The Promise - By Danielle Steel Page 0,77
when he turned to find Wendy right at his elbow, he was no longer embarrassed to see her. She was wearing the diamond solitaire Ben had given her for Valentine's Day when they got engaged. They were getting married the following summer. And he was to be best man.
“She looks lovely, doesn't she?”
Wendy nodded and smiled at him again. For once he looked happy, too. She had never really figured him out; but at least it didn't bother her anymore, now that she had Ben. Ben made her happier than any other man ever had.
“But I'm sure you'll look lovely next summer too. I have a weakness for brides.” It seemed very unlike him and Wendy smiled again. She liked him much better, now that she shared his friendship with Ben.
“Trying to chase after my fiancée, old man?” It was Ben at their elbow, juggling three glasses of champagne. “Here, these are for you two. And by the way, Mike, I'm in love with your mother.”
“Too late. I gave her away this morning.” Ben snapped his fingers as though at a loss and all three laughed as the music began in the dining room. “Oops, I think that means me. The son gets the first dance, and then George cuts in on me. Emily Post says …” Ben laughed at him and gave him a shove as he disappeared toward the door to do his duties.
“He looks happy today,” Wendy said softly after Mike had left.
“I think he is, for once.” Pensively, he sipped his champagne, and a moment later smiled at Wendy again. “You look happy today, too.”
“I'm always happy, thanks to you. By the way, did you follow up on that girl in San Francisco, the photographer? I keep meaning to ask you, and I never have time.”
But Ben was shaking his head “No, Mike said he'd take care of it.”
“Does he have time?” Wendy looked surprised.
“No. But he'll probably manage anyway. You know Mike. He's going out there next week, for that and four thousand other reasons.”
No, Wendy thought to herself, I don't know Mike. No one does. Except maybe Ben. But sometimes she even wondered if Ben knew him as well as he liked to think he did. Used to maybe. But did he still?
“Care to dance, lady?” He set down his glass and put an arm around her to guide her to the next room.
“Love to.”
But they'd only been dancing for a moment, it seemed, when Michael cut in on them. “My turn.”
“The hell it is. We just got started. I thought you were dancing with your mother.”
“She ditched me for George.”
“Sensible of her.” The three of them had been shuffling around together on the dance floor and Wendy was starting to laugh. Seeing the two of them together this way was like getting a glimpse of the Ben and Michael of years gone by. This was the kind of occasion they had once thrived on. A good healthy dose of champagne, an occasion worth celebrating, and they were off.
“Listen, Avery, are you going to get lost, or aren't you? I want to dance with your fiancé.”
“And what if I don't want you to?”
“Then I dance with both of you, and my mother throws us out?” Wendy was grinning again. They were like two kids, dying to raise hell at a birthday party. They were just breaking into a song about “a girl in Rhode Island” that was beginning to worry her.
“Listen you two, this is supposed to be twice as much fun. Instead, I'm getting both my feet walked on at once. Why don't we all go have some wedding cake?”
“Shall we?” Ben and Michael eyed each other, nodded in unison, and each obligingly took one of Wendy's arms and led her off the floor, as Michael looked over her head and winked at Ben.
“Cute, but I think she's crocked. Did you notice the way she danced? My shoes are practically ruined.”
“You should see mine.” Ben spoke in a stage whisper, over her left shoulder, and Wendy sharply elbowed them both.
“Listen, you creeps, has anyone seen my shoes? Not to mention my poor aching feet, dancing with you two drunken louts.”
“Louts?” Ben looked at her, horrified, and Michael started to laugh as he accepted three plates of wedding cake from a uniformed maid, and then proceeded to juggle the plates, almost dropping two.
“Never mind her. The cake looks terrific. Here.” Michael handed a plate to each of the other two, and the three leaned