Eyes

by Joanne Fluke

  Neil popped the cork on the champagne and covered the mouth of the bottle with a clean, white towel. “I hope I didn’t spill any.”

  “Not a drop.” Jill reached out to take the bottle. She poured two glasses. “Thank you, Neil. I really wanted a Christmas tree. This was a lovely surprise.”

  Neil grinned. “But that’s not all. Helen set the table in the dining room, and we’re eating in style tonight. The caterers will be here at six.”

  Jill blinked and took a sip of her champagne. “Caterers?”

  “That’s right.” Neil seemed pleased that she was surprised. “We’re having a smoked Norwegian salmon appetizer with capers and toast points, and an endive salad. The main course is filet with Bearnaise sauce. It comes with fresh asparagus and Lyonnaise potatoes. After that, we’ll have coffee and strawberries Romanoff for dessert.”

  Jill was so surprised, she almost dropped her glass of champagne. “But, Neil . . . that’s exactly what we had for our wedding reception!”

  “And you thought I didn’t remember.” Neil reached out to hug her. “I remember every moment, Jill, and I love you even more than I did then.”

  “I . . . I . . .” Jill was so flustered, she wasn’t sure what to say. “I just can’t believe you planned all this!”

  “I didn’t do it alone. Helen helped a lot. She even took me shopping. I’ve got an anniversary gift for you.”

  Jill’s mind was spinning as Neil reached under the cushion and took out a small gold box,

  “Open it now, honey.” He handed it to her. “I can’t wait to see if you like it.”

  Jill’s hands were trembling as she lifted the lid and drew out a beautiful heart pendant. A diamond was set in its center, and it hung from a delicate gold chain. “Neil! It’s . . . it’s gorgeous!”

  “I thought you’d like it. Helen took me to a jeweler. I told him exactly what I wanted, and he made it for me. It’s an original, honey. No one else has anything like it.”

  Jill blinked back the tears of happiness that threatened to spill from her eyes. Neil was being so sweet. If things could only stay this way, they’d have a chance to make their marriage work.

  * * *

  The dinner was absolutely delicious, and after the caterers had left, Jill curled up on the couch with Neil. With the stereo turned to a classical station, she sipped the fine brandy the caterers had poured and smiled in contentment.

  “Are you happy, honey?” Neil slipped an arm around her shoulders.

  “Yes.” Jill nodded and snuggled a little closer, “Thank you for a wonderful evening, Neil.”

  He began to grin. “But it’s not over yet. Finish your brandy and let’s go up to bed. I’ve got another surprise for you. I think Helen was a little embarrassed, but I bought something else for you at the mall.”

  Jill’s mind was whirling as they climbed the stairs, Neil’s hand warm in hers. If only this moment could last forever, she could forget the mistakes of the past. Neil seemed to love her. He really did. Could she love him again if she let the painful memories go? Was it possible that they could start over and make their marriage work?

  “Look under the pillow, honey.” Neil smiled at her as they entered the bedroom. “I think you’re really going to like it.”

  Jill walked to the bed and lifted the pillow to find a tissue wrapped package. She held it in her hand for a moment, regretting that she didn’t have anything to give him in return.

  “Go on, honey. Open it.”

  Jill opened the package and gasped. Nestled inside the tissue paper was a lovely blue silk negligee trimmed with soft, fine lace.

  “Do you like it?”

  He sounded anxious, and Jill reached out to hug him. “I love it, Neil! But I really wish I’d remembered our anniversary. I didn’t give you anything at all.”

  “I can think of something you could give me.” Neil chuckled as he unzipped her dress and slipped it off on her shoulders. “And you wouldn’t even have to go out shopping.”

  Jill laughed. Then she kissed him. Neil wanted to make love to her, and it felt almost like their wedding night. He’d planned the perfect dinner, given her the perfect presents. He seemed like the old Neil, the Neil she’d married, and her body began to respond to him.

  “It’s been too long, honey.” Neil kissed her neck; then his lips traveled lower as he began to undress her. “I may not be able to see you, but I remember how lovely you are.”

