by Dara Girard
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed that we don’t go out together. We don’t go to restaurants, or movies or anywhere people may see us.”
“We both have busy lives. I thought you were happy.”
“I am happy,” he said. “I’m just making a few observations.”
“It’s too soon. If you come with me, people will start asking questions and I’m not ready for them.”
“There won’t be any questions when people see us. The reason why we’re together will be obvious.” He stood and rested his hands on her bare shoulders and stared at her reflection in the mirror, his voice soft. “Do you honestly think I’d let you go out dressed like this without a chaperone?”
“I don’t need a chaperone,” she said in a tight voice.
His dark eyes met hers. “I’m coming.”
“You’re not coming.”
He came.
Brenda smiled at her guests, determined to ignore him, although it was like trying to ignore a steak knife in a birthday cake. She could feel his gaze and knew anytime he moved about the room. He promised not to hint that they were a couple, but she worried that somehow their secret might be revealed.
“This is a wonderful event,” Chuck said, his face shiny from too much champagne. His wife Sandy, a small petite woman, stood beside him, her strong grip keeping him steady.
“I’m glad you like it.” She sent Chuck a look of censure. “Just don’t like it too much and remember to eat something.”
“We don’t get out much,” Sandy said with apology.
Chuck shook his head. “We don’t get out at all.” He leaned towards Brenda, his green eyes bright, but his tone sober. “I noticed Dr. Ayers is here. Is there a reason for that?”
Damn, she was afraid of that question. “He’s interested in our research and I thought he could learn more by meeting the team.”
Chuck seemed satisfied with her explanation and turned around to look at Dominic. “I could talk to him right now.”
“I don’t think now is a good time.”
Sandy took her hint. “Yes dear, I’m hungry. Let’s go to a table.” She dragged Chuck away.
After speaking to a few more people, Brenda approached the podium. “I’m thrilled everyone could make it tonight. I wanted to have this event to honor you—those of you who are on this project and those of you who have supported us throughout the years. That is why it is my honor to announce that our project has been funded for the next two years.”
A round of applause filled the room followed by congratulatory hugs and kisses.
“Also, Dr. Lawson has been promoted and will be hiring an assistant.”
More applause sounded. Chuck ducked his head in embarrassment.
“Now I’m not going to keep you,” Brenda said once the noise died down. “I just hope that you will enjoy yourselves and keep up the good work.” She stepped down and Kendell approached her.
“My wife was sorry she couldn’t make it.”
“That’s okay. I’m glad you could.”
“I had something I wanted to tell you,” he said with excitement.
“What?”
“Dr. Franklin has asked me to co-write a paper with him.”
Brenda glanced down at her hands and searched for a reply. “Are you sure you want to do that with your busy schedule?” she asked in a cautious tone.
“Are you kidding me? This is my chance. Think of the opportunity. I get to have my name published with someone established. I can smell tenure.”
“I just think you should think it through.”
“I have. I’m going to give him my response next week.” He frowned. “I thought you’d be happy for me.”
“I am,” Brenda said forcing a smile, not knowing how honest to be with him. “Really. It’s just—”
“I know you’re worried about my schedule. Don’t worry, I’m doing better this quarter. Only three classes and a lab.”
That was still quite a load considering the other activities he was involved with, but she didn’t want to disappoint him. “Great. Good luck to you.” She hugged him.
He hugged her back, then kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks and congratulations.”
Brenda watched him walk away wondering if she’d led him to the slaughter.
“Who was that?” Dominic said beside her.
She jumped, then sent him a withering glance. “I told you to stay away from me.”
“I have stayed away.”
“I mean all evening.”
He rested a hand on his chest. “You’re hurting my feelings.”
“I’ll hurt a lot more if you don’t move.”
“I love your threats.” He bent down and whispered in her ear. “They only excite me.”
“What do you want?”
He glanced at Kendell. “Who is that man?”
“If you haven’t noticed he’s too young for me.”
“I didn’t notice. What I did notice is that he made you look worried.”
“I am,” she said, relieved to admit the truth.
“Why?”
“That’s Dr. Baldwin. He wants to write a paper with Franklin.”
“And you told him not to?”
“No.”
“Why not? Why are you protecting Fink?”
She hit him in the arm. “Don’t call him that in public.”
“No one can hear us. Besides he should have been exposed years ago.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“You’re making it difficult.”
“It will just look like I’m jealous and trying to pull down a well-respected scientist. He’s done so much and so many years have passed.”
“At least tell him,” Dominic said looking in Kendell’s direction.
She rubbed her hands together, uncertain. “I can’t. He might not believe me.”
“Want me to do it for you?”
“No, maybe Fink—I mean Franklin—has changed.”
Dominic looked unconvinced. She didn’t blame him, she didn’t believe it either.
“I don’t want to bring up the past if I don’t have to. Franklin has helped a lot of careers and perhaps that’s what he plans to do with Kendell. If this is his chance I don’t want to ruin it for him.”
