Part 8 - Chapter 1 - Moving On

On Monday, Reese dropped by Quentin's office to tell him what she and Blaine had learned from their trip to the orphanage.

"That's great," he replied without enthusiasm. "But I'm starting to think this is taking up too much of your time. I'm going to hire a professional to look into this. I think we would be better off with private investigator working on this case."

"No," Reese objected. "I want to do this. We're getting so close. I'm sure it won't take much work for us to find her now."

Quentin shrugged. "If you're sure you want to stick with this, go ahead. I'm leaving it up to you."
"Thank you," Reese replied before heading back to her own office.

Reese sat down at her desk and picked up the phone. She decided to call Blaine and see if he had found any new information, but his answering machine picked up. She left a brief message and asked him to call her if he learned anything new.

Reese moved the phone aside and turned to the stack of papers on her desk. Quentin was right. She knew she had better things to do with her time, but she also knew she wouldn't be able to stop thinking about the May's case, until Dorothy was found.

She didn't have any personal connection to the Mays or their missing heir, but it was important to her. She felt like she had to do everything in her power to see this family reunited. She strongly believed that everyone deserved to know their family. Without a family history how could anyone know their own identity?

She was determined not to give up, but for now, all she could do was wait.

"Are you ok?" Andrew asked his wife as she followed him into the real estate office. Ever since she found out the big news and learned that her mother had given up a child for adoption before she was born, Amanda had been unusually quiet and pensive.

Before, Amanda had been reluctant to even discuss looking for a house, so Andrew was surprised when she was the one who suggested meeting with a real estate agent. When she seemed to hesitate as they walked into the office, Andrew was worried that she was having second thoughts.

"Do you still want to do this?" he asked.

Amanda broke out of her thoughts and nodded. "Of course." She motioned Andrew to go forward and then followed him to the agent's desk.

"Hello, Mrs. Martin," Audrey greeted Amanda with pleasant surprise. "It's so nice to see you again. And this must be your husband." She offered Andrew a handshake. "I'm Audrey Jordan."

Both the real estate agent's face and name were familiar to Amanda, but she couldn't recall why. "Where do I know you from?"

"The Stuart-Townsend Corporation," Audrey replied. As she mentioned the name of the company Andrew frowned. "I interviewed for your secretarial position."

"That's right," Amanda said briefly. She noticed Andrew's bitter expression and hoped the topic would soon pass.

"Business must be doing well. Just last week I met with a client who also works at that company. I'm starting to feel sorry that I didn't get the job," Audrey remarked with a smile.

No longer able to hold his resentment, Andrew spoke up. "Be glad that you didn't."

When Audrey looked confused, Amanda was quick to explain. "I decided to keep the job after all."

"You did?" Audrey asked curiously. After a moment of awkward silence she added, "Well, I shouldn't be surprised. It seemed like such a nice place to work."

"You'd think," Andrew replied bitterly. "But it wasn't. Not at all."

Audrey wanted to ask more, but Amanda quickly changed the subject to the matter at hand, real estate. "Of course. Based on what you told me over the phone, I've picked out a few houses that might interest you. Shall we take a look?"

Meanwhile, Alma and Bernice were returning home from work at the end of the school day. The roommates car pooled to work and back and occasionally shared a meal together, but for the most part they did things on their own. The arrangement suited both Alma and Bernice just fine.

This afternoon, Bernice tended to her cats, while Alma went upstairs to her room. She went upstairs with no particular plan in mind, but perfectly content that her time was her own. She could do what she wished without answering to anyone. For the first time in her life, she had no one to be responsible for but herself and that feeling was very liberating.

When Alma was in her room, she closed the door behind her and settled down on the sofa with a novel she had been reading. But instead of reading, she started thinking about the first day she moved into this room.

When she arrived with her luggage, Bernice had greeted her cheerfully at the door. "Come in. I'm so glad you decided to rent the room. It's been empty for too long. I'll take you upstairs to see it and get settled in, but first you've got to meet everyone." Bernice stepped aside and introduced her cats one by one. "This is Cali, Fluffly, T.J. Whiskers, Boopsie, and Spork. If you don't want them in your rooms be sure to keep the doors closed. They have the run of the house."

Alma said that she would and followed Bernice upstairs. Privately, she was starting to have doubts about the arrangement, but she didn't have any better alternative. If this didn't work out, she could always move, she reminded herself, and decided to give this living arrangement a try.

Alma was glad that she had stuck to her decision. In the end it was all working out ideally. Yes, Bernice was attached to her pets with their silly names, but she was a good roommate and having Alma as a roommate was probably good for her. She didn't seem to have anyone else in her life.

When she heard a gentle knock on the door, Alma set her book aside and said. "Come in."

"Sorry to bother you, but you have a letter," Bernice said and handed Alma an envelope before leaving the room again.

