by Lynda Chance
With an abrupt movement, Garrett stood to his feet. “Excuse me for a minute,” he said in an aggrieved voice before walking from the room, totally wrapped up in his phone conversation.
After the door slammed behind him, Maria looked back to Courtney. With an obvious hesitation, the other girl’s eyes left the door and met Maria’s. An awkward silence pulsed between them.
As Maria wracked her brains for something to say, the other girl spoke up. “Do you like St. Louis?”
“Yes, so far. It’s certainly different from Florida.”
“Tell me about it,” the blonde woman said with such an affinity that Maria wondered at it.
“Do you know Florida well?” Maria asked. As far as she’d known, the three or so weeks the other girl had been at the hotel had only been a visit for her.
“I’m from Florida, Maria, born and raised, I thought you knew that,” Courtney said.
Surprise engulfed Maria. “No, I didn’t realize that.”
“From the Emerald Coast,” the other girl elaborated. “I grew up in Panama City Beach, and then went to college in Gainesville. I spent a lot of time at Daytona Beach, too. The Miami area was new for me, though,” she said, referring to her stay in the hotel.
Maria took a deep breath and forced herself to make an admission that she couldn’t continue to ignore. “I suppose I owe you an apology.”
The other girl shrugged her shoulders as if she’d moved past it. “I’m sure you had your reasons. I didn’t take it too personally,” she said.
Maria took a breath and plowed on. “My reasons were selfish, I guess. I was envious of your job with the corporation—well, not this job,” she tilted her head, indicating the office they were sitting in, “but the job at the hotel, you know.” No way in hell was she going to admit to the jealousy she’d felt when she’d thought Courtney was involved with Garrett. That wasn’t happening. Not in this lifetime.
The other girl nodded her head, as if she understood. “And now it’s my understanding that you have that job.”
“I do,” Maria agreed, as a fond smile she couldn’t control came over her face.
“Well, I’m glad it all worked out for you.” The woman seemed to debate something and then she said, “Listen, just so you’ll know, as much as I love Florida, I don’t want to be there, so you don’t ever have to worry that I’ll want your job. I need to be here, in St. Louis.”
With the other girl’s statement, Maria couldn’t contain her concern any longer. She knew she should hold her words back, not get in the middle of the other girl’s life. But she had several reasons why she felt the need to say something. First off, she knew what it was like to be hung up on one of the Rule brothers. She and Courtney obviously had that in common, but now, knowing that the other woman was a displaced Florida girl as well? Maria opened her mouth before she could think twice. “Can I ask you something?”
“Yes,” the other girl said slowly, no doubt recognizing Maria’s serious tone.
“Something’s bothering me that’s absolutely none of my business.”
The blood seemed to drain from Courtney’s face. “What?” she asked, as if she didn’t really want to know.
Maria stood up and lifted the picture down from the shelf and came around the desk, laying it in front of the other woman. She put her finger on the man who held his arm around Courtney. “Is that Nick?”
“No, that’s Damian,” Courtney said slowly.
Maria dropped her head and let out a relieved laugh. “Oh, thank God.”
Courtney sent her a confused smile. “Why? What’s up?”
Maria began speaking, unable to keep the joyful relief from her voice, “Look, you don’t have to tell me anything more. It’s your business. I’m just glad that one’s not Nick.”
“Why?”
“Because I think you having feelings for Nick—” As the other girl’s eyes flared, Maria held up a hand, stopping any words that she might have spoken. “Look, it’s not my business, I get it, we’re not friends or anything, I’m just relieved, that’s all, because last night, I saw that one,” she indicated the other brother, “with a woman. When I heard you asking your secretary about Nick, and then saw that one’s arm around you, I got the two of them confused.”
Courtney studied her for a moment before asking softly, “You felt bad for me?”
Maria gave her a lopsided smile and shrugged. “Well, I’m a woman, that’s all. And when I knew that one had been—”
“Damian?” Courtney interrupted.
“Yeah, when I knew Damian had been with that Goth chick last night—”
Courtney interrupted with a stunned look on her face, “Damian was with a Goth chick? Seriously?”
“Yeah,” Maria answered slowly, wondering what she’d said.
“Was her name Angie?” Courtney asked.
“Yeah.”
“No way. He was with her again?”
“You’ve seen her too?” Maria asked.
“Yeah, I met her at a party. He seemed really possessive, which was totally shocking, because Damian has a reputation, you know? It’s a love ‘em and leave ‘em type thing for him. That party was weeks ago—I can’t believe they’re still seeing each other.”
“Garrett said she was a ‘random woman’, but I told him she didn’t look random to me. I can tell you this, nobody introduced us or anything, but she didn’t look very happy. They were at the lake house when we arrived and Garrett wasn’t too pleased about it, but that one—”
“Damian?” Courtney asked with a smile when Maria referred to Damian as ‘that one’ for about the fourth time.
“Yeah, Damian was pissed—at Garrett,” Maria told the other girl.
“But it’s Garrett’s house,” Courtney said, confused.
Maria shrugged her shoulders. “So I’ve been told.”
