by Joan Wolf
The waiter came to take our order and I requested another glass of wine.
The mood at our table was euphoric. I couldn't remember being happier.
We ordered appetizers, then salads, and I had another glass of wine then another. The entree came and I had another glass of wine then another. I was feeling great.
Liam suddenly said, “How many glasses of wine have you had, Annie?”
I smiled at him. “Who knows?”
The senator said, “Leave her alone, Liam. She's having a good time.”
“I should have kept an eye on you,” Liam said.
“I don't need anyone to keep an eye on me, thank you. I am perfectly able to keep an eye on myself.” I spoke slowly and carefully because my mouth didn't feel completely reliable.
Lorraine Ford said, “She's not half as high as you and John were after the Kentucky Derby.”
“Thash right,” I said.
“She's not driving,” the senator said. “Leave her alone, Liam.”
“Thank you, shenator.”
Mrs. Wellington said calmly, “It's all right to drink on a happy occasion. It's drinking when things are bad that's the problem.”
Everyone at the table was silent. They knew they were hearing from an expert. Then Liam said, “All right, but no more, Annie.”
“I don't want any more,” I told him loftily.
The party continued and I was still feeling very happy. When we broke up to go home, I went with Liam to his car.
“Get in,” he said a little grimly as he held the door for me.
I got in.
He went around and got in behind the wheel.
I said, “I felt dizzy when I got up.”
“You had too much wine, Annie. You're drunk.”
“I am not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“I have never been drunk in my life.”
“Well, you're drunk now. Just what I need. One woman in the family who drinks is enough.”
I blinked. “I'm not in your family.”
We pulled out into traffic. The dizziness I had experienced when I first stood up returned and all of the lights on the city street were blurred.
I said, “You know, maybe I did drink too much. Everything is blurry.”
He didn't reply, but when we got back to the hotel he led me into my room and said, “Are you going to be all right?”
The ride in the car had made me feel sick to my stomach. “I don't feel so good, Liam,” I said.
“Come on, Annie. Let's get you into bed.”
“Okay.” I sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him. He sighed. “Let's take off the jacket, okay? You don't want to sleep in that pretty dress.”
I nodded and my fingers fumbled with the buttons.
“Let me do it.” He came over and unbuttoned the jacket of my two-piece black dress. He slid the jacket off my shoulder. “Come on, now, give me your other arm.” I let him take the jacket off of me.
“Now the skirt,” he said. “Stand up.”
I stood up and he unbuttoned the skirt and slid it down my legs. “Sit down again,” he said and slid the skirt off over my feet.
I was wearing a bra, panties and a short half slip. Liam pulled the covers down on the bed then lifted me into his arms and carried me to the top of the bed. He laid me down, but he did not pull the covers up immediately. I looked up at him. “I'm sorry, Liam,” I said. “I'm sorry I drank too much. I was so happy.”
“Shh,” he said. “It's okay.” He sat down on the bed next to me. “You have such beautiful skin, Annie.”
He was looking at my breasts.
“You could kiss me,” I said.
“I suppose I could do that.” He leaned down and kissed me on the mouth, a gentle, loving kiss. I couldn't help the way I responded to him and he straightened up. I had scared him away.
“It's all right,” I said. “I'm drunk.”
“You are,” he agreed. He stood up and pulled the covers up over me. “Sleep it off, tiger. I'll see you in the morning.”
I managed to hold back the tears until after he had gone. Then I cried my eyes out. I really was quite drunk.
The next morning I woke with a horrendous headache. “Don't talk to me,” I said when Liam called to see if I was awake. “Whisper.”
“As bad as that, eh?”
“Yes.”
“Are you up to driving home?”
“If you do the driving,” I said.
“Okay.”
“I'm just going to make a pot of coffee in my room here and drink it. I don't want anything to eat.”
“Okay. I'll go down to the coffee shop and give you a buzz when I get back.”
“Okay.”
I took two Excedrin and drank three cups of coffee. I would have to make several pit stops on the way back to Virginia, but by the third cup I was starting to feel human again. When Liam came to pick me up, I was ready.
“You look white as a ghost,” he said.
“Why on earth do people drink? I feel horrible.”
“How did you ever come to drink so much wine? I told you that two glasses was your limit. You must have had twice that.”
“I don't know how many I had. I just kept refilling my glass. I was feeling so happy, Liam. You won the Preak-ness!”
“I was feeling pretty happy too, but I didn't get drunk.”
“You got drunk after the Derby. I know because I walked you home.”
“You didn't have to put me to bed.”
I blushed. “Let's not talk about last night. It was not one of my finest hours.”
“Okay. Let's talk about Buster.”
“He's a wonderful horse, Liam. I truly believe you have a great shot at the Belmont.”
“The Belmont is more his race than the Preakness. I kind of think we got through the hardest of the three races yesterday.”
“It's almost awesome— to think that you might have a Triple Crown winner.”
“I keep pinching myself to see if I'm awake and not dreaming all of this.”
“I know. Daddy would be so proud of you, Liam.”
