Duo's POV
The Wedding Planner Part 8
The Cat's Away
Quatre lined up a shot with his pool cue, sparing a glance at me as he studied the table. "You should have guessed Silvia would have heard about Alex," he said with a dramatic sigh.
"I know," I conceded, sipping my club soda. "It just sort of blindsided me when she brought it up." I was sprawled on a bar stool, leaning back against the counter, with Quatre's much-adored bartender working just behind me.
Quatre paused, fixing me with a steady look. "Blindsided or not, I'd say you handled it well."
I gave a wry smile. "Well I didn't curl up and start bawling my eyes out," I admitted.
"You've gotten better then," Quatre noted. "There was a time it would have made you come apart at the seams."
"Yeah, I'm--better." Not great, but better.
"I'm proud of you," Quatre said giving me a warm smile before sinking the eight ball into the corner pocket. "That's ten bucks you owe me." He glanced past me to Trowa. "Hey, how about a refill for the victor?"
Trowa gave him a small half-smile and a nod, turning to mix another of Quatre's concoctions.
"What're you having tonight?" I asked out of morbid curiosity. "A 'sloe comfortable screw against the wall,' or is it 'sex on the beach?'" The second one was my personal favorite...and I'm not talking about the drink. Hey, I did say I loved the ocean, didn't I?
"'Cock sucking cowboy,'" Quatre replied without batting an eye.
I swear he only asked for those drinks so he could see the slow flush creep up Trowa's neck just before he turned away to mix them. He's a lot naughtier than he looks.
"Don't you know any drinks with 'nice' names?" I asked Quatre, finishing the last of my club soda.
Trowa was setting the latest mixture on the bar, and he favored me with a wry smile. "He has yet to come up with one I haven't heard."
I leaned on the bar, smirking back. "How about a 'quick fuck?'"
Quatre's head shot up and he turned so quickly I thought he'd sprain something. "Duo!"
That little exchange earned us an actual chuckle from the quiet bartender. "I'm not that easy," he said, and I thought I saw him glance up through his thick bangs at Quatre.
Oh, yes you are, you sexy thing...but only for a pretty little blonde.
It was all I could do to refrain from shoving them together and standing back to watch the fireworks. Maybe not 'shove,' but I could give them a tiny little push.
"Uh, shameless flirting aside, boys, I have to work in the morning, so I guess I'll excuse myself." I stood and stretched, giving them both an appraising glance and a suggestive leer. "I'll leave you two to carry on."
Quatre blushed a little then, his aquamarine eyes settling on Trowa, who for once was looking back at the same instant. Ah, progress! They made eye contact!
That was my cue to leave, and I did so after tossing a few bucks on the counter and winking slyly at Quatre. I only hoped my hasty exit acted as a catalyst, spurring at least one of them into action. If it did, I'd get all the details from Quatre the next time we were both in the office...which reminded me, I had another appointment with Relena and Heero 'I-Hate-the-Wedding-Planner' Yuy the next day. You know how much I'd be looking forward to that.
~*~
I arrived at the Peacecraft estate the next day braced for another encounter with Relena's surly fiancé. Walter, the butler, let me in with a polite smile, and a gesture towards the veranda.
"Miss Peacecraft will be down shortly, sir."
I gave him one of my cockiest, most teasing grins. "I'm not a 'sir,' Walt...just Duo."
"Yes sir," he assured me, opening the door for me.
Sighing in resignation, I stepped out, expecting Yuy to be waiting there, with his customary scowl firmly in place. I was pleasantly surprised to find the patio quite empty, except for me and a table set with tea and biscuits.
"Help yourself, sir," Walter instructed. "And if you need anything else, just ask."
It occurred to me to tell him I needed him to stop calling me 'sir,' but I didn't think it would work. He was a stubborn sot; I had to give him that.
I poured my cup of tea, amusing myself by dribbling in the honey from several inches above. Then I nibbled experimentally on a biscuit, and finding it tasty enough for a gourmet kitchen, finished it off in a couple of bites. I was about to go for a second one when I heard footsteps behind me...too quick and noisy to be Heero's.
"Duo!" came a delighted squeal, and I felt arms slide around my neck from behind. Relena gave a firm hug, and then released me and went to the other side of the table to flounce happily into a chair.
She looked--really, really good, I decided. Her cheeks were a bit rosy, and her eyes positively sparkled. I briefly wondered if I'd see the same flushed expression on Heero's face when he joined us. Then I had to suppress a smirk, guessing that the happy couple got some last night.
Speaking of which...I looked over my shoulder, not wanting Heero to slip up on me from behind. If he'd seen that hug, he might be tempted to snap my neck. "Uh, where's your significant other?" I asked Relena.
"Oh, Heero," she sighed, waving a hand dismissively. "He had a business trip, and had to leave at two in the morning. He's probably in Singapore by now."
"Oh." I glanced back at her, seeing the tiny scowl that fleetingly crossed her face. Then it hit me--no Heero today! "Oh!"
Apparently she noticed the uplift in my tone, and she gave a small, conspiratorial smile. "Yes, it's just you and me for today's appointments."
I smiled back. There was no point in hiding my relief; she'd already noticed it. "That's nice. I'll try to be good company to make up for his absence."
She laughed in delight. "Duo, you're always good company."
"You haven't known me that long," I pointed out, helping myself to another biscuit.
"I think that quality of time makes up for a lack of quantity," she insisted, pouring herself some tea, and then tilting her head fetchingly and giving me an almost coy look. "So what's on today's agenda?"
