Knight's Game

by Gibbs, C C

  ‘Shut up,’ she grumbled. ‘And I could have waited.’

  ‘No, you couldn’t. You should be thanking me,’ he said blandly, dipping his head and kissing her lightly on the cheek. ‘I showed you a good time.’

  ‘You’re impossible,’ she muttered.

  ‘Just trying to keep up with you, baby. I’ve never met a more impossible woman – and I mean that in the nicest way,’ he said dulcetly.

  She sighed softly. ‘I’ve just never been outed like that before.’

  Get used to it, baby. His life was The National Enquirer on steroids. Dominic glanced at his watch. ‘We should be able to leave by nine. How’s that?’

  ‘It’s fine as long as no one makes any remarks about … well … you know, us disappearing. Because that would be totally embarrassing.’

  ‘Just stay next to me,’ he said, squeezing her hand. ‘No one will say a word to you. And we’ll be walking out the door at nine – word of God. Now give me a smile. Forty minutes and we’re out of here.’

  They stopped in the kitchen first, ordered two of Po’s martinis from the bartender, and while Kate was watching the bartender make the drinks so she’d know how to do it herself, Melanie came up behind Dominic and touched his arm.

  He turned with a frown. ‘Why is she here?’ he asked in an undertone, lifting his chin slightly towards the crowd visible beyond the open kitchen, his gaze on a sleek blonde lifting a champagne glass to her mouth.

  ‘Mother invited her.’ Melanie spoke as softly.

  ‘I wonder what she promised her?’

  ‘Really? I don’t wonder for a second.’

  Dominic shot his sister a black look. ‘Mother never fucking quits, does she?’

  ‘Not this side of the grave.’

  Dominic snorted softly. ‘Incentive to stay healthy and outlive her.’

  ‘Or turn saintly.’

  ‘That’s for people like you, sis. People like me wouldn’t recognize a saint if they were hitting us over the head with their halo.’

  ‘Mother’s meddling aside, it looks like Charlie will be wasting her time tonight.’

  ‘Tonight or any night. I took her out a couple of times, that’s it. Why she’s never given up is beyond me.’

  ‘You must have shown her a really good time.’

  Dominic glowered at his sister.

  ‘You could have told Julia not to hire her. You should have,’ Melanie added firmly.

  ‘Julia’s NGO was her business. I never interfered.’

  ‘Except to fund it.’

  He shrugged. ‘It made her happy.’

  ‘You’re too nice, Dominic. You should fire Charlie. Or have someone in your organization fire her. She doesn’t have to work. She’s just hoping to get her claws into you and she’s willing to play her role as concerned citizen of the world while she’s waiting to snare your fine ass.’

  ‘Good luck with that.’ He glanced over his shoulder at Kate, waited to catch her eye, then blew her a kiss.

  Melanie gave her brother a teasing look. ‘You must have had fun with all your freshening up.’

  He turned back. ‘Off the charts. I’m a very lucky man.’

  ‘Lucky about what?’ Kate asked, coming up, carrying their drinks.

  ‘Lucky that I found you, baby.’ Taking his drink, he leaned in and kissed her. ‘I was just telling sis that we’re not staying long. After the chess game with Nicole we’re escaping.’

  ‘You should say hi to Roscoe,’ Melanie said. ‘He came in a few minutes ago.’

  ‘I will before we leave. I’ll bring him one of these.’ Lifting the glass to his mouth, Dominic drained it and handed it to a passing server.

  Melanie said, ‘I’d like to steal Katherine for a short time so she can meet Gretchen. She’s my dearest friend,’ she added, smiling at Kate. ‘Dominic, tell Katherine she’ll like Gretchen.’

  Kate looked at Dominic, pretended to smile.

  ‘You’ll like her. Really,’ he said gently, putting his arm around Kate’s shoulder. ‘Gretchen’s a partner in a cyber security firm. Stay with me if you like, but you might enjoy talking with her. She was ahead of you at MIT.’ He turned to his sister. ‘Gretchen’s closer to my age than yours, right?’

  ‘She’s a year older than you. Give me five minutes,’ Melanie coaxed Kate, recognizing her reluctance. ‘Just come say a quick hi.’

  Putting his mouth to Kate’s ear, Dominic murmured, ‘I’ll expect you upstairs in five minutes.’ Then he turned Kate slightly and kissed her under everyone’s fascinated gazes.

