"What on earth is Peter doing up there?" Veronica asked Chelsea, Peter Van Husen's estranged wife.
Chelsea shrugged and shifted uncomfortably on her feet. She was feeling more and more pregnant with every passing second. She was also feeling less and less confident that her husband was ever going to come back to her and the thought of raising her baby completely on her own was scaring her to death. "I have no idea," she replied.
"He looked...odd when he came in," Veronica said. "Do you think someone should go up there and see if he's okay?"
With a sigh, Chelsea plopped into a wing chair and looked up at her friend. "Well, I'm not going to climb those stairs and see what he's doing. If you're so curious, you go." She knew she was being snappish and she also knew that Veronica didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of her bad mood but Chelsea felt so tired and so worried and so totally wrung out that she couldn't seem to stop herself.
Veronica didn't seem offended. "I think I will," she said. "Can I get you anything before I go upstairs?"
"A glass of water would be nice." Chelsea shut her eyes. Around her she sensed that Steve and Dee Dee's going away party was in full swing and it sounded like everyone was having a good time. She wished she was having a good time. She really wished she was having a good time with her husband, Peter. She really, really wished that she knew for sure that Peter was the father of her soon-to-be-born child.
"Long time no see."
Chelsea's eyes flew open and her heart began to thud inside her chest like a jackhammer. She hadn't heard that voice, that oily, creepy, know it all voice since the night she'd gone down to the Lucky 7 Bar and had the bad luck to meet Jim Waterston. "What are you doing here?" she asked when she was able to speak again.
Jim shrugged. He was wearing a very loud plaid sports coat with a magenta shirt and his hair had been freshly permed. He looked like someone who had wandered right out of a 1970's time machine. "I heard there was a party at Mary Austin's old house tonight so I decided to check it out."
"Were you invited?"
"This is Schuyler Square, sweetie. Invitations to go anywhere aren't required."
She must have been out of her mind to sleep with this man. Chelsea was trying to struggle to her feet so she could escape from Jim when Veronica returned with a glass of ice water and a small plate of food. "I thought you might be hungry," Veronica said. She smiled at Jim politely. "Hello."
Chelsea gave up trying to get out of the chair. "Thank you," she said as she accepted the water and food. Maybe Jim would start talking to Veronica and leave her alone.
"I'm Jim Waterston," Jim said when Chelsea made no move to introduce Veronica to him. "And you're Veronica Chandler, right?"
"Veronica Channing," Veronica corrected.
Jim shrugged. "Close enough. How about a drink, Veronica Channing?"
"Won't your wife be missing you?" Chelsea asked.
"My wife is at the movies with her mother," Jim replied. "I'm alone and fancy free tonight."
"Thanks," Veronica said, "but I was just about to go upstairs and check on a friend."
"I'll come with you," Jim offered. "I know my way around this house. I used to visit Mary Austin once in a while."
"That's all right," Veronica said.
"I insist. It will give us a chance to get to know each other better. Come on. I'll show you the way." Cupping a hand under Veronica's elbow, Jim led her toward the staircase.
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