Jaime frowned. “Do you want me to talk to him for you?”
“No!” she shouted in English. Everyone at the table turned to stare at her sudden outburst. She switched back to Spanish and said, “No, it’ll be fine. Can we switch to English? It’s rude to talk about people in front of them.”
He sighed and grabbed his pen. “Fine. But the next time you’re in here, I expect some straight answers.”
Rebecca rested her head in her hands once Jaime was gone. “I should never have told him I speak Spanish,” she moaned.
Elliot rubbed her back before resting his arm on the back of her chair. “Don’t worry, we’re not offended,” he said. He grinned at her. “Although I guess I could be; it was evident he was asking about me, and I didn’t promise to keep an open mind about what you did.”
Rebecca grinned back at him. “I’ll remember that next time I promise you something.”
The rest of their dinner conversation was quiet and pleasant, and Rebecca was just beginning to think things with Elliot were back to normal when her phone rang. She nearly groaned when Aaron’s name flashed on the screen. “I’m sorry,” she told Elliot, “but I’d better get this.”
He wiped his mouth on his napkin and waved her away. “We’re nearly finished; take your time. I’ll come find you when we’re ready to go home.”
Rebecca opened her phone as she walked away. “Hello, Aaron.” Her voice was cool.
“Rebecca! What’s up?”
Loud frat-party sounds came over the receiver. “Nothing,” she said slowly.
Aaron laughed loudly. “I was just telling some of my buddies here all about you,” he said. “They didn’t believe I was seeing a girl like you, and I told them I was, and they said no way.”
Rebecca froze. “Are you drunk?”
“I never get drunk. It isn’t good for my image.”
Rebecca paused, thinking hard. He certainly sounded like he’d had a few too many drinks. “When are you going to tell me about Adrianna?”
Aaron made a strange noise. “Adrianna is very high-maintenance right now. She wants me to…” The background noise drowned out the next part of his sentence. “…And now she won’t change her name. Says her initials would be too embarrassing. Women are more trouble than they’re worth.”
“What does she want you to do? I didn’t get all that.” Rebecca could hardly breathe. Was he confessing something?
There was a scuffling noise on the other end of the phone, and the voice that spoke next was definitely not Aaron’s. “I’m sorry,” the man apologized. “This is Jeff. I’m afraid my buddy’s had a little too much to drink tonight, and he’s not really coherent. Can I tell him to call you tomorrow?”
Rebecca sighed, disappointed. “No, that’s okay. How much did he drink, by the way?”
Jeff chuckled. “I think it’s only been three or four beers. Aaron has a ridiculously low tolerance for alcohol. Once he has a few in him, he can’t keep his mouth shut. It’s got him in trouble before, so I thought I’d better grab his phone before he blurted out something completely stupid.”
Rebecca thought quickly. “Will you do me a favor, and tell him that some friends may join us tomorrow? I’d really appreciate it.” She tried to sound offhand, but wasn’t sure she’d managed it.
“No problem. Look, I’d better go. Someone’s trying to mix something in the bathtub. Later!”
Rebecca sat on the ground outside Jaime’s, she was weak in the knees. What had just happened? And what was up with the whole initials thing? Aaron Sharpe, Adrianna Sawyer… It was kind of weird to see someone whose name began with the exact same letters as you, but that wasn’t embarrassing. Just slightly odd.
Elliot found her several minutes later. He sat down on the pavement next to her and stared up at the evening Sky. “Did Aaron cancel on you?” he asked, sounding hopeful.
“No,” she sighed. “He didn’t.”
“That’s too bad.”
She drew her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. What could embarrass Adrianna? She didn’t seem overly concerned about much of anything at least, not that Rebecca could see, but evidently something about Aaron did. Changing her name would be humiliating. Adrianna… Sawyer… Sharpe.
No.
Rebecca’s head shot up. “You’ve got to be kidding,” she said slowly. “What a scumbag. I can’t believe he would do that.”
Elliot looked at her curiously. “What are you talking about?”
