"I thought you were a security guard." Noah's presence in her home was so unexpected, the thought hadn't occurred to her until now.
"Security. Moving. Bartending. I've been known to drive a cab, fix leaky pipes. Long as the job ends with a paycheck, I'm not picky."
"Never boring, I suppose."
Noah's answer was a small shrug as he checked the clipboard he carried.
"According to the work order, my crew and I need to move boxes and furniture from here to your office downtown."
"Succinct and to the point." By Andi's side, Calder hadn't stopped grinning since Noah rebuffed Billie's advances. "You are…?"
"Noah Brennan." With a nod, he shook Calder's hand. "And you're…?"
"Calder Benedict. One of Andi's three adult sisters. You already met our mother."
Anger shot from Billie's eyes like blue fire as her smooth ivory skin turned a mottled red. Rule number one? Something she burned into her daughters' brains from the crib? Never, under any circumstances, drop the slightest hint of her age. Especially to a man. In one sentence, Calder let Noah in on a not-so-secret, secret. Billie couldn't claim to be thirty when she had four fully grown daughters.
If looks could kill, Calder would be ashes. She wasn't concerned. Been there, done that more often than she could remember. Without the least bit of remorse, her beaming smile widened.
"I have to run." Calder brushed a kiss across Andi's cheek. She held out a hand to Noah. "I hope we meet again."
"Not likely. Unless you need something moved."
"Do you handle pianos?"
Andi sent her sister a, what the hell are you doing look. The only piano in the house was located in the first-floor sitting room. An antique from their grandfather's time, no one in the family played. Why would they move the thing? And if they did, where?
"We handle everything," Noah informed Calder.
"Do you have a card? For future reference."
"Sure. Here you go."
"Thank you."
Calder carefully placed Noah's contact information into the side pocket of her butter-soft handbag. With a wave, she exited the room.
Noah sent Andi a slightly bemused smile.
"Interesting young woman."
Interesting. Andi liked his choice of words. Most men would say Calder was beautiful. The bold ones might go so far as to call her sexy. All of which was true. But Noah zeroed in on something that had nothing to do with the line of a woman's face or her body's curves. Though he didn't know, he'd earned a big gold star in her book.
"You should meet Bryce and Destry."
"Something tells me two Benedict sisters at a time is my limit."
Not the least offended, Andi understood what Noah meant. And he was right.
"We can be a bit much for the uninitiated," she conceded.
Noah let out a hearty laugh.
"You sound proud of the fact."
"Oh, she is. Andi never takes the easy road. Harder is better. Right, dear?"
An edge to her voice, Billie wasn't used to the role as second fiddle. She craved attention and was quick to lash out at a perceived rival, her tongue sharp, honed by years of backbiting. She leveled a look at Andi as if she dared her daughter to dispute the facts.
Andi had no desire to argue. She liked a challenge, thrived on competition, and grew stronger with every obstacle she conquered. Billie would never understand. While her daughters loved work, their mother wanted the world handed to her on a silver platter. The most effort she put into anything was her looks. And men.
Ironically, the one part of her life where competition didn't interest Andi was her love life. Man crazy, Billie would never understand. Any attempt to enlighten her would be a waste of everyone's time.
"Nothing wrong with working hard." Noah directed his opinion toward Billie but kept his deep blue gaze trained on Andi. "Makes victory sweeter."
"Honestly," Billie muttered under her breath. "Obviously, you have to earn a living. Andi doesn't."
"Your logic never fails to amaze me, Billie," Andi sighed.
"Thank you." Deaf to sarcasm, Billie preened, fluffing her hair, licking her lips. She brushed her hand down Noah's arm, a light but deliberate caress. "When you finish helping Andi, why don't we go someplace for dinner? My treat."
"I don't think so. Call me old fashioned, but I like to pay for myself and my date."
Again, Billie missed the subtext. Since men never told her no, she pushed on, certain Noah simply needed the proper incentive.