Dominic shook his head as he watched the younger man laughing with other guests. “For his sake, I hope you’re right.”
Winter brought snow; spring brought rain but Brenda and Dominic had little else to worry them. They collected driftwood in Ocean Shores, shopped at Pike Place Market, and spent as much time as they could hiking in the mountains and sailing. The book progressed well and their affair even better, although as spring became summer friction in their perfect union started to show.
“I need a date,” Dominic said, grabbing a drink from Brenda’s refrigerator.
She looked at him from her position at the kitchen table where she was reviewing two of Kendell’s papers and a proposal for a book. “Then get one.”
He sat down in front of her. “That’s why I’m asking you.”
“I can’t go.”
He leaned back and watched her with a hooded look. “Yes, you can,” he said quietly. “You just don’t want to.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Why not?”
“I told you why before.”
He shook his head with frustration. “Honey, we can’t keep doing this. People are going to have to know soon. Why not now?” He reached out and covered her hand. “Come with me.”
She pulled her hand away. “No. Please don’t ask me again.”
“I don’t care what anyone thinks. Our lives are none of their business. If someone asks me about us I’ll answer them, if I want to. And if I don’t feel like it, I won’t. It’s not a big deal to get back with your ex.”
“It’s a big deal to me.” You don’t know what it’s like to be in your shadow.
“Well, it’s time to get used to it because I’m not going to start attending a whole bun
ch of events alone because you don’t want to be seen with me. In several months I’ll be guest of honor at the Monahan Awards. I want you there.”
“Is that an ultimatum?”
“No, it’s a choice. You either go out with me or I announce our relationship on TV.” He stood and went to the living room.
Brenda stared at her fridge feeling trapped. She should end it now. She’d been with him for a lot longer than she’d planned. With him back in her life she hadn’t given herself a chance to meet her ideal man. She had to be in control of this. She wouldn’t allow him to make demands. No matter how good it felt she knew she would have to end the affair soon and quickly, before anyone found out.
Unfortunately, the next day, somebody did.
Chapter 11
“Clement!” Brenda gaped at her brother as he stood on her doorstep wondering if she should run into his arms or shut the door in his face.
He stared at her equally surprised. “What the hell happened to you?”
“What do you mean?”
He gestured to her leather pants and fitted purple top. “I came to check on you. You look different.” He couldn’t stop staring at her.
“I decided to make a few changes in my life.”
“I can see that.” He blinked as though trying to adjust his focus. “You look great!”
“And I’ve decided to take a few chances.”
“I’m glad to hear it. You can’t stay safe all your life.”
“Right.” She bit her lip, her pleasure at seeing him disappearing into a slight panic. “There’s something you should know.”
Clement lifted his suitcase. “Aren’t you going to let me inside?”
“Well, that something I want to tell you about is inside.”
Clement grinned. “You have a boyfriend. That’s okay. I’ll be very nice to him.” He pushed past Brenda and set his suitcase down in the hallway. “What does he do? Is he a scientist?”
She closed the door. “No.”
“You look nervous. Don’t you want me to meet him?”
“Well…”
“You have nothing to worry about. Even if he’s a dull taxidermist I’ll pretend to be interested as long as he makes you happy.”
“He does make me happy.”
“Then that’s all that matters.” Clement walked toward the kitchen. “Where is he?” he asked, then stopped stunned when he spotted Dominic on the couch. “What are you doing here?”
“We’re working on a project together,” Brenda said quickly.
Dominic sent her a look, but didn’t reply.
Clement nodded. “I see. I guess that’s understandable. It’s just business.” He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water, then went back to the living room and sat on the arm of the couch. “So Dominic, what do you think?”
“About what?”
“Brenda’s new man. She’s trying to hide him from me, but she’ll have to introduce us at some point.”
Dominic watched Brenda, but she refused to meet his gaze. “She doesn’t have to.”
“Why not?”
“You’ve already met him.”
Clement paused with the bottle to his lips, then slowly set it down. “What do you mean?” He turned to Brenda. “What does he mean?”
Brenda lowered her gaze.
“Tell him, Brenda, or I will,” Dominic said.
Brenda raised her gaze and looked at Clement, pleading for him to understand. “I’m seeing him.”
“Seeing who?”
“Dominic.”
Clement slowly stood. “I see. Excuse us,” he said to Dominic, then grabbed Brenda’s arm, dragged her into the nearest bedroom and slammed the door. “Are you out of your mind?”
“I can explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain! That man shouldn’t be here. You’re supposed to have a new man in your life. Dammit, I knew I should have come and seen you sooner. I knew you wouldn’t have handled your friend’s death as well as I thought.”
Brenda sank onto the bed. “I’ve recovered from Madeline’s death and I’m happy.”
“By seeing your ex? By spending time with the man who made you cry on more occasions than I can remember?”
“He’s changed. It’s different now.”
Clement threw up his hands. “How?”