Courtney was silent for a moment while she stared at her as if contemplating something, and Maria began to feel uneasy until the other woman asked, “So Garrett’s pretty hung up on you, huh?”
Both embarrassment and a thrill went through Maria. “No! I don’t think so, I mean, no… why do you say that?”
Courtney let out a smile. “Come on, Maria. You think he keeps every hotel he buys? He usually flips them so fast it makes your head spin. But he didn’t flip yours, did he? Why did he hang on to it?” The other girl was quiet a moment before continuing, “And you’re here with him now.”
“You think so? You think he feels something … different for me?”
Courtney gave her a soothing smile. “I’ve known him a long time. He doesn’t drag women around with him, ever.”
The two girls watched each other as Maria took that statement in. Before she could form a reply, the door opened and Garrett walked back inside. When he shut the door and sat down, a sudden quiet fell over the room.
Silence pulsed for a few seconds before Garrett spoke up. “Look. You two need to hash this shit out before it drags on for much longer. The animosity between you two is—”
Maria kept her gaze on her hands folded into her lap until Courtney interrupted, “We’re okay, Garrett.”
Maria lifted her eyes to Courtney who was smiling at Garrett. Then the other girl turned to her for confirmation. “Aren’t we, Maria?”
Maria felt relief at the other woman’s generosity of spirit and a hint of happiness wrapped around her heart. “Yeah, we’re all good,” she said with a small smile.
****
Garrett showed Maria around the building and she couldn’t help it, she was impressed. The décor was both elegant and subdued, yet somehow conveyed a warmth and vitality that made the building come alive. As they turned toward Garrett’s office, Maria caught a glimpse of a young, dark-haired woman carrying a take-out coffee cup and a designer purse walking from the direction of the bank of elevators. She looked like the girl in the picture in Courtney’s office.
“Hey,” Maria heard her call out.
Garrett stopped in his tracks
and turned, his lips twisting with pleasure as the girl strolled up toward them. “Wassup, big brother?”
“Nada, baby sister.”
The two siblings smiled and embraced each other, the girl holding her coffee-cup out to her side. When they broke apart, the woman looked straight at Maria with a slight frown of question and then turned back to her brother with her eyebrows raised.
Maria watched as Garrett choked off laughter and then she couldn’t see his expression anymore as he slid behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders with pure possession. “Erin, this is Maria. Maria, my sister, Erin.”
“You’re the bitch?” Erin asked, as if stunned. “You don’t look like a bitch.”
Maria winced at the same time Garrett squeezed her shoulders. “She’s not a bitch. Are you ever going to learn to control your mouth?” he asked in a tone that held only a hint of remonstration toward his sister.
Maria smiled, took a breath and tried to diffuse the situation, if it even needed to be diffused. “I can be pretty bitchy.”
In return, a smile transformed Erin’s face, making her even prettier than she already was. “Then I guess I’m going to take care not to piss you off.”
Maria felt a jolt of pleasant surprise at the woman’s continued antics. “That might be best.”
Erin continued to smile while she looked at her brother again. “When did you get home?”
“Last night,” he answered.
His sister narrowed her eyes on him. “Have you seen mom yet?”
Maria felt Garrett flinch. “No, and I probably won’t.”
“That’s not nice, Garrett,” the girl said with censure, and then continued a bit dramatically, “You know she pines for her youngest son.”
“She needs to get a life,” Garrett said sharply, but not too unkindly.
His sister raised a single, wicked brow. “Haven’t you heard? She has a life now … or plans on getting one.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Garrett bit out.
“She wants to start dating again.”
“Bullshit,” Garrett bit out, as if he had a say in the matter. The sound echoed through the hallway and Maria glanced around, seeing several faces watching them.
“It’s true,” Erin announced.
“That’s the most ridiculous shit I’ve ever heard.”
“Why?” Erin asked.
“Because she’s old—”
“She’s not old, Garrett. She’s fifty-four. Dad’s been gone for years now. What exactly did you mean when you said ‘she needs to get a life’? You think she should take up crossword puzzles or try to hike the Appalachian Trail? She probably could, you know. She’s wicked fit. I, for one, think she should find someone. If she set her mind to it, she could do it—” Erin snapped her fingers. “—just like that.”
While Garrett stood almost obnoxiously silent on the subject, Erin slanted her gaze toward Maria. “What do you think?”
“Me?” Maria swallowed, not wanting to get in the middle. “I haven’t even met your mother … but I’m sure she deserves happiness.”
Erin’s face lit with satisfaction as she looked at her brother. “See? I don’t give a flying flip what you and Damian and Nick think—”
Garrett interrupted the tangent his sister seemed to be on. “Is Damian in his office?”
“No, I think he went to get a haircut,” Erin answered distractedly and then frowned, telling her brother without words that she knew he’d purposely changed the subject.
“How about Nick?” he asked.
“California,” his sister replied succinctly.
“Silicon Valley?” he questioned.
“Yep—but I think he’ll be home soon,” Erin said.
“Does Courtney know that?” he asked in a tone that Maria couldn’t place.
“Why should she care? So she can take cover?” his sister asked, seeming almost confused by the conversation.
