The Job Offer - By Eleanor Webb Page 0,23

looked at him in that quiet way that took hold of his gut again, with a slight rise of the corners of her soft mouth and a smile around her eyes.

"'Mostly good' means that you are safe from total ravishment, but you can plan on more than me just walking beside you without at least holding your hand. So, Anne... Do you feel brave enough to be 'mostly good' with me and see where the evening leads us?"

"I think so, Ben. A walk down to the dock sounds nice."

"Good. Then follow me." He stood up and pulled her chair back from the table. Then he gave her a charming smile at her raised eyebrows and took her hand to lead her from the dining room. There were two doors that led into the dining room, one from the lobby and the other from the lounge that opened up directly to the back patio. He decided to go through the lounge.

They had just entered the crowded room when he noticed someone he did not want to see sitting at the bar. Chelsea Riverton, an ex-girlfriend, sat at the long bar next to her parents sipping her usual martini. He swore under his breath and stopped walking forcing Anne to stop beside him. She looked at him confused by his sudden halt and scowl. "Listen, Anne. I need you to do something for me, will you?" He asked in a low serious tone.

"What is it?" She asked imitating his tone.

"Do you see that woman with the red hair in the white pantsuit sitting at the bar?" Anne looked over to the bar then back at him giving a small nod. "She is here for the wedding. My family and hers have known each other for years, and a few years ago we dated for a while. It didn't work out, and she made things difficult. Now every time I see her, she comes on to me as if we are still a couple. She does it even if I'm with another woman. I think she thinks that one day I'll come to my senses and marry her. Would you run some interference for me?"

"Say no more, Ben. I've got you covered." She looked over at him in a conspiring way.

"You really do read a lot, don't you? Get ready. She spotted us and is coming over."

"Ben, Darling. Wasn't that dinner just wonderful? I love seafood." Anne said with a sigh and started acting for the benefit of the red headed woman who was now within hearing range. "I just love this place. We will have to come again. In fact, maybe we should have our wedding here, too. What do you think, Ben?"

Whatever Chelsea was about to say turned into a garbled mess once she heard Anne talk about their wedding. Ben decided to go with it.

"I think I like that idea very much, Sweetheart." He leaned in to kiss Anne then stopped when he saw Chelsea standing next to them. "Chelsea! What a surprise. I didn't expect to see you here for the wedding. It looks like your parents came early, too. We weren't expecting them until tomorrow or Thursday."

Chelsea's cheeks were red and she blue eyes bright as she looked back and forth between Anne and him and at his arm that he held around Anne's waist. Anne put her left arm around his waist and her right hand on his chest when she turned into him to let a waitress loaded down with a tray of drinks pass behind her. Chelsea saw the move and gritted her teeth in a phony smile. Each time Chelsea looked at Anne, her face became redder until Ben thought that she would go for Anne's jugular.

"Who is this, Ben?" She ground out between her clenched teeth and the false smile that she plastered on her face. Ben could see Chelsea's parents looking at them with concern from their bar stools.

"This is my fiancée, Anne," Ben said innocently.

"Hello, I'm Anne Conner..." Mary stuck her hand out for a handshake. "...And you are Chelsea. Ben has told me so much about you."

"When did the two of you get engaged?" Chelsea ignored Anne and ground out the next question to him again.

"Just this evening. Isn't it wonderful?" Anne went on happily as if Chelsea would be happy about the news and congratulate them. "Of course, we don't want to announce it just yet, do we Ben, Honey, because we don't want to draw away from Lily's