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  “Earth to Tony.” Logan grinned and shook his head. “Good luck, man. I think you’ve got it bad for her.”

  “That’s impossible.” Tony glanced Lydia’s way again, then turned resolutely away. “I haven’t see her in years.”

  “You know love at first sight exists, right?”

  “Love?” Tony shook his head. “Nah. Not me.”

  Logan shrugged. “Think what you want. Love can hit anybody at any time. I believe that. What takes time is finding out if it’ll last and if you’re suited to each other.”

  “You think two people who are unsuited to each other could fall in love?”

  “Oh, hell yeah. Happens all the time. Just don’t run off and get married. If you do, you’ll more than likely be contributing to the divorce statistics in this country.” Logan sounded bitter, and Tony knew his friend had plenty of reason to wish he was just a divorce statistic. He wanted to say something wise and comforting, but could only settle by gripping the other man’s shoulder for a second.

  They both cleared their throats and Logan straightened. He gave Tony a wry smile. “Well, at any rate, it’s always a fun ride, whether it works out or not. Enjoy it.”

  Tony nodded and took a sip of his drink as his friend turned to greet another acquaintance. Tony intentionally let himself drift away, thinking. A fun ride. He wouldn’t know. He’d never been in love. Not even when he was a kid. Even in high school, his prom date had been someone to party with, another human being engrossed in herself and her own pursuit of pleasure.

  Not that he believed all that crap about love at first sight, but he knew any relationship with Lydia could be more than just a one night stand. What would it be like to pursue someone else’s pleasure instead of his own? The thought both frightened and intrigued him. It suggested a loss of control like he’d had with drugs and alcohol, and he wasn’t sure he could afford that.

  Maybe he was wrong about his attraction to Lydia, anyway. Surely it was too soon to tell whether or not it meant more than any other attraction to a woman. But he couldn’t find out if he didn’t confront it. With a new sense of purpose, he started toward the corner where he’d last seen Lydia.

  Just as he did so, however, Mattie came over and grabbed his hand. “They’re here.”

  He gave her a puzzled look. “Who?”

  “Your brother.” She frowned. “Are you all right?”

  Crap. Nice timing, Andre. He nodded, casting another look at the corner of the room, then shrugged. He had a definite feeling his brother would only be getting married once, and he honestly didn’t want to miss a minute of it.

  There’s still plenty of time to find Lydia.

  He joined the group of well-wishers gathered by the front door tossing flower petals and shooting silly string at the late-arriving couple. Hoots and laughter at their unapologetic lateness mixed with some slightly off-color and very juvenile jokes about the reason for it.

  “Did your car break down, Andre?”

  “Why would his car break down? Oh, maybe it was all the rocking!”

  “If the car’s a rockin’ don’t come knockin’!”

  Tony fell into step with Andre and Stacey as they ducked the good-natured jibes on their way into the ballroom. Stacey took his arm and smiled her lovely smile at him. He hadn’t known her when she was a blonde, but he had a definite feeling he liked her natural brown better. “You’re pretty quiet. Everything okay?”

  “Sure.” He flashed her a smile and squeezed the hand that held his arm. “Just off in my own world. Sorry.”

  “Well, it has been a long day.” She glanced at her new husband with a youthful fondness that contradicted her attempt at making it sound as if she were tired. “You know, all that wearisome getting married and such.”

  “Not to mention the picture-taking production with all the press.” Andre smiled, reclaiming his bride from Tony by snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her to him. “That got old fast.”

  Before Andre could pull her all the way to him, however, Stacey gasped. “Oh! You were going to pick up that girl, the magician, what’s her name?”

  “Lydia.” Tony spoke the name grimly enough to make his brother chortle.

  He clapped Tony on the back. “Sorry, little brother. Everything go okay with that?”

  “Okay?” Tony blinked. Okay seemed almost like a cheap shot. He swallowed. “Yeah. Of course. Picked her up, she’s here. Having a great time last I saw.”

