by Penny Henry
"You're not leaving?" Travis jumped to his feet with a look of concern clouding his features.
Temple responded with a grin. "Not without my swim," she said. "That is, if you have anything I can wear?"
Elliot's face fell. He had assumed Temple would leave in a fit of pique once she had learnt that Campbell Properties were in bed with Pegasus.
"Julio!" called Travis. "Have we something suitable for Temple to take a swim?"
Julio materialized at the door. He held a slightly dubious expression on his face and lifted his shoulders in question. "If you are sure, Senor Travis," he said.
"Yes please, Julio," confirmed Travis. "Take Ms Hart to the yellow room and show her what we have.
Julio shrugged. “As you wish.”
The two men rose as Temple took her leave. "See you later," she tossed at Travis. Then she looked at Elliot. "Goodbye, Elliot. It’s nice to see you standing upright for a change."
Temple was led to a room furnished and decorated in shades of yellow. There was no sign that it been recently used. Either that or it had been redecorated. The curtains were shimmering gold and the queen size bed was covered with a pleated valance that was crocus yellow. The en suite bathroom followed the same garish color scheme. This was definitely the yellow room, she decided. What made her think that a man had decorated it! She smiled to herself. A woman’s touch was definitely lacking. Then she wondered if every room was a different color. What shade would Travis have chosen for his own room?
Julio's opened the doors of the built-in cupboard, retrieved a box and tipped the contents on the bed. "I hope you will find something to fit you, Senorita. You are about the same size." Julio was obviously referring to Travis’ daughter.
She was standing in Melanie’s bedroom.
Chapter Eight
Temple was suddenly feeling uncomfortable. She took a breath and looked at the colorful pile of swimwear on the bed. Julio was looking at her expectantly. "Thank you, Julio. I'm sure I’ll find something I can wear."
Julio excused himself and Temple set about sorting through the swimsuits. She suppressed an eerie sensation as she held each suit against her body in turn. They had the smell of being shut away in the box for a long time. She slipped out of her clothes and tried on a midnight blue bikini. Melanie had been smaller than Temple in the bust and the top showed a little more than Temple bargained for. No, she didn't think so. A black one-piece fitted her okay. The cups were a little overflowing but the overall fit was fine. The high-cut legs showed off her toned thighs to perfection. Julio had also pulled out some flip-flops and towels. She grabbed a couple of the towels that smelt fresher than the swimsuits and slipped into a pair of flip-flops. She left the room and headed away from the sound of Travis and Elliot's voices. There was bound to be a side door.
Temple found the door and strolled to the pool without meeting anybody. She stepped out of the flip-flops and laid the towels on one of the loungers at the poolside. The peace of her surroundings led her to believe she could be a million miles away from her troubles. Temple crouched on one leg and stretched the toes of her other foot into the pool. Small ripples hurried away from her leg. The water was warm and inviting. The sun was shining. Her surroundings gave Temple a calmness that she hadn’t felt much of lately. She raised her arms above her head and executed an arrow-straight dive. For ten minutes Temple swam fast lengths of the pool. Then she floated on her back basking in the glorious sunshine. She didn't open her eyes at the sound of the approaching footsteps. Temple distantly registered the scrape of a lounger being repositioned. Then she was hit by a sudden wave as a male body cleaved the surface of the pool. Temple gulped in a mouthful of warm water as she struggled to recover her bearings. A laughing man broke surface at her side. She expected to see Travis shaking water from his head. Instead she was greeted by Eliot’s predatory smile.
"Not funny, Elliot," Temple scolded the paddling man. "You ought to know better."
"Lighten up, Temple," retorted Elliot. He slapped his hand on the water to send a shower of spray into Temple's eyes.
"You're asking for it!" threatened Temple. She floated onto her back and kicked her legs, sending shocks of water into his face. Elliot reacted by ducking below the surface before exploding into the air like a leaping dolphin. He slapped down on the water sending tidal waves washing over her head. Temple shrieked and laughed, caught up in the playful frolics. Elliot made a lunge for her legs and Temple flipped onto her front. She swam to the side of the pool with Elliot chasing behind her kicking feet. In one fluid movement Temple pulled herself halfway out of the pool and rested on her forearms. Elliot heaved himself out of the water to hang by her side. They lay suspended half-in and half-out of the pool shaking water from their faces and laughing like children.