“What a jerk!” She jumped to her feet and started pacing furiously in front of Jaime’s. “I can’t believe I even considered–”
“Whoa, hold on there.” Elliot placed his hand on her shoulder. His face was pale in the glow of the sign above the door. “Did Aaron do something to you? Did he hurt you?”
“No, I’m fine. Just extremely ticked off. How could I be so stupid!” she shouted, wrenching herself out of Elliot’s grasp only to start pacing again. “What else has he done?”
“Rebecca!” Elliot grabbed her waist and pinned her against his chest. “What’s going on? Do you need me to kill Aaron for you?” He sounded strangely eager.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped before sagging into him. “How could I have been so stupid?” she asked herself again. What else was she missing?
“Cancel on him tomorrow,” Elliot said swiftly. “I’ll take you to the House of Blues. Or we can ditch him and do something else. Just the two of us.”
Unbidden, the memory of Aaron angry before Faye’s party, came to her mind and she shuddered. “I can’t,” she told him. “If I don’t...”
Elliot’s hands turned her around so he could see her face. “You’re not telling me something. Something important. What is it?”
For a split second, Rebecca considered telling him everything, but for some reason she couldn’t. If Aaron was really as awful as she thought he was, and she was pretty sure he might be even worse, she didn’t want Elliot knowing that she’d been gullible enough to go out with a guy like Aaron. They were just beginning to start over. The last thing she wanted was for Elliot to see her as an irresponsible, lovesick child who couldn’t make up her own mind. Again.
“I can’t tell you,” she said miserably.
“Try me.” Elliot’s eyes flashed at her, and his grip tightened around her waist.
“I can’t. Not tonight.” Rebecca felt very tired and very, very alone. At that moment the only thing she wanted in life was to hide in her bed. “Will you take me home? I don’t feel so well.”
Elliot stared at her for a long time before releasing his hold on her. “I’ll do what you want this time,” he said, his voice flat, “but I’ll expect some answers from you. And soon.”
He walked her to her door and waited until she had unlocked it before turning to walk away. Impulsively, Rebecca grabbed his arm. “Elliot,” she said slowly, “thanks for understanding. I promise I’ll tell you what’s going on when I can.”
He gave her a weak smile and brushed a lock of hair off her forehead. “I certainly hope so.” His hand lingered on her cheek, and she closed her eyes at the touch. He bent over and whispered, “You know I’ll come if you need me.” Then he kissed her on the forehead, stroked her hair, and was gone.
***
That night Rebecca dreamed of Aaron.
He walked toward her, pulling something large and red behind him. When he stood in front of her, he leered at her before stepping back to reveal a huge suitcase with rude words written all over it. He laughed at her when she tried to run away, but as usually happens in dreams, her feet refused to take her away. She screamed in fear when he bent to unzip the suitcase, revealing Adrianna folded up inside.
Rebecca’s eyes flew open and she blinked, confused at the bright light streaming through the windows. Her breath was shallow and ragged, like she’d been running a marathon. She lifted herself up and put a hand to her forehead, trying to calm her racing heart. It was just a dream. After tonight, she’d never have to see Aaron
again. She wasn’t sure exactly how that she was going to manage that, but there was no way she’d ever accept another invitation from him again.
Her thoughts were muddled as she went about her morning routine and strolled around the park. When she returned to sit on the front step of her building, she was exhausted and wishing she’d never heard the name Sharpe before. “I should have known he was a loser,” she muttered to herself. “He didn’t even know what ‘holy cow’ meant.”
“Are you talking to yourself?” Rebecca jumped in alarm at the sound of Jen’s amused voice.
Rebecca bent over and rested her head in her hands. “Are you trying to kill me?” she asked pointedly. “You really shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.”
Jen looked at her strangely. “What’s wrong with you? You look like you haven’t slept at all.”
Shaking her head, Rebecca rose to her feet. “I had a very disturbing dream last night,” she told her. Catching Jen’s curious expression, she went on to tell her about it. “What’s even worse is that part of it is true. I talked to Aaron yesterday and he’s evidently either engaged or married to Adrianna.”
