped. She was taking a stack of napkins from the linen closet. "We figured the coffee would arouse you."

We? As Dana started to phase the question aloud, AJ entered with the Sunday paper in hand. "I retrieved this from the front lawn. Thought I'll check the latest fallout."

"More bad news is just what I need," Dana grumbled, pouring herself a cup of coffee. She already had enough worries on her plate without scouring the papers for more, her foremost worry being the possibility of AJ bringing up that silly proposal in front of Stephanie. Without a doubt Steph would go right along with him, think it was a wonderful idea. Dana could see that AJ had made an ally of her friend and she was in no mood to battle both of them. Besides, today belonged to Ralph and Eva and she didn't want any negative forces intruding.

Normally, Dana would have hunched over the kitchen table sipping her coffee till she completely awakened. Now she didn't know what to do. It didn't seem a good idea to leave AJ and Steph alone, but she didn't feel comfortable staying around them, either. As a compromise, Dana stayed, but occupied herself by thumbing through her recipe box. She had only a few hours to prepare the chicken and wild rice casserole for Ralph and Eva's luncheon, so she might as well get started.

AJ removed the newspaper from it plastic bag and leafed through the sections. Stephanie flitted about, treating the man as if he were a foreign potentate, serving him a platter of miniature muffins with crocks of flavored butter and freshening his coffee every time he sat his cup down.

"Well, we're still in the news," AJ announced. He brought a folded section over to Dana, holding it while he scanned the article. "Countermeasures are called for."

"Looks to me as through the hubbub is subsiding. At least it's off the front page." Dana waved the paper away, her eyes avoiding AJ's. She wasn't about to subject herself to any pressure from him or provide an opportunity for more conversation on their marrying.

"See, I told you everything would be okay," the ever-optimistic Steph chimed in, oblivious to the high-voltage current running between Dana and AJ.

"You're right, Steph, everything's going to be fine." Dana turned to AJ. "Now if you'll excuse us, Mr. McLean, we need to concentrate on work."

She thought he was going to argue, but instead AJ refilled his coffee cup and picked up the newspaper. "Mind if I borrow this?"

He was barely out of the room when Stephanie started in. "What's the deal? You could have knocked me over with a hummingbird feather when I came upon AJ in the kitchen this morning, acting like he's taken up permanent residence. Obviously you've gotten to know each other quite well in my absence," she said. Her face showed undisguised hopefulness. "What's he doing here? And what's going on between you? Tell me what I've missed."

"Hiding out from the press, nothing going on and what you've missed is four cancellations. Gail Weinberg, Patti Brinks, Veronica Pineda, and Marie Howard bailed out while you were gone."

"Oh, no." Steph squeezed Dana's hand sympathetically.

"And you should see the horrid picture of Torrence Place they've been running."

Stephanie grimaced. "All of this is because of AJ's bombed-out wedding?"

"It appears to be. Haven't you been reading the papers or listening to the news?"

Stephanie wriggled her eyebrows suggestively in response. Of course she hadn't, Dana remembered. She and Jay probably never left their motel room. "It's been a circus with the press, and the repercussions are even worse then I feared. The cancellations have come in so fast, my head is spinning."

"Really, Dana. I'm so sorry. But what about AJ? Can't he do something?"

"Oh, right. Like he's some wizard who can fix everything. What could he do? Whip out that checkbook of his?" She had no intention of sharing AJ's elopement idea with Stephanie. That remedy wasn't worth a second of her thoughts, or the interminable discussion that would follow if she did mention it.

"He should understand that money is only part of the problem," Stephanie said.

"I'm not sure he does. And even if he did, I don't see any way he could help with reestablishing a positive image of Torrence Place. No, this is my problem and I've got to figure out a solution myself." And marrying AJ McLean definitely isn't.

That afternoon's wedding was one of her best, Dana decided. Eva and Ralph surrounded by children, grandchildren and several friends from the retirement home. Perhaps it was the sincerity of the couple that made the difference, but Dana had that familiar feel-good tingle that came with launching a new union. It was like a tonic after Thursday's upheaval.

She did experience a bit of apprehension when AJ joined the wedding party. However, he was everything Dana thought he wouldn't be – ingratiating, and useful. He served punch and coffee, assisted in clearing the luncheon table and folded the chairs away. The extra pair of hands contributed to a smooth operation and Dana couldn't help but feel appreciative.

By the end of the afternoon, one would have guessed AJ to be a member of the family, especially when he made the gracious gesture of arranging for Eva and Ralph to have that honeymoon in Maui he'd planned for himself. It galled Dana to admit that AJ was being – to borrow a Mary Poppins turn of phase – practically perfect in every way.

By sundown, the guests had left, then Stephanie. Dana and AJ had finished an early supper and were seated at a table in the solarium winding down with a glass of iced tea.