"Having fun, kids?" Travis' words were innocuous enough but there were other inflections in his tone. Temple sensed disappointment. Or was it irritation at seeing Temple and Elliot together.
"Hi, Travis," welcomed Temple warmly. She noticed that Travis hadn't changed out of his shirt and jeans. "I thought you were coming for a swim?"
Travis switched his eyes to Elliot and back again. "Two's company," he said
Temple shielded her eyes to look into his unsmiling face. Travis was jealous! She felt her spirits soar into the cloudless sky. So he did feel something. Now she had to decide whether his mood was because she was enjoying the company of another man or because that other man was Elliot.
"Don't be such an old misery guts, Travis," said Elliot as he flopped back and kicked away from the edge. "Come and join us."
"No," said Travis firmly. "Enjoy your afternoon. I have some calls to make." With that he turned away and walked briskly back to the house.
Temple's eyes followed him every step of the way. She was as confused as she had ever been. She determined that she would enjoy the rest of the day despite Travis' adolescent mood swing and Elliot's unwanted attentions.
"He's a workaholic," said Elliot scathingly. He had glided up to Temple’s side. "Travis wouldn't know how to have a good time unless there was a buck in it for him."
"If you hadn't turned up and bothered him with all this Andrew Denham stuff then things might be different," Temple told Elliot.
"I doubt it. Or did I spoil your plans?"
Temple felt herself blush. "I'm sure it would have been more fun than fighting off a drunken sex maniac," said Temple harshly.
There was a moment of embarrassing silence before Elliot spoke up. "Look, Temple. I'm truly sorry about last night. I apologize if I misread the signals. I drank too much. I’ll admit that. Give me another chance and I'll make it up to you. I promise I will."
Temple flexed her arms and smoothly pulled herself from the pool. "I don't think so."
"Wow!" exclaimed Elliot. "That's Melanie's suit, isn't it?"
"I suppose so," said Temple self-consciously. "Julio found it for me."
"No wonder Travis was upset. He couldn’t have realized." said Elliot softly. "You're the living image." He pushed away from the side, floating on his back and watching her through smoky eyes.
Whether Elliot was thinking of Melanie or more likely peeling off her swimsuit in his mind, Temple didn't care. She was more concerned that she had unwittingly been the cause of Travis' off-hand manner. She briskly toweled herself down and chose a lounger to lie back on. Now would not be a good time to speak with Travis. She might as well catch some rays. Elliot joined her some time later. She didn't bother to open her eyes. Julio brought them drinks through the afternoon and occasionally Temple chatted to Elliot. He was vague and evasive. Temple learned nothing new of his relationship with Ben. But mostly Temple relaxed and daydreamed of Travis.
"Dinner will be at seven o'clock, Senorita."
Temple snapped awake. "What time is it, Julio?" she asked anxiously, then looked round and added, "Where's Elliot?"
Julio smiled graciously. "It is five-thirty, Senorita. Senor Buchanan has already left. I believe Senor T
ravis mentioned some business matters that needed Senor Buchanan’s attention." Julio's smile became a wicked grin. "The business I speak of is in Fort Lauderdale, Senorita. He will not be returning tonight." Julio appeared to take great pleasure from imparting the news. “Dinner will be at seven, senorita.” Then he turned away chuckling to himself.
"Thank you, Julio," said Temple to his retreating back. She hadn't intended to stay this late, but dinner sounded good. She wished she had brought something else to wear. Temple stretched her golden limbs. Give it five minutes and she'd head back to the yellow room to shower and make herself presentable. She hoped Travis didn't dress for dinner.