I grinned conspiratorially. "Actually, it's something I'm sure your husband-to-be would have enjoyed taunting me about. We're going to visit several seamstresses to check out bridesmaids' dress styles and colors. Unmanly stuff like that."
Relena fixed me with an earnest gaze. "There is absolutely nothing unmanly about you, Duo Maxwell."
Yeah, that called for a blush, which I tried to conceal by sipping my tea, and giving a casual shrug as I set the cup back down. "If you'd like, we could take my convertible instead of your stuffy limo today," I offered, suddenly just a little uneasy about being alone in a back seat with Heero Yuy's intended. All it would take was one butler or chauffeur to suggest there'd been inappropriate contact, and it'd be all over. Yuy would crush me like an empty beer can.
I knew he could do it, too. Frankly, I'd seen the way he moved...the supple grace evident even in the way he walked. The man worked out; I was sure of it. Probably did martial arts, too. Plus, there'd been that killer handshake. Yep...no doubt in my mind...if Yuy thought for one instant I'd been too chummy with his girl, he'd happily beat me senseless.
While I was doing all that deep pondering, Relena had been chattering away, and suddenly I realized she was looking expectantly at me. "Hmm?" I said, raising an eyebrow and trying to look like I'd just missed the last sentence.
"--the swatches," she apparently repeated. "If we've got a lot of fabric samples to bring back, it will be so much easier to have Pargan and the limo."
"Of course," I said, congratulating myself on a smooth recovery. "Sure."
She nodded contentedly, finishing her tea and standing up. "Shall we go then?"
I looked at my watch. "Oh, good idea. We've got our first appointment in just under an hour."
As we settled into the limo, under Pargan's scowling gaze, I relaxed back against the plush cushions. "So, how long is Heero gone?"
Relena's lips twisted into a pout. "Two weeks," she grumbled. "Two stinking weeks. I'm so tired of all the traveling he has to do for his job."
"Um, aren't you a diplomat or something?" I asked, giving her a searching look. "I mean, you must travel just as much."
"I suppose," she shrugged, glancing out the window at the scenery sliding smoothly past.
"It must have been hard to start a relationship, with both of you traveling so much," I said absently, making idle conversation even as I tried to calculate how many appointments I could squeeze into two weeks, thus avoiding Heero's company for all of them.
"Even harder to maintain," she agreed with a hint of a scowl. "We hardly see each other. I wish he'd quit his job and find one that allows us more time together...but we really need the money."
I hastily muffled my snort of disbelief by feigning a sneeze and clapping a hand over my mouth and nose. Need the money? How the hell much money does one couple need? Sell off a vacation home or two, and they'd be able to maintain the other five or ten so much easier...
"Uh, yeah," I finally muttered, keeping my tone carefully neutral. "I imagine the upkeep on your place must be...substantial."
"You have no idea," she sighed, giving a little shake of her head. "Between utilities, staff, and maintenance, it's all I can do to hang on to the family estate. It'll be much easier with two incomes."
I gave a small chuckle. "Sounds like you're marrying him for his money."
"Not entirely," she said calmly, not registering my shocked look. "But it's a deciding factor."
I tried not to gape at her--honest! But it was hard not to. "I imagine those big blue eyes and that killer personality were factors too," I joked weakly.
She giggled appreciatively. "He is good-looking," she admitted. "I mean, even Silvia noticed his eyes."
She's not the only one.
"Well, who wouldn't?" I said with a casual shrug. "They're no less intense than he is."
"Hm," she agreed. "I've tried to get him to lighten up, but it's not really in his nature. Frankly," she told me, leaning closer as if to have a girl to girl talk. "He's not very romantic either. Oh, he takes me to elegant places, and his manners are impeccable; but when it comes to romantic gestures, he seems clueless."
"A lot of men are," I pointed out. Myself excluded, of course. My job called for the ability to appreciate the elements of romance. I mean, face it. Who'd want a dull wedding?
Well, some people might...but they also weren't the type to hire a wedding planner. Folks who paid good money for someone to take care of the details almost always wanted the event to be memorable. And romantic weddings are memorable...end of story.
Relena sniffed skeptically. "I don't know. You seem like the romantic type."
"I'm a wedding planner. I have to be," I reminded her.
"Why'd you become a wedding planner?" she asked, turning a curious gaze my way. "I mean, especially considering..."
Shit. There we were again, talking about Alex. Well, at least she was trying to bring the subject up again. "I took the job because..." Because I'd lost my real job due to a nasty drinking habit after Alex died. "Quatre started up the business as a way to make it on his own, without having to rely solely on his family fortune. And he thought, since I'd planned my own weddings, I'd know the ropes well enough to make a career of it." Oh, shit, please don't let her notice I used a plural there! I don't want to have to explain two failed engagements; two dead fiancés. "Mostly I took the job because Quatre needed me, and I owe him more than I can ever repay."
"Doesn't it remind you--?"
"Not if I don't talk about it," I said quickly, giving her a pleading glance.
"Oh." She backed off then, apparently not as clueless as I'd thought at first.
I decided to take charge of the situation by pulling out some portfolios provided by the designers we were going to see. "Hey, Relena, how 'bout we look over some dress styles so we have a feel for what you want?"
She sidled closer, almost leaning into me, and looked at the book I spread out across my lap. As I started to point out a simple, yet elegant bridesmaid's dress, she spoke in a near-whisper. "I'm sorry I reminded you."
I was half-tempted to slide a reassuring arm across her shoulders, but I had a feeling the chauffeur was watching us in the rearview mirror, and would take exception to any wrong move on my part. "'S okay," I assured her. "Now let's focus on your perfect day."
TBC...
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