Gordon's Dawn by Hazel Gower

to leave her hours ago. She now sat at a table and watched him work the room. The more she saw, the further out of her element she felt.
    A beautiful blonde draped herself over Gordon and gave an exaggerated laugh. Dawn giggled, but she hadn’t the first hour. She’d been filled with jealousy as women practically threw themselves at Gordon. Now, though, she saw Gordon wasn’t even remotely interested. He detangled himself from every woman with a flash of annoyance clear on his face.
    Plenty of women had come up to her trying to intimidate her. Ha. Dawn had been the new girl so many times she knew how the bitches worked. The last woman had only just left, and Dawn was not only bored, but she was physically and emotionally drained. There were only so many times you could hear about how you were too fat to keep Gordon’s interest, or she was too young and inexperienced. The list of things she wasn’t that Gordon would leave her for was a big one. Even her clothes apparently were a reason why he’d leave her, as she wasn’t wearing this seasons ‘it’ designer.
    Needing a drink, she got up and went to the bar. The young guy behind it wore a Caesars uniform. He came over to her with a huge grin. “Hi. What can I get you?”
    “A creaming soda would be great.” Dawn had never been much for alcohol.
    “We don’t have that here.” His gaze traveled up and down her, and she saw interest in his eyes, but she wasn’t even remotely interested. She may be annoyed with Gordon for not telling her who he was and the secrets he kept, but she loved him.
    “Oh, what nonalcoholic do you have?”
    “I have coke, lemonade, and Dr. Pepper.”
    “I’d love lemonade, please.”
    The guy nodded and got a glass and filled it and handed it to her. “So, your dad’s party is pretty rocking.”
    It took Dawn a moment to figure out what the bartender was talking about, and then she realized who he thought Gordon was to her and burst out laughing. “Oh, that’s hilarious. Don’t let him hear that you say that. His age is a sore spot. He’s not my dad.”
    The bartenders gaze narrowed. “He your boss or something.”
    “Or something.” She giggled. Dawn probably should be offended for Gordon that the bartender thought he was her father, but she knew, with their age difference, people would assume things even though they looked nothing alike. Dawn didn’t think Gordon looked at all old enough to have her as a child. She gazed over at him and tried to see how someone like the bartender could think he was old enough to be her father. There was no white in his hair, he didn’t have wrinkles, and his body was in shape. To her, he looked a like a very attractive businessman in his early thirties.
    The bartender tapped her shoulder getting her attention back. “Did I hear an accent?”
    “Yeah.”
    He leaned in closer. “I can hear you now. Where you from?”
    “I’m Australian.”
    “Great, how long you here? Do you need someone to show you around?”
    Holy crap, was the bartender chatting her up? What did she do? She should have told him she was Gordon’s wife. Taking a sip of her drink trying to calm herself, she choked when it tasted like lemons. “Um, this tastes like lemons with sugar.”
    “You ordered a lemonade?”
    “Yeah, I know, but… um, where I’m from, that would be… uh, a sprite or a similar flavor.”
       The bartender winked at her. “You’re not in Australia anymore.” He leaned over the bar. Crap, crap, he was flirting with her. “You didn’t answer any of my questions. You don’t look like the type to be at this party, uh, going from what I’ve seen.”
    Taking a sip of the lemonade, which tasted okay, it just wasn’t what she was used to, she rushed out. “Oh, I don’t fit in, but Gordon, the birthday boy, is my husband.”
    Laughing, this time because of the guy’s shocked face. Dawn told herself she shouldn’t find it funny, especially when she knew it was one of the things that