  A small hiss ran through the crowd at the spectacle because Dominic never engaged in open displays of affection. He was always impeccably restrained.

  Caught up in the glow of the moment, bathed in happiness, Kate didn’t hear the soft whisper of sound resonating round the room. She only delighted in Dominic’s tender kiss – different from hot desire, sweet, almost wistful. ‘OK,’ she whispered when his mouth lifted from hers, ‘I’ll see you in five minutes.’

  ‘I’ll be waiting.’ He glanced at his sister. ‘Don’t keep Katherine too long.’ Then he smiled at Kate. ‘Follow the noise when you get upstairs. They’re not a quiet bunch.’

  Melanie led Kate through the crowd, avoiding all the guests who were interested in meeting her after Dominic’s very public kiss. Melanie merely nodded or smiled in passing, not slowing down to chat. ‘Most of these people won’t be of interest to you,’ she murmured, waving at a couple who were openly staring. ‘Some are neighbours who’d be offended if they weren’t invited, some are my friends, some Matt’s friends from work or play – he’s a sports fanatic. There isn’t a sport he doesn’t play. Dominic’s not much better. Then there are some of Mother’s friends who I try to avoid … ah, there’s Gretchen.’ Melanie drew Kate to a young woman who was standing at the windows, gazing at the lights of a ship coming into the bay. She wore a trouser suit, as if she’d come from work, her dark hair expensively cut so it swung in a sleek, ebony wave when she turned at Melanie’s greeting. A smile lit up her eyes. ‘Great party, Mel.’ She held up her flute. ‘Great bubbly.’

  ‘And why not? It’s your vineyard,’ Melanie replied with a grin. ‘I’d like you to meet Katherine. She’s Dominic’s friend. Katherine Hart, Gretchen Calder.’

  After courtesies had been exchanged, Melanie offered a brief account of Kate’s activities for Knight Enterprises. ‘Katherine did some consulting work for Dominic and tracked down a good deal of money that had been stolen from Knight Enterprises. Thanks to her expertise, it was returned. She’s from your alma mater; you might have had professors in common. I think you’ll be more interested in each other than anyone else here tonight. Refills anyone? No … then, I’ll leave you two alone.’

  ‘Melanie should be a cruise director,’ Gretchen said as Dominic’s sister walked away. ‘But she’s right. Most of these people here are incredibly boring.’ She grinned. ‘How rude is that? Tell me about the stolen money.’

  Kate explained the Bucharest issue in broad terms, answered a few more detailed questions; the two women compared notes on illicit banking and the dark market. Both spoke the same obscure language, worked in the same freewheeling, tech-savvy world where unhindered creativity was the bible and code vulnerabilities and encrypted operating systems were chapter and verse. In fact, they got along so famously, Kate readily accepted an invitation to lunch. ‘I’ll give you a call,’ she said. ‘When I know Dominic’s schedule.’

  ‘Anytime. I’ll show you my operation.’ Gretchen smiled. ‘And my baby. I bring her to work with me.’

  ‘Sweet. The modern workplace in action.’

  ‘It helps when you’re part-owner.’

  They spoke for a few more minutes about Gretchen’s baby girl who was eight months old and already recognized pictures on the computer screen. Then when two other women joined them, Kate chatted for a few minutes more before excusing herself.

  Dominic was right. When she reached the top of the stairs, the children’s
high-pitched voices echoed down the hallway. Following the sound, Kate came to a stop in the open doorway of what was obviously a young girl’s room. It was decorated in soft pink and apple green, a large canopied bed held centre stage, framed posters dotted the walls, clothes were strewn everywhere and a noisy game of chess was in progress.

  Although Kate’s gaze zeroed in on the women seated either side of Dominic. The three were on the bed, the women framing Dominic like matching bookends. Both blonde, one with a tawny mane of hair, the other with frothy curls the colour of pale dandelion down, their long-legged, elegant bodies smoothed into wool slacks and tiny cashmere sweaters that showcased their perfect boobs, not too big, not too small – like they were special ordered to accommodate their form-fitting sweaters. Large diamond studs sparkled in their ears and the scent of their perfume was heady even at a distance.

