Pursuing Pandora

by Maggie Brown

  As nonchalantly as she could, Pandora smiled at the audience as she furtively began to study each person. Her attention immediately focused on a tall silver-haired woman at the bar. Another person of interest. Hilda something-or-other from Brussels—the last name escaped her. She moved on quickly. By the time she’d finished, she’d recognised at least eight people from both photo folders.

  Her pulse pounded. Something was definitely going down tonight and she had to get a message to Adriana. They needed to get a surveillance crew outside ASAP. It took all her willpower to relax through the rest of her performance.

  When she finished her last note, she replaced the mike on the stand and as she waved to acknowledge the applause, a cold feeling crept up her spine. Where the ambient gleam from the ceiling lights had been inviting and intimate, it now seemed chilly and grey. Spooked, Pandora leaned over to Kurt with a whispered, “I’m off, now. I’ll be fine getting home.”

  She turned immediately to walk backstage to her dressing room. She didn’t hurry, conscious her movements were being recorded. And there would be surveillance cameras in her dressing room. If the Russians had tightened their security, then her every move would be recorded there too.

  With a straight face, she stripped off her clothes and forced herself to stretch upright before tugging on her jeans and sweatshirt. She could just imagine some creepy lowlife salivating over her naked body as he watched the video. But she couldn’t afford to have her disguise compromised. She put it out of her mind, tidying the room as she always did, before exiting via the back door. Keeping to her routine was essential.

  Kurt was waiting outside in the alley when she appeared. “I’ll walk you to the street,” he said with a fatherly pat on the arm.

  Gratefully, she walked out with him. Then was heartily sorry she’d hadn’t taken up his offer to accompany her right home. The two blocks to her apartment felt like four as she walked briskly along the shadowy footpaths.

  When at last home, Pandora closed the door, leaned back against it and let out a long puff of breath. She needed to maintain her cool. So far, Yuri wasn’t suspicious of her and she had to keep it that way. Thankfully, she didn’t have to return until Tuesday.

  Without pausing, she immediately took out her phone to text Adriana. Five minutes later, her coded message was sent and her job for the night finished. She was only there to observe and report—the rest of the unit took care of it from there on. The captain would send in a squad to stake out the club tonight. With the information, the net would close tighter around the Russian syndicate. When arrests were made, there had to be enough evidence for a conviction.

  She made herself a cup of coffee, wishing she had someone with whom to talk things over. When the police went in, Pandora the lounge singer would have quietly disappeared. Any hope she could stay in Brisbane was only a pipe dream. They’d alter her appearance and send her on a long holiday overseas. Her next assignment would be somewhere far away.

  She put the events at the club out of her mind to concentrate on the plan tomorrow. She wasn’t relishing meeting Winter’s family. It was probably going to be far more stressful than the Silver Fox tonight. At least there she had done what she had been trained for. The party was a complete unknown—she hadn’t a clue what might happen. On paper, it all sounded fine, but best laid plans were known to crash.

  Then there was the added problem of being Jessie’s pretend girlfriend. It wasn’t looking as straightforward as when Winter had first made the plan. The signs were quite clear now that Jessie viewed Pandora as more than a casual flirtation. She had become a little too attentive. Underneath the swaggering good-time-girl façade, she was a very sensitive woman who was likely to get hurt in the subterfuge.

  Plus, there was the fact that Pandora had a thing for Winter, who had just had lunch with the very eligible Veronica. And not forgetting Michael, who had a giant crush on her, nor his mother who thought Pandora was a harpy cougar.

  Fuck!

  It was beginning to sound like a second-rate soap opera.

  Chapter Twenty

  A persistent buzzing dragged Winter out of another heated Pandora dream. Knowing there was no ignoring the infernal alarm, she groped at the nightstand until she located the phone. Squinting at the screen, she groaned when she saw it was Gussie. Before she answered, she coughed a few times, trying to clear her throat of the effects of her erotic dream.

  “Hello,” she said huskily.

