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They were almost at Tiffany’s. Marco took out his phone and hit a speed dial button.
“Hello?” a slightly-accented male voice said.
“Khan, you desert reprobate, what are you doing on my turf?”
His Royal Highness Sheikh Khan ibn Zain al Hassad, Reigning Prince of Altara, laughed.
“It’s good to hear your voice, Marco. How are you?”
“I’m fine. Actually, I’m great. And you?”
“I am happier than I have ever been,” Khan replied. “Marriage agrees with me.”
“I’m sorry I missed your wedding.”
“I am, too, but I understood. You were in South America, as I recall.”
“Yes. Brazil. So, how is your bride?”
“Laurel is pregnant,” Khan said, his voice rich with pride. “And here’s your chance finally to meet her.”
“I’m looking forward to it. How about coming for drinks and dinner? You know my address. Say, about eight?”
“We don’t want you to put you to any trouble.”
“It won’t be any trouble; it’ll be a pleasure to see you again and to meet Laurel.” Marco cleared his throat. “There will, ah, there will be someone with me.”
“Truly, we don’t want to inconvenience you. If you have a date tonight—”
“She’s not my date. She is—” What? Emily was no longer his lover. She was the woman he was going to marry, but how could he say that to his friend when he had not said it to her? “I want you to meet her. Her name is Emily. Emily Madison. She’s from Dallas.”
“Well. Emily and Laurel will have something in common. Laurel’s from there, too.”
“Right. I remember that.”
“For all we know, they might even have friends in common. You know that six-degrees-of-separation thing.”
“Anything is possible.”
“Well,” Khan said, “we’ll see you at seven.”
He ended the call, turned to his wife and took her in his arms.
“We’re going to Marco’s place.”
“Mmm,” Laurel said. “That’s nice.”
Khan lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers.
“There’s a new woman in his life.”
“Something serious?”
“I don’t think so. He’s never serious about women. Besides, he sounded nervous mentioning her.”
“Do you think we’ve come on the scene at a bad time?”
Khan sighed. “What I think,” he said, “is that we’re better off not speculating. All Marco said is that she’s from Texas. From Dallas.”