“Buster was his boy. He always thought Buster was going to be something special. He told me to keep him, that he could be a Derby horse. I wish he could have lived to see this.”
“Something Special! What a great name. That could be the name of Pennyroyal's new foal.”
“I like it. I think I'll get Mom to name the Going West colt that you're working with. She sounded kind of proud that she had named Buster.”
“She did. She was great last night, Liam.”
“She was.”
“You know what's funny?”
“What?”
“When you see your mother and father together, they act like they're married.”
“Say that again?”
“I mean, you can sense that there's a bond between them. In spite of all his infidelities, I think they love each other.”
“You're a sentimental sap if you think that.”
“You don't have to get abusive.”
“You don't know what abusive is until you have heard my father in action.”
I had heard him in action, and Liam was right. But I was right too. There was a bond between the senator and his wife. I had sensed it yesterday at the racetrack and then again at the dinner. It might not be a healthy bond— in fact, it couldn't possibly be a healthy bond—but it was there.
I said, “Do you think they'll put a sign up saying that Midville is the home of the Preakness winner?”
“I bet they will.”
“I think there will be one already there.”
Liam continued to drive and I closed my eyes and waited for the Excedrin to kick in.
CHAPTER 16
There was indeed a sign on Washington Street when we drove into town. “In three weeks time that sign will read TRIPLE CROWN WINNER,” I said to Liam as we drove by it.
“God, I hope so.”
He dropped me at my house and came in t
o see Mom. She met us at the door. “You won!” She hugged Liam and then she hugged me. “I'm so thrilled for you.”
“We're pretty thrilled ourselves,” Liam replied.
I wondered if he noticed how he always seemed to refer to the two of us as a couple.
“I have a carrot cake in the fridge,” she said. “How about a slice to celebrate?”
“You don't have to ask me twice,” Liam said. He put my suitcase down in the hall and we all went back to the kitchen. Mom put the kettle on for tea.
“Do you have anything cold to drink?” Liam asked.
“I have iced tea.”
“That would be fine.”
“I'll have some too,” I said. I was very thirsty. I thought it must be part of the hangover.
“You don't look well, honey,” Mom said to me. “You're so pale!”
“She celebrated a little too much last night,” Liam said casually.
It took Mom a moment to get it. Then she said, “Oh, you mean she drank too much.”
“You got it,” I said. “And I can assure you that I'm never going to do it again.” I drank my iced tea thirstily.
Mom took out the carrot cake and cut us generous slices. My stomach looked at it and stayed quiet. I accepted a plate. Before I took a bite, I got up and poured myself another glass of iced tea.
“So tell me all about it,” she said. “I saw the race on television, of course, but tell me about the stuff I didn't see.”
So we told her all about the Alibi Breakfast and the lack of respect shown to Someday Soon by the press and the bettors.
“I bet it will be a different thing for the Belmont,” Mom said.
“It's going to be crazy for the Belmont,” Liam said. He had some icing on his upper lip, which I pointed out to him. He licked it off.
“Where is Buster going to train?” Mom asked next.
“We're going to ship him to Belmont. John said he'd like to gallop him over the nice wide track there. I think that's what he's going to work on: endurance. He says the speed will take care of itself.”
“The Belmont is a very long race for a three-year-old,” I said.
“It's a long race for any thoroughbred, no matter what his age is,” Liam said.
“That's true.”
“What's been going on here?” Liam asked my mother. “Anything new?”
He didn't say it, but we knew he was talking about the case.
“Not that I've heard. I know they've had crime scene people out in the woods where Leslie was found. I don't know what they're looking for.”
“They're looking for something that might finger the killer,” Liam said soberly. “I hope they find something. I'm sick of being a suspect.”
I said hotly, “It's such a shame this had to happen right now, when you're in the middle of a campaign for the Triple Crown. It takes some of the fun out of it.”
“The timing could be better,” Liam agreed.
“Michael Bates called looking for you, honey,” Mom said. “And so did Brent Walker.”
I saw Liam's hand go rigid on the table. “Ah,” he said sarcastically, “the boyfriends.”
“They're not my boyfriends,” I said mildly.
“You go out with them.”
“I like them both. They're good company.”
“You're leading them on, Annie. I never thought you'd be like that.”
“Can you believe this, Mom? I go out for a couple of dinners and this is what I get!”
“I think you're overreacting, Liam,” Mom said.
“I'm surprised that Kevin didn't call,” he remarked next.
I replied smoothly, “Kevin knew I was in Maryland with you. He said he'd call me when I got back.”
Liam put down his fork and stood up. “Well, I'd better get out of here before the phone rings again.”
I smiled sweetly. “Thanks for taking me, Liam. It was wonderful.”
“You're welcome.” He stormed to the kitchen door, went out then came back in. “I left your suitcase in the hallway. Do you want me to carry it upstairs for you?”
“No, I'll do it later.”
“Okay.”
We heard the door close behind him.
“Thanks, Mom,” I said. “It was great of you to mention Michael and Brent.”
“Anything to help the cause,” she said lightly.
“What do you think? Do you think Liam seems jealous?”
