V



Theresa looked at Dylan skeptically. "Oh no," She said with fear pervading her gaze. Theresa walked over to the couch, her mind spinning with a myriad of things Dylan could tell her. She felt as if her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. Theresa held onto the arm of the couch and tried to control her breathing. Nervously she twisted her fingers and bit her lower lip. "Okay," She said after taking a deep breath, "Go ahead. Tell me."

Dylan suddenly broke into a smile. "I'm just playing with you. She's nobody really." He said grinning.

Theresa frowned. "Dylan!" She reprimanded. "Don't you dare scare me like that again!" Theresa sighed in relief and wiped the beads of sweat that lined her forehead.

Dylan chuckled. "I had you going there didn't I?"

"Yeah," Theresa admitted. "But don't ever do that again!" Theresa got up and went over to place Audrey's letter on the table next to the front door. She wondered what Audrey could have possibly written to her husband. The envelope seemed to beckon her to open it. Theresa fought the temptation to rip open the envelope to reveal its contents. Her fingers literally itched. She held them to her sides and fought the urges to open the letter.

"Theresa, I'm really sorry." Dylan said apologetically. "But seriously, Audrey is just a friend of mine and Fox's."

Theresa turned around. "Just a friend?" Theresa asked suspiciously. "Uh- if she's just a friend, then why did she scent the envelope with perfume?"

"She always does that." Dylan replied. "It's nothing special." He said. "In fact, I always get scented letters from her."

"So it doesn't mean anything?" Theresa asked slowly.

"It's probably just a friendly letter. That's all. Don't be such a worrywart."

Theresa was unable to let go of the doubt that pervaded her emotions. "Okay." She said sighing. Theresa heard the phone ringing. "Excuse me a minute," Theresa said. "Hello?" She answered. "Oh hey," She said as went into the next room. Dylan sat down on the couch and let out a deep breath. "That was a close call." He thought to himself. "I hope that Theresa doesn't open that letter from Audrey or reads whatever is on it." Dylan leaned back. "It's a good thing I didn't tell Theresa the truth about Audrey. She'd be hurt if she knew the truth." Dylan looked around the room at the various framed pictures that sat upon the tables in the room. Most of them were of Fox and Theresa. Over the fireplace hung a huge portrait of Fox, Theresa, and Ethan Martin. Dylan got up and observed the picture up close. "Theresa's son can pass off as Fox's." Dylan murmured. Dylan walked back to the couch and picked up a photo of Theresa. He took a seat on the couch and admired Theresa's picture. "You sure know how to pick 'em, Foxy boy." Dylan thought to himself.

Fox drove up to the house and took Little Ethan from his car seat. Ethan Martin cheerfully responded with baby babble. Fox opened the door of his home and entered the room carrying Little Ethan in his arms. He looked surprised to find his friend sitting in his living room. "Dylan, what are you doing here?" Fox asked.

"Flirting with your wife." Dylan replied as he put her picture back on the table. "You know she's a very beautiful woman."

"Yes, she is." Fox said lovingly. "However, you better keep your hands off of her." Fox said warningly. "But seriously, what are you doing here?"

"Just decided to visit." Dylan replied plainly. "And" Dylan added. "A few minutes ago, I saved your ass."

"How?" Fox asked confused. He wondered what his friend was talking about. Something told him that it wasn't good at all. He dreaded the answer his friend was going to give him.

"Apparently Audrey wrote you a letter and scented it with her perfume. Theresa was worried about it, and I covered for you. She wanted to know who Audrey was, and I told her that Audrey was just an old friend of ours who happens to scent her envelopes with her perfume." Fox sat down on the couch as the effect of Dylan's words sank in. "Audrey?" He said his face paling.

"Yup." Dylan answered. "The one, the only, Audrey Glenn."

"I had been e-mailing her." Fox admitted. "But I hadn't kept in touch after the stuff that happened in L.A."

Dylan nodded. "Well I guess she's interested in finding out what you've been up to. I'm sure she's probably heard about your marriage to Ms. Theresa."

"How did she get this address though?" Fox wondered aloud.

Dylan shrugged. "Beats me, but you better not let Theresa see the contents of that letter. You never know what Audrey might've written."

"First Angela shows up with a kid, and then I get a scented letter from Audrey, what next?" Fox mumbled. "Why did this have to happen now."

"Bad luck?" Dylan suggested. "But things should work out."

"Yeah," Fox said sighing. "Hopefully it does."

"If it doesn't~" Dylan said as his voice trailed off.