"Then come back here. We'll have our meal in my private quarters." Billie literally smacked her mouth in anticipation. "My dessert is better than anything you've ever tasted."
Andi bit her lip as she tried her best not to burst out laughing—or cringe. The chances of one over the other were fifty-fifty. She'd seen her mother in action more than once, but never paid much attention to her actual method. Apparently, many, many men craved Billie's dessert.
If Noah's expression was anything to go by, he found her mother's offer unappetizing. Bless his heart.
"Subtlety doesn't work with Billie."
"So I noticed." Noah sighed. "I can do rude—very well. But as a representative of my employer, I don't have the luxury."
Sympathetic to his plight, Andi took the matter into her own hands.
"Bryce's father is in town, Billie."
Billie perked up. Of all the men who traveled in and out of her orbit, Dermott Bryce's passion never wavered. A few hours of his laser-sharp devotion was just the ticket to bolster her ego.
"When did he call?"
She didn't ask if, but when. She knew Dermott's habits well. First thing he always did as soon as he walked off the plane, before he checked into his hotel, or contacted his only child, was call Billie. The man was a doormat to his devotion to a woman he'd loved since high school. Unfortunately, she didn't return his feelings. She broke his heart over and over, and he kept coming back. If nothing else, their one-sided relationship was consistent.
"Dermott called an hour ago."
"Why didn't someone let me know?" Billie pouted.
"You were in the tub." No one disturbed Billie when her bathroom door was closed. More than one servant made the mistake and lost their job for the trouble.
"I suppose I should call him back." When Billie looked at Noah, her eyes were filled with pity. "I'm sorry, but I won't be able to entertain you this evening. Perhaps another time."
Delusional and dramatic to the end, Billie made her exit in a swirl of silk and flowery perfume.
"Your mother is…"
"Interesting?"
"Hell, no." Noah was emphatic. "More like batshit crazy. I'm not wrong, am I? She believes she dumped me? As if we had plans for later?"
"You're right." Andi shrugged. "About everything. Billie only hears what she wants to hear. The rest, she makes up."
"I'm… sorry?"
"For me?" When Noah nodded, Andi was surprised. "Why?"
"Must be hard to live with someone you can't reason with."
Because of Andi's work hours and Billie's propensity to stay out until dawn and sleep until mid-afternoon, days, sometimes weeks went by where she barely caught more than a glimpse of her mother. The arrangement suited everyone perfectly.
"We avoid each other as much as possible."
"I can see why."
A feeling Andi didn't recognize settled over her. Part excitement, part calm, part something indefinable. Noah wasn't like any man she'd ever met. He was funny in a deadpan, dry wit kind of way. Yet, he carried himself with a gravitas she admired and appreciated. She had the feeling he wouldn't be easy to get to know. But once she cracked the code, impossible to forget.
"I don't have time for you."
Horrified by the slip of her tongue, Andi didn't know how to explain without digging herself deeper. Noah saved her the trouble.
"You're too busy to start a relationship?"
&n
bsp; "Yes," Andi could have hugged him. Another bad idea since she didn't want to stop with a hug. "What about you?"
"Can't remember the last time I went on a date." He paused as if counting back. "A year? Maybe more?"
"Let me guess. You live a pure and sinless life. Should I call you Father Noah?" she asked, tongue firmly in cheek.
"Amazing." Noah winked. "You described me perfectly. Any man in your life?"
Andi couldn't believe the turn in the conversation. By nature, she treasured her privacy. Except for her sisters, she never discussed her personal life. Yet, here she was, about to jump right in.
"Am I celibate?"
"I wanted to know if you dated much. But what the hell. Are you?"
"At the moment. But I'm not married to the idea of a sexless life."
"I have sex all the time." Noah snorted. "Well, not all the time. I don't want you to think I can't control my impulses."
"Just to be clear. The second your hand goes anywhere near your zipper, my foot goes for your crotch."
Andi didn't know how she expected Noah to reply since she just threatened his manhood. But his response left her speechless.