  They were as perfect as first-rate dentists, personal trainers and beauticians could conceive. That they could have been clones for a thousand other expensively-put-together women was a bitchy judgement call, but nevertheless true. Neither woman had the smallest spark of vitality.

  Ah – except for that.

  One of the women was staring at her with squinty-eyed menace.

  Whether that belligerent glance came with an audible sidebar or some random instinct kicked in, Dominic suddenly looked up.

  He smiled. ‘Hi, baby. Come on in.’ He patted his knee. ‘Sit with me.’

  The chess table had been drawn up to the bed, Dominic et al. on one side, Nicole sitting opposite on a pink frilly chair, the other children either sitting or standing around the table, watching and offering advice.

  Dominic politely said, ‘Excuse me,’ to the woman on his left, indicating she move, then raised his arms to Kate as she approached.

  The tawny-haired blonde moved a maximum of six inches; Dominic frowned slightly, but didn’t speak other than to whisper, ‘Missed you, baby,’ as he pulled Kate onto his lap.

  ‘And you are?’ the sleek blonde said, scowling at Kate.

  ‘Katherine, this is Charlie and’ – Dominic nodded to his right – ‘Angela.’

  ‘Don’t ask,’ Charlie said, her smile cool. ‘It’s a family name.’

  That wasn’t what she was going to ask. Kate was going to ask what she thought she was doing sitting so close to Dominic she was giving him friction burns. But Nana wouldn’t approve if she was openly rude so she said, ‘Nice name,’ and smiled instead.

  ‘Are you from around here?’ Angela’s gaze was arctic. Kate shook her head. ‘No.’

  A pursed mouth, a calculating up and down look. ‘Where are you from?’

  Kate debated for a second, tempted to say Mars. ‘Minnesota and Boston mostly.’

  Angela raised one perfectly plucked and dyed eyebrow. ‘Harvard?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘I didn’t think so,’ the frothy blonde said with a jeering smile. ‘What do you do?’ What she really meant is, Are you charging him? The sniping comment was pure bitch.

  Not as much as you would.‘I work in IT.’

  ‘Is that how you know Dominic? You worked for him?’ Angela’s emphasis on the verb suggested that work was for those poor souls without substantial trust funds.

  Really, Nana, do I have to be nice? Kate sighed inwardly. ‘Yes, I worked on a project for him.’

  Dominic glanced up from the chessboard while Nicole was deciding on her next move and put an end to the rude interrogation. ‘I’d like Katherine to become involved in the company full time, but she won’t. She wants to be independent. Isn’t that so, baby?’ He brushed her cheek with his fingers in a small reverential gesture. ‘I’m trying to talk her out of it. I’d like her to stay with me and make me happy instead. So far, no luck. But I’m not giving up.’

  If that wasn’t pure heaven, it was only a cloud away, Kate decided. How sweet of Dominic to stake his claim in such a public way. Really, she couldn’t have worded it better if she’d been writing French romantic farce. Not to mention the two blondes could have been actors in said farce with their expressions of vexatious shock and umbrage.

  Feeling that the women’s gaping mouths indicated his message had gotten through, Dominic tugged Kate closer and turned his attention back to the game. ‘Hey, Nicole, just a sec. Sure you want to do that? My bishop’s just sitting out here’ – he pointed to the edge of the board – ‘waiting for your hand to lift from that rook. Come on, think.’

  Nicole moved her rook out of danger.

  ‘Good girl. That’s better. Now I’m going to move my knight and he’s always a threat. So pay attention. Katherine’s a good chess player. She could give you a few pointers. She beat me in Hong Kong.’

  ‘She did?’ A chorus of voices, six youthful pairs of eyes swung to Kate.

  ‘Yup,’ Dominic said.

  The six pairs of eyes swung back to Dominic. ‘For real?’

  ‘Darn right. Katherine’s really good. She knows what she’s doing. Here, help Nicole and we’ll show them.’ Dominic dipped his head a little, smiled at Kate. ‘Feel like helping?’

  After his kick-ass defence of her, Kate was willing to do just about anything for Dominic, his words still warming her world by a couple of hundred degrees. ‘Sure. No problem.’ She smiled at Nicole. ‘Let’s see if we can take your uncle down. OK?’

  ‘Julia used to play chess with you, didn’t she, Dominic?’ Charlie interposed snidely. ‘I remember her saying what a good player you were.’

