Butlers rearranged furniture, cooks prepared hors d'oeuvres and maids arranged flowers and pillows about the main living room.Gwen relaxed, eager for ...he evening's festivities. She didn't know the details of what would happen, but she was certain it would be pleasurable. That had been her attitude since about the third day at Gracely House, and it had stood her well so far.In the late afternoon, maid Melissa led Gwen to her room to prepare for the evening. Gwen bathed, and Melissa applied. He felt the shock of the connection, the steady thump of his heart as they watched each other. Need churned inside him the way it always did when he had her within his sights. He refused to look away; he couldn’t stop himself from taking in every detail while he still had the chance. She smiled at him, just the barest movement of her mouth before she turned in a slow circle and met his eyes again. Although they were too far apart to touch, he could almost feel the heat of her body against. Don’t you think?”“Shut up and be off with you,” the overworked cook replied, as he scrambled a batch of eggs. “You never had no luck and tonight won’t be no different.”“Ohhhh. You shut your own bad mouth,” came the rude reply. “It’s just like they say, you always hurt the ones that’s the nicest to you. See if I care. My feelings ain’t hurt.”As he bundled up, another diner spoke. “The Mayans, or Incas, or maybe it was the Aztecs—one of those old, dead people—predicted the end of the world on. There was a card inside andMandy asked me to read it first. I slowly opened it and It was a weddinginvitation for "us" to be re-married on our 25th anniversary date atCaesars in Las Vegas (a short flight away). Wow, I thought that waspretty cool, we needed to do a little something for our 25th like mostcouples. Then I started opening the other boxes and she said, "This iseverything I want you to wear on that day." It was a woman's engagementright, a sweetheart necklace with small diamond heart.