Shadows of Doubt

by Corcoran, Mell

  “Nothing!” He knew he answered too quickly.

  “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, your choice.” She sat down on the bench at the end of his bed and gave him the look that meant there was no way she was leaving until he answered. Grumbling, he sat down next to her.

  “Tonight is important. I have all my bullshit duties as Dominor that I have to do but all I can think about is Lou. How is she going to react to something like this as her first real exposure to me and the Sanguinostri as a collective? How am I going to be able to temper what I have to do with what I want to do? What if this all turns Lou totally off? I mean, I don’t have any illusions that she has feelings for me but it would be nice to have a shot, and tonight could ruin that.”

  “Hmm.” It was a reasonable concern, she knew. “First of all I know she has feelings for you, we all can see that, even her mother. As for the rest of it, I think she understands your role and how important it is. Caroline and I have had discussions with her about the structure of things, so I know she has a clue. She’s a very down to earth person, Max. She is not petty or easily put off by things so just be yourself tonight. Don’t be nervous and standoffish towards her. You’re not a stuffy dictator, you’re fair, generous and a good man who takes his role very seriously. That is something she needs to see and needs to factor into her equation of you. Just make sure you come back to her between obligations so she knows you balance things well.”

  Max looked at Abby and thought for a while before he smiled. “When did you become so wise beyond your years?”

  Abby snorted and hugged him. “I know, such a young two-hundred and something years, but an old old soul.”

  He laughed and hugged her back. “Thank you. Now have the guys grab their own stuff so you can get the hell out of here. I have a car waiting for you downstairs and we have transpo already set up for tonight.”

  “Oh! The limo we have here? That way we can all ride together and drink more champagne since no one has to drive!”

  “Of course. I already called and had it brought around for you.” He kissed her on the forehead then got up to head into the other room.

  “Try and relax, its all going to be perfect. I know it.” She smiled at him as he looked back at her before he left the room.

  Despite the protests made by Frank and Connor, Abby gathered her things and began stuffing her hands into her mittens. Max scolded the men for not knowing how to tie their own ties by now and told them to leave Abby alone.

  “I’ll be back by five to get changed so you can save your panicking for then. All your stuff is ready to throw on, so just remember to shower and shave!” She took a moment to look them all in the eye as she said it. “Now I am off, so no calls unless it’s something of global proportions.” She blew kisses to them all and headed for the elevator.

  The men stood staring at each other for a long time after she left, as if completely clueless what they were supposed to do next.

  “Oh for pity’s sake!” Max shook his head in disgust. “Its barely eight in the morning. We have hours before we have to worry, so someone order breakfast and let’s see if we can accomplish something before we need to get ready.”

  The other men grumbled briefly then began the ritual morning debate of what to order from room service. It took about seven minutes before they decided on a smattering of everything and then focused on work until it arrived.

  Lou had woken up early, forgetting she was taking the day to go with her mother and Caroline to the spa to get ready for the gala. Caroline was bringing Lou’s dress and shoes over with her own so they could play dress up and all go to the event together. Lou just had to kill a few hours before she got there. She had tried to go back to sleep but the more she thought about the gala, the more nervous she got. Other than the Sunday golf thing, Max had only seen Lou in her work grunge and while that was really more her style, she suddenly felt like there was a lot of pressure to clean up well and mind her manners. He was putting a lot of faith in her abilities if he was planning on making her Principate or whatever it was. She was going to have to prove herself to a lot of people who were all going to be at this thing. Of course that all sounded excellent as an excuse but that really wasn’t the truth of it.

  Max had floated her boat since the moment she laid eyes on his shoes and everything attached to them. She knew it, Caroline and Vinny knew it, her mother knew it. But now she knew who he was, what he was and that he was a seriously important man, especially in this new world she was knee deep in. How in the hell did she think he would ever notice her? He had been around for God knows how long and only been engaged once so that woman had to have been very special. He had serious standards, clearly. Max had rubbed elbows with kings and queens, presidents and supermodels. She was just a jean wearing, boot hoofing cop. Sure he had seemed to flirt with her before but maybe that was all pretense to get her indoctrinated and recruited as an operative. He had been snippy with her on the phone the day before, but she hadn’t exactly been charming and flirty like Caroline was in her sleep. Did she really care if he noticed her in that way? Oh, who the hell was she kidding, of course she did.

  She studied herself in the mirror as she brushed her teeth, picking herself apart inch by inch. She had bags under her eyes and she barely noticed the green of her irises because the whites were so damn bloodshot. She should have kicked the guys out earlier last night but she had been having too much fun. The non-black and blue portion of her skin tone was even, though a bit on the pasty side. She could definitely stand getting a little sun. She wondered if the spa did that spray-tan thing or if that would rub off on her dress. She would have to remember to ask. Her hair was a stylish cut, she thought, though there wasn’t much to be done with the boring auburn mop anyway. Her bangs definitely could use a trim since she could barely see through them unless she brushed them to the side, which when she did just then she saw the condition of her hands and winced. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a manicure and she had remnants of black nail polish on her toes from Halloween. Alright so she had to admit to herself that maybe a spa day wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

  “You realize your bathroom is as big as my apartment?” Caroline startled Lou so badly that she started to choke from nearly swallowing her electric toothbrush. “Oh God! Sorry sweetie, are you okay?” Caroline thumped on Lou’s back and handed her a towel.