Jen’s jaw dropped. “No way. How did you get him to tell you?”
Rebecca related their conversation of the evening before, and before she knew it, Jen was holding her sides and laughing. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she gasped, wiping her eyes. “I think it’s very fitting.Adrianna Sawyer Sharpe… A.S.S… Adrianna should put her new initials on all her things, not just her luggage. No one could say she didn’t warn them beforehand.”
Rebecca smiled briefly. “I guess you’re right. It is kind of funny.”
Jen linked their arms together and walked her down the street to where Scott was struggling, one-armed, to get several bags out of the trunk of their car. “We came to help you get ready for the big night,” she said. “Although it doesn’t look like it’s a big deal anymore. At least you can get all gussied up for Elliot.”
Once they were inside, Scott sank into the couch and turned on the television, studiously ignoring the sounds coming from the bedroom. It didn’t take Jen long to get ready; after all, as she told Rebecca, she didn’t need to shine, and anyway, it would most likely be dim inside. She sat Rebecca down in front of the bathroom mirror and arranged and rearranged her hair. After being poked in the head for the third time, Rebecca protested.
“That’s good enough,” she said, turning away from the mirror and standing up. “I don’t really care what Aaron thinks of my appearance, anyway.”
“But you care about Elliot’s reaction,” Jen said slyly.
Rebecca turned her head in a vain attempt to hide the blush that was warming her cheeks. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d blushed so much. “I think I should get dressed,” she said, looking at the clock. “We’ve only got half an hour, assuming he’s on time.”
Jen followed her into the bedroom and sat on the bed when Rebecca disappeared into the closet. “I still can’t believe he’s serious with Adrianna,” she called through the open door. “Are you going to slap him tonight?”
“I might,” Rebecca called back. “At the very least I’m going to tell him never to call me again.”
“I bet Elliot will be heartbroken about that.”
Rebecca laughed. “He offered to kill him for me last night. It was very tempting.”
Jen reached over and grabbed Rebecca’s cell phone from the nightstand. “Hey, you never emailed me Aaron’s picture. If he’s as cute as you say, I want to be prepared when he comes to pick you up.”
Rebecca came out of the closet, the dress Cassie had given her hanging unzipped from her shoulders. “Can you do me up?” she asked. “I can’t reach all the way.”
Jen stood and handed the phone to her before zipping the dress. “That looks stunning on you,” she said, an admiring note in her voice. “Please tell me that Cassie’s going into fashion. She’d make a great personal shopper.”
“She would, wouldn’t she? And that way she could spend other people’s money instead of Michael’s. He’d be thrilled.”
Jen watched as Rebecca scrolled through the pictures on her phone. She whistled under her breath when Rebecca stopped at Aaron. “So this is the famous Aaron Sharpe,” she said slowly. “You weren’t kidding. The man is perfect.”
There was a sudden crash outside the room, and seconds later Scott was standing in the doorway, the color drained from his face. “Did you just say Aaron’s last name is Sharpe?”
Both of them turned to stare at him. “Yes,” Jen said, running over and grabbing his arm. “Are you all right? You look pale. Maybe we need to make an appointment to see the doctor.”
Scott shook his head. “Aaron Sharpe is the person who was stealing from your father,” he said, staring straight at Rebecca. “I’d just figured that out when that guy came crashing around the corner with a gun.”
Rebecca sank down onto the bed. “How do you know?” she whispered.
Scott shook his head as though he was trying to jar things into place. “His name was on a few records,” he said slowly, “and I did a little detective work. He’s been pretty careful, but a few times he slipped up. I’m sorry I didn’t remember until just now.” He stared at Rebecca as a light seemed to go on in his head. “You’re dating him!” he cried. “Why would you do that?”
Jen grabbed the phone from Rebecca’s numb fingers and handed it to her husband. “Because he was charming and gorgeous. Look at the guy. I’d go out with him if he asked me.”
Scott glanced down at the picture in Jen’s hand and blanched. “That can’t be,” he muttered, holding onto the doorframe for support. “There’s no way you could be dating him.”
