“You don’t have to,” Amandine said.
“I insist. We can be the baby’s honorary aunt and uncle.”
Touched, Amandine nodded. This was the kind of life her baby would be born to, surrounded by incredibly accomplished and successful people who were eager for its arrival. She supposed Damien and Victoria wouldn’t be the only honorary uncle and aunt. There were people like Mark Pryce, too.
She put her hand to her belly. If the marriage turned out to be unsalvageable, would she be being selfish by demanding to take the baby with her? Would the world still be the baby’s oyster if she took sole custody?
She could never give the child this…but she could give it love.
Will that be enough? Doesn’t your baby deserve more?
Lunch was served: two hollowed pineapples stuffed with fried rice and various dipping sauces sat to one side, while a huge platter of lobsters in yellow and orange sauce commanded the center of the tabletop. Two smaller, shallower bowls of sautéed seasonal vegetables occupied each side of the lobsters. A plate of grilled giant shrimp had a place of prominence in front of the lobsters.
“Oh my,” Amandine murmured. “I think we have enough to feed the entire region.”
“I know, right?” Victoria grinned. “I couldn’t believe it when the cook told us, but the fishermen were adamant about selling them all in a set.”
Everyone started eating—obviously the men were more interested in shoving the food into their stomachs than talking about it—and the conversation and drink started flowing more freely.
Amandine slowly got caught up on the dynamics of the group. Damien and Gavin were apparently very tight, and they respected each other’s taste and opinions. Gavin treated Victoria as a good friend, maybe because she was Damien’s wife. They hadn’t met until she’d gotten engaged to Damien. The three talked about all sorts of topics, ranging from music to literature and current affairs.
And as they spoke, Gavin frequently touched Amandine, making sure everything was to her liking and that she didn’t feel nauseous or sick. He kept serving her, so she wouldn’t have to reach for anything. He seemed to know what she wanted before she could ask. She was grateful for his solicitousness and care. She could almost believe he loved her the way his friend loved his wife.
“You’re very quiet,” Victoria said to Amandine.
Amandine smiled. “Just enjoying my food. Your cook’s amazing.”
Damien declared he had something to show Gavin before the dessert was served. The men excused themselves and went downstairs.
“I can’t believe he waited this long,” Victoria said conspiratorially. “Damien’s been wanting to get Gavin’s opinion on some kind of trust or something.”
“I didn’t know Damien was Gavin’s client.”
“Both Damien and his father. Gavin manages a chunk of Damien’s money, and every bit of Steve’s. Let’s just say that my father-in-law is not at all interested in finance.” Victoria gestured at Amandine’s half-empty glass. “More smoothie?”
Amandine held up a hand. “If I have any more calories you’ll have to wheel me out.”
Victoria laughed and helped herself to some more wine. “I’m glad to see you with Gavin. I was worried.”
“About what?”
“Oh, just… I’m sure you’ve seen them already, but there are some pictures of you, Gavin and Craig Richmond in front of Jones & Jones on Facebook.” She cleared her throat. “So I thought there might be some kind of trouble.”
Amandine bit her lower lip and sighed. Great. How many people have seen the photos?
Victoria smiled quickly. “But I’m glad everything’s fine between the two of you.”
“Facebook and Twitter and whatnot are nice to help people keep in touch. But I hate the gossip and the lack of privacy.”
“I agree, but if there were no Facebook, somebody would’ve found another way to spread the news. You know how it is.”
“Gavin said the same thing earlier.” Amandine scowled into her smoothie glass. “Guess it’s wrong to blame technology.”
“It’s human nature to gossip. In fact, it’s basically how I met Damien. I showed up at his secret hideout to interview him for a book I was working on. An authorized bio. He was furious.”
Amandine blinked. She couldn’t picture Damien angry with his wife. “What happened next?”
“I stuck it out, we fell in love and I finished the book. It was published around the time we got engaged. My publisher was thrilled that the book was coming out in the midst of our rather high-profile romance. Any publicity is good publicity…especially if they don’t have to pay for it.”