"Jesus, you're spectacular." Admiration burned from his eyes. "And exactly the woman I don't need or want."
"Because…?" Though she agreed, Andi would kick herself if she didn't ask.
"Like you, I don't have time to devote to a relationship."
We could just have sex. An outrageous thought, at least for Andi. She wished she had the nerve to broach the subject. But she didn't.
"We should get to work." A nice neutral subject. "The reason you're here?" she added when Noah gave her a blank look.
"Right. Sorry." With a wry smile, he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll get my guys, and you can tell us what to do. Be right back."
The rest of the afternoon was devoted to working. Andi had to say, Noah and his crew knew their business. All she had to do was point, and the men moved the boxes and furniture with quick, capable efficiency. An hour after they started, the truck filled with her things was on the way to her downtown office.
"My assistant will meet you."
"You aren't coming?"
She wanted to believe she heard a tinge of disappointment in his voice. More likely, wishful thinking. Either way, they were about to say goodbye again. Probably for the last time.
"I have a dinner date." When Andi saw Noah's raised eyebrows, she laughed. "With my father."
"You don't owe me an explanation." He took a pair of keys from his pocket. "But thank you."
"I don't lie." For some reason, she needed Noah to believe her. So, she added, "Unless absolutely necessary."
"Should I say goodbye, or so long?"
"Aren't they the same thing?"
Noah took her hand. "Depends on fate, I guess."
"A random maybe?" Andi didn't like the odds. "I believe we write our own story."
"I agree." He held her hand a second longer. "Take care, Anderson."
"Andi," she corrected.
Noah grinned, a twinkle in his turquoise eyes, and walked out of her life—again.
"Take care, Noah," she said to the closed door. "Take care."
CHAPTER FIVE
~~~~
A GENERIC TUNE played in the background. The upper-class version of elevator music, the deliberately passionless sound barely registered in a room filled with elaborate floral arrangements, expensive tablecloths, genuine sterling place settings, and a sizable representation of New York's social elite.
Though not her usual kind of place, Andi chose the restaurant because she knew her father would approve. Besides, for all the pretentious frou-frou atmosphere, the food at Le Belle was excellent.
"Summer in the south of France." Sterling Anderson sighed with pleasure at the thought. Taking his half-empty glass of wine, he savored a sip. "You should join me for a week or two. Like old times."
"Old times usually involved a wedding." Andi speared a stuffed mushroom. "Something you want to tell me, Dad?"
"Lord, no." Sterling shuddered. "The day I marry again you have my permission to call in the men with white coats and a straitjacket. Stamp the papers certifiable."
"Don't give me any ideas."
Andi had witnessed her father marry four different women. Counting Billie, he did the deed a total of seven times. In her opinion, crazy described someone who never learned from his mistakes. While his last trip down the aisle was years ago, she wasn't convinced he was through.
"I swore off matrimony the day Suzanne walked out the door. She left a bad taste in my mouth. Still there, truth be known."
Andi gave her father a vague smile. He was a handsome man—Billie never went for any other kind. Unlike her mother, Sterling didn't worry about a few wrinkles or the silver in his hair. Though truth be told, the crow's feet and wisps of gray only added to his appeal.
He dressed with the casual, timeless elegance any woman would admire. The suit he wore tonight was a perfect example. Strong lines, muted gray, expensive material, beautifully tailored. From the outside, Sterling had the look of a man comfortable in any social situation. And he was. Her father could work a crowd better than anyone Andi knew. If only he were as skilled with his one-on-one relationships.
Close to sixty, Sterling Anderson could still have his pick of women. Trouble was, Andi believed, if he were honest with himself, he preferred men and always had.
Her parents' marriage of almost a year ended when, almost nine months pregnant, Billie found Sterling in bed with the upstairs maid and the head gardener—the maid's husband.
