Retribution

by Jasmine White

  Chapter Three

  “You seem to have been avoiding me lately.” Wesley’s pouting words fell with the rain as they sped through downtown in his shiny red convertible. Couples armed with brightly colored umbrellas went past in a blur, parents trying to keep track of their wandering children were gone in an instant. Katherine ignored his comment and shivered, pulling on a white scarf and knotting it underneath her chin as the soft rain stung their faces. “Are you cold? Want me to put the top up?” Wesley asked anxiously, noticing her shiver. She sat small in her seat, cringing as he braked sharply for a dog.

  “No, I was just reliving that awful scene.” She let out a little shudder.

  “So what have you been doing? You haven’t had any time for me lately.” Resentful, Wesley tried his line again.

  “I’ve been busy,” she said. “Searching for work is a job in and of itself.” She forgot the horrible scene and the pestering detective; she enjoyed teasing Wesley. “Some of us do need to work to sustain ourselves, you know.”

  His laugh revealed perfect white teeth in his tanned face. “I got that . . . you’re implying I don’t do any work.”

  She wrinkled her pert nose at him. “Well, I imagine being a playboy does take up most of one's time. Must be exhausting to have an inherited business to run.”

  He chuckled in response. “I’m picking up what you’re throwing down; I guess I do make growing my empire seem easy to everyone else. It takes a lot of dedication improving my golf game to impress clients.”

  She rolled her eyes; even though she teased him about it, she knew very well it had taken a good amount of hard work, drive, and business savvy to take his father’s business from a small shop on Main Street to an internationally recognized brick and steel company. “I’ll bet. Johnny is so jealous. Apparently he’s seen you on the way to the golf course several times.” Her mood darkened a bit, the events of the day coming back to her—Johnny was still back at the Police station. Was he still being questioned?

  She felt him studying her averted profile. “Stop feeling guilty about leaving your fiancé. It’s my turn to have you for a while anyways. I have seniority on Johnny, after all. I found you first. I Should’ve never allowed that creep to start hanging around you in the first place.”

  Katherine forced her attention back to the present. “But you didn’t get to keep me.”

  “I tried to. The dashing and handsome Johnny took my place. What does he have that I don’t? Not money, that’s for sure. You know you don’t have to live like this, always searching for another job. You could have a permanent one—with me.” And with that said both parties lapsed into their own thoughts.

  Katherine’s gaze focused out the car window, his words winding in her head. She didn’t know how to put her feelings into words, how to express to him that their relationship had been more of a fun friendship to her. Wesley was light and charming, whereas Johnny was admittedly moodier, but also more attractive in a dark sort of way. “It’s hard to explain, Wesley. You know I’ve always thought highly of your friendship.”

  He sighed dramatically and tried to understand, or so he told himself. “I know. Friends, but nothing else. Now I’ll have to drown my sorrows at the golf club.”

  “And with a certain Miss Pamela Brown Torres?” Katherine tried to steer the conversation towards a lighter subject.

  He grinned and welcomed the change of conversation mode. “How’d you know? Oh, I suppose the papers . . . ”

  “Yep. The society section is always hot on the subject of the two of you.” She dramatized: ‘Heiress and playboy were seen again at the swank Pelican Club in San Francisco. Are wedding bells on the horizon?’”

  The convertible slid up along the curb, to park in front of her apartment building. Wesley turned to face her, rested one arm on the back of the seat almost on her shoulders. “I’m glad you’re taking such an interest in my romance life.”

  Katherine pretended not to notice the arm. It was near enough to make her slightly uncomfortable; was he doing that on purpose? “Of course. I take an interest in all my friend’s romantic lives. It’s the most interesting part.” She feigned, then teased as she leaned forward a bit more than necessary to escape the arm while she pulled out her compact to dust her face with powder.

  Wesley kept his arm in place and acted like there was nothing off, like he didn’t notice her movement to shy away. It was to his satisfaction that he’d at least gotten a reaction out of her—that had to mean something. “Well, not that you really care, but her father’s company is closely aligned with mine. It could be very beneficial to keep strong ties with Mr. Torres,” he added, disappointed that she didn’t press the matter further.

  “And the web entangling you becomes stronger. Does the lady’s father supply the mortar for your brick business?”

  “Funny. Almost correct, but not quite. He’s in construction. Has a bunch of deals for apartment buildings pending in Brazil. And since I’m in the process of extending my business ties, it kinda makes sense that we should team up.” He gave her a sarcastic smile. “All the things you can learn on a golf course. You should take it up.”

  She smiled as she snapped her compact shut, and relaxed just enough in her seat not to touch his arm. “I didn’t know golf courses catered to architects, especially your club. They seem particularly obsessed with class.”

  He let out a little snort. “Like you need to worry about that.” She made a little face at him and he shrugged, finally removing the arm, brushing his fingers along her shoulder as he did. “You never know . . . I’m a pro at teaching it, if you ever want to learn.”

  She opened the door and stepped out. “Maybe one of these days. Thanks for the rescue, Wesley. It was nice to get out of that dreadful police station.”

  “It was my pleasure to take you away from Johnny for once.”

  “I’ll see you around.”

  “You better.” He shifted the car into gear and started forward, before grinding his foot down hard on the brakes after several feet.

  “Kate!” He called after her as she began walking towards the entrance of her apartment building.

  “Yes?” She turned around to face him.

  “You have time for an extra client?”

  Her interest caught, Katherine approached the car. “Yes. As a matter of fact, I’m looking for work. The project we were working on with the professor—well you know what happened. It’s basically done, there’s nothing else I can do there . . . do you know someone who needs an architect?”

  “Yes. Pamela just bought a place in town. Wants to have it remodeled. Asked if I knew of a talented architect; I told her I did.”

  She tried to cover her excitement. “Working for a socialite. That’d be new for me.”

  “You interested?”

  Kate wanted to shout “of course you dumb ass!” but decided she’d better get that phrase out of her head instead and kept the excitement in her voice to a minimum. “Yes, I’m interested.”

  “All right.” Another one of his quick smiles. “I’ll pick you up next week sometime to go see her. That work for you?”

  “Yes. Well, depends on what Johnny has going on . . . and if I get called back into the police station or not.” She sighed. “What time were you thinking?”

  “Probably next Wednesday or Thursday. I don’t want to intrude on Pamela too soon. I guess you can bring the boyfriend along if you want.” He conceded grudgingly. “Oh, and about the police station—I doubt you’ll get called back in very soon. I know that detective is dense, but he should know better than that.” He let out the clutch, rolling the car forward again. “I’ll phone you Sunday with the full details.”

  “All right. I’ll see you later then.” As he waved, the car picked up speed and she watched him drive away, not realizing until she entered the foyer that she was lighthearted again. It was nice to see Wesley again; she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed his company. Of course he was no match for Johnny’s dangerous
attractiveness, but he was fun to spend time with. Johnny was more serious and wasn’t the type who had a sense of humor, probably because he had to work too hard at his engineering job. She felt a twang of pity for him as she entered her apartment.