Attraction - a fraudulent marriage

24. changes

This is the revised version of Attraction  - AND, this is where the big changes are starting to surface

I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror and thanked my luck for being moderately close to Chris' size. I didn't have a closet full of suits to keep me well dressed over several nights, and the graphite colored material made me look quite all right if I was allowed to say so myself. At least I wouldn't be embarrassed when I met my hubby.

"The shoulders are a bit wide," Chris commented.

I adjusted the suit jacket. "Well, it's better than nothing. Besides, we can pretend we're back in the 80's. Thanks for letting me borrow it"

"No problem. You look better in it than I do."

"That's not true. But, we'll have to go home and change before we go out dancing." I couldn't picture myself rocking the dance floor unless dressed more fabulously.

Chris tried to style his dark blond hair which always was a bit of a mess. "I guess. I mean, the club's opening hours aren't great, but we're not exactly in a hurry."

"Do you think we should start our evening with another drink?" The mini bar was fully stocked, and since I'd never had the opportunity to actually empty one before, it made sense to try it out.

Chris shook his head, but I figured the gesture had more to do with his unruly hair. Just as I was about to help him out someone knocked on the door.

He sighed. "We better get going."

"Already?" I checked the time. Damn, we'd been fussing around for more than an hour.

Tom entered, looking hot as always. His gaze swept over me from head to toe, and a flicker of appreciation made me stand up straight with a grin.

"Time to go," Tom said, using his professional voice. It was kind of awesome to hear the difference because it really showed that something was happening between us. If only I'd known exactly how to label it.

Feeling all warm at the sight of him, I strode across the floor until I could brush up against him. Tilting my head, I gave him a quick peck. "We're ready."

"No, we're not," Chris replied, raking his fingers through his hair again.

"Don't worry. I'll help you in the car." I reached for the hair wax standing on the hallway table. It was kind of cute to see Chris so nervous. He had no reason to be rattled since he wasn't the one who would stand in front of a crowd and do his absolute best, but then again, logic and emotion don't go very well together. I glanced at Tom. Oh well, sometimes it seemed that rational choices could be followed by irrational ones just fine. Or maybe it had been a rather irrational choice from the start.

As if he knew I was thinking about him, Tom placed his arm around my back, softly squeezing my side. The touch, much like all his other ones, seemed to overwhelm my senses. My skin warmed beneath his caress, and the feeling radiated in sweet waves.

Chris tilted his head and smiled as he watched us. Thankfully, he didn't say a word. As much as I wanted Chris to understand, I also knew that what Tom and I had was precariously fragile. It felt like the mildest perturbation could shatter whatever progress we'd made. Hopefully I was wrong because I'd fallen harder than I'd signed up for.

I leaned into Tom's side, hoping my heart would calm down. The thought of losing him hurt too much, and it was stupid to worry about anything like that when we were doing better than I could ever have hoped for.

****

The concert hall appeared smaller as we entered. Rows upon rows of seats were filled with people, and their chatter rose toward the ceiling. The excitement was tangible and oh so very beautiful. I hoped Dante would enjoy his night because I certainly would. I'd never heard him perform with an entire orchestra before, although I had a feeling it would be hard to impress me more than he'd already done at our wedding.