The divorce was quick. However, the juicy scandal took a long time to die down. Even now, Andi occasionally received blowback from her father's infamous infidelity. She long ago learned to let spewed poison roll off her back. What strangers thought didn't matter. For his sake, for his happiness, she wished Sterling felt the same. Though his infamous infidelity said differently, he cared too much about public opinion.
"Marriage isn't your strong point."
"True." Sterling gazed into his glass. "Your mother and I didn't set the best example. I hope we didn't put you off the idea completely."
"Me?" Andi laughed. "Whether I believe in marriage or not, I'm too busy."
"I'm sorry I had to miss your show." Sterling laid his hand over hers. "But I saw the glowing reviews. I'm so proud of you, sweetheart."
"Thanks, Dad." Andi felt a burst of pride. He was her father. Sporadic as his attention was, she had to admit his praise meant something.
"How are sales?"
"Better than anticipated."
"Which in Andi speak means through the roof." Sterling dug into his salad. "You didn't inherit your mother's ego. She would crow from every rooftop. As would I."
"I crowed." To her sisters. "But I haven't done anything significant. Not yet. Talk to me in a few years."
"The only change will be your status. Rookie or a seasoned veteran, you'll be just as humble. Not good, Andi. Talent and ambition will take you only so far. If you want real success, you need to push yourself as well as your designs."
In a few sentences, Sterling's praise morphed into censure. Though Andi recognized passive/aggressive bullshit when she heard it, she was only human. Deliberate or thoughtless, her father's words brought her high-flying balloon a bit closer to earth.
"You make humble sound like a dirty word." She pushed her half-eaten appetizer around the plate. "What do you expect me to do? Put my face on a billboard in Times Square?"
"Why not? Use the assets God and I gave you. With a face like yours, you'll soar to the top in no time."
"Since when do you take second billing? Even to God?" Andi chose to make a joke rather than argue.
"A friend has dragged me to church a few times. Could be some teachings have rubbed off."
"A friend? Anyone I know?
"Someone new." Sterling finished off his wine in one uncharacterist
ic gulp. He refilled his glass and drank again. "No one you've met."
Or ever would. Andi recognized the signs. Nervous, evasive. Her father's friend was a man. A secret lover, if she didn't miss her guess.
"What religion?"
"Pardon?" Sterling blinked.
"Never mind." Andi plastered a smile on her face. "Other than a new appreciation of the Lord, tell me what else you've been up to."
Sterling, visibly relieved by the change of subject, launched into a lengthy discourse on his recent activities. Like most of the people in his circle of friends and acquaintances, he inherited his wealth and was happy to let someone else work hard to make him richer. He didn't work, he played. Day in and day out.
Andi often wondered why her father wasn't bored out of his mind. A trip to France. A cruise to Bermuda. Skiing in Switzerland. Polo in Argentina. Just the thought of an endless round of vacations surrounded by the same people, exchanging the same conversations, made her brain hurt.
But, from what she could tell, Sterling's enthusiasm for the way he lived never flagged. He was the eternal jetsetter playboy. And, for the most part, the life suited him.
Andi used to wonder if she were switched at birth. Her body supposedly contained her parents' DNA. When she looked in the mirror, she saw her father's green eyes and her mother's honey-gold hair. Yet, the genes of two flighty, never worked a day in their lives individuals, somehow combined to make one nose to the grindstone woman.
As she learned through herself and each of her sisters, Mother Nature had an odd sense of humor.
"And you, my dear girl?" Sterling smiled as the waitress delivered their entrees. "Any new men in your life?"
Sterling asked the same question every time she saw him. Did he honestly expect a different answer than her usual, no one special? Or was the inquiry by rote? An inquiry he made without thought or interest. Since he never asked a follow-up question, she suspected the latter.
What would Sterling say if Andi mentioned Noah? Though he wasn't in her life, he was new. And the most interesting man she'd met in forever. For once, would her father take more than a superficial interest in her personal life? Would he tell her to throw caution to the wind, take a chance?
Three Wishes_A Second Chance at Love Contemporary Romance Page 4
