Consequences

Part 3

Jethro grinned with good humour and though he was surprised by the sudden announcement he'd read in the paper, he was pleased for his friend. "Good timing. Come in." He held the door open and waited for Doug to step forward, "And before I forget, Congr..."

"Don't fucking say it." Doug warned with a growl that had Jethro doing a double take.

"Ooookkkk." Jethro poked his tongue in his cheek as he closed the door. "Go on through. Mick's in the study. Rhianna won't be long. She's just checking on Richie." Jethro studied the irate man, he had come to see as a friend, as Doug stalked past him. Not a happy bunny Jethro thought, and wondered why, considering Doug was engaged to a member of the old school. Though, over breakfast this morning, Jethro and Rhianna had wondered why they'd never met Doug's new girlfriend.

When Doug pushed open the door to the study, Mick looked up, grinned in clear delight and teased without any concern, "Heard another one bit the dust." The men who were in essence his role models were falling in love in droves!

"You heard wrong." Doug told him flatly in a tone that clearly conveyed the fact that he was well and truly pissed off. It was a less than productive day. And by the looks of things dinner tonight was going to be anything but stress less.

Mick flicked a quick bemused glance at Jethro. Jethro shrugged his shoulders. He was none the wiser.

Doug all but growled, "I'm not bloody engaged. I don't even know the fucking Sojour-D'Sa woman!"

Mick's eyes widened. It wasn't that he hadn't heard Doug swear before, but the vehemence behind the words suggested that Doug was about to blow a fuse.

"We wondered." Jethro commented as he headed for the drinks cabinet. "Sounds like you could do with a drink." Jethro glanced over at Doug who nodded. "Did you know Rhianna is friends with Marina? We went to her wedding," He hesitated as he worked it out, "about ten days ago. You weren't there. Belle was. She gave her sister away." Jethro handed Doug a neat whisky as he questioned, "So what's going on?"

"I haven't the faintest bloody idea." Doug took a sip, and enjoyed the way the alcohol burnt its way down his throat. "Belle being Isabelle?"

Jethro nodded even as he frowned as the fact registered that Doug really did not know the woman. How could that be, given the circumstances?

"So what's with the announcement in the paper?" Mick frowned. He gave Doug's statement some thought. Confusion won. By the looks of things Doug did not even know the woman.

Doug shrugged. Jethro allowed a small smile to ghost his lips, before he asked with deliberate defiance, "You know who Isabelle is?"

"Yes, I bloody well know who the fucking Sojour D'Sa family is!" Doug snapped in irritation.

"So you've met her?" None the wiser Mick blew out a breath that flicked his blonde fringe off his face.

"No. I fucking haven't!" Growled Doug without an inch of give.

The whole day had been a complete waste of time. Answering stupid phone calls, being unable to explain the ridiculous announcement in the paper, and having to fend off wave after wave of congratulations.

"Oh?" Mick asked with some measure of incredulity, then he took in Doug's glare and shrugged as he muttered sarcastically under his breath, "Right. Well that clears everything up. Thanks."

"I met her at the wedding." Jethro announced into the confused silence as he tried to piece things together, and met with little success. "Nice woman. Confident. Attractive. Charming. Poised. Elegant."

"I hope that was me you were talking about." Rhianna strolled into the study. She smiled warmly when she saw their friend. "Hello Doug."

Doug got to his feet when Rhianna entered the room. She buzzed his cheek with her lips with the ease of a longtime friend and then took a seat on the couch beside him. Doug watched her openly as she wriggled trying to find a comfortable position. She even made that look sexy!

She was seven months pregnant and he still thought she was the sexiest women he had ever seen. And he had seen plenty. Both those he'd dated and those Jethro, his lawyer and friend, had dated. And none of them even came close to the pregnant woman sitting beside him.

"We were talking about Belle." Jethro handed his wife a glass of juice. He buzzed the top of her head with his lips, pressing a gentle kiss of contact before he stepped back. He, like Doug, often wondered what a beautiful sexy woman like Rhianna had seen in him to persuade her to marry him? But the fact of the matter was they had now been married for three years. As time passed Jethro was slowly starting to accept the idea that his wife really did see past his imperfections.

"Thanks." Rhianna accepted the glass with a smile for her husband and turned to face Doug with a smile. "Belle? Ah, the engagement." She was curious about the current state of affairs. Jethro seemed none the wiser about his friend's recent engagement, and as far as Rhianna knew Doug was seeing someone. She couldn't remember the woman's name, but she knew it wasn't Belle.

"He's not engaged." Mick said automatically, and received a bemused frown from Rhianna for his effort.

"Doug, go sit there." Jethro pointed to an armchair across the room. He waited. But Doug didn't move.

"What? Why?" Doug scowled as he wondered about the ridiculous request. As if he did not have enough confusion in his life. Now his friend was issuing orders.

"Cause you are ogling my wife." Jethro told him bluntly. "And sitting way too close." He mumbled quietly.

Rhianna rolled her eyes, ignored her husband's quirked brow, then patted Doug's leg, "You didn't tell us you were engaged." She stated, totally oblivious to both Doug's and Jethro's reaction to her hand on Doug's thigh, "And why weren't you at the wedding? With Belle?" Rhianna tugged her tunic so that it sat more comfortably across her extended belly. This baby was either big, or she'd got her dates wrong and she was going to give birth in the next month, rather than two months time.

"Because he isn't engaged." Jethro stated flatly, while glowering at Doug, and demanding again, "Doug are you going to move?"

"No." Doug replied with an exasperated glare.

Jethro poked his tongue in his cheek and considered his options, then decided that he might as well take the seat that Doug hadn't. "Rhianna, come sit here."

Rhianna glanced at her husband, rolled her eyes and ignored his request as she continued with their earlier conversation. "So you aren't engaged? Really?"

"I'm not engaged."

"The papers got it wrong?" She looked completely baffled. "Oh dear. Doubt whether Belle will be pleased about that." She frowned as she considered the situation. "I phoned Belle at home, but no-one was picking up." Rhianna snuggled deeper into the couch and inattentively wondered if she would be able to get up without some assistance. This baby was going to be big. Very big. But given the size of her husband, she should have at least expected it. "I was going to phone Marina this morning, but then I remembered she'd be on her honeymoon. So I'd run out of options." Absentmindedly she stroked her protruding abdomen, feeling the tiny flutter of a kick against the palm of her hand. Her lips curved into a smile as the sign of life registered in her subconscious.