Curious about who would write to her, Alma opened the envelope and read the letter inside. It was from Dr. Wilton. He had gotten her address from Amanda. In the letter he reminded her that he had once asked her out to dinner, but had never gotten her reply. He wanted to let her know that the offer was still good and he would look forward to hearing her answer.

After reading the message, Alma sat staring at the page for a long time, wondering if she should accept the date or not.

Part 8 - Chapter 2 - Moving On

At the Stuart house, Lucy and Craig were saying goodbye again. Now that his arm was fully healed from the accident, Craig was eager to get back to work. It was too late for him to rejoin James on their tour now, but he had other options. While he was recovering, he started composing some new songs and now he was going to meet with a studio executive to discuss the possiblity of getting them produced.

Craig lingered at the doorway, reluctant to let Lucy go. "You know the more time I spend with you, the harder it gets to leave you. But it won't be for long, I promise."

"I know," Lucy said sadly. "But I'll still miss you."

"I'll call you later tonight," Craig promised and with a last goodbye kiss he was out the door.

Lucy sighed as she watched the taxi pull away with Craig inside. Once it was out of sight, she went into the dining room to have a cup of coffee and read the morning paper.

As she perused the society pages, one headline made her cry out. In an instant Jordan was at her side, asking if everything was alright.

"It's nothing," Lucy insisted. "Everything's fine."

"Can I get you anything?"

"No. Thank you, Jordan."

As Jordan left the room, Lucy began reading the article. It was all about Eileen and Hector's upcoming engagement party. She had been upset when she learned that Eileen insisted on marrying Hector and Lucy had made her feelings about their plans clear, but hearing about the party from the papers and not from Eileen herself, just added insult to injury.

Lucy sat at the table a few moments, enraged, before getting up and walking into the kitchen. It didn't seem right to be discussing her problems with the help, but she needed someone to vent to. Otherwise she would drive herself mad.

Lucy lingered in the doorway, until Jordan looked up from his work and asked, "Yes, Miss Stuart?"

"Everything isn't fine," Lucy said as she paced the room. "My best friend is having an engagement party without so much as telling me about it. I had to read about it in the newspaper." She stopped wandering around the kitchen and faced Jordan who only watched her silently. "And I have no right to be upset about it. I wouldn't have gone even if she had invited me and if Craig and I were having an engagement party, I'm not sure I would have invited her either. I just hate that it has to be like this."

"I don't want to interfere," Jordan said hesitantly, but Lucy urged him to continue. "but if you aren't happy with the way things are, perhaps you should be the bigger person and offer to make amends."

"That's what Chloe told me to do," Lucy said thoughtfully. She hated to give in on this. She hated seeing Eileen with Hector, but she also hated not seeing her friend at all. "But she's making such a huge mistake and she won't listen to reason. When I tried to talk to her, she just turned the conversation back to me and Craig."

"I'm sure you know what's best. But you may be surprised what a simple gesture can do."

Lucy nodded, but her mind was already elsewhere. She wanted to ask Jordan if Eileen had been right about her and Craig, if he thought they were moving too fast, but stopped herself. She was already getting too personal. That question would be going too far. Instead she said, "Thank you for listening, Jordan," and walked away.

Meanwhile, Veronica was helping Eileen make the final arrangements for her party. They went over the guest list, the food, the decorations, the entertainment, and last but not least they discussed what they were going to wear.

"Well, it sounds like you have it all together," Veronica said with a smile. "Are you ready?"

"I think so." Eileen replied. "I'm definitely excited about it. It's going to be a great party."

"I know it will be. No matter what, it will be great," Veronica said. "I still remember how excited I was when your father and I were going to get married. I was so nervous that something was going to go wrong, but I was worried for nothing."

"Because everything worked out fine?"

"Because even if it hadn't, it wouldn't have mattered."

"So I shouldn't worry then?" Eileen surmised.

"Right. Just enjoy your party and your engagement. And don't forget the most important thing is that you're marrying the man that you're going to spend the rest of your life with."

Eileen forced a smile and thanked her step-mother for the advice. After a moment she asked. "How did you know that my dad was the one you wanted marry? Was there ever any question or did you just know?"

"I had a few doubts at first," Veronica admitted. "In fact, I never told you this, but I almost married someone else."

"Really?" Eileen asked with interest. "Why did you choose Dad instead?"

"I knew I would be happier with him, because we were more compatible." Veronica paused a moment in thought, "Honestly, it just came down to one thing. I had to ask myself who I loved and who I wanted to share my life with and the answer was Arthur. And I've had no regrets."

Eileen hoped she would be as lucky.

Part 8 - Chapter 3 - Moving On

When Lawrence returned from his lunch break on Thursday, he found Eileen in the office, chatting with Hector and a man he didn't know.