He looked up, his eyes wide with shock. “That’s the guy that shot me. I’d recognize that hat anywhere.”
Chapter Fifteen
After they’d calmed down enough to talk rationally, Rebecca called a war council. They sat on her bed and discussed what they were going to do.
“The first thing,” Jen said in a decisive voice, “is to contact Detective Patterson. I say we let him take care of Aaron for us.”
Scott handed her his phone wordlessly, and Jen left the room to make the call.
Rebecca sighed. “What I can’t figure out is why he did it in the first place. I was under the impression that he had a lot of money of his own.”
Scott shrugged and leaned back against the headboard. “From what I could tell he’d gone through a bit of money his father had left him. Maybe he watched his bank balance shrink and thought this would be a good way to supplement his income.”
“Well, he certainly went through William’s fast enough.” Rebecca clutched a pillow to her chest.
Jen came back into the room, looking very irritated. “Mr. Stiff Upper Lip isn’t answering his phone,” she announced before flopping down next to her husband. “I say we ambush him when he gets here.”
“No way.” Rebecca’s voice was firm. “He can’t see either one of you. He’d know Scott the minute he saw you and he’d run–or worse. I’ll go with him when he comes to get me. I’ll be fine,” she said at Jen’s squawk of protest. “Elliot will be there, and you can send Patterson over when you get him on the phone.
“But the real question is, how did he know to find you, Scott? I didn’t tell anyone I’d asked for your help, not even Cassie.”
“You must have told someone,” Scott said. “He’s a thief and a killer, not a mind reader.”
Rebecca closed her eyes and tried to remember. “The only time we’ve discussed it was in Cassie’s apartment. And then you called while I was on Mackinac Island...”Her voice trailed off as a memory floated to the surface of her mind. She could almost see the waves crashing on the shore. “You called after I got a flat tire. Aaron was there; I remember, because it was the first time we met. I don’t think I said anything about you in particular...”
She’d hung up the phone… and Aaron had been hovering next to her. He’d bee
n so kind, offering to help… “Are you sure there’s nothing I can do? I can try to track down this… who were you talking to again?”
“Scott Tennant. He’s my best friend’s husband.”
Rebecca opened her eyes and stared, horrified, into the eyes of the man she’d almost gotten killed. She clapped her hand over her mouth, ran to the bathroom, and threw up, mascara running down her cheeks as she cried.
Jen remarkably understood when Rebecca told her, in a halting voice, what she had done. “There’s no way you could have known,” she said reasonably, rubbing Rebecca’s back as she sat on the floor in front of the toilet. “I probably would have done the same thing.”
“But he almost killed Scott. I could have made you a widow.”
“It was Aaron, not you, honey.” Jen leaned her head against Rebecca’s back as she hugged her. “You didn’t do anything but fall victim to a smooth-talking man. I don’t doubt he’s done that before, Adrianna or no Adrianna.”
Scott called urgently from the bedroom. “What time’s he supposed to be getting here?… You’d better clean yourself up, or he’ll suspect something.”
Rebecca got shakily to her feet and stumbled out of the room. She swallowed hard when she looked at Scott, who was gazing sympathetically at her. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I know that won’t take away any of the–”
“Oh, stop it,” Scott said. “Just think of the great story I’ll be able to tell my kids someday. I may even convince them that I’m really Titanium Man, Super-Hero in disguise.”
“I don’t think so, hon.” Jen shook her head at her husband and kissed him on the cheek. “Your Wonder Wife needs to get Cinderella ready for the ball. I’ve got…” She checked her watch quickly. “…Three minutes.”
Rebecca was scrubbed and presentable at two minutes after eight. Jen and Scott had agreed to remain upstairs, listening for any signs of trouble below. “I’ll text you when I hear from Patterson,” Jen whispered as Rebecca ran down the stairs when Aaron knocked on the door. “And please, don’t let Elliot abandon you. He’s not likely to be happy to see he’s the only one crashing your date with his arch-enemy.”
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