  Stacey and Andre exchanged glances and Stacey nodded a little. “Well, all right then. But I’d feel better if you went and found her. You know, make sure she's really okay? For me?”

  Tony wondered if he’d ever be able to refuse his sister-in-law anything. He certainly couldn’t now, when she was glowing with bridal joy. And asking me to do the very thing I want to do. He nodded. “Sure. But put that shit away, okay? I love you guys and I’ll do anything for you. No need to pull the whole wedding mojo on me.”

  She laughed and the next moment, Andre had twirled her into his arms and out onto the dance floor where they molded together enough so it was obvious the dancing was just an excuse to hold each other.

  “Right.” Tony snagged another soda from one of the passing waiters. He watched Andre and Stacey for another minute, then went in search of Lydia.

  ****

  Lydia was in seventh heaven. Eighth, if there was one. She loved hanging out with other magicians, exchanging trade secrets and challenging each other to figure out others. She hadn’t had this much fun since the International Magic Convention in Prague two years before. And making this event even better were the mixed in “marks”. Fooling another magician was fun, but what they’d all gotten into the business for was the look of wonder on the audience’s face.

  Good thing I was invited. If I’d known it would be like this, I would’ve crashed the party.

  She found a group of magicians she knew by reputation displaying their favorite card tricks with dog-eared decks and sipped wine as she watched. She finally excused herself to go to the restroom, swaying a little as she stood and realizing the wine wasn’t going to help her own dexterity at all. Time to slow down.

  In the restroom, she passed a woman sniffling and dabbing her eyes with a tissue. Lydia brushed past her, a little irritated. She had little patience with women who cried in public restrooms. In her experience, they seldom had much to cry about. As she washed her hands and splashed a little water on her cheeks another woman came into the little waiting area.

  “Oh jeez, are you still at it?”

  Lydia grinned a little, deciding the conversation could be worth listening to, and turned off the water, examining her reflection in the mirror.

  The crying woman dabbed at her eyes. “Well, yeah. You know, it’s the end. He’s married now.”

  “Huh. Like you had a chance with him. You guys went on, what? Two dates?”

  “Three. And I always thought—”

  “Well, maybe you’ll get lucky and he’ll get divorced, though I wouldn’t count on it.” The speaker, a beautiful Asian woman with long, shining dark hair, marched over to the sink next to Lydia without seeming to notice her. “Besides, there’s still Tony.”

  “Oh, right. Tony.” The first woman sniffled and joined them at the sink, sarcasm weighing down her voice and turning her mouth into an unattractive slant. “He’s a real catch, right?”

  Did Andre really date her? Lydia found it hard to imagine. When the other woman caught her stare in the mirror, Lydia smiled, unabashed, and returned her attention to her own reflection. Your fault for making a scene, chickadee.

  Her companion hadn’t noticed the exchange. “He would be—”

  “But you can’t do it. Nobody can.” Slant-mouth turned her fury on her friend. “Face it, Jana, You were his flavor of Wednesday three months ago. And you haven’t heard one word from him since.” She turned and flounced to the door, pausing for one last parting shot. “And you won’t. Ever. Nobody ever does!”

  Jana
glanced at Lydia, and Lydia couldn’t help a little smile. Jana shrugged. “Well, she is right. Tony’s a player, but I knew that.” She sighed a little, closing her eyes. “I don’t actually even hold it against him. He wasn’t a jerk about it or anything.”

  “Well, hopefully he was worth it.” Lydia adopted a detached tone and pulled out her lipstick.

  Jana opened her eyes and the little private smile playing on her lips spoke volumes. “Let’s just say, I wouldn’t mind repeating it, and I wouldn’t give up that night, either. Even knowing I never would.”

  After the other woman disappeared into one of the stalls, Lydia finished perfecting her makeup thoughtfully. So Tony had sex for fun, and he was good enough at it the women he played with didn’t even mind. Was that what she’d noticed about him when she’d stood on the balcony overlooking the tableau below? Maybe.