"Hey, Lawrence. Come over here. I want you to meet someone," Hector called over. Lawrence sighed, but walked over to the group. "This is an old buddy of mine from college, Chad Vanderburg. Chad, this is Lawrence Arrendale."

"Nice to meet you," Chad greeted Lawrence with a friendly handshake.

Lawrence just nodded politely.

"Chad came all the way to Bay Pointe just to be the best man at our wedding," Hector bragged, but Lawrence just looked away.

"You know I wouldn't let you down, but that's not the only reason I came all this way," Chad admitted. "I've been thinking about making a fresh start, a new location, a new job . . ."

"I can get you a job here if you want, like I did for Lawrence," Hector offered.

Lawrence had heard enough. It just made him sick how Hector could manipulate everyone and everything around him to get exactly what he wanted.

Neither Hector or Chad seemed to notice when Lawrence left the group, but Eileen watched him as he walked away.

"What do you say, Eileen?" Hector asked, drawing her back into the conversation. "The three of us go to dinner tomorrow?"

"Sure. Sounds great."

"Ok then. I should get back to the grindstone. We'll see you later," Hector said before saying goodbye to Chad.

"It was a pleasure to meet you," Chad said to Eileen. "You're marrying a great guy."

Eileen nodded and forced a smile. "I know."

Meanwhile, Lawrence's work was interrupted by a phone call.

"Hi. This is Audrey Jordan from the real estate agency. I'm sorry to bother you at work, but I just came across a property you might be interested in and I don't think it will be on the market long. Would you be able to drop by the office today so you can take a look at it?"

"I'll be at work until 6:00 this evening."

"What about afterwards? Our offices will be closed, but I could meet you at the property. I just think this is exactly what you're looking for."

"Ok, I'll meet you there."

"Great," Audrey gave Lawrence the directions and said she would meet him there at 6:30."

Reese was working at her desk when someone knocked on her office door. "Come in," she called.

Blaine peeked his head inside the door before entering the office. "I'm not interrupting you, am I?"

"No, of course not," Reese replied, immediately rising from her chair and walking towards Blaine. "How's it going? Have you found anything yet?"

"Just Dorothy's adoptive parents. I tracked down the McAllistars. They never moved out of Bay Pointe."

"That's great news!" Reese exclaimed. "Have you contacted them?"

"No, but I've got their address and phone number," Blaine said, handing Reese a slip of paper. "I thought you should do the honors."

"Thank you," Reese nodded, slightly embarrassed. Phone number in hand, she picked up the receiver and dialed. A woman answered right away and identified herself as Evelyn McAllistar.

After identifying herself and asking a few questions, Reese was confident that they were on the right track. Evelyn confirmed that she and her husband, Frank, had adopted a baby girl named Dorothy Alice, almost 35 years ago from the Bay Pointe Orphanage. With her identity established, Reese proceeded to explain her reasons for calling and informed Mrs. McAllistar's daughter was the heir in her birth mother's will. "If your daughter would come by our offices, she can sign a few papers and collect her inheritance."

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary," Mrs. McAllistar said and hung up the phone.

"What happened?" Blaine asked anxiously, noticing Reese's odd expression as the call ended.

"She said that she wasn't interested."

"That's odd," Blaine agreed. "I've got her address. Let's go talk to her in person and try to find out what's going on."

Reese and Blaine left the office and headed towards the McAllistar's home. The address was located in an upscale neighborhood on the wealthy side of town. When they located the McAllistar's house number, they found a very nice, spacious, stone house with a well landscaped yard. They parked in the driveway and walked up to the front door and rang the bell.

When the door opened they were greeted by a well-dressed older gentleman, who greeted them politely.

"Hello, I'm Reese Burroughs and this is Blaine Kitteridge."

"You're the lawyer who just spoke with my wife on the phone."

"Yes, I was hoping I could speak with you both."

Reluctantly, Frank moved aside so Reese and Blaine could enter and invited them into the parlor where Evelyn was seated.

After the introductions were made, the Frank offered the visitors a seat and then sat down next to his wife.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I said what I did over the phone."

"Well, yes," Reese replied.

"While we appreciate that she was still thought of after all these years, Dorothy really doesn't need the money."

Frank continued, "Since we brought her into the family, we've provided our daughter with everything she needed and wanted."

"Please, just take the money and donate it to charity."

"We couldn't do that," Reese explained. "It's your daughter's money, not ours."

"After she collects the money she could donate it herself, if she wanted to," Blaine added.

The McAllistars exchanged a silent meaningful look that didn't go unnoticed by their visitors.

"Can you tell us how to contact Dorothy, so we can tell her the news?" Reese asked, frustrated with their resistance. When they didn't answer immediately, she continued, "I don't think you realize how important this is. Mrs. May left almost everything she had to Dorothy and practically nothing to her other two daughters. Blaine and I have spent so much time looking for her. Why are you so opposed to this?"