Thirty minutes later Temple walked into the yellow room to find a short black evening dress spread on the bed. She knew that it must have belonged to Melanie and wondered how long Travis had agonized before instructing Julio to provide the chic eveningwear for his guest. Temple showered and dried herself. At least she had packed a change of underwear. The bra she had brought was totally wrong for the dress. Temple didn't need the support and decided to do without it. Even the skinny thong she had stuffed in her bag would spoil the line of the black silk dress. She discarded the idea of underwear altogether, slipping the dress over her body and zipping it up. Her sleek reflection told her she had made the right decision. The neckline was low enough to reveal the swell of her breasts and the clinging material hugged her hips to emphasize her athletic figure. She felt sensual and daring. She piled her blonde hair into a wispy topknot and pinned it into place. The only jewelry she wore was the thin gold chain her father had given her for her sixteenth birthday. A dab of perfume and a single coat of lip-gloss completed her stunning look. There was one area of her appearance that she had neglected. Her sneakers wouldn't do. She decided to go barefoot. Apart from the clinging sexy dress she wore, Temple was naked and feeling good. She was starting to feel more like her old self. She had always been a physical woman with a powerful sex drive. She had enjoyed her fair share of conquests - it didn’t usually take more than a sultry look to get what she wanted. And she had nimble fingers that were in regular use to gratify herself whenever she needed to. Now she was feeling different. She felt alive again.
Travis hadn't dressed for dinner. At least he had changed. His shirt was dark blue Versace. His pants were Armani black. A warm male scent drifted in the air as he walked forward to greet her.
"Punctual as well as beautiful," he said to her barefoot arrival. "You look wonderful.”
"Mmmm, you smell good," countered Temple to cover her embarrassment as his eyes drifted over her little black dress. Or was it Melanie's little black number… The thought disturbed Temple and she swore to herself she would never wear Melanie's clothes again.
Travis' eye never left her own as she moved into the room. Temple tried to take in the polished splendor that surrounded them. She registered the ornate fireplace and the pair of sumptuous leather armchairs at the end of the room. Travis' attention was making her feel self-conscious and she drifted towards the open dining room. The places were set for two at a table that would have seated fourteen. Fresh flowers graced the centre spot and bowls of salad were already served. Travis immediately pulled out a chair and Temple seated herself. He walked round the table to take his own seat and slid the floral arrangement to one side.
"Julio is cooking Mexican tonight," said Travis. "He likes to show off and we're the lucky ones."
"I'm sure it will be fine," said Temple lightly, resting her forearms on the table. "I'm hungry enough to eat a hog just now. Anyway, you don't look too bad on his cooking."
Travis was about to answer when Julio entered the room with a tray of drinks. He took one look at Temple and his jaw dropped. He glanced at Travis and their eyes locked for an instant. Then he recovered his composure. "Your margaritas... Senorita, Senor," said Julio proudly.
"Thank you, Julio," said Travis. "We're ready when you are. Do your worst," he joked. At least Temple hoped it was a joke.
"You will not be disappointed," promised Julio as he left the dining room.
"Thank you, Julio," added Temple superfluously. Julio's reaction to her appearance had distracted her. She was about to have dinner with Travis Campbell. But was Travis sitting down to dinner with Temple Hart or with his daughter Melanie.
The meal began in a subdued mood. Travis was unable to lift his eyes from the beautiful woman that sat opposite him. Temple felt a little uncomfortable with his scrutiny and desperately wished she had brought a change of her own clothes. It would have helped her confusion with whether Travis was seeing her for herself or as a replacement for Melanie. Julio's margaritas helped a lot. They proved to be a welcome exception to her usual avoidance of alcohol. The small man certainly had a way with the refreshing drink. His expert preparation provided a talking point to ease the tension that Temple had felt since entering the room. The glasses had been chilled in advance and their edge wiped with lime before being rimmed with salt. Temple smiled her gratitude to Julio as he replaced their empty glasses with fresh margaritas. He understood and quickly followed up with the first appetizing dish of the evening.
Julio served them with a starter of nachos and salsa followed by an entrée of Chicken Chimichanga with Arroz Con Pimientos – the brown rice, pimiento and corn were a whisper on the tongue. Fresh salad was always plentiful at Travis' table and was added to by the traditional side dishes of guacamole, sour cream and Julio’s special salsa verde. The desert when it came was Bunuelos and Miel. The delicious blend of fritters, cinnamon and syrup left little room for the superb Café Mejicano with which they finished. Julio had excelled himself.
