Once More (Mercy Heart #1) (12 page)

Chapter 18

For the next few days, Katelyn worked in her office, going over reports and gathering data for the McKinley project.  When the weekend arrived, she was looking forward to spending an evening with Marc at the stroke benefit. 

She awoke early on Saturday for an all day appointment at a spa.  After hours of pampering, she arrived back home feeling refreshed, having been plucked, waxed, and massaged to relaxation.  Her skin was glowing, with professionally applied makeup making her eyes pop and her lips appear much plumper than normal.  Her hair was done in a soft updo, with curly tendrils hanging down, just barely grazing her bare shoulders.  Under her dress, she wore a black corset and a panty set with garters to hold up her stockings.  She chose a strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline in a deep purple, a textured ruffle going from the empire waist to the hem.  Her stilettos were silver, with a strap around her ankle.  A silver necklace with a diamond pendant that rested between her breasts and a silver beaded clutch completed her look. 

When Marc arrived, Katelyn couldn’t help but smile and feel a rush of pleasure at his reaction to her appearance. 

“Katelyn, darling, you are absolutely stunning,” his voice coming out in a breathy, husky tone.

“Thank you, Marc.  You look very handsome as well.”  He wore a modern, slim fit tuxedo in a shiny grey material that went perfectly with Katelyn’s attire.  She grabbed a wrap in case the night turned chilly.   Holding out his hand, she took it and he escorted her to the passenger side of his car.  He helped her in and took her wrap, depositing it in the backseat before getting behind the wheel.

On the way to the Commodore Hotel, they chatted like the old friends they were.  The car ride was devoid of any of the awkwardness that Katelyn had feared.  A valet opened Katelyn’s door and held out his hand to assist her, appearing professional enough to not openly ogle her but still male enough to not hide his appreciation for a gorgeous woman.  Marc came around the front of his vehicle and extended his arm to her, which she joyfully accepted.  They entered the hotel and rode an escalator to the Eureka Spring Ballroom on the second floor. 

Upon entering the ballroom, it was immediately evident that the party planning committee had spared no expense.  Potted topiary trees lined the entrance.  All of the tables were illuminated in candlelit lanterns intermixed with jars of sand and vases filled to overflowing with exotic flowers.  Swooping layers of fabric in shiny gold and jewel tones hung across the ceiling and down the walls, the gold twinkling as it caught the light from the flickering candles.  If the planners had been tasked with creating an Arabian Nights theme, they had certainly succeeded.  In the middle of all the tables was a large dance floor, though no one was taking advantage of it at the moment.  A small string quartet off to the side was playing softly in the background.

Marc led Katelyn by the hand to their seats where Katelyn deposited her clutch before they went to the bar.  After receiving their drinks, they mingled with other staff from the hospital, as well as community leaders, including a state congressman, Jon O’Neil and his wife, Milena, who Katelyn knew through a local marathon-training group. 

The two women greeted each other with hugs, and Jon gave Katelyn a simple kiss on the cheek. 

“Who do we have here, Katelyn?” Milena asked, raising an eyebrow at Marc.

“Milena, Jon, this is my friend, Marc Crawford.”  Marc stood with one hand on Katelyn’s lower back and extended his free hand to accept handshakes from Jon and Milena as introductions were shared.  “Marc, I’m sure you know Jon is one of our illustrious Arkansas state congressmen, and Milena is a fellow runner that I have trained with in the past for the Little Rock Marathon.”  Speaking to Milena, she kept her eyes locked on Marc’s and continued with a smile.  “Marc is also an avid runner, though he does more triathlons these days.”  Katelyn spoke of him with pride in her voice, which was perfectly acceptable because she was proud of him, just like she’d be proud of any of her friends.  His smile was full of affection and humility that showed just how much he appreciated her praise. 

Milena smiled a knowing smile at them both.  “It’s always nice when couples can enjoy a similar activity or hobby.”