  ‘She didn’t actually play much,’ Dominic said coolly. ‘She was trying to learn.’ He turned to Kate and smiled. ‘Ready to take me on, baby?’

  At which point, two glowering, seriously frustrated women melted into the background.

  Dominic and Kate played for blood as usual, both averse to failure.

  Since the children had been playing with Dominic for years, they were all heatedly involved in the game, giving advice, shouting instructions, jumping up and down when someone made a slick move. Even Ellie understood when something good happened and she’d smile around her teddy bear’s wet ear and the thumb in her mouth.

  Towards the end Kate and Nicole were playing keep away with their king and one knight, trying to avoid Dominic who was aggressively in pursuit. They were staying out of trouble, but they were always running backwards and, short of saving their king by having him stand his ground, it was inevitable that Dominic finally checkmated them.

  ‘Took you long enough,’ Kate said, smiling.

  He grinned. ‘You’re a real pain in the butt to catch. I was wondering how long you were going to keep your king on that safe square.’ He wasn’t really. He knew she’d make a break for it. Katherine never played safe for long.

  ‘Another game, another game!’ the children screamed.

  ‘We can’t,’ Dominic said. ‘I promised Katherine a walk on the beach tonight. We’ll play some other time.’

  ‘Tomorrow! Early!’ A clamour of shouting that was only satisfied after a glance passed between Dominic and Kate.

  ‘Tomorrow, but not early,’ Dominic warned. ‘We’ll text you.’ Lifting Kate to her feet, he rose from the bed and politely glanced at the two pouting women. ‘Good to see you again,’ he said, then turned back to the children. ‘OK, kids, practise on your own. We’ll see who wins tomorrow.’

  ‘Hug! Hug!’ Ellie squealed, jumping up and down on the chair where she and her teddy bear had viewed the game.

  Bending down, Dominic picked up the toddler, hugged her, gave her a kiss and set her down. ‘Anyone else?’ he said, surveying the other children with a faint smile.

  They all wanted hugs, even the boys who were trying to be grown up.

  Even Nicole who hung back at first until Dominic winked at her and she rushed into his open arms.

  ‘Nicole’s almost past the hug stage,’ Dominic said a moment later as he and Kate moved down the hallway. ‘The kids are growing up fast. I remember when she was born.’

  ‘They’re great kids. Do you think you shou
ld have let Nicole win?’

  ‘Did you want me to?’

  She shrugged. ‘I can’t decide.’

  ‘Did Gramps let you win?’

  ‘I think he might have every once in a while.’

  ‘Give me a look then next time. I can do that. See, you’re making me a better person.’

  ‘You’re doing pretty well on your own. The children all love you.’

  The sudden silence was awkward, the word love suddenly lighting up their brains.

  They both started talking at once.

  ‘You first,’ Dominic said, cautious in the face of danger.

  ‘I was just going to say you left two very disappointed women behind,’ Kate said, sensibly dismissing notions of love. ‘I think they were hopeful.’

  ‘They shouldn’t be.’

  ‘They’re both lovely.’ Truthfully, they were. Perfect in a plastic sort of way.

  He shrugged. ‘If you say so.’

  ‘How well do you know them? Forget it. You don’t have to tell me. Really, I don’t know why I asked?’

  ‘Yeah, you do. Because you’re jealous like me. And I hate it,’ he muttered. ‘It’s driving me nuts as much as you are. Look, I took them out a few times years ago. That’s it.’

  ‘Jesus. Hope springs eternal then. Or are they recently divorced or something.’

  ‘Haven’t a clue. They’re not on my radar.’

  ‘Friends of Melanie’s?’

  ‘More or less.’ He blew out a small breath. ‘Women like Charlie and Angela are attracted to my money. They don’t know how boring I am. Work, work and more work. That’s all I do.’

  ‘Maybe they like your dick too.’ That kind of hard-eyed, claimant prerogative she’d just witnessed wasn’t exclusively about money.

  ‘Let’s not go there,’ he said softly, holding out his hand for her as they reached the top of the stairs. ‘It doesn’t matter what they like. Let’s talk about something else.’

  ‘Are we really going for a walk on the beach?’

  He smiled. ‘Thank you. Your tact is admirable. And yes, if you don’t mind. I’d like to show you my bridge.’