There was a pause before Mrs. McAllistar spoke, "We love our daughter very much, but she's made a lot of choices we cannot support. She left home to become an actress and then married a barkeeper with two teenage daughters. It broke our hearts."

Mr. McAllistar got to the point. "We don't want her to have this money. She'll just throw it all away on that Barrett fellow."

Reese and Blaine tried again to reason with the McAllistars, but they refused to say anymore and asked them to leave.

As they walked to the car, Reese was furious. "Can you believe them? How could they be so stubborn and deny their daughter what's rightfully hers? If they get their way Dorothy will never even know that her birth mother died or that she has two half-sisters."

"You don't think that's part of it, do you? You think they don't want her to know her birth family?"

Reese thought a moment before answering, "No. It's just frustrating to come so close and then hit a dead end that didn't have to be an obstacle."

"This isn't a dead end," Blaine insisted. "Even if the McAllistars won't tell us where their daughter is, we found out a few things about her. I'll search the databases again and see what comes up."

"Do you think the computer will help us find anything?"

"We won't know until we look."

After work, Lawrence stopped by his apartment to change, then followed Audrey's directions to the property. He arrived there before Audrey and took a moment to look around himself. He wasn't sure exactly what part was for sale, but he liked what he saw.

A car pulled up behind him and stopped. When Audrey stepped out, she asked, "What do you think?"

"How much of it is for sale?"

"Only this part is on the market now, but I think the rest of it will be up for sale soon." Audrey answered. As they walked together along the property. Audrey filled him in on the details.

"I think this could be it," Lawrence said finally.

"Great. The office is closed so I'll have to do the paper work tomorrow, but why don't we go somewhere to talk over the details. I know of a quiet little restaurant not far from here."

They took a table at the bar and ordered drinks. As they discussed the details of the sale, their conversation gradually turned more personal. Talk about the property lead to conversation about family, career, and plans for the future.

Lawrence learned that until recently Audrey had been living abroad and working as a model. She liked the work, but she was tired of the lifestyle that went with it. After breaking up with her boyfriend she decided she was ready for a change. So she moved to Bay Pointe to stay with her older brother until she figured out what she wanted to do next.

"I don't think real estate is going to be a long term thing for me. But it's a good job for right now while I explore what other options are out there."

Lawrence and Audrey talked until late in the evening. When Audrey finally looked at her watch, they were both surprised at how much time had passed.

Lawrence offered to walk Audrey to her car and thanked her being so helpful.

"It was my pleasure," Audrey replied. She hesitated before getting into her car. "I really enjoyed talking with you tonight. Maybe we could get together again sometime."

Lawrence just nodded, a little bit surprised. As Audrey got into the car, Lawrence came to his senses and spoke up. "I've been invited to a formal party on Saturday night. Would you like to come with me?"

Audrey smiled brightly, "Sure. Call me tomorrow."

Part 8 - Chapter 4 - Moving On

After making a few phone calls, Hector had made arrangements for to have dinner with Eileen and Chad on Friday night at one of the most popular and expensive restaurants in town. As they were seated at their table, Eileen took in the surroundings. She had never been there before and she was very impressed with what she saw.

While they waited for their meals to be served, Hector and Chad reminisced about their days in college. Eileen didn't have much to add to the conversation, but the stories were entertaining and she had a good time listening to them and laughing along with Chad and Hector.

Both Chad and Hector had majored in business when they were in college. After graduation Hector got a corporate job right away, but Chad took a different path. He had done some modeling in college to make some extra cash and decided to stick with that line of work for awhile. Eventually, he moved his focus behind the camera and became more involved in the business side of the industry.

"We used to tease him about being a model," Hector explained to Eileen. "But we all envied him for being around so many gorgeous women. So did the appeal finally wear thin?" Hector asked Chad. "Is that why you're here?" After receiving an annoyed look from his fiancee, he added, "There's only one gorgeous woman in this town and she's taken."

Chad laughed. "No, that's the one part of it that didn't get old. I'd been thinking about trying something else for awhile now, but the plans I was working on fell through."

"Don't tell me you're finally going to settle down and get a real job," Hector teased.

"I wouldn't go that far," Chad replied with a laugh. "But I've got to tell you, I don't think I'd mind having your life right now, Hector."

All through class that evening, Lauren had been waiting for a chance to talk with Lawrence. The opportunity came after class, when the students were handing in their term papers before leaving class. She sidled up behind Lawrence as he turned in his assignment.

"So Lawrence, I heard your friend Hector's getting married. Tell him I said congrats. I think they're a great couple and I know they'll be really, really happy together."

Andrew, who couldn't help overhearing, scoffed and mumbled, "I wouldn't bet on that. The only reason he's marrying her is because she's the boss's daughter."

Suddenly interested, Lawrence turned to Andrew with alarm, "Do you know that for a fact? Did he tell you that?"