"Today was fun," he said. "I can see why you like your work. It must be very gratifying."

"Generally," she admitted.

"Except when weddings blow up in your face, like mine did, hhmm?"

"Yes," Dana answered, not wanting to carry the conversation further. It was still too painful for her and she was unable to deal with her perplexing feelings about what had happened since then.

Dana expected AJ to belabor last night's proposal, but he didn't. She wasn't sure whether he was bidding his time before starting in again or if he considered his rash offer and changed his mind. That would be more plausible. The notion bothered Dana. Could a pattern be showing up? Did AJ like flirting with the idea of marriage but start waffling when it came to the actual commitment? Maybe there were others besides Lucy Walsh and Sarah Martin who misunderstood his true intentions.

Now that Dana could relax, inexplicably she felt miffed that he'd given up on her so readily. She should be happy with some simple conversation and a calm evening. She didn't need numerous advances or half-baked strategies to ease her struggles.

"Doesn't it get tiresome?" His query broke into her jumbled reverie and tempered her sulky mood.

"Huh. . .? Oh, the business. No, I like what I do," she said. "I savor every wedding." She would keep it impersonal and not single his out as the obvious exception.

"Don't they all begin to seem the same?"

Dana shook her head. "Not to me. The people make the difference. I work at ensuring that each affair is individualized, not an assembly-line product. Besides, there all some that are really unusual."

"Example?"

Dana peaked her fingers as she thought. "There was one at the surf's edge in Galveston, with all the guests ankle-deep in water. Then another at a Randall's. The aisle ran right through the produce section–"

"A grocery store ceremony? And you accuse me of being unromantic. What was your favorite one? Which storybook affair?"

"What makes you think that's what it'd take to be my favorite?" Dana asked, relieved he hadn't seized on her mention of Galveston to make some reference to that embrace on the beach, or to start in again about eloping.

"Because I know you, Dana, my love."

She paid no attention to the endearment. "I've lots of favorites. But one a couple a years ago at the Indian Temple sticks in my mind. The bride wore a red silk sari. It was truly lovely."

Dana gave thanks that they were still talking about other people's weddings. Apparently, AJ wasn't going to introduce the elopement discussion again. Her declaration that she'd handle her difficulties on her own must have gotten through. Astonishing, in light of how seldom he heeded anything she said.

She squeezed a lemon wedge into the tea and felt better. Her business woes wouldn't go away, but right now she didn't have to think about them. And for once, it seemed as through AJ agreed.

She traced a heart into the cloud of moisture on her glass. "Did you know," she continued, "that in a Hindu household, a daughter symbolizes the goddess of wealth? So when a daughter is given to her groom, her parents are in fact offering the prime wealth of the household. Isn't that sweet?"

"I think you're sweet, Dana Evans." AJ leaned over and kissed her on the cheek – a light, friendly sort of kiss, but nevertheless disturbing, considering all that had transpired yesterday. Before she had a chance to protest, he slid back to his end of the couch.

"You'd think a wedding was the last place in the world I'd choose to be, but I enjoyed today." He reached over and took her hand. "And I'm longing to attend another ceremony. Soon."

So he hadn't abandoned the subject after all. Bridging up her defenses with small talk, then pouncing was hardly fair play. "I thought we'd settled that." She tried to pull free of his grip, but AJ held fast and Dana surrendered to having her hand held. Better then a wrestling match. She didn't see wrestling with AJ as a wise thing to do.

"Why haven't you entertained the prospect of marriage before?" His eyes twinkled. "Before me, I mean."

"How do you know I haven't?"

"I asked Stephanie."

She glared at him. "So you've started snooping on me behind my back."

"Only because you refused to talk. According to her, there've been no fiancés and no significant boyfriends."

"Remind me to fire Stephanie."

"If you do, I'll give her a job. So tell me – why?"

"Why hadn't you?" Dana retorted. "Before Sarah that is."

"Could be I've tried, as you said. Maybe all the women walk out on me at the last minute."

She rolled her eyes. "On that note, I think I'll walk, too. Goodnight." She rose from her chair.

"Okay, straight answer. Just stay and hear me out. I guess I never realized how nice a relationship could be, how important it is to have someone really special in your life."

For an instant Dana dared to hope that AJ had been converted, that the afternoon with Ralph and Eva had made him see the wonder of love. Then common sense surfaced. This was AJ McLean she was talking to, a man who admittedly didn't know the first thing about the subject. "I suppose you saw the light about the time you discovered Sarah had taken to the Cancun beaches with another man."

"No. It started before that."

"Oh?"

"Yes." He stood and took both her hands in his. "I remember exactly when the realization began. . .it started the day I met you."

Chapter 11
Chapter 9
Table of Contents
Hosted Stories