  “Did I wake you up, Winter?”

  Winter peered again at the screen. 7:00. Of course, she damn well did. Saturday was her chance for a sleep in and her aunt knew it. “No…no. I was just getting up. What can I do for you?”

  “I’d like to go through what you’ve planned for the party.” Her tone had slipped from casual to businesslike.

  “It’s all under control. There’s no need for you to do anything.”

  “You know I hate surprises.”

  “I’ve organized the salads and sweets from a caterer, and Dad has offered to do the barbeque. I’ve hired tables and chairs and decoration lights, which the hire place will set up. All you have to do is come along.”

  There was a pregnant pause at the end of the phone, then a clipped reply came, “That’s not what I was referring to, as you well know. Have you organized the other business?”

  Winter clenched her jaw. “I have.”

  “And?”

  “It’s all taken care of. Pandora will be coming with a date.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Someone suitable,” Winter replied vaguely.

  “Humph. I hope he’s her age and plays his part properly. Being an actress, she won’t have any trouble.”

  Winter just shook her head and bit back the grumble of frustration. It served no purpose in pointing out that Pandora was a singer, not an actor. Her aunt in protective mother mode was deaf to everything. “Don’t worry. Once Michael sees them together, he’ll know he hasn’t a chance with her.”

  “You better be right. But just to be on the safe side, I’ve organized for the son of a friend of mine to come along as well. He’s apparently quite a catch.”

  Winter shot up straight in the bed. What the hell was Gussie thinking? The last thing they wanted was some blind date pursuing Pandora as well. “You’ve done what? I told you I was organizing it,” she snapped into the phone.

  “There’s no need for that tone of voice, Winter. I thought it best to have all our bases covered.”

  “You’re just complicating things.”

  “Nonsense.”

  “What does this guy do?”

  “He’s a musician in a band, so they’ll have plenty in common. He’s around her age, so she won’t have to cradle snatch,” Gussie replied.

  Winter ignored the dig. “Just make sure he doesn’t get in the way. Pandora won’t be interested in him, so I suppose it won’t do any harm if he comes along.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure of that. Tracey said he’s hot…her words not mine. Now, I’ll let you go and I’ll see you tonight,” Gussie said cheerily and with a touch of finality.

  “Goodbye,” Winter said testily. As if her cousin was an authority on men. What was her aunt thinking? Crossly, she threw the phone on the bed. But then she chuckled when she visualized Gussie’s reaction to Pandora holding hands with Jessie. She wouldn’t have seen that one coming. So much for the spunky musician.

  Her mood improved, she slipped through the shower and headed for the kitchen. With a bowl of muesli and fruit, she retired to her study for a few hours on her portfolios. The party supplies were ordered, so all she had to do was wait for everything to arrive. Unlike most people, work was a therapeutic way for her to relax. However, as much as she tried to concentrate, her mind kept wandering.

  Frowning, she drummed her fingers on the desktop in a jittery tattoo. Lines were beginning to blur—she was having difficulty separating her professional life from her personal one. Something that had never happened before. For the entire wee
k she had tried to focus on work, but every so often, numbers and words morphed into body parts that entwined in the most delightful ways.

  An hour later she gave up, powered down the computer, and after making herself a cup of coffee, wandered out onto the patio.

  As soon as she stretched out on a reclining chair, Jinx appeared. Meowing loudly, he rubbed himself against her leg, refusing to be ignored. With a little smile she gave in, picked him up and cradled him in her arms. When she tickled him under his ear, she was rewarded with a string of contented purrs. Then he sprawled across her and promptly shut his eyes. She gazed down at him fondly—there was something about the way he took possession of her lap that brought everything into perspective. He didn’t wait to be invited, he simply went ahead and claimed his space.

  So—maybe instead of sitting back daydreaming about Pandora, she should follow his lead and give her a ring.