  When Lou finally caught her breath and wiped the toothpaste off her face, she glared at her friend. “For someone who hates it when people sneak up on them, you sure are good at doing the same damn thing!”

  “I am so sorry!” Her friend grabbed another towel to mop some of the toothpaste out of Lou’s hair. “I was sure you heard me and your mom talking out there. She let me in, then I helped her cart coffee and morning noshes up.”

  “Oh! Any of Marta’s croissants out there?” Lou suddenly forgot all about almost choking to death.

  Caroline grinned at her. “Most definitely. Hey Lou, would you mind if Abby joined us for girls day getting ready? I kinda feel bad for her being stuck with all those guys all the time.”

  “Not at all! That’s a great idea. It’s kind of like having two of you around.” Lou grinned then headed for the croissants.

  “Great, because I already invited her.” Caroline followed her out.

  Shevaun was walking out of the closet as they headed for the goodie tray and was already perfectly polished and ready for the day. Lou looked at her mother and wondered why in the hell the woman needed a day at the spa.

  “I definitely must have gotten more of my father’s genes.” She muttered.

  Her mother went for her coffee mug. â
€œOh stop that! You know I hate it when you say things like that!” She took a sip of her coffee and grinned at her daughter. “I absolutely adore your dress. You have to wear that topaz suite your grandma left you.”

  Lou was drawing a blank on two fronts. First, why in the hell would her grandmother leave her a hotel room and second, how could she possibly wear it. “Uh...”

  Shevaun scoffed. “The copper brown chandelier earrings with the matching bracelet and ring?”

  “Oh! That would be perfect!” Lou had forgotten all about the set her grandmother had left her several years ago. “So a suite is like an ensemble?”

  Shevaun and Caroline just rolled their eyes at her before they turned to head for their chairs.

  Caroline’s phone chirped to indicate an incoming text which she began to read as soon as she plopped down. “Too fun! Abby has commandeered a company limo for us and is on her way now. I would have invited my momma but she’s had like the entire staff from her salon at home flown in for this. Daddy actually bunked with my uncle last night. The women have the place overrun with girl junk. You know she brought five different gowns with her because she couldn’t decide which to buy? She bought them all!”

  “Wow!” Lou was baffled by all the fuss. “So this thing is that big of a deal?” She could feel her nerves flaring up again.

  “Apparently so, from what Joe has told me.” Shevaun broke off a piece of scone and studied it. “It was a big deal to begin with because the man who’s giving it has like the largest collection of Byzantine artifacts, jewelry and other priceless things.” She finally popped the piece of scone in her mouth and chewed quickly, then swallowed. “But now that Max, being like the king of all of North America is going to be there, its an ultra big deal so everyone on the continent is flying in for it.”

  “Well, that is so cool!” Caroline gaped. “It’s like the red carpet of all red carpets for the Sanguinostri!”

  Now Lou’s stomach was doing flip flops and if she thought she was nervous before, what her mother had just said and with Caroline’s gawking, it had literally made her hands start to shake. She put down her mug and went in to her closet to change, hoping that would buy her some time to compose herself. She had already showered and all that but noticing how posh and polished the women in the other room were, Lou figured plain old gray sweats and mukluks wasn’t going to cut it. She rifled through her things to find an appropriately fashionable jog suit like Caroline had on, then heard Abby’s voice in the other room. When Abby came into the closet to say hello, she could clearly see that Lou was freaking out.

  “First of all, breathe.” Abby ushered Lou to sit on the bench in the closet. It wasn’t exactly a closet but more of a dressing room that Lou felt was better suited to someone who coveted closet space as so many women do. Abby knelt down in front of Lou and looked at her intently. “You’re nervous about tonight.”

  Lou cocked her head sideways at Abby. “Are you reading me?”

  “I have ultra puny reading skills so don’t freak out. I really just get the vibe. If I try any harder than that I give myself a headache. Now what are you nervous about? You can tell me! Let me...” Abby looked past Lou, making Lou think perhaps she had a touch of Attention Deficit Disorder. “Oh crap, your dress is gorgeous! You are going to absolutely knock him out tonight!” She bounced up to get a closer look at it. “Oh Lou! This is brilliant! Did you have this made for you?”

  “Uh, no. Caroline picked it out for me yesterday.”

  Abby turned to goggle at her. “Are you kidding me? How is it possible you found something so utterly perfect for you in one day?! I hate that! Why can’t I do that!”

  Lou had to admit, Abby was absolutely darling and had made her feel better already by approving of her dress. She also noticed that Abby was wearing similar sweatpants to the ones she had on, and they were tucked into sheepskin lined boots exactly like the ones Lou had planned on wearing. This was a woman who was the closest to Max next to Frank and Niko from what she had been able to deduce so far. Lou was suddenly feeling much better.