"He never said anything to me," Andrew admitted, "But I know his character."

Lawrence just nodded pensively. He wouldn't be surprised if getting ahead in the company was Hector's motive for marrying Eileen, but he had no way of knowing if that was the case or not.

As Andrew walked away, Lauren spoke to Lawrence. "I'm sure that's not true. Mr. Martin must be mistaken. I've seen them together and there's no doubt that they're truly in love. They're so perfect together. If you don't believe me, take me with you to their engagement party tomorrow night and we'll see for ourselves. What do you say?"

"I already have a date," he replied absentmindedly and walked away, leaving a surprised Lauren behind.

Just the mention of Hector's name still made Andrew bristle, but to hear that he was still fooling everyone to get everything he wanted, made Andrew furious. He sat at his desk for a few moments after his class had left, intending to get some work done, but he was too angry to focus. Instead, he packed up his papers and decided to stop by the bar before he went home.

On the way to the bar, Andrew heard a familiar voice that made him stop in his tracks. He looked up and took notice of a small group standing outside of the restaurant he was walking past.

"Tomorrow night at seven," Hector reminded Chad.

"I've got an out of town appointment in the afternoon," Chad said. "but I should be back at the hotel in plenty of time to get ready."

"Make sure you are," Hector said lightly. "We can't have an engagement party without our best man."

The group looked like it was about to part ways, so Andrew turned and quickly walked away before Hector could see him. He was in no mood for Hector's snide remarks or for the confrontation that was sure to follow. He decided to walk away from it, for now at least.

Amanda walked to the window and looked outside at the empty street. It was getting late, not late enough for her to be worried, but she still wished that Andrew would come home soon.

She turned from the window and looked absently around the room. Her home just wasn't the same anymore. With Mother gone, Alma living on her own, and Andrew away during the evenings, the house seemed empty. Everything had changed so much in such a short time. She had resisted it for awhile, but she realized she had to accept that things weren't going to stay the way they were.

She still didn't like losing the house, but she had reached the point where she didn't want to stay there anymore. She was no longer comfortable in this home that was no longer hers.

She had really hoped that they would be able to find a new place right away, but their trip to the real estate agent hadn't been very promising. Amanda knew that Miss Jordan had done her best to find something for them, but nothing they had looked at was right. All of the nice places were out of their price range and the places that they could afford weren't to their liking at all.

Amanda sighed as she remembered the unsuccessful trip and wondered if they should be less picky and just take something so they could get out of this old house. Maybe things would be better with a fresh start.

Amanda was lonely and restless and tired of being alone with her thoughts, so she decided to give her sister a call. Alma usually wasn't the best of company, but Amanda thought it might be nice to talk to her sister or pay her a visit.

When Amanda called Alma's number, Bernice answered.

"Alma's not here. She went out."

"Oh," Amanda replied. Somehow she just expected Alma to be there. "Do you know when she'll be back?"

"Not until late, I think," Bernice replied, eager to tell what she knew. "She's out a date with that nice Dr. Wilton."

"Really?" Amanda asked with surprise. She really hadn't expected that news, but she was very happy for her sister. She seemed to be having more luck getting her life in order and Amanda was glad that at least she was doing well.

Meanwhile, Alma and Edward were having dinner in a nice, quiet restaurant. Alma had been unsure about accepting the invitation, but now that she was there, she was really enjoying herself. It had been a long time since she had been out for a fun evening. This was the first time in years that other responsibilities weren't taking precedence in her life and she could just take time to enjoy herself.

As the evening continued, Alma was surprised to discover that the more time she spent with Edward, the more she liked him. He was very nice, well mannered, and easy to talk to. The date was going much better than she had ever imagined.

At the end of the evening, Edward walked Alma to her door. "I hope you had a nice evening, because I thought tonight was wonderful."

"I did," Alma replied sincerely. "Thank you for taking me out."

"It was my pleasure," Edward replied. He hesitated a moment for continuing. "I want to tell you something, Alma, and I hope I'm not being too forward, but I think you deserve to know my intentions. I've admired you for a long time and that's very rare. I haven't met a woman that I've been as interested in since . . .well, in years." Edward paused, as if caught in the past for a brief second. When he continued, he decided the whole story needed to be told.

"A long time ago I was in madly love with a certain woman. I wanted to marry her, but she wanted someone else. I gave up on having a marriage or a family, thinking I would never find someone else that I felt so strongly about. I was heartbroken, so I focused solely on my career and put my personal life on hold. But I have no regrets now. I can see now that it was for the best. Back then I didn't have the means to provide such a comfortable life or the time to devote to a family, but now I do and I'm ready to change my focus."

Alma didn't like where this conversation was going. The more Edward spoke, the more nervous she became. By the time she thought to interrupt his speech, she was so nervous that she felt physically ill. "What are you trying to say?" she managed to ask calmly, hoping he would get to the point and get it over with.