“He’s more considerate. He listens. We don’t argue as much as we used to.”
“If you’re so pleased with your relationship with him, why didn’t you tell me about it?”
“My schedule’s been busy.”
“You’re lying to me because you’re ashamed and you should be ashamed.”
“Why should I be ashamed?”
“Because you know it’s wrong and you’re doing it anyway. I mean look at you. This whole thing is obviously about sex. You know there’s nothing else to keep you together.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Did he ask you to dress like that?”
“What’s wrong with this? I wanted to be sexy today. Sometimes I want to be demure; sometimes I want to be plain. But I dress this way to please myself and you have no right to judge me.”
“So are you going to marry him again?”
She headed for the door.
He blocked her. “Are you?”
“No.”
“So it is just sex.”
Brenda narrowed her gaze. “And what if it is? Does that make me a bad person? Is it wrong to want to have someone warm to go to sleep with and wake up to? Someone to travel with on weekends, someone to call when the workday is long?”
Clement stared at her appalled. “You’re falling in love with him again.”
She stepped back from him. “No, I’m not.”
“But it’s serious between you, I can tell.”
“We’re just having fun.”
“You don’t know how to have this kind of fun.” Clement grabbed her shoulders. “He’s wrong for you, Brenda.”
She yanked free from him. “You hardly even know him. When we got married you were barely out of high school.”
“I still remember him and he doesn’t look like he’s changed. I thought you were ready for something different in your life.”
“I am.”
“Then find someone else.” He opened the door and left.
Brenda remained in the bedroom, trying hard to regain control of her emotions. She wasn’t falling in love with Dominic again. Why did Clement have to come and ruin things? No, she wouldn’t let him. She had a good thing going and she would end it when she wanted to, not because someone else told her to. She took a deep breath, then walked into the living room.
She saw Clement and Dominic sitting on opposite ends of the couch. The two men were opposites in many ways. Dominic was older, bigger and more dominating than Clement and made the younger man look almost boyish in comparison.
“So what’s the verdict?” Dominic asked.
Brenda sat in an armchair. “Verdict?”
“Are you going to ask him to leave or are you going to ask me to leave?”
“I’m not going to ask anyone to leave.”
“So that little private shouting match you had wasn’t about me?”
“We weren’t shouting,” Brenda said.
Dominic raised his brows.
“We were just talking loudly,” she added lamely.
Dominic turned to Clement. “You don’t like me.”
“He didn’t say that,” Brenda said.
Dominic ignored her. “And you don’t trust me.”
Brenda shook her head. “He didn’t say that either.”
Dominic glanced up as though searching for something. “There seems to be an annoying mosquito in the room.” His stern gaze landed on her.
She bit her lip.
Dominic stood and said to Clement, “Let’s go outside.”
Brenda jumped to her feet. “Okay.”
“Not you. Just us.” He gestured to the patio. “You first.”
<
br /> Clement sent him a wary look but nodded and headed to the back. Brenda grabbed Dominic’s arm before he could follow. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m just going to talk to him.”
“Promise?”
He looked at her, stunned. “What do you think I’m going to do to him?”
“I don’t know,” she said, helpless. “You could lose your temper.”
He folded his arms. “I’m starting to lose it right now.”
“Just listen to what he has to say. He only worries because he cares about me.”
For a moment he studied her, then said quietly, “And you think he’s the only one?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer. He walked to the patio and closed the glass door behind him.
At the sound of the door closing Clement turned and faced him as though prepared for a fight. Dominic sighed and pointed to a seat. “Sit down.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to talk to you.”
“I prefer to stand.”
“Fine.” Dominic took a seat and sat. “I’m glad you came.”
“What do you mean?”
“We couldn’t keep our relationship quiet much longer and now we don’t have to.”
“What’s your game, Ayers?”
“I suggest you take a seat because I’m going to tell you a story.”
“I prefer to stand.”
Dominic sent him a hard look. “It’s going to be a long story and you’re going to listen to every word of it.”
Clement reluctantly sat.
Dominic gazed out at the water. “I ran away from home when I was fifteen.”
“I know that.”
Dominic slanted him a fierce glance.
Clement settled back in his seat. “I’m listening.”
“Life was never the same after my father left. Only three months after he’d gone my mother brought home Uncle Julius. He wasn’t my real uncle but that’s what I was supposed to call him. Then other ‘uncles’ followed, each worse than the last. But my mother wasn’t particular—she liked a man in the house and as I got older, I got in the way so I left—just like my father had done.” Dominic let out a deep sigh.
“I came to live with my aunt here in America in hopes of a better life,” he said with a bitter grin. “I discovered that my mother’s sister wasn’t much different from my mother, but at least I had an ally this time, my cousin Thomas. We left his mother’s house a couple years later. He worked while I went to school, then I worked while he went to school. We were determined to succeed and promised each other that we’d stay bachelors. We’d never get caught like the men trapped in our mothers’ nets. He never did.”