“Oh, well, I’m sure you are right about that, but we aren’t – er, I mean, Marc and I, we aren’t a couple.  We’re –we’re just friends.  And coworkers.”  She smiled lamely at Milena, having stammered through that explanation awkwardly.  Jon chuckled and Marc shook his head, laughing quietly as well until the uncomfortable moment passed.  The foursome shared pleasantries for a few more minutes until dinner was ready to be served. 

After dessert, a band began to play and the couples moved to the dance floor.  “Shall we?”  Marc asked as he held out his hand to her.  Katelyn smiled and graciously accepted, realizing that in all of the excitement of the evening, Clem hadn’t crossed her mind once.

“Katelyn, I’m having a wonderful time tonight.  Thank you so much for agreeing to come with –,“ Marc stopped short when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Mind if I cut in?”

Speak of the devil himself
. 

Marc turned so they both could look at Clem, and then he looked down at Katelyn, giving her full control of the situation.  Frustration washed over her, not only for the interruption, but also for the way just the sight of him made her insides heat up, especially when any feelings of desire had been dormant for so long.  He was no longer sporting a bandage on his face, and his arm was without a sling.  He didn’t appear to be in any pain from his fall.  “I didn’t realize you were going to be here.”

Clem flexed his fingers, itching to drag her away like a caveman.  He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away, speaking quietly, hoping to mask the hurt.  “You left before I could ask you the other night.”

Eyes wide, Katelyn looked from Clem’s face to Marc’s, embarrassment rushing over her at what it sounded like Clem was implying.  “Actually, we are in the middle of a dance.  Excuse us.”  Katelyn led Marc away, leaving Clem to stand by himself at the edge of the floor. 

He turned and headed for the bar, signaling for a shot from the bartender and then another, both of which he threw back immediately.  He needed something to numb this pain he felt, watching her in another man’s arms.  While he waited for the bartender to get him another drink, Stuart came up and leaned on the bar beside him.

“Look, boss,” Stuart began, but hesitated when a cold glance from Clem made him reconsider continuing.  “You know I’m not one to get in anybody’s business, but throwing back shots at a hospital fundraiser is probably not the best way to get back into Katelyn’s good graces.”

Clem stared ahead, motionless.  Finally, he spoke. “She won’t even give me a chance to explain, or to beg for her forgiveness.”  He turned towards the dance floor.  “Seeing her with someone else tonight is killing me.”

“I understand, believe me.  But getting drunk and making an ass of yourself isn’t going to solve your problems. Just wait and ask her in between dances.  For now, let’s just stand here and enjoy being ogled by the blue hairs in the room.”  Stuart said the last part from behind his glass, nodding at a table of elderly women who were all transfixed on the handsome pair at the bar.  One of the women stood, smoothed her sequin and satin dress and started towards the men.  Halfway from her table, she turned back towards her friends, who waved her on in encouragement.  Continuing on, she approached Stuart first. 

“Young man, I was wondering if you would do an old woman a favor and offer a few twirls around the dance floor.”  Her smile lit up her whole face, though he could tell she was nervous.

“How about, instead of the old woman, I dance with you instead, pretty lady?”  Stuart held out his arm and flashed a brilliant smile at her.  Though his response confused her for just a second, she quickly caught on and grabbed his arm as he led her onto the dance floor. 

Katelyn watched Stuart leave Clem to stand by the bar, bringing one of the hospital auxiliary volunteers out for a dance.  Marc had kept silent, happy to be chosen over Clem, though he could tell that she was distracted. 

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.  You can ask me anything, Marc.”

“Why aren’t you here with Clem?  I mean, besides the fact that I had already bought the expensive tickets.”  She knew he was trying to keep it light but concern was etched on his face.

Katelyn remained quiet for a moment as they continued to dance, so quiet that Marc thought she wouldn’t answer.  Her mind raced, an internal debate of what to say and how much to share.  She had been adamant with Clem that Marc could be trusted, that he’d never given her a reason not to trust him.  She decided she had no reason not to share the information with him now.