  They hadn’t been in contact after she’d asked Winter out to lunch, an invitation she had hated to refuse. She’d teed up with Veronica to have lunch in the city that day—just her luck. Her mind wandered back to that date. The anaesthetist had proved to be a pleasant dining companion: bright, interesting, and easygoing. As well as a charming woman, she was professional, capable, and smart. They had got on like a house on fire, parting with a promise to get together again. And it would be nice to have her as a friend to have a meal with occasionally.

  She rubbed her thumb restlessly over the rim of her cup. She couldn’t ignore the fact that Veronica, with her light-hearted flirting and fleeting touches, had made it obvious she wanted more than friendship. Winter, though, hadn’t felt even a smidgeon of attraction. Why she couldn’t fathom. Veronica was the exact type of woman she’d always liked. Another professional woman committed to her career.

  Winter took a gulp of coffee, knowing she needed to ask herself the question she should have addressed years ago. Was that preference simply to fit into her lifestyle? To remain in her comfort zone?

  In her heart of hearts she knew that it was. It was no use denying it any longer. She had always been afraid of letting go, of losing control. She never leaped until she had somewhere to land. And always the job—her secure haven. The thought of letting herself go completely, to be vulnerable without a safety net, was utterly terrifying.

  The uncomfortable truth made her squirm. What she felt for Pandora wasn’t safe or controlled. She wanted to rip the woman’s clothes off and whisk her off to bed. Regardless of the consequences.

  Good God! What is happening to me? When have I become so sexual?

  Winter clenched her jaw against a fresh surge of awareness— her feelings were way past the interest stage. She had become smitten with the woman.

  Yeah, right. Join the queue.

  Her head a mess of conflicting thoughts, she dug her phone out of her pocket and tapped in the number before she could change her mind. When “Hello” sounded in her ear, her stomach gave an involuntary lurch.

  “Hey, Pandora. I just thought I’d touch base before tonight. Everything’s prepared on my end. All my family are coming, including some of the cousins I haven’t seen for yonks. According to my mother, no one intends to miss the only party I’ve thrown for years. So much for a small crowd. I…” She trailed off awkwardly. Damn, she must sound like a jabbering idiot.

  A soft laugh came. “Hi, Winter.”

  “Oh. Sorry, I’m babbling. I actually just rang to say hello.”

  “I’m glad you did. I missed you this week.”

  “You did?”

  “I’ve been thinking about you.”

  Warmth spread over Winter and her toes curled. “Me too. I’m sorry I couldn’t have lunch with you the other day.”

  “How was Veronica?”

  “She’s nice. Really good company and we have a lot in common. Um…how did you go with Jessie after the garden party.” Winter gulped. Damn—why did she blurt that out? She had foot-and-mouth disease today. What Pandora did with Jessie was their affair.

  “We went to a fantastic steak house for dinner. Best fillet steak I’ve had for years.”

  Winter’s heart sank. Wining and dining her dates at the top restaurants, was a true-and-tried seduction ploy for Jessie. Swallowing her resentment, she said brightly, “You’re making my mouth water. Jessie always knows the best places to eat. And it was…um…good practice for you two for tonight.”

  Pandora laughed. “Jessie doesn’t need any practice.”

  At that, Winter could only manage a morose, “No, she doesn’t. She can get anyone she wants.”

  “Not everyone,” said Pandora a little sharply. “Now, let’s forget about Jessie and talk about you. Tell me about you and your family.”

  “I’m not particularly interesting. I’m an only child, but with plenty of cousins. Mum’s mother is still alive…eighty-eight this year. My father owns an electrical store and my mother’s a financial adviser for a superannuation fund. They’re talking about going on a three-month holiday next year.”

  “Where to?”

  “The UK first…” Winter sank back in the chair, languidly stroking the soft black fur in a slow steady rhythm as they talked.

  Time flew by as they went from one topic to another easily, like old friends. Winter had never meshed quite so comfortably with anyone before—Pandora seemed to understand her. And she couldn’t help comparing her to Christine, who had been only prepared to talk about things that interested her. And as they talked, it reiterated the feeling she’d already formed, that Pandora’s real self was far removed from the glamorous temptress she portrayed on-stage.

