“I believed that once,” Addy said, not realizing she’d spoken aloud until he answered her.
“You still do, Addison.” They had always called each other by their real names. It was what she loved about him. “Can we get together and talk?”
“About?” She stepped back and finished gathering her notes, giving herself time to pull herself together.
“Us.”
“There is no us, Lincoln.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You got drunk enough to put yourself in that situation. You have no one to blame but yourself. That I can’t forgive you for. Whatever possessed you to get that drunk and pass out, I’ll never know. I thought our relationship was strong on communications, love, compassion, commitment, happiness. Obviously I was wrong.” She grabbed her briefcase and hurried away from him.
“Shit,” Lincoln said, and hung his head.
“Damn, that is one smart and sexy piece. Wonder if she’s seeing anyone,” the new treasurer of the club said as he joined Greaser and Lincoln.
Lincoln saw red. He grabbed the guy around the throat and lifted him several inches off the floor. “You look at her again and you’ll find yourself six feet under. Hands and eyes off.”
Greaser broke them apart and shoved him into a chair. He looked at the other guys and sighed. “Sorry, you’re new to the club. Well, not new, but you’ve been gone for some time. That was Abe’s wife.”
“Is.” Lincoln stressed. “Sheismy wife.” He jumped to his feet and stormed out of the hotel.
CHAPTER TEN
“I can do this,” Addy said to herself. She was in the ladies’ room off the lobby of the Hastings Hotel. It was the night of the Hall event and she was there to make sure everything went smoothly, like she did for all her events. She hadn’t seen or heard from Lincoln since she’d had her initial meeting with Ashley and Ainsley. Taking several deep breaths she looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She looked good. She had on a little black dress, with black silk stockings and black four-inch heels. She had used her makeup artfully to cover the dark circles under her eyes. She finally stepped back and took another deep breath. “You’ve got this.” Then, she left the room and met Heather outside her office.
“Addy, you look beautiful.” Heather said as she joined her. Together they went up to the ballroom and they spent the next half hour making sure everything was done and in order. “So, when are the clients supposed to be here?” Heather asked as they made one last trip around and was nervously straightening the flowers.
“We’re here,” came a voice from behind them. They turned and saw the expressions of the four people before them. Heather and Addy looked at each other, grinned and gave each other a high five.
“That’s what I like. The expression on your face. What do you think?”
“Oh my god! Addy, it’s perfect. Just like I pictured it. Ainsley, what do you think?”
“Perfect,” came the whispered response. Addy let the girls walk around, and when they came back to join them, she had to ask, “So, how are you getting your parents here?”
“No clue.” Ashley laughed nervously. “Greaser said to let him and the guys handle it. The other guests should be arriving soon. Like I told you, everyone accepted. So, we’re going to have a full house. I’m not worried about the party, I’m worried about how the guys are going to get my parents here, formally dressed without spilling the beans.”
“Who’s in charge of them?”
“The road captains. Whatever that means.”
Addy giggled. “Road captains lead the way. They’re the two riders in front when they go on a run. Behind them is the Sargeant at Arms and VP. Followed by the President and then the secretary and treasurer, after the officers come the rest of the people. In the back of the pack, behind the patch holders are the strikers, then behind them, bringing up the rear, are the prospects.”
“How do you know this?” Heather stared at her in shock.
“Lincoln is my ex-husband.”
“Who? Who’s Lincoln?” Ainsley frowned at her.
“You guys call him Abe.”
“Oh my god, you’re Addy, Addison Murphy. I never put it together. But he’s telling everyone that he’s married.”
“He’s refusing to sign the divorce papers. But tonight isn’t about me and my broken marriage, it’s about celebrating your parents twenty-five years of bliss,” Addy said, and continued to change the subject away from her by distracting the girls to look at the different decorations and how the food would be served. Thank goodness it worked.
*****