“Nothing, never mind—”
Erin interrupted her brother. “I don’t know why you think she’ll care, all he does is ride her ass about something or other. No wonder she wanted to work for you instead of him. Seriously, Garrett, his attitude with her is getting worse, not better. You should say something to him.”
Maria felt Garrett’s hands tense on her shoulders before he answered. “I’m sure … she can handle him.” As Garrett’s touch remained stiff and his words came out even more so, Maria realized that she wasn’t the only one who’d figured out that there were undertones to that particular relationship.
“You can be so cold,” his sister condemned, obvious disappointment in her voice. “I expect it from Nick, and certainly from Damian, but I thought that you’d side with Courtney on this.”
“On what, exactly?” Garrett bit out, obviously displeased with the direction of the conversation.
“He’s mean to her!” Erin snapped. “And there’s no reason for it. You’re never here. You have no idea what she’s going through putting up with his attitude. It’s bullshit is what it is—”
Maria felt Garrett’s hands release her as he stepped closer to Erin. “You don’t get it?” he questioned his sister in a low voice.
Erin’s eyes narrowed in total confusion. “Get what?”
Silence pulsed between the siblings and Maria had no difficulty reading the tension in Garrett’s expression. She could tell he was trying to decide how much to say to his little sister. She held her breath and waited.
“Never mind. I’ll say something to him, okay? Will that make you happy?” he asked with a resigned tone.
Erin blew out a breath and her expression softened. “Yeah.”
Garrett smiled and took her in his arms again. “I’ve got work to do,” he announced as he hugged her and ruffled her hair. “Catch you later, okay?”
“Okay,” she said as she turned to Maria with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too,” Maria agreed, before Garrett grabbed her hand and pulled her away.
He wasted no time; he took her to his office and briefly introduced her to his secretary. Then he brought her inside and shut the door. “I’m sorry, I’ve been gone a long time, I’ve got to take a look at this stuff, okay?”
“Sure.”
“Make yourself comfortable,” he said, tipping his head toward the sitting area.
As Garrett sat behind his desk and began flipping through folders and clicking through his computer, Maria walked around and sat down on the couch that faced the skyline of St. Louis. She could see the Arch in the distance and the Mississippi River behind it. The sky was a beautiful cerulean blue and she had to admit, the view from up here was arresting.
As she sank into the sofa cushions, she became lost in thought for a few moments until she heard him mutter, “Shit.”
She looked away from the view and focused on him. “What’s wrong?”
He ran his hand through his hair as if he’d like to be any place other than sitting behind a desk. “Same shit, another day.”
She shook her head and let out a laugh. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Decisions … this game is nothing but fucking decisions. You make the right one, you make money. The wrong decision—not so much.”
Maria stood to her feet and wandered over, coming to stand next to him behind his desk. “What’s so difficult?” she teased, both curious and unused to being unproductive during the day.
His eyes stayed on the computer, where a picture of the front of a hotel was prominent, but his arm snaked out and wrapped around her, pulling her into his side.
She leaned into him, relaxing against him. “Are you thinking of buying that one?” she asked.
His hand ran up and down her hip. “Hmm? Yeah,” he answered, distractedly.
“So what’s holding you up?” She leaned in to get a better look. “The building looks well-maintained.”
His hand slid further around her, caressing her upper thigh. “Yeah, it seems to be.” At the same moment
he clicked for the next picture, his hand caressed its way back to her hip, and Maria got the idea he mind was on one thing while his body was on another.
She continued to look at the picture. “What city?”
“Raleigh, North Carolina.”
As he clicked to the next picture, Maria slid her hand to the back of his head and absently began playing with his thick, dark hair. “I’m sure you’ve already checked the market demand for the area. What about residential real estate? Have the property values risen?”
“Yeah. It’s all solid.”
“Is it close to an Interstate? Easily accessible?” she asked, breathing in his scent.
His hand clenched her butt cheek. “Yeah.”
She sucked in a breath. “What about competition? Not too much?”
“Very little,” he said, his fingers clenching again.
She licked her lips and attempted to stay on subject. “Well, I’m guessing The Rule Corporation doesn’t have to worry about down payments or financials from that particular standpoint, right?”
He turned to her and lifted an eyebrow. “Right.”
“So, what’s the problem?” she asked again, noticing for the millionth time the gold flecks in his eyes.
He swiveled his chair toward her and spread his legs. “I don’t know. I can’t pinpoint it.”
His arm sank around her waist and her palms fell against his chest as she tried not to smile. “You’ve checked out the reviews and the room rates?”
His hand came up and encompassed her breast. “First thing.”
Her heart skipped a beat as his thumb brushed against her nipple. “Well, if you’ve done all your homework and you still can’t decide, you know what you have to do, right?”
“What’s that?” he asked, his eyes falling to her breasts.
His thumb continued to stroke and she swallowed shakily. “You’ve got to checkin for a few days, incognito,” Her eyes closed as her hips swayed into him. “Check out the food, the staffing, room—” her breath hitched, “—room service.”
He palmed her breast again as the arm he held around her waist lifted and pulled her closer. “You know your shit, don’t you?”
