“Diana?” Mr. Pallister prompted. “Can you give Gwen the file so we can get Mr. and Mrs. Orville started? They run the popular Orville and Company chain of high-end department stores here in Texas. I’m sure they have other things to do today.”
“Of course,” Diana murmured. She swallowed back the lump that threatened to close her throat and sighed. The file was right in the center of her desk because it was her biggest, most lucrative deal yet. A whole package and Gwen was about to take it for a ride like a teenager joyriding in a Masarati. Diana handed over the file and tried to fight the urge to punch Gwen in the face as the woman’s obvious gloating took over. “Here you go, Gwen. I’m sure Mr. Amatuzzio will love talking with you.”
“Amatuzzio?” Bryan Pallister’s head swung around and he looked right at Gwen. Then his gaze drifted back to Diana. “This is the Lucietto deal involving that palazzo in Abruzzo?”
“Yes.” Diana tried not to enjoy just how nervous Mr. Pallister had just gotten. He was actually watching Gwen’s hands reach for the file. “Gwen, I sure hope your Italian is as up to snuff as Diana’s.”
Gwen was briefly outraged that her grandfather would make such a comment. Her face began to redden again and there was no doubt in Diana’s mind that if the new clients hadn’t been there she would have started yelling again. This time her target might have actually been her own grandfather. Not wise, but there was no doubt in Diana’s mind that Gwen was more concerned with making sure the old man didn’t dis her skills. Respect just wasn’t in Gwen’s skill set.
“So when do we go to Italy to start looking?” Mrs. Francesca Orville asked eagerly. “My son, Joseph, and his wife, Embry, want to come with us. We’re all just so excited!”
The names sounded vaguely familiar though Diana almost always had that feeling when dealing with new clients. Most of Dallas’s high rollers wound up in the offices of Pallister and Associates. Who knew? Maybe someday Diana would find herself face to face with a King trying to retire. Except that it was pretty hard to retire overseas when you needed a ton of space to roam because you were secretly a wolf!
The thought almost blew Diana’s mind right out of the moment and all the way back to yesterday’s fiasco in the King building. But she could not think about that now. Mr. Pallister and Gwen exited Diana’s office and she found herself alone with the most eager couple she had ever come across—at least for the first meeting where there were really no decisions to be made just yet. Not concrete ones at least.
“So let’s talk about your investment portfolio, shall we?” Diana ushered the couple toward seats and opened up a new file on her computer. “Tell me everything you’ve been doing so far to prepare for this exciting life change.”
This was very, very odd. The couple did not launch into an excited account of all the financial assets they could bring to this situation. They did not talk about their current portfolio, what their current home was worth, or anything of that nature. They simply glanced at each other and nodded.
“So here’s the deal,” Mr. Orville began in a suddenly subdued voice. “Our son married a woman and gained the mother-in-law from hell.”
“All right.”
Diana didn’t type anything. She was too busy trying to figure out what she was supposed to do with that information. The mother-in-law from hell? The first thing that came to mind when Diana heard that phrase was Tisha Olivares-King. It was pretty difficult to see how anyone could top that.
Mr. Orville gave Diana a wry look of amusement. Then he hooked one boot over the opposite knee and leaned back in his chair. “I can see you feel like we’re exaggerating. Let’s just say that this woman expects my son and her daughter to provide support. As in the woman honestly believes that my son is supposed to pay her bills and provide her with an apartment. It’s been a huge financial burden on our family.”
“I’m sorry, pardon me for my ignorance,” Diana murmured. She struggled with her next words because in a way they were just so obvious. “Can’t your son just put his foot down and say no?”
“You would think!” Mrs. Francesca Orville threw up her hands and put them over her face as though she were about to start bawling. “That is what we told our Joseph! We told him that he had to say no. The store could not keep supporting this woman’s shopping habits. It is absolutely unbelievable how much this woman can spend in an afternoon. She comes into the store every single day and buys clothes and household goods and china and luggage and she never pays!”
“I’m sorry, that’s theft.” It was obvious to Diana that these people were truly torn up about their situation, but it seemed rather obvious. How on earth could one woman just exercise that kind of power over in-laws? “It sounds like it’s time to call the police.”
“We did. Once. We sent her a collections letter from our store credit card because she has never paid a bill. Not one. She uses the card and then just tells the creditor that she is a member of the Orville family and shouldn’t have to pay!” Mrs. Orville was moaning as she described this situation. Then she finally began to cry. Diana handed her a tissue.
Mr. Orville patted his wife’s arm. “One collection notice and I thought my son was going to slit his own throat. He loves his wife, but the two of them cannot keep up with Aliana Ariosa.”
“I’m sorry.” Diana very nearly choked. “Did you say Alaina Ariosa? Your son married Embry Ariosa?” The amount of pity that Diana felt for these people was overwhelming. “I am so sorry. Tell me how I can help.”
“You know Alaina?” Mr. Orville’s eyes almost bugged out. “How?”
Diana didn’t necessarily want to divulge all of her association. So she picked out the most obvious. “I went to grade school with Eleni and Embry.”
