Sheila awoke to find she was cradled against Christian. His warmth surrounding her like a blanket. She rolled over in his arms so that she could see his face. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes upon. As if sensing he was being stared at his eyes lazily fluttered open to look into her adoring gaze.

"Hey," he said sleepily as he gingerly brushed a stray hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Hey yourself," she said, thinking it should be a crime to feel this deliriously happy.

"God you're beautiful," Christian said with a gentle softness that claimed her heart. "You always were beautiful but now...well you're stunning." He told her with a lazy smile on his lips.

Sheila felt her face flush red at his words and felt the tears spring to her eyes. Christian saw the tears roll down her cheek and wiped it away with the pad of his thumb.

"What's wrong, little sis?"

The sound of Wes voice woke Sheila out of her dream. She tried to keep her eyes shut tight wanting to will herself back there, but just like the real thing Christian was gone. She opened them to find Wes staring at her, his face inches from her own. He gently reached out and wiped her other tear away.

"Another bad dream?" he asked tucking a piece of her hair behind the ear like Christian did in her dream moments ago.

"You could say that? Why are you here?"

"You fell asleep on me when we were talking last night. I didn't have the heart to wake you and you were really restless. I moved you to your bed so you could be more comfortable and when I went to leave you said, 'Please stay,' and so I stayed."

Sheila felt like hell. This has been a crazy couple of days, but she needed to get back to work. "Thank you... again."

"Best Friend, remember? Thanks not required," Wes said rolling out of the bed. "You know for a girl who's seen so little action. This place is built for seduction."

The room looked more like an Arabian harem than a bedroom. The intricately carved headboard was decorated with gold touches and there were more pillows then would ever be necessary for one bed. The comforter was a patchwork of rich colored velvets and patterns, but the crowning exotic touch was the sheer gauze canopy that was suspended from the ceiling.

"I forgot that you haven't stayed over since I redid the bedroom. And thanks for the reminder that my love life is miserable," Sheila said pulling one of the pillows over her face.

Wes picked up another pillow and threw it at her. "Cheer up little buckaroo! It's not like you've never been with anyone."

Sheila peeked out from under her pillow. "I don't think sleeping with you counts."

Wes stopped pulling his shirt on, "Wait...what? Shells I know you haven't had the best run of guys in your life but you're going to be thirty in a couple of days are you trying to tell me you're still a..." Wes couldn't bring himself to say the word the idea too unfathomable.

Sheila just groaned and hid under the pillows again.

"Oh, baby girl. Never?" Wes just couldn't believe it. "Not even that Michael guy. You dated him for like six months."

Sheila pulled the pillow down and hugged it to herself. "You'll find this funny," she said sitting up in her bed, "turns out he was gay. I should have known, he was so sweet and romantic. All the signals were there, but I ignored them. Hoping I was wrong, but I wasn't."

"Gay? Really? He was cute. You still have his number?" Wes teased as he finished putting on his shirt.

Sheila smacked him with the pillow. "Not helping."

Wes chuckled, "True, but oddly enough I got you out from under your pillow and what is that?" Wes said, "Could it be a smile?"

Sheila was smiling although she wanted to throttle him at the same time. "I hate you sometimes. You know that don't you?"

"Yes," Wes said as he kissed her forehead, "but today is not that day."

_________________

Christian looked like hell and not just from the black eye and bruises. Again James thought, if this is love, count him out, he wanted no parts of it. He corrected himself. He loved Lanie, in his own way but this all-consuming love, true love or whatever you want to call it was for the birds.

"You're wearing out my carpet."

Christian glowered at him. "She just won't listen. I tried showing up at the club, and she had me escorted out. I followed her on her date and we kissed. I know she loves me, I could feel it, how does she expect me to walk away from that? Knowing the truth."

"You followed her on a date?" James said in disbelief, "Dude how low can you go? Have you no self-respect left?"

"You just don't get it!" Christian complained.

"Yeah, you're right and I'm praying whatever it is that you got is not contagious because I don't want it," James said.

"Look forget about all this for a little while. We have the wedding rehearsal this afternoon and the luncheon. The way that you look right now will be hard enough to explain without coming up with excuses for the melancholy mood swings."

"Funny you bring that up." Christian said lifting his cast up into the air like he was waving a banner of some sort, "her date last night...yeah the guy who did this."

That stopped James in his tracks. "You screwing with me? The Viking looking dude from the bar? Damn, how's he it do it? I mean I'll grant you he's big but really? But two dancers in two nights, think of the possibilities, hell think of the positions."

"I really hate you sometimes," Christian said annoyed he really didn't need help thinking of Sheila and that guy and positions. He thought of little else all evening hence his severe lack of sleep today. "You are totally missing the point here."

James just smiled sardonically. "Look get me through the rehearsal, with Lanie and her dippy friends and crazy family and I promise, I will fix all of this for you."

"How the hell are you of all people going to fix this?" Christian said wanting to punch something but knowing it was a bad idea for numerous reasons the biggest being the cast.

"I told you I would help and while you've been running around town playing the stalker, I've come up with a plan."

Christian wasn't sure what shocked him more the fact that James had a plan to get Sheila back or that James spent the day thinking of someone other than himself. He finally stopped pacing. "What's your plan."

"I go to Sheila. I proposition her. She turns me down, although I know this will be very hard for her to do because after all, it's me. I act offended and tell her all she needs to know about you. Because I am not giving this information willingly she bound to discern the truth of it."

Christian hated the plan for several reasons. First that he would be openly hitting on Sheila and he did not know what that entailed. Two that James thought of it and Three that the plan could actually work. It would at least get the information to Sheila that he was separated and has filed for divorce. Two things that he has failed to communicate even though he's been in front of her face to face twice now since she's found out about Debbie.

"Debbie," Christian said remembering his text from his personal assistant back in New York.

"What about her?" James asked a little dejected that his brilliant plan was not received with more fanfare.

Crystal sent me a text this morning. "Debbie left a message saying she needed to talk to me about the divorce."

"What you think it's about?"

"I don't know. More money maybe? I haven't a clue? We've been separated for over a year now, I sent her the papers to sign weeks ago. She has just been sitting on them but until this is resolved, Sheila will have no part in a relationship with me. That much I'm certain of."

"So you need her to sign?" James said matter of factly.

"Yeah, it's the next step. Then a court date and a prayer that the judge dissolves the marriage and doesn't demand we go to counseling."

"Damn, divorce is complicated," James complained.

"Take it as a lesson. Don't do it unless you're willing to go through it," Christian said.

James understood his meaning and took his warning to heart, but for some reason, he didn't believe him and Lanie would have that problem.

"Go?" James said.

"Go? Go where?" Christian said suddenly confused.

"New York. I'll hold down the fort here. It's probably best Lanie doesn't see your face until the wedding anyway. Her Mom would have a cow, she's been a little neurotic about needing everything to be perfect for the big day. I can easily explain it way saying you were called back on business but will be back in time for the wedding. Business is something that the whole family understands."

"I don't feel right leaving you in a lurch," Christian said feeling guilty. This was the biggest moment in James' life and he's been so absorbed with Sheila he really hasn't given any thought to the fact that his best friend is getting married in a couple of days.

"That's why you are my best bud. Look go. Take care of business. I'll take care of Sheila. When you get back. Everything will be as it should be. Promise," James said patting his friends back.

"It all sounds too easy, but as Sheila has made it quite clear she won't even see me anymore until I'm free and clear, I guess I have little choice."

"That's the spirit," James said grinning.