Part 23 (2/2)
Alex just goggled for a moment, stunned by Mick's sudden appearance. ”What are you doing under there?”
”He's my little dog.” Rivka rapped Mick on the head with her fan as he tried to lick her hand. ”My naughty little pooch. I take him with me to the guillotine, you know, and have his little head chopped off, too.”
Alex grimaced. ”Ouch.”
”That's what Martin told me anyway.” Rivka poked her dealer unceremoniously with her fan. ”Right?”
Martin pulled his attention away from the woman in the red dress long enough to reply. ”Certainly, Rivka.”
”I don't believe we've met,” the woman who had so captivated Martin cooed, extending one slim hand to Alex. ”I'm Miss Ross, of course.”
”Pleasure.” Alex took the woman's hand. ”Alex ... I mean Mark Antony.”
The woman's fingers squeezed his for a moment, her dark eyes s.h.i.+mmering against her caramel-colored skin. She swept a mane of curly black hair out of her eyes. ”Mr. Gorgeous.” She nudged the sailor.
”Have we met?”
”No, honey,” Miss Ross said. ”But I've heard all about you. I'm Sarah's
a.s.sistant, Darren Ramsey.”
Martin choked rather loudly. Alex did a double-take. Miss Ross smiled, obviously pleased that her costume had fooled them.
”Is Sarah here?” Alex was unable to think of any other response.
Darren waved a sequined arm around the room. ”Oh, yes. She's around here
someplace.”
”She's supposed to be dressed as Little Bo Peep,” Rivka said in disdain, every inch her royal majesty. ”How bourgeois!”
”I'm going to find her.”
Darren's hand on his arm stopped him. ”She's not dressed as Bo Peep.”
”What is she dressed as?”
”That,” Miss Ross said Supremely, ”is for you to find out, honey.”
Alex shrugged, confused. Taking his leave of Rivka and the others, he began
making his way toward the food. He wanted to make sure everything was all right since The Foxfire was doing the catering. He'd just take a quick look and be off on his mission to find Sarah.
He found the buffet table groaning with food. Emma, delightfully whimsical in her frothy pink costume, was making suggestions to several hungry revelers who seemed overwhelmed by the choices. Michel, looking rigid and uncomfortable dressed as the Cowardly Lion, was overseeing the servers who stood on either side of the table.
”Looks great,” Alex complimented the chef.
Emma waggled her brows at him. ”So do you, boss. Look at those knees!”
”Nice costume.” The man to Alex's left was dressed as Julius Caesar.
Something seemed familiar about him, though Alex couldn't quite place it.
Perhaps the man had come into the restaurant on occasion. It seemed the most likely explanation, though just where he had seen the guy before nagged at his mind. He shrugged off the feeling, certain it would come to him in time.
”Enjoy the salad.” Alex indicated the man's plate. ”We made it because we knew you would be coming. Fresh anchovies and everything.”
The man stared blankly at him for a moment, than laughed rather insincerely. ”Funny.” He stuck out his hand. ”William Darcy.”
”Alex Caine.” Alex was already shaking the man's hand before the name sank in. When he realized who he had in his grip, he had to make a conscious effort not to bear down and grind the man's bones to a pulp. This was the man who had hurt Sarah.
”Nice party.” A pet.i.te, platinum-blonde woman dressed predictably as Marilyn Monroe appeared beside Darcy.
He draped his arm around her shoulders. ”This is Pansy, my wife.”
Pansy? Alex shook the woman's hand politely. This was the woman Darcy had chosen over Sarah? The pet.i.te blonde was pretty, sure, but in the same way thousands of other women are pretty. She had nothing that made her stand out from the crowd, except perhaps for her immense chest. It rose from the top of her white halter dress like twin mountain peaks. Alex bet he could rest a drink on each one, and she wouldn't spill a drop.
”This place is so ... neat.” Pansy paused for a long moment as though she was having trouble finding an adjective strong enough to describe her feelings. ”I think I might buy one of the paintings for the rumpus room.”
”Just don't buy any that are over in that room.” Darcy tweaked her nose. He pointed to the Bold Room, the room Rivka had set aside to honor Sarah.
”Right.” Pansy sniffed. ”Like I want a picture of your ex-girlfriend in our house.”
”She was hardly a girlfriend.” Darcy turned to Alex, speaking with casual pride. Though he had just denied his real relations.h.i.+p with Sarah, clearly he thought it a bragging matter to mention he had dated the artist's sister. ”I dated Sarah Lazin. Her sister dedicated that room over there to her.”
”You know Sarah?” Red rage boiled up and threatened to erupt through his fists.
”Sure.” The pompous braggart appeared relaxed and somewhat talkative. Pansy had tripped off to look at the prints for sale along the far wall. ”Nice enough girl, though not much to look at. And somewhat stupid as well.”
”She must have been, to date you,” Alex muttered through clenched teeth.
”What did you say?” Darcy seemed unable to believe his ears.
”Say.” Alex clapped Darcy's shoulder suddenly, jovially, as though Darcy was his best friend in all the world. ”We've met before, you know.”
Darcy furrowed his brow. ”I don't think so.”
”Sure.” Alex gave him a light punch to the upper arm. Real man-to-man bonding. ”In the parking lot behind my restaurant.”
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