That seemed to satisfy Mrs. Orville. “Oh! So you might understand why we are trying to save what we have.” She glanced at her husband. “We want to sell the store chain and find someone to find us property in Italy.”
Diana’s brain was already beginning to churn as she considered all of the possible ways that they could protect the assets that the Orvilles had left and somehow manage to cut Ariana off. It would be a lot harder for Ariana Ariosa to be bugging them for money and taking shameless advantage if she had an ocean between them.
Chapter Twelve
It was already fifteen minutes past seven o’clock and Edward was beginning to believe that he’d actually been stood up by Diana Appleton. The Lone Star Grill was a popular place not far from Edward’s apartment. He was pretty certain that it was about halfway between his place and Diana’s, which made it easy for her to nip home from the office, grab a change of clothing or whatever girls needed, and then make it to the grill in order to meet him for dinner. On time.
Edward had already seen several people that he knew. They had waved and a few groups had even asked him to join them. Most were just the former college friends, fellow sons and daughters of the Dallas high society crowd that Tisha Olivares-King typically ran with. Edward had turned them down. Now he was regretting it. Perhaps it would have better made his point to already be seated with friends when Diana finally strolled in.
Jason’s words kept nipping at the edges of Edward’s consciousness. What if that’s what was happening here? What if Diana was actually willing to have a relationship with him, but only on her terms? Was he really willing to live a life like his father’s with a woman constantly nagging at him to somehow change his basic nature? Edward was sure he would never be able to deal with that.
“Hi there, sorry I’m late!”
Edward whipped around. He’d been standing in front of the restaurant. The weather was nice. Halloween was only a few days away and there were some classic fake cobwebs plastered over the landscaping in front of the Lone Star Grill. A few token spiders and other creepy crawlies had been added to the sticky webs. Other diners were milling about waiting for a table. Of course, Edward would never have to actually wait for a table. Kings did not wait. Except, apparently, for their dates to show up at all
.
“I was beginning to think that you stood me up,” Edward told Diana. He didn’t even bother to pretend that he was okay with it. “Next time you should at least call.”
“Right.” She looked chagrined. Enough that he was starting to feel bad for being so crabby about it. “I got involved in something at work. It’s a new client and the situation is crazy!”
“Is that why you wanted me to come on board and help out?” Edward wondered. Actually, he was beginning to wonder if that was really the case or not. “I keep thinking about that job offer.”
“Oh.” Her expression closed. It just closed—like a door—it was bizarre to watch. “Yes, that account—transaction—actually, is still ongoing. I don’t know when it will be resolved. I think you’re probably better off saying no at this point.”
“Oh, I am?” He opened the front door of the Lone Star Grill and nearly plowed over a young couple with two kids waiting in the entryway. Edward shot them a look of such disdain that the young woman gathered her children closer as though she were afraid he was going to hurt them. “Excuse me,” Edward growled at the family. “This is a thoroughfare, is it not?”
“Sure. Of course.” The young man was the one to respond as he pressed his family as close to the wall as he possibly could. “We didn’t mean to get in your way.”
“You didn’t,” Diana told them firmly. Then she shot Edward a dirty look. “He’s just very hungry and super crabby tonight. Not your fault.”
Edward almost said something about how unbelievably rude it is to assume anything of the sort, but the expression on her face kept him quiet. The woman was pissed off. Pissed. Off. As in she appeared to be ready to throttle him. That was not a pleasant thought because it reminded Edward so strongly of his mother’s behavior in public when she got angry at them, smoothed things over, and then told them that they would be paying for this later.
The interior of the Lone Star Grill was packed. The foyer area where people waited for tables was wall to wall people. They stood everywhere and on everything that they could. There was almost no place to use the benched seating where people were supposed to wait. People were glaring at Edward as he pushed his way toward the front where the hostess was waiting to take names for the waiting list and hand out menus when people were called for a table.
Edward gave a nod of his head to the hostess. “My name is Edward King. I need a table for two.”
“That’s probably going to be a thirty minute wait or so.” The woman standing in front of the podium did not even look up from her grease pencil-streaked seating chart.
Edward pulled out his wallet and plucked out a hundred dollar bill. He set it right under the young woman’s nose. “Table. For two. Now.”
The woman frowned. No, she glowered at Edward. “Mister, if I had a table, I would seat you. I don’t. The place is full. You might have tried putting your name in earlier while you were standing out here waiting for your date to show up.”
Edward took his hundred dollar bill back. This was easily the first time he’d ever had to wait for a table here or anywhere else. It was humiliating. Or maybe it was just humbling. But in the back of his mind he felt as though it wasn’t even his fault. If Diana had been on time he might have been able to get a table. Instead he stood outside and waited and nothing happened. That was no good.
Diana took his arm. She turned him around and dragged him back out of the restaurant. Of course they had to pass the young couple and their family again. Edward could not help but think that they were laughing at him. He didn’t like it. Not one bit.
Once outside it was less crowded. The fall night was still a bit muggy and it was now dark. Maybe that was good. Edward didn’t have to think about how angry he was at Diana while he was being dazzled by her good looks. He could just be angry at her.
