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"He said he was so dead set against marriage," I said, remembering his comments from earlier.
"Well, the truth is our adoptive father cheated on our adoptive mother. There was this huge secret in our family while we were growing up. They put on happy faces but we found out later that he was a hound dog. I guess Luke finds it hard to trust. He decided to take a chance after he saw how happy Eric and I are and became engaged to Jenna and of course, the rest is history,” she said and left the stall. "I keep hoping he'll find someone and fall in love. Get over his hurt, but it's probably too soon. Maybe with you, but I'm a big romantic and just want to see him happy like I am."
I cringed inwardly at her confidence in her marriage. How hard must it be for poor Luke to listen to her talk about her own happiness and how great things are for her, while knowing her husband has been cheating? It must drive him crazy, feeling like he can't tell her the truth.
I finished and left the stall, standing beside her at the mirror while I washed my hands and she checked her makeup. I couldn't help but feel an immense sense of sympathy for her, so happy, so positive and so wrong about her cheating bastard of a husband.
"I hope you and he work out," she said and looked me over, smiling. "I like you. You’re beautiful and you seem really nice."
"Thank you," I said, my cheeks heating. "We're not serious. We're just convenient, I guess."
"That’s too bad. The fact he brought you here made me think you two were more serious than that, but I guess it's still too soon for him. Oh, well." She shrugged and smiled. "You never know about these things."
Then she squeezed my arm and together, we left the washroom. "It was nice to meet you," she said when she got a few feet away. "Don't give up on Luke, even if he is a bit stuffy at times. He's a good guy. And I'm not just saying that because I'm his sister. He really is one of the good ones."
I smiled and went the other way, a sick feeling in my gut that she had no idea her husband had been one of the bad ones, and had been cheating on her while she was pregnant.
What a horrible truth to learn. I could see why Luke didn’t want to tell her.
* * *
I arrived back at the bar where Luke and John were standing. Luke turned to me and put his hand on my arm. I saw him now with completely different eyes. Everything he'd said and done was now filled with a different meaning.
"Hey, we've spent enough time here," he said and smiled. "How about we go out and find a place that's less stuffy."
John laughed. "You mean with fewer of your family present?"
"Exactly. We could go to Gibson's down the street. They have music all night. Good dance music." He looked in my eyes. "Feel like dancing? I'm all energized and can’t imagine sticking around this place."
I was torn. I really should go home early, but the prospect of dancing sounded like a good way to top off the evening of tension between Luke and his wacky family. I felt so sorry for him now, after learning about his broken engagement and betrayal. The truth was that I admired him for taking the blame.
"You're trying to escape before Felicia arrives?" John commented.
"You read my mind, wise Sir," Luke said. "The sooner we ditch, the better. Alexa?" He held out his arm. "Come with me and dance a bit, salvage some of this awful night?"
"I really should go home. I'm no longer of any use to you, as far as teaching your brother-in-law a lesson so…"
"No, please, don't feel that way. You were a good sport, and were acting out of charity. I owe you a good time."
"I don't know…"
"Please," he said and took my hand, squeezing it. "Just come out for one drink, dance a bit. I'll have my driver take you home whenever you want. Besides, I really do want you to come to the family weekend at the beach house. If you don't mind being my excuse not to get shoved together with Felicia…"
"You really want me to come?"
"I really do."
I finally relented. "I guess it won't hurt to stay for another half an hour or so…"
"Thank you," he said, his voice soft, his eyes soft as well. "Being around my family usually ruins my night. This will at least make it somewhat better."
I placed my arm in his, and John offered his arm and so the three of us walked across the ball room to the front entrance. We were just about there, when of course, we were stopped.
"Great," Luke said under his breath when he saw the two women who approached us. I heard him take in a deep breath and then he met my eyes. "Be prepared for a second inquisition."
"That bad?" I whispered.
"Worse," he said.