"Just that I feel like I've lost a lot of time and I want to be completely honest. I want to get married and start a family and I think you may be the woman I've been waiting for. Of course, I'm not asking you to say anything now. I know it's much too soon and you'll need some time to get to know me better. I just wanted you to know what my intentions are when I ask you if you would be interested in seeing me again."

"I see," Alma said quietly. Her mind was going around in circles, thinking about all that he had said and how it would affect her new life.

"I know I've said a lot, but can I call you later this week? I'd like to take you to dinner again."

Alma thought it over for a second. Reaching a decision she answered coolly, "No. Thank you, but don't bother." Alma turned and walked quickly into the house, leaving Edward bewildered and wondering what had gone wrong.

Part 8 - Chapter 5 - Moving On

On Saturday night, Jordan was getting ready to go home for the evening, when Lucy walked down the stairs dressed in an exquisite designer gown.

"I didn't realize you were going out tonight, Miss Stuart. You look . . . lovely."

"Thank you," Lucy beamed. "I'm glad I caught you before you left. Do you have any plans tonight?"

Jordan was surprised at the question. "No."

"Well, I decided to take your advice. I'm going to Eileen's party. I'm going to let her know that I'm still her friend and that I support her."

"I'm glad to hear it," Jordan replied.

"Good, because I want to ask you to come with me."

"Me, Miss Stuart? But why?" Jordan asked, taken aback by the request.

"Craig's out of town and I need someone to come with me. It's bad enough that I'm showing up uninvited, I can't show up without a date as well," Lucy replied half-jokingly and Jordan supressed a smile. "Please say you'll come with me."

Jordan sighed. He knew it was out of place, but he couldn't say no.

At the reception hall, Eileen and Hector were introducing their families before the rest of their guests arrived. The Townsends and the Burgesses had belonged to the same social circles for years. They had heard of each other, of course, but had only met briefly before.

Everyone knew that Victoria Burgess had come from an old family, who had a considerable amount of money. Her husband had also done well, but very little was publically known about his background.

"I'm glad we finally got a chance to meet personally," Arthur said sincerely. "It looks like we're going to be family soon. I look forward to getting to know you better."

Meanwhile, the guests were starting to arrive. Hector and Eileen decided they should leave their parents and mingle with their guests.

As Eileen looked around the room she noticed someone who wasn't on the guest list. "Did you invite her?" Eileen asked Hector, motioning towards Lauren who was standing on the other side of the room

"No," Hector replied. "I forgot all about her since she quit working at the office. Maybe Laurie's decided to come and brought her as his date."

"I doubt it," Eileen replied with a frown.

Hector shrugged and changed the subject. "Have you seen Chad yet? I thought he'd be here by now."

"Are you sure we have enough time to stop?" Chad asked Andrew as they stepped out of the taxi and walked up to the bar. "It's almost 7."

"These things never start on time." Andrew replied. "They expect people to be a little late."

"Ok," Chad gave in. "I guess we have enough time for a quick drink before we hit the party."

Andrew smiled to himself. So far everything was going perfectly. He had started formulating the plan to get back at Hector shortly after he had seen him the night before. Working over the details had kept him awake all night.
Earlier that afternoon Andrew had left a message for Chad at the hotel, claiming to be a friend of Eileen's family and offered to share a cab with Chad to the party. As he waited for Chad's response, Andrew had been very nervous. He starting thinking about all the ways his plan could go wrong and started to have second thoughts. But so far Chad had been very friendly and willing to go along, so Andrew was starting to relax.

"Hi there, Andy. How are you doing tonight?" the barmaid, Vanessa, greeted him as they walked into the bar.

"Not bad," he replied as he took a seat and Vanessa poured him a drink. "Vanessa, this is Chad."

"Hello. What can I get for you tonight?" Vanessa asked.

After Chad ordered a drink, Andrew told Vanessa to add it to his bill.

As Andrew and Chad chatted, Andrew made sure that the drinks kept coming. They talked a little about themselves, but Andrew tried to keep the conversation focused on Hector. Andrew knew there had to be something in Hector's past that he could use against him and how better to find out what that something was than from his best man?

Chad had plenty to say about his old friend, but nothing that interested Andrew. All of his stories were from their college days and nothing more scandalous than the usual college hijinks.

Andrew decided to try a different approach and subtlely hinted at his suspicions that Hector was marrying Eileen for the wrong reasons, but Chad seemed to miss the hint.

Eileen was mingling with her guests when she saw Cassandra enter the room. She excused herself and went over to say hello.

"Cassandra, I'm so glad you could make it. I want you to meet my fiance, Hector."

Eileen caught Hector's eye from across the room and motioned for him to come over. As soon as he joined them, Eileen made the introductions.

"Hector, this is my friend Cassandra. We met in the night class I was taking."