“You know that Clem was in the emergency room after a fall.”  Marc nodded in agreement.  “He was attacked, pushed actually.  And he was afraid that someone would try to hurt me if they knew he and I had been together, so he wanted me to come stay with him but I refused.”  Marc’s eyes were wide as he appeared ready to argue with her as well.  She shook her head and put her hand up to stop him.  “I can take care of myself, Marc.  I refuse to be scared out of my own home.  When I wouldn’t stay with him, he had me followed without my knowledge.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, I can’t say that I blame Clem for watching out for you.  I want you to be safe as well.  I would absolutely hate it if something happened to you.”  He held her close as they danced in silence until he finally spoke.  “Look, Katelyn, I’m thrilled that you came with me tonight.  For a long time, I hoped that things could progress and get more serious between us.  You are an amazing woman: brilliant, beautiful, compassionate, and strong.  But I can also admit that I suspected for a while that your heart just wasn’t in it, even before that night at Florino’s.  As much as I wanted to be the man for you, it always felt like I was lacking in your eyes.  Tonight just confirms that.  I know I’ve never seen you looking at me the way you look at him.”

Her eyes glistened with tears.  “Marc, I’m so sorry.  I never meant to hurt you.  I thought about holding onto you for a little longer to protect my heart after Clem came into town, but I decided that wasn’t fair to you.  I don’t know what’s going to happen between he and I, if anything, but I couldn’t just let you be a distraction.  You deserve someone who will return your love.”

Clearing his throat, he reached out and wiped a single tear from her cheek.  “Maybe one day I’ll find it.  I just didn’t want you to think that I was getting anything confused tonight.  I know we are just here as friends.  And I won’t stand in the way of what makes you happy.  If you want to go to him, then go.  If you don’t want to go to him, we can dance our asses off all night long.”  She laughed through her tears, wondering how she ever got so lucky to have Marc in her life, and yet, unlucky still, because she couldn’t make her heart fall in love with him.  He wiped away a few more tears that escaped, and then gathered her in his arms.  “But don’t think you have an obligation to me tonight just because I’m the one you came with.  I care about you far too much to watch you push someone away you obviously have strong feelings for. ”

“I care about you, too, Marc.  I wish I could fall in love with you.  I know in my heart that you’d never hurt me.  Maybe that’s why I’ve been having this internal battle over Clem.  My heart wants him desperately but my brain is putting up a fight, the memories of the last time he and I went our separate ways too hurtful to risk reliving.”

Looking deep into Katelyn’s eyes, Marc had a momentary flicker of hope before he dismissed the notion completely, knowing it was futile.  He smiled weakly, putting up his best front.  “I can’t say I’m not disappointed.  I would love to be able to convince you.  I’d spend the rest of my life trying to convince you every day.”  Her sudden intake of breath caught his attention. He knew it would kill her to know how much he was hurting.  “But I know you and Clem have a lot of history.  It sounds like you aren’t anywhere near finished with each other, no matter how frustrated you are with him.  You have to just follow your heart, follow it right over to that bar and get what you want, what your heart wants.”

Stretching up, she kissed Marc tenderly on the cheek.  “Thank you…thank you for being you, Marc.”

“What are friends for, right?” 

Katelyn stepped backwards, sliding her hands down his arms.  He grasped her hands one final time before he finally let go. She smiled weakly at him, and he returned her smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.  “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go freshen up.”

Marc and Clem both watched her walk away, first to the table to pick up her clutch, and then to the ladies’ room.  Their eyes met across the room in a silent challenge. Marc straightened his tie before heading to the bar that Clem was leaning against.  Stuart started to walk towards them, but a harsh glance from Clem kept him at bay.  He was so pissed off and jealous, he almost wished Marc
would
start something.

The bartender handed Marc his drink, and he sipped without moving or even acknowledging Clem, which just seemed to get Clem even more riled up.  “You two looked like you were getting up close and personal on the dance floor.  Did you come over here to gloat?”

Marc looked into his glass, and shook his head slightly.   Turning towards Clem, he let out a cheerless laugh.  “I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.”