Chapter Three

As the guests filed their way to the reception area, Owen continued to walk with me toward the head table. When we reached it, he pulled my chair out without a word. I smiled and nodded at him. "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, ma'am," he replied, a warm smile on his face. He turned and walked to his chair, waiting for the rest of the party to begin.

I smiled to myself. His overt sexuality hadn't worked, so now he had decided to be a gentleman. I'm onto your little games, Mr. Parker, I thought to myself. I had to admit though, it was cute.

The bride and groom stood at the entrance to the outdoor reception area, thanking each guest who came in. Jack had invited a lot more people than Emma had, and my parents still hadn't arrived at their table. I looked for someone to talk to and suddenly found myself looking in Owen's direction. He was looking right at me, smiling. I blushed and looked away quickly. It couldn't hurt to talk to him just a little bit...

Suddenly, the DJ's voice came over the speakers. Supposedly they had flown him in from New York as well, so I expected to get some dancing in later. "Alright, let's get this party started! Can I get the bride and groom on the dance floor for their first dance as a married couple?"

I watched as my sister and her husband walked to the middle of the dance floor and embrace each other as a slow song started. Both Jack and Emma were usually talented dancers, but as the music played, they just hugged each other tightly and danced as if they really had been married for a while now, instead of only a day. Their long, confusing courtship was finally over and they were able to move on with their lives.

About halfway through the song, a tired looking Daniel Saunders wheeled his way onto the dance floor. Whispers were exchanged between father and son, and Jack steadied the older man's wheelchair as Emma helped him to his feet. Emma held him delicately as they shuffled along to the music, the elderly Saunders doing his best to keep up with the slow beat but unable to shuffle fast enough. Jack stood nearby with the wheelchair, dutifully waiting for his father to finish, a sad smile on his face. Emma hugged the frail man tightly, and I saw tears in the eyes of several of the guests as they watched the man struggle.

As the song ended, Jack brought the wheelchair to Daniel. The DJ spoke up then. "Can we get all the rest of the fathers out there to dance with their daughters?" My dad moved his way out to the dance floor, but Daniel held on tightly to Emma. He leaned on his wheelchair and whispered something to Jack. Jack frowned slightly, but I saw the fire in Daniel's eyes flare up as he made a demand of some sort. Jack nodded and went to a nearby table.

There sat Rachel, Jack's personal assistant. The elderly Mr. Saunders had groomed her since joining the company to be the billionaire's right hand man. It seemed to me that she probably had the most tears on her face of everyone at the wedding. Jack extended his hand to her and she accepted it.

I watched as Dad reached Emma, allowing her to continue to support the old man until Jack returned with Rachel. Rachel wrapped her arms around his weak body and he almost fell into her, but caught himself at the last moment. Emma squeezed his hand one last time before solemnly turning to face Dad. As soon as Mr. Saunders was safely entrusted to Rachel, Emma and Dad smiled at them, then danced away.

Daniel no longer shuffled his feet, he just leaned into Rachel as other couples danced around them. Jack still stood next to the wheelchair, ready for him. I saw Daniel whisper something in Rachel's ear, and she burst out in laughter through her tears.

I was surprised that any doctor would let him travel, but I doubted he really asked permission. This was going to be his last dance, and he knew it. He would have spent all the billions of dollars of his company to be here if he had needed to.

As the song ended, I saw Dad dip Emma, then kiss her on the forehead as she came back up. They embraced each other deeply. I looked back over as Rachel eased Mr. Saunders back into the wheelchair, her small frame able to handle his skin and bones with ease. Jack rolled his father back to his table while my father walked Emma back to her table.

The music still played, but I felt like you could still hear a pin drop in the place. My dad tapped me on the shoulder. "Do you mind if I get a dance from you?" I smiled and extended my hand, and my father led me to the dance floor.

"You know, I always expected that you would be the first daughter I'd dance with like this," he said in my ear as we pivoted slowly.

I nodded. "I know." It wasn't that Emma was unattractive, but she had always been so studious, so unconcerned with boys. Sometimes I had envied the fact that no man seemed to be able to win her heart, whereas many men had managed to steal mine.

We danced until the song ended, and Dad did another slow dip for me, kissing me as he had Emma. He brought me close again. "Someday soon, Kaylee. Your prince will come." He squeezed my hand and smiled.

As I turned around, I was suddenly face-to-face with Prince Charming himself. "May I have the next dance?" Owen asked. I looked back at Dad, and he gave me a "go on" gesture. I shrugged. What harm could one slow dance do?

I felt Owen's strong hands wrap around me, one on my shoulder and one on my waist, pulling me in closer. Just as I had before, I wanted him to draw me in completely, to take me. Stay strong, I told myself. I danced slowly with him, trying to make eye contact, but looking away and blushing every time his blue eyes met mine.