  By ten o’clock the girls were being ushered to their private accommodations at the spa and handed soft and squishy robes and slippers to change into. The facilities were sumptuous in golden pink and mocha hues that glowed and gleamed off of every surface. There were overstuffed chairs, overstuffed couches and an equally overstuffed table that was covered in fresh fruits, pastries, pitchers of juices and full tea and coffee service with Lou’s coveted Kopi Luwak brewed to steamy perfection. Margaret Beechum, the manager of the spa, had greeted them personally when they came in the door and with a snap of her fingers had staff fawning all over them.

  “I hope that everything meets with your approval, Ms. LaRue.” Beechum flashed her over-bleached smile at Abby. “If there is anything else you need, just inform one of your technicians and they will take care of it for you. I’ll be just a moment away, should you need me.” With a wave to everyone, the glossy Margaret Beechum closed the door behind her.

  “Abby! What on earth did you do?! This is beyond decadent!” Caroline did a little twirl in the middle of the room.

  “This is far too extravagant, we can’t let you do this, Abby.” Shevaun shook her head as she took in the luxurious surroundings.

  “Oh stop! It is so my pleasure! I never get to do anything over the top, and who better to do it with but my girlfriends!” Abby grabbed Caroline’s hands and they twirled together.

  “This coffee is Kopi Luwak! Abby, you are a goddess.” Lou was already sipping from a cup and Abby giggled.

  “Ladies...” The technician named Lana quietly clapped her hands together to get their attention. “If you all would step into the dressing room and get changed, I’ll escort you to the mud room for your Dead Sea Soak.”

  “Mud room? Dead Sea Soak?” Lou looked at Abby curiously.

  “Oh yes, its the works for us today ladies!” Abby literally bounced with excitement.

  “Now lets get you all ready for your treatments!” Lana clapped again, not as quietly as before. “We had best get started or you ladies will be late for your gala!”

  One by one the women filed into the dressing room and came out looking like cotton balls. After a few minutes to relax and enjoy the treats on the table, they were ushered to their next stop on the pamper train. Once Lou had settled into one of the four tubs of black goo, she had to admit it was really nice. There were gauzy curtains to separate each tub for modesty but once everyone was in, the technicians pulled them back so they could all chat and make fun of each other. They soaked for half an hour or so then they were given plastic wraps of a sort so they didn’t have to traipse to the shower naked. Even if they were covered in black goo, it was still a little awkward. The steam room had felt glorious and made Lou very sleepy. If relaxation was the goal, this place had it down without a doubt. She paid little attention to the others’ chatter as she leaned back against the warm tile and let herself drift like the steam that surrounded her. She was going to have to remember to come back and do this again.

  After soaking, steaming, being wrapped like mummies, then scrubbed with a finely granulated salt, it was nearly one o’clock and time for the airbrushing. They were all back in the suite but a partition had been set up at the far end of the room along with a low platform. Inga, the tanning specialist, handed them all g-string bikini bottoms only. They were made out of dental floss and a half sheet of paper towel at best. Inga informed them it was optional whether they wore it or not, whatever they were comfortable with. Lou was seriously reconsidering. It didn’t take a detective to figure out that she was
going to be next to naked in front of a total stranger while they got up close and personal with the air brush.

  “It will be fine, Lou!” Caroline coaxed her. “Abby and I are doing it, I’ve done it a bazillion times before. It’s no biggie, I swear.”

  “I assure you, Miss Lou...” Inga stood and looked at Lou very seriously, her thick accent and broken English adding levity to the situation whether she meant to or not. “I am professional. Before I found my calling, bringing peace and glow to all peoples, I was a nurse in Germany. So I tell you truth that I have seen all shapes and sizes. It is only the glow that matters.”

  After such a sincere statement from Inga, considerable convincing from the girls and that glass of champagne that didn’t hurt the cause too much, Lou went for it. She had to admit the experience wasn’t nearly as humiliating as she had expected.

  By three o’clock Lou was set in pin curls and was able to see the full bloom of the airbrushing. She was really glad she had done it. Her skin was not only soft and luminous but it did indeed look like she had spent a few days basking in the sun. When she looked at her mother and the twins, as she had taken to calling Caroline and Abby half way through the day, they too looked like they had been with her on her imaginary tropical excursion. They were all in the middle of hairstyle development when their make-up artists started on them. Caroline’s platinum locks were rolled up in curlers that were as big as coffee cans. Abby’s hair looked like it had been attacked by a box of straws and her mother looked like she had stuck her finger in a light socket. She explained to Lou that she was in mid-tease, whatever that was. Lou had been talked into highlights and a trim, especially the bangs, which she was all too happy to have cut. The girls had spent a long time discussing the appropriate style for her and had gone so far as to describe her dress to both the stylist and the makeup artist. Caroline had even showed them a picture she had taken with her cell phone. Lou simply could not understand why color coordination on her hair was so damn important, but she figured they knew far better than her.