  Tears began to gather in Jill’s eyes, and she reached out for him. Neil needed to know that she still loved him. What kind of wife would she be if she refused him?

  And then they were on the bed, bodies pressing together. His fingers stroked her lovingly, and Jill felt the first warm flush of passion color her skin. His hands were gentle as they moved her to the center of the bed, and she moaned in pleasure as familiar caresses ignited the fire deep within her.

  “I missed you, Jill.” Neil’s voice was low, and it trembled slightly. “Did you miss me?”

  “Yes. I missed you, too.” Jill’s voice was choked with emotion. She’d missed the way things had been at the beginning, when she couldn’t wait to be alone with Neil. She’d missed his kisses and the way they’d played on the rumpled sheets in his apartment. She’d missed the sense of belonging with him and knowing that he belonged with her, the assurance that came with love and passion.

  And then he was inside her, the man she’d loved with all her heart. Jill cried out and lifted her hips, clasping him tightly and moaning deep in her throat. “Yes, Neil . . . yes!”

  Time seemed to stand still as they merged and separated, merged and separated, in a rhythm as old as humanity. He followed, she led. She led, he followed. Their lips merged, their breath mingled. It was a dance of lust, their bodies sliding and pressing and swiveling and pounding until passion faded away and they were left with an exquisite memory.

  They didn’t speak. There was no need. Jill stroked his shoulders and sighed softly. It was a new beginning, and all her bitterness was washed away in a flood of love and passion.

  She must have slept then, because daylight was beginning to color the horizon when she opened her eyes. She turned to Neil with a sigh, and he reached out for her again.

  “Are you awake, honey?” Neil’s voice was soft and caring.

  “Yes.” Jill smiled at him in the dim gray light of dawn. “I’m awake.”

  His hands were gentle, rubbing her back, and Jill snuggled closer. Then they were making love again, sleepy soft love in the early morning.

  When it was over, they slept again until the sun came through the bedroom curtains. Another hug, another kiss, and Jill glanced at the clock on the dresser. “I’d better get up, honey. Helen’ll be here soon. Do you want to get up now? Or would you rather sleep for a while?”

  “Sleep. Tell Helen not to wake me before ten.”

  Neil rolled over onto his side, and then he started to laugh. Jill stared at him for a moment, but his laugh was contagious and she joined in. “What’s so funny?”

  “Your new nightgown. You didn’t even get to try it on.”

  “You’re right.” Jill grinned as she reached down to pick up the negligee. “But there’s always tonight. I’ll try to beat the traffic and get home early.”

  “Okay, honey. See you tonight.”

  Jill gathered up her clothes. So she wouldn’t disturb Neil, she took them to the guest room to shower and dress. She felt wonderful, like a bride on her honeymoon, and she was smiling as she hurried down the stairs, got her heart pendant from the box by the couch, and clasped it around her neck.

  By the time Helen rang the doorbell, Jill had the coffee ready. She opened the door, smiling. “Hi,” she said.

  “Hello, Jill. Did you have a nice dinner last night?”

  “It was wonderful!” Jill led the way to the kitchen. “Thanks for helping Neil shop. I just love my heart pendant and the negligee.”

  Helen nodded. “I didn’t do much. I just drove him around. He knew exactly wh
at he wanted to buy.”

  “Isn’t it beautiful?” Jill touched the pendant. “He was so proud of himself for getting me something original. He told me he had the jeweler make it up and no one else has anything like it.”

  Helen nodded, but she started to frown. “Does Mr. Bradley have a sister?”

  “No, he’s an only child.” Jill noticed Helen’s frown. “What’s wrong, Helen?”

  “Nothing a little coffee won’t fix. What time does Mr. Bradley want to get up?”

  Jill began to feel anxious. Helen usually called Neil by his first name, but today she’d called him Mr. Bradley. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”

  “The traffic was brutal this morning.” Helen walked to the counter and poured herself a cup of coffee. “You’d better allow some extra time. Every snowplow in the city is out.”

  Jill nodded. “I’m glad I’ve got a flexible schedule today. It doesn’t matter if I’m a little late, and I’ll try to get home early.”

