Grand Passion

that I'll leave him alone if he leaves me alone.”
    Cleo shuddered. “Why on earth did you go to work for that man in the first place?”
    “I needed a job.”
    Max shut her door and went around the nose of the Jaguar. He got in behind the wheel and turned to look at Cleo. He didn't know what to say.
    Cleo looked thoughtful. “I think I know now why you didn't want me to come along with you this morning.”
    “I used to pride myself on never screwing up,” Max said quietly. “But now when I look back, it seems to me my whole life was a screwup.”
    “Nah,” Cleo said. “You're just feeling a little depressed this morning. You'll get over it.”
    “You think so?”
    “I'm sure of it,” Cleo said. She leaned across the seat and kissed him.

    “I give up.” Ben grimaced at his image in the mirror. “I can't figure out how to tie this stupid bow tie. I've never tied one of these things before in my life.”
    “Hang on a second, I'll get to you as soon as I've finished with Sammy.” Max concentrated on adjusting Sammy's tie. “Hold your chin up, kid. That's it.”
    Sammy lifted his chin obediently as Max tied the black bow tie that complemented his tiny tuxedo. “Can I take Lucky Ducky?”
    “You won't have any place to put him during the ceremony. You're supposed to be guarding the rings, remember?” Max finished his task and surveyed his work with a critical eye.
    Sammy was wearing a perfect miniature version of the black and white formal attire that he and Ben were wearing. Max was well aware that this was the first time either Ben or Sammy had been exposed to the fine art of wearing a tux. He had told them it was never too soon to start.
    “You look good, kid.” Max nodded once, satisfied with the effect. “Your mom isn't going to recognize you.”
    Sammy studied himself in the mirror. “I look just like you and Ben, huh, Max?”
    “You sure do.” Max picked up the little black jacket and stuffed Sammy's arms gently into it. He straightened the tiny cummerbund. “Now, whatever you do, don't get any dirt on this outfit until after the ceremony, understand?”
    “Sure, Max. I'll be careful. Do you think O'Reilly will be here in time?” Sammy looked worried. He had been fretting about O'Reilly's belated arrival for the past hour.
    “He said he'd be here,” Max reminded him. “If O'Reilly says something, you can count on it.”
    The truth was, Max was beginning to fret a bit, himself, although he had no intention of revealing the fact. O'Reilly was normally close to compulsive when it came to matters of punctuality. There was no denying he was pushing the limits today. Max glanced at his watch for the fourth time in the past twenty minutes. The ceremony at Cosmic Harmony was scheduled to begin in an hour.
    Ben fiddled with the ends of his tie. “Maybe he had a flat tire.” His eyes met Max's in the mirror, reflecting a trace of the unease Max was feeling.
    “Could be,” Max agreed. “But he's got a car phone. He'd have called if he were going to be late. Here, let me take care of that tie. If you keep fooling with it, we'll have to get it ironed again.”
    “I don't know why we had to get all gussied up like this,” Ben muttered. “Waste of time. I feel like an idiot in this suit.”
    “It'll be worth it when you see the look in Trisha's eyes. Women are suckers for men in tuxes.”
    “Yeah?” Ben looked intrigued by that notion. “You really think Trisha will like it?”
    “Trust me.” Max took charge of the black tie, expertly shaping a perfect bow. “She's going to be swept off her feet.”
    Ben fingered his starched white shirt. “I'm not sure about these little pleats. You don't think they look like something a girl would wear, do you?”
    “Men have been wearing little pleats like this for nearly two hundred years. You're in good company.”
    “You sure I don't look like a waiter in a fancy restaurant?” Ben asked doubtfully.
    “You look like James Bond,” Max assured him.
    Ben scowled. “I'd rather look like you,” he said gruffly. “That way I'd know I don't look like an idiot. You always look like you're supposed to look, y'know?” He groped for words. “You always look right.”
    Max felt a peculiar twist of emotion. He could not recall anyone ever wanting to emulate him. “Just remember to wear the clothes with an attitude that says you're a lot sharper than they are.”
    “If you say so.” Ben watched in the mirror as Max worked on the tie.