Mikalo's Grace by Syndra K. Shaw

go to Paris soon -- alone --, I think. She has many around
her who love and will remind her of what is right and what is
wrong. Alfredo, he is wrong.
    "But this, it is not a decision for me."
    "Thank you for telling me," I said, my hand
taking his. "I can certainly understand why she wouldn't want you
to tell anyone."
    "Oh no," he quickly said. "She said 'Call
her'. Tell you where I was.
    "But you, you have so many questions and,
perhaps, you would not believe me. So it was better, I think, to
give her all of my heart for a time and then, when there were no
more tears and she smiled again, to come and offer to you my heart
again.
    "This was right, no?" he asked, pulling me
close.
    I nodded.
    What else was I going to say? That I went
nuts? Was certain I'd been abandoned? Had gone all the way down to
the Village to spy on him and Virginie as he comforted her?
    A nod was easier.
    "It is good to be with you again," he was
saying. "This, this feels good."
    He stopped and gathered me close, his arms
around me, his eyes watching mine.
    We kissed.
    His lips resting on my forehead as he held me
near, he spoke, his words warm against my skin.
    "Yes, this is good."
     

Chapter
Twenty-Six
     
    There were violins, of course. A quartet
playing softly as they sat discreetly in a corner surrounded by the
buzz of conversation.
    And there were maids, their uniforms crisp,
their smiles warm, the hors d'oeuvres balanced on heavy silver
platters delicate and delicious.
    And there was champagne.
    A lot of champagne.
    "I'm throwing a party," Deni had said
yesterday. "Tomorrow night. My place, say seven-ish or so. Blazen,
Jeffords, Waxman, White, and any other Partner I can arm wrestle
into coming will be there. A few celebrities for eye candy. An
author or two for some smarts.
    "And you and Mikalo, of course."
    "Sounds like fun," I had responded.
    "Fun?" she had said with a laugh. "This isn't
fun. It's business. The business of kicking Mikalo's ass from
number two on Blazen's list to number one.
    "So be there. Look gorgeous, do your best to
make him as presentable as possible," she teased, "and walk into
that room hand-in-hand."
    Oh shit, it hadn't occurred to this would be
the public unveiling of Us.
    "You know, --" I had began.
    "Unless you plan on not seeing him anymore,
which I don't think is the case, or you continue to see him, but
only if he's kept hidden in a box somewhere, everyone's going to
know eventually, so don't even think of backing out now.
    "You're only as vulnerable as your secrets,
Ronan. Ditch the secret and you kill anyone's ability to use it
against you."
    She was right.
    And now here we stood in Deni's lavish
apartment.
    Or at least here I stood.
    Mikalo stood talking with Deni in the corner,
their bodies too close for comfort.
    Snatching a bite of cheesy, doughy goodness
from a passing tray, I shoved the fifteenth or sixteenth hors
d'oeuvre in my mouth, chewed quickly, and then took a healthy
swallow of champagne.
    What the hell were they talking about over
there?
    Deni threw back her head and laughed, her arm
briefly on Mikalo's shoulder.
    I turned away, reminding myself that I had
his heart. That I was still "my Grace".
    And this was Deni. I could trust Deni. I
could trust Mikalo.
    I just wish I could trust myself to stop
worrying, stop being afraid, and stop expecting the worst.
    It was becoming annoying, even to me.
    "You keep knocking those back, and I'll be
calling you a cab."
    Blazen stood with his wife Susan.
    "I'm good," I said. "Just never quite sure
what to do at these things, you know?"
    "Oh, I know," Susan said. "I can't tell you
how many pounds I put on at these things. Sometimes it's just party
after party.
    "They're so small, you see," she then said as
yet another tray of delicious treats passed our way, "And you think
'oh, it's only one or two or three, it can't possibly matter'. And
then --"
    She blew her cheeks out, making her very thin
face look fat, and then playfully crossed her eyes.
    "Suddenly you're