  “Good.” Helen nodded. “I’ll start dinner if you want me to. There’s a nice ham, and you can have the leftovers for sandwiches over the weekend.”

  Jill smiled. “Ham sounds wonderful. Thank you, Helen. I really don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Me, neither!”

  Helen laughed and that made Jill feel much better. Perhaps she’d just been reading too much into Helen’s expression. It really wasn’t that unusual for Helen to refer to Neil as Mr. Bradley. She might have done it before; Jill just hadn’t noticed.

  It was cold, and there were several inches of snow on the ground. Jill opened the garage door, then frowned as she started the car. She let it warm up for several minutes and then backed out onto the street. She had a good relationship with Helen. She thought of her as a friend. Surely Helen would have told her if something was wrong, wouldn’t she?

  CHAPTER 14

  “Look at me, Alan.” Connie twirled in front of the mirror. “Do you think Mr. Rossini will be able to resist me?”

  There was a silence, and then she laughed, a light flirtatious giggle. “Alan! You shouldn’t say things like that! But you’re right. I do look fantastic.”

  Connie listened for a moment; then a frown spread across her face. It was clear she didn’t like what Alan was saying.

  “Do I really have to tell him?” She picked up Alan’s picture to stare into his eyes. “I know it’s only fair, but . . . what if he says no?”

  There was another long silence, and then Connie sighed. “All right, Alan. You win. I know Mr. Rossini’s going to be a nice man. It’ll be almost like seeing you again. He’s got a part of you inside him.”

  Connie stepped closer to kiss Alan’s picture, her lips brushing lightly against the glass. Then she cast one last look at the mirror and smiled as she went out the door.

  * * *

  The office had been a madhouse, and Jill was tired when she got off the freeway. Crime rates always rose during the holiday season. The crowded malls brought out the muggers, purse snatchers, and pickpockets in full force. When people were filled with the joy of the season, they sometimes forgot to take the usual precautions. They walked around with open purses, left their credit cards on the counters of stores, and neglected to lock their car doors. Good will toward men translated into easy targets for criminals, and there had been over thirty arrests at the SouthDale Mall last night.

  The house looked beautiful as Jill approached it. The curtains were open in the living room, and the lights from the Christmas tree reflected on the fresh blanket of snow outside the window. It looked as if someone had opened the door to scatter handfuls of brightly colored jewels on the snow-covered lawn. It was a lovely sight, but Jill had the real jewel, the one that counted, hanging from the thin, gold chain around her neck, tangible proof that Neil loved her. Last night had been wonderful. Her husband was back. And for the first time in months, she was glad to be coming home to him.

  She pulled into the garage and unlocked the door, a smile on her face. “I’m home! Where is everybody?”

  “I’m in here,” Helen called out.

  Jill hung up her coat, placed her boots on the rug by the door, and hurried to the kitchen. She could smell the ham in the oven, and the scent of apple pie was in the air. “Hi. It smells wonderful in here! Where’s Neil?”

  “He’s resting upstairs.” Helen poured her a cup of coffee and motioned to one of the oak chairs by the round kitchen table. “Sit down, Jill. I have to talk to you.”

  Jill pulled out a chair and sat. Helen didn’t look happy. “What’s wrong?”

  “I really hate to do this.” Helen sighed as she, too, sat down. “But I like you, and I just can’t ignore what happened today.”

  Jill took a deep breath. This sounded serious. “What happened, Helen? Tell me.”

  “It’s Mr. Bradley. He doesn’t have a sister.”

  Jill nodded. “That’s right, but what does that have to do with—”

  “He lied to me,” Helen interrupted. “When he ordered that pendant for you, he had the jeweler make two. He told me one was for you and the other was for his sister.”

  Jill sighed. She should have known last night was too good to be true. But perhaps Neil had given the second pendant to his sister-in-law and Helen had just misunderstood. “Did he tell you his sister’s name?”

  “No. But he gave it to someone today. Mr. Bradley had a visitor, a woman named Lisa. He said she was his teaching assistant, and I saw him give her the pendant.”