  To be honest, she didn’t really know what Tony was really like. She’d never known him sober. As far back as she could remember—or at least as far back as her relationship with the Hawkins brothers went—Tony had been dependent on one addiction or another. Drugs, alcohol, gambling. Seeing him sober and strong was a new sensation, and he was like a stranger to her.

  And not altogether unpleasant, either. Lydia exchanged a glance with her own reflection, thinking that she’d done worse things than spend a pleasant night in the arms of a strong, skilled lover. Yeah, but this Tony. She frowned at herself. You’ve just barely got back into the Hawkins’ brothers good graces. But it wasn’t like she was looking for a relationship, either. There was no chance she would break his heart if he was used to playing the game with women.

  I can’t afford anything else, either. She glared at the woman in the mirror who glared back just as sternly. She tossed her head and started for the exit. “I deserve a little fun.”

  ****

  Tony worked his way slowly around the dance floor, ducking an acquaintance here, pausing to give a friend a quick greeting there. Everyone seemed happy. Except one woman whose red eyes were evidence of tears. And Andre leaves another heart broken. He edged past the woman who was arguing with another woman. As he did, the companion of Broken Heart turned and caught his arm. “Tony Hawkins, I know you’re not going to just walk past me.”

  He hesitated, searching his memory, and fortunately found the appropriate one. “Jana.”

  His former conquest smirked triumphantly at his memory. “I really need someone to dance with. Won’t you help me out?”

  “Actually, I was just—” Tony hesitated, uncertain how to get away from the woman he’d had sex with and find the woman who had so intrigued him, he wasn’t even certain what he wanted from her. A one-night stand with Lydia seemed out of the question, but sex would have to figure into it somehow or other. He wasn’t even sure he could reconcile one thing with the other. So what the hell was he doing out looking for her like this?

  Jana pouted and tugged on his arm. “Oh come on! One dance. What’s the harm?”

  He scanned the crowd one last time, then sighed when he didn’t spot her face. He returned his attention to the woman at his side. “Okay, fine. One dance.”

  She led him onto the dance floor where she slipped her arms around his neck and swayed against him enough so he had to tighten his grip on her waist more than he’d actually intended. “So.” She peered up at him through almond-shaped, light brown eyes.

  He raised his eyebrows, guiding her further onto the dance floor and trying not to look around for Lydia. “So?”

  “You look like a man on a mission. What’s up?”

  “Nothing.” He cleared his throat, surprised he’d been so obvious. “Just, uh, looking for someone.”

  “Really? A female someone? Cause, you know, if you’re not too specific, I could fit the bill.” She gave him an unabashed grin.

  He snorted a little laugh. “If it wasn’t a specific female someone I was looking for, I’d take you up on it.”

  “But it is.” She shook her head and whistled softly. “And she’s staying out of sight? That’s different.”

  “Yeah.” He drew in a breath. “It is.”

  “Well, in the meantime, I’m going to enjoy my dance.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “And if you spot her before it’s over, don’t disturb me.”

  “Sure.” He scanned the crowd. He couldn’t explain the growing concern in his chest that he was going to be too late if he didn’t hurry up. And because he couldn’t explain it, he ignored it. Lydia wasn’t going anywhere, after all.

  ****

  Lydia watched Tony twirl Jana across the dance floor, her head lying on his chest as if it belonged there. She tried to convince herself that it didn’t matter. So Jana got there first. Didn’t mean, if she read the situation correctly, that Tony would be unavailable later on.

  “Hey, girl. Having fun?”

  Lydia looked to her side and found Mariella. Was it her imagination, fed by the knowledge that her friend was pregnant, or was the other woman actually glowing? “Hey. How are you?”

  “I’m great, but I’m guessing by that question that you figured out why I’m retiring from the public life for a while.” Mariella’s smile teased her friend, but then she sobered. “I can’t really blame you. I was a little surprised, too.”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” Lydia spoke absently, her eyes trailing back to the dance floor. Was this really the same dance? Was it going to go on all night? Maybe Jana and Tony were enjoying it so much they’d let one dance lead to another. And that one might lead right into Tony’s bed…

  Mariella’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “I don’t mean I was surprised by the pregnancy. I mean, we weren’t trying not to conceive, you know? I was surprised by how I felt when I found out.”