"A fellow psychic-in-training?" Hector asked with a grin before offering Cassandra a handshake. "It's nice to meet you."

When Cassandra touched Hector's hand it felt clammy and ice cold to her. When she felt a cold shiver go down her spine, she pulled her hand away from him suddenly.

A moment of awkward silence passed between the group as Cassandra tried to recover from the experience and Hector and Eileen tried to make sense of her reaction. Hector quickly got over his surprise and tried to make light of it by trying to start a friendly conversation.

When Hector's attempts at conversation with Cassandra only received terse responses, he looked for a way to leave politely. He found a diversion at that moment as Lawrence entered the room with Audrey.

"Well, look who decided to show up," Hector remarked with surprise. When he saw the woman Lawrence was with he let out a low whistle. "No wonder he didn't want me to fix him up on a blind date. It looks like he can do pretty well on his own."

Eileen stared at the couple for a moment, feeling... well, she wasn't sure what. She didn't have time to sort out her feelings before she noticed Cassandra stagger and nearly lose her balance.

Hector stepped forward to lend a supporting arm, but Cassandra pulled away from him and made her way to the nearest chair. She looked up again at the man, Lawrence, who had just walked in. She was sure that they had never met before, but she had the strongest impression that she knew him somehow. The familiarity made her nauseous.

Eileen stood next to her and asked, "Are you ok?"

"Yes," Cassandra said weakly. "Just suddenly, I don't feel so well."

"I'll get a glass of water," Hector offered and walked off.

"I'm sorry, Eileen, but I think I'd better go home. I'm getting too many strange vibes."

"What kind of vibes?" Eileen asked with interest.

Cassandra shook her head and spoke absently. "I don't know. I . . . Don't marry Hector."

"What?" Eileen said, struck nearly speechless by Cassandra's statement.

"And him. Lawrence," Cassandra said, changing the subject. "I see what you meant when you said you thought he was familiar. I could swear I know him."

"Really?" Eileen asked, watching Lawrence with Audrey. Cassandra's comments reminded her of the dreams she used to have about the strange man who reminded her of Lawrence.

Hector returned in time to catch the end of the conversation. "Laurie's just the common type. He's one of those guys who reminds you of someone else."

Cassandra nodded, unconvinced. Silently, she stared at the glass of water that Hector had set in front of her, but she didn't touch it.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Hector asked. He could tell that Cassandra didn't like him for some reason. He was suddenly eager to get away from her, but he didn't want to seem impolite. "Do you need someone to take you home?"

"No. Thank you," Cassandra replied. "I'll call my sister and ask her to pick me up."

"Ok," Hector said before turning to Eileen, who was watching Lawrence and Audrey. "Let's go say hi to Lawrence and find out who his date is."

Part 8 - Chapter 6 - Moving On

As soon as Cassandra assured her that she would be fine, Eileen followed Hector to greet their newest guests. She stood silently by, letting Hector be the one to welcome Lawrence and his date to the party and to initiate the introductions. At the moment she didn't feel like she had anything to say.

Lauren had noticed Lawrence's arrival and moved as closely to the group as she could without being noticed by them. She was eager to see who Lawrence's date was so she could size up the latest competition. She was shocked and furious when she recognized Audrey as the woman who she had frightened away from the Stuart-Townsend interview. Lauren hadn't let Audrey get in the way then and she vowed she wouldn't let her get in the way now.

Lawrence kept the conversation with Eileen and Hector brief and excused himself and Audrey as soon as he could.

Eileen and Hector stayed by the door, playing the good hosts and welcoming their guests as they arrived. Eileen tried to stay focused, but she found her eyes kept wandering towards Lawrence and Audrey. Not only did they look like they were having a good time together, but they looked good together as a couple. Eileen knew she should be happy for them and she had no good reason to be jealous, but knowing that didn't change how she felt.

Eileen was chatting with Hector and Chloe about the party when she heard someone else enter the room. When she turned to greet the newest arrivals, she was shocked speechless when she saw Lucy and her butler standing the doorway.

Back at the bar, Andrew looked up from his drink to see a man enter from the backroom.

"Are you going somewhere, honey?" Vanessa asked.

"I've got to go pick up Cassie," he grumbled as he pulled on his jacket. "She went to some friend's party at the convention hall and now she's not feeling well."

Chad suddenly perked up. "Oh, man. I forgot about the party." He stumbled as he stood from the barstool. "I was supposed to be at the convention hall an hour ago. Can you give me a ride?"

The man thought a moment, "Yeah, alright."

"Wait," Andrew interrupted. "Are you sure you want to go now? It's so late, why bother?"

"No, I gotta go," Chad insisted as he started towards the door. "But thanks for the drinks. I owe you one."

Andrew slumped back into his chair and sighed as the two men left the bar. The night had been a total waste.

