Love and Chaos by Elizabeth Powers

front door, she was immediately greeted by a friendly hostess, who asked
if she were meeting anyone this evening.
    Emma
nodded. “I’m meeting Mason Parker. I believe he has a reservation?”
    The
woman smiled a warm greeting. “Yes, of course. He just called, and he asked us
to let you know that he’s on his way. Shall I seat you?”
    Emma
shook her head and said, “No, but thank you. I think I’ll have a glass of wine
at the bar while I’m waiting for him.”
    The
hostess nodded. “I’ll let him know where to find you.”
     
     
    “Emma.”
    Mason.
She swiveled around on the bar stool and smiled up at him. Her smile faltered
somewhat when she noted the glower on his face, but since she couldn’t think of
what she might have done that would cause a scowl she just shrugged and slid
off the stool to join him for dinner. Waving her thanks to the bartender and
grabbing her nearly untouched glass of wine, she turned and nearly ran into the
immovable wall that was her new husband. Precariously balancing her wine, she
somehow managed to not spill down his white dress shirt, or her own outfit.
    “Good
heavens,” she exclaimed. “I didn’t think you’d still be standing right there.”
    Reaching
out, Mason gently took the glass from her hand and took a sip, his eyes on
hers. Surprised, he raised his eyebrows and nodded his head at the wine. “This
is quite good,” he acknowledged. “What is it?”
    “It’s
an Italian Sangiovese.”
    “You
know your wines.”
    Emma
grinned. “Sometimes. Sometimes I just know my bartenders. That’s Leon,” she
added, smiling over at the young man behind the bar. “He recommended it.”
    Mason
frowned slightly, and then motioned to the bartender that he would join her in
a glass of wine before they sat down for dinner. Moving to the stool next to
her, he helped her back into the seat she had just vacated. Leon placed a glass
of the Sangiovese in front of Mason, then winked at Emma as he turned away to
fill a drink order for a table.
    “You
make friends quickly,” Mason observed.
    “You
were late. And he’s a nice guy,” Emma said defensively.
    “You’re
my wife.”
    “Hard
to forget that. Especially given the ring on my finger.”
    “Good.”
The satisfaction in his voice gave Emma pause, and she looked over at him
warily.
    “Why
on earth do you care?” she asked suspiciously.
    He
just smiled cooly at her. “A man likes to think that his wife recalls that
she’s married to him. Particularly if she just married him that morning.”
    “I
see.”
    “I
assume Leon did not get your number this evening?”
    Emma
nearly spewed her drink out her nose. She looked up at Mason. Was he serious?
He thought that she was out picking up men the same day that she’d married him?
She shook her head in disbelief. “What exactly do you think I would say to the
man? Sure, here’s my number. Call me in three years?”
    “You’re
an attractive woman,” Mason started to say.
    “With
a wedding ring on her hand,” she said, raising her left hand and pointing to
the ring with her right index finger. “And a fairly strong moral compass. I
think you can rest easy that I’m not out picking up men on the same day as our
wedding.” She nearly muttered ‘you moron’ under her breath, but decided that it
might be a bad idea. Still, it looked like Mason got the unuttered message. He
simply chuckled, and then raised his glass to her.
    “To
my wife. May our marriage bring us...” he hesitated, as if thinking of what he
should toast to.
    “Peace?”
Emma contributed after a few seconds. “Friendship? Contentment?”
    “I
was going to say mutual satisfaction, but perhaps your sentiments are more
suitable for a wedding day,” he acknowledged dryly.
    Rolling
her eyes, Emma clinked her glass up against Mason’s.
    “To
us,” she sighed. “Whatever ‘us’ ends up being.”
    “You’re
hoping for more?” His eyebrows rose skyward as he looked over at her.
    “I’d
like to think