“Yes, I certainly do.”
“We had such a great time together. I wish he would forget this silly bias he has and see what's right before his nose. We were meant for each other.”
“If he can't, though, Anne, you have to be prepared to accept it,” Mom said gravely. “You have to be prepared to cut the tie completely if it's necessary.”
I sighed. “My brain knows that, Mom. It's my heart that won't accept it.”
The phone rang and Mom picked it up. “Hello? Oh, yes, she's here. Just a moment, Kevin.”
Too bad he didn't call five minutes earlier, I thought. Liam would have been here.
“Hi Kevin,” I said brightly into the phone. We talked for a few minutes and then I accepted an invitation to have dinner with him. I said to my mother when I hung up, “Now I just hope Kevin tells Liam that we're going out.”
She frowned. “I'm still uncomfortable with you going out with Kevin like this, Anne. Those two boys have been in competition with each other all their lives. It could be dangerous.”
I hooted. “Dangerous! You're kidding, Mom.”
“No, I'm not.”
“I know they were in competition, but brothers are often like that. There was nothing abnormal about their relationship.”
“Kevin is very self-centered. He always resented the attention Liam got as the senator's son.”
“I know Kevin is self-involved. That's why I'm not worried he'll fall in love with me. The only person Kevin will ever be in love with is himself.”
“I don't know, Anne. I just have a very uneasy feeling about you getting in the middle of Kevin and Liam.”
“I'll watch it, Mom. If I think Kevin is getting serious with me, I'll back off.”
She frowned.
I said, “Liam doesn't like me going out with Michael Bates or Brent Walker but he purely hates the idea of me going out with Kevin. Kevin is the one who best fits my purpose.”
“Your purpose of making Liam jealous?”
“My purpose of helping him to discover that he loves me.”
“He already knows that he loves you.”
“That he loves me sexually, I should say.”
“Do you think he does?”
I thought of the way he had looked at my breasts. “I think he's on his way.”
Mom sighed. “Well, I can't think of anyone I'd rather see you married to than Liam. He's a good boy.”
“Then you don't think he killed Leslie?”
“I can imagine Kevin doing that more easily than I can imagine Liam.”
“But Kevin has no motive.”
“I know.”
I frowned. “Do you know what? I don't think it was a good idea for me to eat that carrot cake.”
“Why don't you go upstairs and rest. You really do look dreadfully pale.”
“I think I'll do that.”
I picked up my suitcase and took it up to my new small bedroom. I laid down on top of the quilt in my jeans and knit shirt and in minutes I was asleep.
Kevin called again late in the afternoon to say that he had a reservation at a very nice Washington restaurant and that I should dress up a little. I wore the suit I had bought for the Alibi Breakfast and when he picked me up he looked me over with approval. “Nice suit.”
“I bought it in Nordstrom for the Alibi Breakfast. A lot of photographers took my picture.”
“I saw you on television with Liam. You were dressed more conservatively.”
“My good old pink suit. Liam insisted that I wear the same clothes I wore to the Kentucky Derby. I'm sure
I'll have to wear them for the Belmont Stakes as well.”
“Including the hat?”
“Including the hat.”
“I never knew that Liam was superstitious.”
“I'm not superstitious either, but I probably would have done the same on my own. We don't want anything to change. We want everything to be the way it was in the races Buster won.”
“Is Liam wearing the same clothes?”
I blinked. “I suppose that he is. He's wearing his blue blazer. I don't know if he's wearing the same tie. He must be.”
The drive into Washington took about an hour and the restaurant had valet parking. “This is very nice,” I said to Kevin as we came in. It was one of those restaurants that looks expensive: the tablecloths were snowy white; there were fresh flowers on each table; there was a setting of elegant china at each place; the chairs looked comfortable. A waiter greeted Kevin by name and showed us to a private table in the corner.
The restaurant was half full and everybody looked at Kevin as he crossed the room. Even in Washington, which was filled with famous people, Kevin commanded attention.
I said, “At least in a place like this people know enough not to come looking for autographs.”
“That's one of the reasons I chose it; it also has good food.”
I looked at my elegant menu. It was made of parchment and the offerings were in script. I wear glasses for reading, but I can usually see if I need to. I squinted at the menu and it didn't become any clearer.
“Oh dear,” I said. “I didn't bring my glasses, Kevin, and this menu is so fancy I can't read it.”
“Since when did you start to wear glasses?”
“I got them in college. All of the reading did a job on my eyes. I only need them to read, though, which is why you haven't seen them yet.” I looked at him. He was wearing a perfectly tailored gray suit and his hair was neatly brushed. I said, “I bet you don't need glasses.”
He looked amused. “I don't, actually.”
“Just like you never needed braces.”
“I've been lucky.”
I nodded. “Do you think you could read me the menu?”
“Sure.”
We had a very pleasant dinner. Kevin could be a very amusing companion, and if most of the conversation seemed to revolve around him, I didn't mind. We were drinking our coffee when he said, “Liam doesn't like our going out.”
I looked at him warily. “I know.”