Andrew's reaction didn't go unnoticed. Vanessa thought he had been acting strangely all evening. Now that they had a moment alone she leaned over the bar and asked him directly, "What are you up to?"

Lucy and Eileen eyed each other silently for what seemed like a long time, neither one knew what to say first.

Finally Eileen broke the ice with a cold remark, "I'm surprised to see you."

Hector was still chatting away about the party, but Eileen had caught Chloe's attention. And Chloe didn't like the way this conversation was starting off. She wondered if she should intervene or stand aside and let her friends work this out themselves.

"Listen, Eileen, I know I'm not wanted here, but I felt like I needed to come. We need to talk."

Eileen shook her head. "You shouldn't have bothered. I already know what you think and I don't have anything new to say to you. I don't need to hear your opinions again. This is my life and I know what's best for me. I don't need you to tell me what I should do or how you think I should live my life."

Lucy sighed, "That's not what I'm trying to do. You're my best friend and I care about you. That's why I can't stand by and watch you make such a huge mistake and not say anything."

"You've said enough already. And I'm not going to stand here and listen to you badmouth my fiance and our engagement. I want you to leave and stay out of our lives from now on."

Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had come here to make amends and only made matters worse. Too upset to speak, she turned and walked out of the room, trying to maintain her composure and her dignity until she was away from the party.

As soon as Lucy and Jordan were gone, Chloe approached Eileen. "What was that?" she scolded.

"I don't know. Can you believe she had the nerve to show up after everything bad she's said about Hector."

"I wasn't talking about Lucy. I was talking about you. How could you be so rude?"

"Me?"

"Come on, Eileen. You and Lucy have been friends forever. You know she wouldn't have shown up here to start trouble. The only reason she would come tonight is to make up with you. You didn't even give her a chance."

"Well, she didn't act like it. When she stops calling my engagement a mistake, then maybe I'll believe that," Eileen said and walked away.

Meanwhile, Cassandra's father, Sebastian, and Chad had arrived at the reception hall. Chad was about to thank Sebastian for the ride, but he suddenly felt sick and ran for the men's room.

Cassandra, who had been waiting in the hallway, walked over to meet her father. "I'm so sorry you had to come get me. I tried to call Zara, but she wasn't home."

"Don't worry about it. Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I just have a headache. I think there's just too many people here," she said, leaving out most of the story.

As Sebastian turned to leave, he glanced inside the room at the party and spotted someone familiar. "Who is that man on the dance floor in the brown suit? Do you know?"

Cassandra looked inside. "Yes. I've heard Eileen talk about him. His name is Lawrence." When a strange look passed over her father's face, she asked eagerly, "Do you know him?"

"No," Sebastian answered quickly. "But I want you to stay away from him."

Lauren hadn't taken her eyes off Lawrence and his date since they walked into the party. She watched them from a distance as they sat together at a table, eating and chatting. The way Audrey leaned towards Lawrence and laughed at his jokes, made Lauren sick. She thought Audrey's actions were so fake.

When she saw the couple head towards the dance floor, she knew she had to do something drastic. She waited until Audrey excused herself to freshen up and then followed her towards the ladies' room.

As Audrey started to open the restroom door she felt a hand grab her by the arm. When she turned around she saw Lauren standing behind her. It only took her a moment to remember where they had met before.

"What do you want from me?" Audrey cried out.

"Don't you get a hint? Lawrence is mine, so stay away from him. This is twice now you've tried to come between us and if you don't back off, I'll make you regret it."

Audrey took a step back, afraid of what Lauren might do next. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Is there a problem here?" R.J. interrupted.

"Yes," Audrey spoke up, relieved that she was no longer alone with Lauren. "She's insane. This is the woman who kept me from going to my interview, now she's attacking me for going on a date tonight."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it," R.J. said calmly and forcefully escorted a resistant Lauren out of the building.

Audrey stood in the hallway, watching them until they were out of the building. She didn't know what was going to happen next or what R.J. planned to do, but she was glad to see Lauren go.

She was about to go back to the party and join Lawrence, when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Audrey?"

The sound of his voice made her breath catch in her throat. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was, but she did anyway.
"It is you," he said as he saw her face.

"Chad," she said slowly, momentarily at a loss for words. She had never expected to run into him here and he seemed just as surprised to see her. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Europe or somewhere . . .not here."

"I'm here for the wedding," Chad replied. "Hector's an old college buddy of mine." An awkward moment of silence passed before Chad said, "So this is where you ran off to, of all places. Talk about coincidence."

"Please don't," Audrey said and started to turn away.

"Come on, don't be like that. I know I deserve it. I did some really dumb things, but I really did care about you. I still do."

Audrey looked back at him for a moment. When she saw his blurred eyes and smelled the alcohol on his breath, she had to turn away from him. "Nothing's changed," she said with disgust and walked away.