  Jill swallowed hard. The pendant was suddenly heavy on her neck, and she reached up to unclasp it. She put it down on the table, then took a deep breath. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

  “Yes. It’s not my place to tell you, but I think you should know. Mr. Bradley took her into the bedroom and locked the door. They didn’t come out for two hours.”

  “I see.” Jill nodded. “Thank you for telling me, Helen.”

  Helen looked worried. “I didn’t want to. You were so happy this morning, I wasn’t going to say anything. But when I saw him give her the pendant, and they went into your bedroom—”

  “I understand,” Jill said. “It’s all right, Helen. You did the right thing.”

  “That’s what I thought, but I’ve been worrying about it all day. I have to give notice, Jill. I just can’t stay and take care of him, now that I know what’s going on. I like you too much and I don’t think I can be halfway civil to him.”

  Jill put a hand over her eyes. Thanks to Neil she’d just lost the best housekeeper and companion they’d ever had. “All right, Helen. I understand. Could you give me time to find someone to replace you?”

  “Of course.” Helen reached out to touch Jill’s shoulder. “I’ll interview people if you want me to. I’m sure I can find someone. And . . . I’m sorry, Jill. I don’t want to leave you in a bind, but I just can’t stay.”

  Jill picked up the pendant and then she rose. “Thank you, Helen. Why don’t you take this and give it so someone for Christmas? I . . . I don’t want it.”

  “But it was expensive!” Helen’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

  Jill nodded. “I’m positive. Consider it a parting gift from Neil and an apology from me for being the one who was blind.”

  “All right.” Helen gathered up her things and headed for the door. “I’ll see you in the morning, Jill. And I’ll get started on those interviews right away.”

  The kitchen was silent when Helen had left. Jill sat back down at the table and sipped her lukewarm coffee. How could she have been such a fool? She’d actually believed last night had been a new beginning. She’d been so happy, so eager to trust Neil again. But now she knew the truth. Tears rolled down Jill’s cheeks, and she sobbed quietly. Nothing had changed, nothing at all. Neil couldn’t be trusted. She’d let him hurt her again.

  * * *

  “Way to go, Champ!” Willy Rossini’s boss punched him on the shoulder. “See that redhead out there in the showroom? She asked f
or you, personally!”

  Willy stood up and glanced out at the showroom. They didn’t have regular offices in the dealership, only thin partitions of fiberboard that were barely five feet high and only large enough to hold a small desk with two straight-backed chairs.

  “She’s a real looker, huh?”

  Willy nodded. The redhead was gorgeous and she was standing by the newest model in the showroom, a silver Mercedes loaded with expensive options.

  “What are you waiting for, Willy? Get out there and sell her a car!”

  “Right.” Willy nodded, again. He was sure he didn’t know the redhead. If he’d seen her before, he wouldn’t have forgotten her. Perhaps a former client had recommended him and given her his card. He put a welcoming smile on his face and walked onto the showroom floor. “Hello. I’m Willy Rossini. You asked for me?”

  The redhead turned, and Willy’s breath caught in his throat. She was even more gorgeous up close.

  “Hello, Willy.” The redhead smiled. “What time do you get off for dinner?”

  Willy tried not to show how surprised he was. “Uh . . . well . . . I can take my break anytime.”

  “Good. I don’t know this area very well. Is there someplace private where we could meet?”

  Willy frowned slightly. The redhead wasn’t acting like a client. But if she didn’t want to buy a car, what could she possibly want with him? “Well . . . there’s the Lamplighter. It’s about a mile south of here on the corner.”

  “Great!” The redhead smiled again. “I’ll leave right now and get us a booth. What do you want to drink?”

  Suddenly, Willy had a flash of insight. He’d been top salesman three months running. The redhead must be checking him out for a rival dealership. “Coffee’s fine. I have to go back to work.”

  “You don’t drink then?”

  The redhead put a hand on his arm, and Willy went weak in the knees. “Sure, but never on the job. I need a clear head to sell these beautiful babies.”

  “Of course you do.” The redhead looked pleased. “I can tell you take your work very seriously. Will it bother you if I have a glass of wine?”