"So you obviously know what I do. What do you do?" Owen asked finally, the plain question breaking the tension. Maybe he didn't feel any tension at all. Maybe he was just being friendly.

"I'm a physician's assistant in the ER," I said.

"So... like a secretary?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Nothing like a secretary," I said, a little annoyed at the question. The song was ending, so he dipped me down low. The form fitting coral dress didn't help the fact that I felt like I was being thrown into bed, and he lingered for just a moment longer than I thought he would at the bottom of the dip. Finally he lifted me back up.

"I want to hear all about being a physician's assistant," he said.

I opened my mouth, ready to tell him everything as we began to walk back to the table. Then I remembered that he knew every trick in the book. "You're just trying to get me to talk about myself, aren't you? You think that's the key to every woman's heart."

He didn't even bat an eye. "Yes I am. Is it working?"

I paused. He's playing with me, I thought. "No, but now you're going to have to listen to me talk about all the gross things that happen at a hospital," I said.

He pulled my chair out for me, and I sat down. He sat down in Jack's empty chair, put his elbows on the table, his face in his palms, and leaned in. "I'm all ears," he said, sounding genuinely eager.

I sighed. "Owen..."

My tone must have said it all. Owen jumped back. "Say no more. I can tell when I have no chance of making the sale. If you don't want me to talk to you again, just let me know."

I pouted. "It's not like that..."

"So you do want me to talk to you?" he asked, a charming smile on his face. I couldn't help but blush and look away shyly. "Look, I'll leave you be for now. If you feel like talking later, come find me." With that, he stood up, walking toward Mr. Saunders. I knew that he'd have plenty to talk about with the businesspeople at the party, so maybe it really was better that I didn't waste his time by talking about myself.

I watched him move with the confidence of a man who knew what he wanted and usually got it. Well not today Mr. Parker. Today, not even your money could buy what you wanted.

He looked back at me, those piercing blue eyes catching me in just the right way. Take me, I'm yours... No! The civil war in my brain continued to rage on.

 ***

For the next few hours, I spoke with my parents or my sister, shooting occasional glances at Owen. Most of the time, he wasn't looking at me, but sometimes, he was. Every time our eyes met, I smiled at him.

I drank a couple cups of punch, danced with a couple of Jack's younger cousins, and enjoyed the festivities. The DJ they had flown in from New York was worth every penny. When it came time for Emma to throw the bouquet, I joined the crowd. Emma winked at me as she turned around. As she threw the bouquet behind her head, I watched it sail in a perfect arc toward me. If this was on purpose, I thought, then she must have been practicing her behind-the-back bouquet tosses. I held out my hands to catch the bouquet- and suddenly a young teenage girl about sixteen years old jumped up and snatched it.

The crowd cheered for the young lady, and my eyes went straight to Owen. His eyes were on me too, and I gave him my best can't-win-em-all shrug. He walked over to me, drink in hand.

"You were robbed," he said.

I smiled. "I thought you weren't going to talk to me anymore," I said, a wry smile on my face.

He shrugged. "You initiated communication, even though it was nonverbal." I laughed and he continued. "Besides, you looked bored."

I leaned in and whispered. "I feel guilty, but I am a little bored. I don't know many people here, and Emma is so busy talking to people."

He shrugged again. "You know me. Listen, Jack's brother Robbie has his racing boat parked on a marina right down the beach. Why don't we take it for a spin?"

That sounds like fun, I thought. You really shouldn't though. I could feel my resistance breaking down. "I should really stay here until the end of the wedding."

Owen smiled. "Jack will look for any excuse to start his wedding night as soon as possible, if you catch my drift. The best man and maid of honor leaving would be such a perfect excuse. Besides, I have to hear all about the gross stuff that happens at hospitals."

Maybe just a quick boat ride...

Owen continued. "Or, if you'd like, we can just go straight back to my cabana house," he said.

I grimaced a little. He just lost the sale, I thought. "You know what? I do think I'll call it a night. It was a pleasure, Owen," I said.

Owen knew he had messed up. "Of course," he said, gracefully accepting defeat. "Perhaps I'll see you tomorrow," he added, hopefully.

"Perhaps," I replied coolly, not counting on him still being interested in me tomorrow. Tomorrow I would be plain old Kaylee, small town girl from Iowa, not maid of honor at his best friend's wedding. I went and said good night to my parents and gave Emma one last hug. I left quickly, looking back one last time. Owen's eyes were on me as I left, and he raised his hand in a quick, meek wave.

When I got to my room, I took a nice bath, thinking of Owen joining me in the warm suds. I turned the air conditioning in the room down to 68 and lay down in bed, watching TV as I drifted off to sleep. Somehow, even with the room being as cool as it was, I still writhed uncomfortably in bed as I slept, the thought of the strong, rich man down at that wedding consuming my every thought.