Wedding Bell Blues - [52]

not so soon. “I still love Charlotte, Ben.”

“Of course you do. And I never stopped loving Dez. Even after we weren’t lovers anymore, I stillloved him. And now that he’s dead, I still love him. I don’t have to stop loving Dez just because I loveKen. And you don’t have to stop loving Charlotte just because you love Jack.”

Before Lily could form a response, the doorbell rang. She rose to answer it, eager to escape theconversation, and let in Ken, who was carrying a large white shopping bag, and Jack, who was carrying asmall brown paper sack.

“Okay,” Ken said, unpacking his bag on the coffee table. “We have two bottles of champagne,artichoke dip with sliced baguette, smoked salmon with crackers, and fresh fruit with poppy seeddressing.”

“And paper napkins and a bag of potato chips.” Jack grinned. “My elegant contribution.”

When Ken popped the cork of the champagne bottle, Mordecai fled the room in terror. It was niceto have something to laugh at.

“Shouldn’t we have the champagne after the hearing?” Lily asked. “If we win?”

“Well, I thought about that,” Ken said. “But I figured you’d need it more before the hearing.”

The two couples fed each other dainty bits of food and drained the first bottle of champagne farfaster than was probably good for them. By the time they were halfway through the second bottle, Benand Ken were necking on the couch, and Lily was sitting on Jack’s lap in the armchair.

“Well, I guess we know why the French are supposed to be so sexy,” Lily laughed, watching Benand Ken kiss. “It’s the champagne.”

Ben and Ken broke apart. “Sorry,” Ken laughed, “champagne always has that effect on me.”

“I’m not complaining.” Ben’s face was flushed.

Lily knew that Ben had loved Dez, but by the time she met them, they were acting like a bickeringold married couple. Seeing Ben with Ken was completely different. In Ken’s presence, Ben seemedlighthearted and light-headed, giddy with excitement. Lily wondered if that’s what Ben was like in theearly days of his relationship with Dez. Or was each love different?

“The champagne’s got nothing to do with it,” Jack teased. “It’s you city people coming down hereand corrupting the likes of Ken and me. I mean, look at this living room...the empty champagne bottles,the kissing boys...we’re practically having an orgy here!”

Ben and Ken were too busy kissing to respond to Jack’s comment, but Lily laughed. “Why don’tyou boys get a room? Like, Ben’s room, for instance?”

Ken turned to Ben. “What do you say?”

Ben reddened and drained his champagne glass.

“Sure. Why not?” Laughing, they strolled down the hall, hand in hand.

Jack took Lily’s empty glass. “More champagne, milady?”

“Well, it’s a shame to let it go to waste.”

Jack refilled their glasses and motioned for Lily to join her on the couch. They linked their armsand tried to drink champagne out of each other’s glasses, but the alcohol made them clumsy and Jackspilled some of the golden liquid on Lily. They laughed, and then Jack took Lily’s glass and set it downon the coffee table.

“Can’t stand to see that champagne go to waste,” Jack said, leaning over and licking the spilleddrops off Lily’s collarbone. Lily gasped with delight. “You know what?” Jack whispered in her ear. “I’venever seen your bedroom.”

Lily giggled in spite of herself. “You really want to? With the boys just across the hall?”

“They’re busy. They won’t pay any attention to us. And we’ll be quiet.” She smiled. “Not like lasttime.”

In Lily’s room, inhibitions washed away by the champagne, Jack and Lily undressed each otherand slid into a slow, sensual round of lovemaking. The first time they made love, it had been with theravenous urgency of a starving person sitting down to a lavish meal. Today, though, with the wholeafternoon ahead of them, they savored the experience, enjoying the taste of each other’s kisses, exploringthe texture of each other’s skin, and breathing low sighs of pleasure.

Between the champagne and Jack’s capable hands, Lily felt the coils of tension she had beencarrying for the past week start to unwind. Ever since she had come to Versailles, Lily had been trying tocontrol a situation that seemed uncontrollable. But here, beneath Jack’s hands and mouth, she could allowherself to lose control—to turn off her brain for a few minutes and surrender to sensuality.

Afterward, as they lay naked beneath the cool sheets, Lily said, “Have you ever heard theexpression that you grow a new heart for every child you have?”

Jack started. “You and Ben aren’t expecting, are you?”

Lily laughed. “Not unless a star is rising somewhere in the East.” She laid her head on Jack’sfreckled shoulder. “No, I was just thinking about that idea. When I was with Charlotte, I didn’t know if itwould be possible for me to love anybody else ... I just felt so full and content, you know?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And then we had Mimi, and I discovered this whole other capacity for love I didn’t even know Ihad. And then, getting to know you...I mean, it’s not that I love Charlotte less, but with you...I guess