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"Why?" Annie smiled at her sweetly, feeling the surge of jealousy and contempt for the woman who had Maxwell so wrapped up in her that he couldn’t see anyone else. It’d been more than a month and all he’d done was hug her briefly. She wasn’t invited back to his place or anything like that. He treated her like a friend and it was galling.
"We’re all adults here." She looked around and laughed softly. "Ah. The staff. You’re afraid it’d get out that you’d been screwing Maxwell-" She dropped her voice to a stage whisper. "That would certainly destroy your stellar reputation." She shrugged slim shoulders. "Your loss, darling."
"Does that make you feel better?" Alessia felt despair swamping her. He’d moved on from her and was now with this woman. She had no idea how she didn’t explode or dissolve.
She felt as if her bones were turning to liquid. She felt her heart breaking into tiny pieces, but refused to give Annie the satisfaction of seeing her destroyed. “Making sure that I know you’re with him?"
"You can’t even say his name, can you?" Annie's lips curled in disgust. "I’m just so happy he came to his senses and realized what I discovered a long time ago. You don’t deserve him."
"Go to hell!" This time it was said in a louder voice and with more venom. She reached for the towel to cover her nakedness and swept out of the room with an attendant chasing after her.
Leaning back against the cushions, Annie's lips curled into a satisfied smile as she finished her champagne.
*****
"You’re on fine form today." Cole commented as he dragged off the headband that kept his hair off his forehead and prevented the sweat from dripping into his eyes.
"That last game was vicious." Grabbing a bottle of water, he drank until the bottle was empty before tossing it into the trash. "Seems like you were trying to get rid of a few demons."
"Something like that." Maxwell was lying on the recliner and trying to get his breath back. He’d decided to drive in and spend the day and night at the club, just to get away. It was a lovely day for it, the weather was heading into summer, but the weather was still fresh. They’d chosen to retire to one of the pavilions and refreshments had been provided as soon as they arrived. "How’s the lovely Morgan?"
He watched, his gut twisting in envy as his friend's face lit up at the mention of his wife's name. The man was ridiculously in love with her.
"Antique shopping in Colorado. That woman has a nose like a bloodhound and can sniff out a bargain." Cole stretched long legs out with a sigh. "She’s away for two days and I’m feeling lonely already."
"You’ve gone soft."
"Thank goodness for that." He looked over at Maxwell. "You and Annie."
"Yeah?" He took a sip of the lemonade.
"You don't seem too excited."
"We’re just friends."
Cole's eyebrows lifted. "You’ve been in several newspapers as a couple."
"You can’t believe everything you read." Maxwell gave him a sardonic smile. "You of all people should know that."
"Then what?" His friend demanded. "You’re just hanging out?"
"Something like that." There was a delightful display of tiny cakes and sandwiches.
"Aren't you too old for that?"
"I’m not Methuselah and I happen to like Annie."
"She’s happy with a causal relationship?"
"She said she was." He decided on a cake with pretty green and white frosting. "What the hell is this? Are we having a tea party?"
"Minus the tea." Cole chuckled as he reached for a tuna sandwich. "If you want chicken wings or some seafood, we can always ring the bell."
"I’m not hungry anyway." He ate the cake and had to admit that it was quite tasty, enough to have him reach for one with a strawberry on top. "I remember reading about this place and dreaming of being a member."
"I never dreamed about it." Cole looked around at the immaculate grounds and the vastness of the land. People occupied almost all of the recreational areas. "I just knew that one day I’d be a member. I saw it happening and was determined that it would."
"Now, here we are.” A smile touched Maxwell’s lips. “Eating fancy cake and drinking overpriced lemonade."
