He headed for the French doors Mac had exited through and found her just outside waiting for him.

"Thanks," she said. "I was so preoccupied with the logistics of getting here I forgot that at some point I would have to deal with her."

He frowned. "Get in car, turn key, drive here?"

"That would be too easy," she said. "We played a shell game to get me here. Six cars leave at once, paparazzi can't follow them all, we execute some quick turns and voila: I'm free for the day. I'm still impressed that Brady was ever able to sneak away without help."

"I guess you're lucky he's so smart, then, huh?" Dick said, and she just smiled. "Anyway, they're bringing out dinner now. That should keep you safe for a little while, unless Madison decides to forego her spot at the front table so you guys can bond some more."

"Good Lord, I almost wouldn't put it past her," Mac said.

"I know," Dick said, peering in through the doors. "How she ended up that way with such a nice family is beyond me." He turned back to Mac, but she was looking away into the gardens. She pushed some hair off her face and turned to brush by him.

"Come on," she said. "Let's get something to eat. I need some bread or something to soak up this wine, or the next thing I know someone here will be giving Extra an exclusive interview about how I've fallen off the wagon."

At Dick's startled look, she continued. "You don't remember that story? I guess I should be grateful it faded away. Veronica and I went out one night after she and Logan had some big fight and we ended up doing shots. The next day the tabloids reported that Brady was begging me to go to rehab and get help."

Dick shook his head. "You're a better person than I am. I couldn't put up with all that."

She shrugged. "Come on. Food."

Dick's table was occupied by three men who seemed to be good friends, as well as the blonde from earlier and several other women of her ilk. He ended up going to Madison's spinster aunt with a sob story about a girl he liked, and getting her to agree to switch places so he could sit with Mac at her table, which was conveniently located just to the right of the head table.

"Heard from Wallace lately?" he asked her as he chewed a hunk of bread.

She nodded absentmindedly. "Still at the same firm. I'm really glad he stuck with what he loved. I know it was hard for him, but talk about job satisfaction now."

Dick was going to point out that he didn't think Wallace's brand of engineering came easily to many people, when he clued in to the fact that every person at the table was watching them and listening to their conversation. He knew Mac could tell too, and he shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

She gamely tried to get a conversation going.

"How do you know the bride?" she asked the middle-aged man next to her.

"Old family friends," he answered. "Do you like romaction movies? That's romance-action. I have this idea for a screenplay that I think you'd really enjoy."

"Oh?" she said politely. "What's it about?"

"It's about a married couple, and they're both spies, but they don't know that the other is a spy, so the movie is about when they both find out they're married to a spy, and what happens after that."

Mac searched for words for a moment before turning her head and asking Dick out of the corner of her mouth, "Is that Mr. and Mrs. Smith?"

"It totally is," he said in his normal voice. "Dude, that's Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

"What?" the man bristled. "No, I call it The Spy I Married."

"Sorry dude, but I think if you're going to rip off a screenplay you have to at least give it a better name."

"I think it's wonderful that you don't let Hollywood pressure you into losing weight," a woman in a sequined jacket across the table told Mac. "I think of all those girls starving themselves to be beautiful, oh, it's just so sad."

"Okay, I think I'm done," Mac said, pushing back from the table and grabbing her bag. Once standing, she composed herself and addressed the table. "Please excuse me. I need to make a call."

She walked away with her head high.

"Well that was a little rude," said the woman in the sequins.