And while they ate they talked. The conversation began strained and awkward but gradually Travis loosened up and Temple lowered her defenses. Had she enjoyed her swim? Yes, Temple had informed him but she would have enjoyed his company more. What did she think of his modest improvements to the property? Temple said all the right things and let Travis talk awhile. Then he mentioned how unfortunate it was that Elliot had been called away. That gave Temple the opening she needed.
"You do seem to depend on Elliot rather a lot," Temple venture in an apparently harmless observation that carried a subtle sting in its tail.
Travis took the bait. His brow darkened but the relaxed atmosphere and the margaritas had taken effect. "No one should ever depend on Elliot," said Travis straight from the heart.
"You let him handle Hart Leisure.”
"Elliot has his own portfolio to manage," explained Travis. "He came to me with the outline proposal and I left him to it. I was as surprised as anyone when he pulled it off."
"So you definitely had nothing to do with convincing Ben to relinquish the lease?" Temple continued to probe, flicking her gaze between his unflinching eyes and the firm set of his mouth.
Travis gave a small, exasperated sigh. “Absolutely not. The details of the negotiations were Elliot's sole responsibility. Don't ask me how he got Ben to agree to the disposal of the lease. But, of course, I sanctioned the deal." As an afterthought he added, "After the legal department had given the okay to the documentation."
"So you didn't really trust Elliot to pull it off?" Temple wanted to know.
"I didn't say that," said Travis. "I said no one should ever have to depend on Elliot. Trust is a different matter."
Temple considered Travis' choice of words. She was in this far. A little farther wouldn't matter. "Is that because of Melanie?"
The silence was awesome. A catalogue of emotions leafed across his features and finally settled on a stony countenance. Travis spoke in clipped words. "Yes. It is because of my daughter. Until she met Elliot Buchanan she was a carefree teenager. Elliot introduced Melanie to the high-life. She dropped all of her old friends and started to mix with the rotten apples of Florida society. You know the type, more money than sense."
"Except for Elliot," put in Temple.
Travis acknowledged her observation with a curt nod. "That wasn't about to stop Elliot. Melanie had money
from her mother's family and a good allowance. Elliot was an art school dropout. He could have probably made a living as a portrait artist in the Disney Village. I would have respected him for that. But it wasn't good enough for Elliot. His sort prefers to marry into money if they haven't got it."
"But Melanie must have loved him," said Temple gently.
"She was infatuated with him. That was all it was," insisted Travis. "Given time she would have seen right through him. Elliot could have been paid off and we would have arranged a quickie divorce. But it was too late. Then, six months after they married…" Travis tailed off. The memories were growing painful.
Her heart went out to him. "It must have been awful for you," she murmured. Temple reached across the table to take his hand. "I read about it."
"They said Melanie was driving. They were all high on drink and drugs." Travis' face set in a hate-filled mask and he pulled his hand from Temple's grip. "I will never believe she drove that car. And one day I'll prove it. I’ll never give up," he vowed with cold ferocity.
So that was why Travis kept Elliot on the payroll. Not just to keep an eye on him. Not just to keep him out of trouble in honor of Melanie's memory. Travis was intent on proving that Elliot and his cronies were liars and one day clearing his daughter's name. The whole situation had an unhealthy feel about it. Temple decided to change the subject. She had drunk a little too much and was in no condition to drive.
"Travis," she ventured. "Would you mind if I stayed the night? I don't really feel up to driving." Temple wasn’t naive. She could spot a chancer from a mile away. Travis was a gentleman. Nothing would happen unless she wanted it to.
Travis drew in a long breath as if drawing in new energy. His eyes blinked and the lights came on again. "Of course, Temple. Forgive my rudeness. I didn't mean to bring it up again. Elliot and I tolerate each other. That's all it is. Now where were we? Of course, you are welcome to stay. I'll get Julio to make up the bed in Mel― in the yellow room. It's not a problem."