  It was only the sound of a truck pulling up outside that she thought to look at her watch. With a shock, she saw they had been talking for nearly an hour and a half. Regretfully, she wrapped it up. “I’ll have to go, Pandora. The crew are here with the tables and chairs. They’re stringing up some decorations for me as well.”

  “Then I guess that’s my cue to say goodbye. It was really nice talking to you, Winter.”

  “Ditto to that. Au revoir,” she murmured, then went to meet the truck.

  A small smile tugged the corner of her mouth.

  She couldn’t wait to see Pandora tonight.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  “I’ll help you butter them when I finish these,” Joyce Carlyle called out when Winter entered the kitchen carrying a box of bread rolls.

  She nodded to her mother who stood at the bench, her sleeves rolled up, transferring the gourmet salads from their containers into bowls. Even at sixty-six, she still had a trim figure, due mainly to the eighteen holes of golf every Sunday, weather permitting. She was a few inches shorter than Winter, her face fuller, her hair much fairer. Though in the last few years, her strawberry blond seemed to be even lighter, due to the increasing silver among the gold.

  A smile hovered on Winter’s lips as she began buttering the freshly baked rolls. This was so different from when she and Jessie had flatted together years ago in their cramped little two-bedroom apartment. They had thought the place so cool, despite its mishmash of ill-assorted furniture, and a stove that didn’t heat properly. They entertained frequently with cheap wine casks, paper cups, Sao biscuits and cheese slices, and if anyone was really hungry, there were always packets of two-minute noodles in the cupboard.

  God, she hadn’t thought about those fun times for years.

  Her mother’s voice cut through her nostalgia. “You’ve done wonders with the house and the yard, dear. Gran would have been proud of you.”

  “Thanks, Mum. I love the place.”

  “Well, it’s a credit to you,” Joyce replied as they stacked the rolls on the buffet table. Then added, “It’s a relief the rain has cleared away for a while.”

  “I’ll say,” Winter agreed. In fact, she couldn’t have asked for a better day for an outdoor party. It was an idyllic spring evening, the air pleasantly warm with a mild breeze. The garden looked spectacular with the flower beds an array of colourful blooms. Strings of
fairy lights would turn the backyard into a shining wonderland after dark.

  Thirty minutes later, with a satisfied smile Joyce dusted her hands on her apron. “Right. Everything’s ready. Time to go upstairs and dress. Your father and I will meet you downstairs at six.”

  Winter glanced at her watch. The three hired waitresses were due at six, and the guests at six thirty.

  Once showered, she slipped on her black slacks, yet to decide on her top. She vacillated between the pretty blue, and the vibrant black-and-white cold shoulder blouse with the low neckline. The cleavage won, though it seemed a tad too low. But what the heck—she needed to get out of her comfort zone. After applying her makeup, she shook her hair out of the French twist, letting it fall free. A satisfied glance in the mirror, and she went downstairs.

  When Winter walked out onto the back patio her mother’s initial quick gaze became a stare. “Well…well. Don’t you look nice. New clothes?”

  Winter nodded self-consciously. “I went shopping this week.”

  “For someone in particular?”

  “I needed to upgrade my wardrobe,” Winter replied gruffly.

  Joyce gazed at her with a gleam in her eyes. “You can’t blame me for asking. It’s not your usual style and you’ve a certain radiance about you tonight. I’m just hoping there’s a lovely lady involved in the transformation. You deserve someone nice.”

  Winter didn’t comment. Her mother had disliked Christine, but she wasn’t sure that Pandora would be viewed as any more acceptable if Gussie had shared her worries with her.

  Winter wasn’t surprised to see the first guest was her aunt. She swept in and immediately commandeered her. “Happy birthday, Winter. The place looks marvellous. You’ve outdone yourself.” She lowered her voice. “What time is she coming?”