“What was that?” Edward snarled. He leaned in as close as he dared to Diana. “You made me sound like a spoiled brat!”
Diana did not hesitate before firing one right back at him. “You were acting like one. In fact, I’ve never been so embarrassed before in my life!”
“What are you talking about? You should have been more embarrassed than that to be fifteen minutes late meeting me! You just blew me off. And before that you made a point of telling me that you weren’t even sure you wanted to have dinner. We had to meet instead of me picking you up like a normal date and then you couldn’t even show up on time because you were working late! It’s bullshit! You’re just seeing how badly you can treat me because you know that I have a secret and you’re planning to make me pay for every second that you have to keep it!”
In the light of the restaurant’s reflected glow, Edward could tell that Diana was pissed. He just couldn’t tell if she was hurt or mad or something entirely different. She was acting rather odd.
“You think I’m making you pay for you big secret?” she whispered. “Seriously? What do you think about me? I’m not making you pay for shit! If there’s any paying that has to be done it’s by me. I’m the one who will have to deal with having dogs for children! I will have kids who I have nothing in common with! And that’s assuming I wanted kids at all. I don’t even know what the expectancy is on that. And how can you travel? What? Do you have to present your shot record at customs? Do we need to carry some kind of proof of health for you? Or do you have to wait in quarantine?”
Edward drew back in shock. He hadn’t considered any of that. He hadn’t really thought about what it might feel like to have to wonder such things. This was all regular, everyday stuff for him. He had made the assumption that it was for her too. In hindsight, that was probably not the best move he’d ever made.
“It’s not like that,” Edward murmured. He looked around. There was no reason to allow any of the people loitering about waiting for tables while sipping cocktails to hear this conversation. “You don’t have dogs for children. They’re still your kids. And they’re not required. If you don’t want kids then we don’t have kids. I haven’t even thought about that.”
“Who said I want to be with you that way anyhow?” Diana growled. “Where is all of this assuming coming from?”
Edward was speechless. Thankfully it did not last long. “You’ve always seemed like you were on board with it, I guess. I don’t know. I suppose I just assumed it meant you were into me—like that.”
“Well, I’m not.” She was obviously warming to her topic. “I had a new client today that is considering selling their lucrative chain of department stores here in Texas and moving to France just to help their son and themselves get away from their son’s mother-in-law. Can you imagine? I thought that was so awful until I realized that your mother would probably be even worse!”
“Wait.” Edward’s brain was spinning around in circles. “I’m sorry. Did you say department stores?”
“Yes! Apparently the mother expects her daughters to marry into families who can support her in the style she wants. So for now she thinks she can shop for free in the department stores and she fully expects her son-in-law to pay her rent until her other daughter manages to marry well and then it will be her problem.”
Dread. That was what Edward felt right now. Total and complete dread as he realized exactly who Diana was talking about. What was he supposed to say now? The conversation he’d had with Eleni days before now took on a horrible new depth. Eleni had not been exaggerating. Perhaps Edward had thought the poor girl had been feeling pressure from herself to support her mother. It was apparently a very real thing.
“What?” Diana asked suddenly. She was pointing at Edward. “You’re thinking something big. I can tell. You have that look on your face.”
“That look?” Edward did not appreciate the insinuation that he gave his internal thoughts and feelings away somehow with his facial expressions. “I look normal. I was just thinking that I feel very bad for this couple you’re describing, but that you seem to be taking this very personally.”
“Personally?” Diana put her hand on her ch
est and drew back as though he had slapped her. “What are you talking about? These people are my clients. They came to me in order to hopefully find a way to save their retirement from total destruction. It’s like suddenly being expected to support another child. It’s not like they would have minded helping their son and daughter-in-law. They seem to really like the young lady. But why should they be expected to support her mother just because the woman has tastes far beyond her own financial abilities?”
Edward did not have an answer for that. He felt convicted by Diana’s words. Why? Because his own mother was going to expect the same? Tisha Olivares-King would expect to be supported by King Security Solutions, Inc for the rest of her life. She would expect to have the entirety of their business profits at her disposal. Was this what his life was going to be like? Would someone like Diana be describing Edward and his future mate in these terms too? Oh, those poor young people having to deal with a selfish old woman who has never worked but feels that she should get it all anyway.
Edward finally realized that Diana was waiting for him to say something. So he cleared his throat and tried to seem as though this was not a tragedy. “I suppose they should just practice saying no.”
“Yeah.” Diana shook her head. If Edward had not known better he would have thought she was disappointed in him. “Because that works so well for some people.”
It took him a moment to process the fact that she was mocking him. “Wait. Are you suggesting that I don’t say no?”
“You don’t!” Her voice rose and from the corner of his eye Edward saw several groups of people turn to stare at them. Diana didn’t seem to care. “You never say no! Not to your mother and not to your brothers! All five of them just expect you to roll over and beg or to sit or to lie down or to do whatever it is that they decide you should do. It’s pathetic! I know you’re better than that, but you don’t seem to care.”
Billion Dollar Wolves: Boxset Bks 1-5 Page 33