  The words caught Lydia’s attention and she turned. “Really? How did you feel?”

  Mariella’s smile was very gentle. “Complete. Like it was what I’d been waiting for.”

  “Oh.” Lydia searched for something deeper to say but couldn’t find it. She reached for her friend’s hand. “Well, congratulations. Really. I’m very happy for you both.”

  “Thanks.” Mariella gripped her hand for a second, then let go with a yawn. “I better go find my husband. I get tired early these days.”

  Lydia watched her go and realized she wanted very much to have what Mariella had. A sense of fullness and completion. Like you didn’t have to keep chasing that perfect show or trick or whatever. Or you could chase it all you wanted, but if you never achieved it, it was okay. Because of the more important things in your life.

  She frowned at the intrusive thought. She’d never let anything get in the way of her ambition before. Why was she considering it now?

  “Hey Lady Lydia, you gotta come show these guys a few of your tricks. They don’t believe that you can get out of any knot.”

  Lydia turned, glad for the intrusion, and gave the little man next to her a bemused look. At least six inches shorter than she was with a dark and prematurely wizened face, Phil wasn’t much to look at and she suspected his character matched his appearance, but his prestige as an illusionist was uncontested. “Who doesn’t believe it?”

  Phil grinned, looking a little like an elf with his head tilted to look up at her. “Coupla new fellows. Illusionists, but they’ve done some escape work. They reckon they can outdo you.”

  “Right.” Lydia tossed back her glass of wine and set it aside. She motioned for Phil to lead the way. “I guess I’d best go defend my reputation, then.” As Phil started away, Lydia glanced once more at the dance floor, then turned with more resolution than she felt. She had the oddest feeling that she’d lost something precious in just those few seconds, and it left an empty, aching feeling in her chest.

  A waitress happened past, and Lydia grabbed another glass of bubbling champagne as she followed Phil.

  Chapter 4

  Tony finally broke away from Jana after a second dance. He brought her a glass of wine. “I have to go.”

  “To look f
or this girl?” She raised her eyebrows over the glass. “Why bother? Really?” She reached for his tie.

  He backed away. Why, indeed? He made up his mind. “I need to be sure she’s okay. And because I want to.”

  “You want to.” She frowned, then sighed a little and kissed his cheek. “I hope she knows how lucky she is.”

  Lydia was not easy to find. He finally located her in a knot of cheering male magicians. She was seated on a table with her legs crossed and her arms bound behind her. A handsome, dark complected man teased her with a wine glass. “C’mon, Lady Lydia! Get loose and it’s all yours.”

  Lydia pretended to have trouble with the knot. “Oh, you might just have me with this one.”

  The dark man smiled a little lasciviously and leaned on the table so his body half covered hers. “Oh, I really hope so. But give it a try anyway.”

  Lydia remained perfectly calm. Tony knew she’d probably already worked her way out of the knot, or at least knew how to, but she gave no indication of it. “How on earth could I possibly—oops!” She held up her hands with the rope dangling from one and gave him a little push away from her. “Did you lose something, Samir?”

  “Just his pride.” Tony recognized the little toadlike man who spoke as Phil, an illusionist. He frowned, searching his mind. Had Phil even been invited? Before he could speak, Phil made a beckoning motion. “Everybody pay up.”

  “Not the right venue, Phil.” Tony stepped forward as Lydia took the wine from the handsome magician’s fingers. Tony noticed a line of empty wine glasses on the table next to her. It wasn’t the first bet, then. His resolution to put a stop to the illicit activities strengthened into an almost protective resolve. “Lydia.”

  She glanced at Tony as she sipped the wine. “What? You want to go next?” She dangled the rope in front of him. At his disbelieving look, she laughed. “Sorry, don’t have any cuffs. You have to bring your own.”