Fox looked at his friend suspiciously. "What?" He asked.

"Well, if it doesn't work and Theresa leaves you, then I'll be happy to look after her for you." Dylan grinned mischievously.

"Don't make me hit you." Fox warned.

"Watch what you do in front of the kid." Dylan said motioning to Little Ethan. "You don't want to be a bad influence."

Fox frowned and looked at Little Ethan. A smile slowly formed on Fox's lips. "Hey, Dylan, I think Little Ethan has something he wants to say to you."

Dylan looked at Ethan Martin. "He talks?"

"Well, yeah." Fox said. "A little. He also has this neat thing he does with his hand." Fox handed little Ethan over to Dylan. "Hey little E." Fox whispered. Ethan Martin glanced at Fox. Fox smacked his nose. Little Ethan laughed. Fox then pointed to Dylan and tapped his head. Ethan Martin glanced at Dylan and titled his head. "Show him," Fox encouraged.

"Show me what?" Dylan asked.

Little Ethan smacked Dylan on the head and giggled. "Hey," Dylan said frowning.

"Good boy," Fox said laughing.

"That's not funny." Dylan said. "You see, you are a bad influence."

"Whatever." Fox said.

Theresa came back into the room and smiled when she saw Fox and Little Ethan. "You're home!" She said happily as she quickly went over to where Fox was sitting.

"Oui Madame," Fox replied. "Come here and gimme a kiss."

Dylan rolled his eyes. "Get a room!" He said as Theresa planted a light kiss on Fox's lips.

"How about you just leave the room?" Fox suggested.

"Ouch." Dylan said. "Well," Dylan said talking to Little Ethan. "I think I'm not wanted here."

"Oh, Dylan, Fox was just kidding, weren't you Fox?" Theresa asked.

"Uh- no," Fox replied.

"Fox!" Theresa said nudging him. "Behave."

Dylan laughed. "She's got you whipped man."

"No, I just know how to please my woman, unlike you~" Fox's voice trailed off.

"I know how to please my women," Dylan replied.

"Yeah," Fox said sarcastically. "Sure you do."

"Okay, that's enough boys," Theresa replied. "Whit's gonna be here in a few minutes. I've got to go get fitted for my bridesmaid dress." Theresa told Fox. "So, you'll be in charge of getting dinner prepared."

"Ooh, another wedding?" Dylan asked.

"Yeah, my best friend's wedding actually." Theresa answered.

"That's nice." Dylan replied. "Hm, you can cook Fox?" Dylan asked.

"Yes" Fox replied. "I have culinary talent."

Dylan scoffed. "Uh yeah, sure. I'll have to see it with my own eyes."

"Oh yeah, before I forget, you have some mail Fox." Theresa said as she went over to the table with Audrey's letter. Theresa placed Audrey's letter at the head of the pile and hoped that she could get a glimpse of the contents. "Here you go honey," Theresa said as she handed Fox the mound of letters. She settled beside him and sat on the arm of the couch. Fox looked at the top letter and murmured, "What's Audrey sending me?"

"Open it," Theresa encouraged.

"Uh, maybe later." Fox replied as he tossed the letter on the coffee table.

Theresa frowned in disappointment. "Damn!" She thought to herself.

"I think I heard a car door slam." Dylan said. Theresa got up and looked out of one of the large windows that looked out into the front yard. "It's Whitney," Theresa said. "I'll be back in a few hours," Theresa gave her husband and son a kiss on the cheek. "What about me?" Dylan asked jokingly. Fox looked at Dylan with a raised eyebrow. "I was just kidding" Dylan said in response to Fox's look. "Geez."

Theresa smiled and ruffled Dylan's hair. "Bye!" She called as she left the house. Fox quickly grabbed Audrey's letter of the table and carefully opened it.

"You get kissed by a gorgeous woman, and I get my hair messed up." Dylan remarked. "Ugh. So not fair. Anyhow, you recognize the perfume?"

"Yeah," Fox replied. "It's the one I bought her while we were in Paris. I told her that every time I smelled this scent, I'd think of her."

"Oh how romantic." Dylan said sarcastically. "So, what would happen if Theresa had happened to wear the same perfume?"

Fox rolled his eyes. "Will you shut up please?"

"Whatever, anyhow, are you going to read the letter or not?"

Fox unfolded the paper in his hands. It consisted of three full pages front and back of neat cursive. "Well for God sakes, did she write a book?" Dylan asked when he saw the paper in Fox's hands. "Shh," Fox said as he began to read the letter.

Dearest Fox,

~*~