Riker smiled while patting his tool belt. “Is the door unlocked?”
“Yeah, we were just going to lunch. Let me know what you find out?”
Riker nodded. He looked over at Trista. She felt his eyes running over her body, and a shiver went through her. Why she let him get under her skin, she didn’t know. “Nice seeing you again, Riker,” she said curtly and turned her attention back to Nicolette. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Eighteen
After lunch, Trista headed over to the theatre company for rehearsal with the kids. The play was coming along well, and she was having a lot of fun working with the children and the whole crew. It made her realize just how much she missed working on Broadway. Being on television was very different. Unless you were doing live TV, it didn’t matter if you messed up or forgot your lines. There were plenty of retakes. And more retakes. It could get tiring after a while. But being on Broadway was exhilarating. There was an adrenaline rush she felt every time she walked on stage to perform. Butterflies in her stomach while she was in the dressing room getting ready to make her appearance. Would she screw up her lines? What if she forgot her cue? Of course she never did, but there was always the possibility. The best thing of all? The applause after a great performance. The final bow after a great show. It couldn’t be beat. Working with the children on the play was bringing back all the happy memories of her being in New York.
“The children really love working with you,” Brent Glover said to her as they took a break. Brent was one of the investors of the Blue Mountain Beach Children’s Theatre and came by once a week to watch rehearsals. He was an attractive man in his late thirties. Trista noticed that Brent was always dressed nice in pressed khakis and a button-down shirt, no tie. Tassel loafers with no socks. Typical office attire for Florida professionals. Trista learned through their frequent chats that Brent was newly single, worked as a vice president at a local private bank, and lived in a gated neighborhood in Alys Beach—the same neighborhood where Nicolette was considering moving. He was average height, dark hair with flecks of grey and a nice smile. Trista thought he was perfect for her sister.
“These kids are amazing,” Trista agreed.
“Are you thinking about sticking around for a while? You know we have the Christmas play that is always a big hit. It would be nice for you to continue working with everyone.” Waiting for an answer, Brent leaned against the railing.
“I’m just taking it one day at a time.”
“Would it be forward of me to ask what you are doing tonight?” he asked.
“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Trista winked, trying to put him at ease. He was obviously nervous. “How about a home-cooked meal at my place?”
Brent smiled widely. “Sure. What time?”
“Let’s say seven?”
“Want me to bring anything?”
“How about a bottle of wine?”
“It’s a date.”
“I gotta get back in there. See ya tonight.” Trista returned to the stage to finish rehearsals. She thought about what Nicolette’s reaction was going to be when she brought home a blind date for her. She didn’t want it to be awkward for either of them so she had to convince Nicolette that it wasn’t an elaborate set-up. Trista slipped out of rehearsals a few minutes early and stopped at the Modica Market in Seaside to get the fixings for seafood paella, strawberry cheesecake, and a fresh bouquet of spring flowers.
“You’re home early,” Nicolette said as Trista walked in the door carrying several grocery bags.
“I’m making dinner tonight.” Trista set the bags on the kitchen counter with a thud. “Seafood paella.”
“Sounds yummy. Too bad I have plans.”
Trista put the vegetables in the refrigerator crisper. “Oh yeah? What’s up?”
“Zumba at six. Then drinks with some girls at work.”
“That is too bad.” Trista pulled a bag of fresh strawberries out of the grocery sack. “I was making homemade cheesecake with fresh strawberry sauce. And I have a new friend coming over to eat with us.”
Nicolette checked her cell for text messages. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to miss one class. Who is this new friend?”
Trista smiled triumphantly. She was counting on Nicolette’s sweet tooth and curiosity to close the deal. “Just one of the volunteers at the theatre.”
“Oh. Anyone I know?”
“I don’t think so.” Trista started cleaning the shrimp. “Why don’t you get ready? I’ll make us some drinks.”
“Okay,” Nicolette said, eyeing her sister with suspicion. “I’ll grab a quick shower.”
Trista smiled to herself as she started the main dish. It was one of her go-to specialties. Marla had taught her how to cook. Nicolette had no desire to learn, but Trista loved to spend time in the kitchen with their mom. By the time she had the paella simmering on the stovetop and the cheesecake in the oven, Nicolette had returned from her shower. She was dressed in a long, black maxi dress with her blonde hair piled on top of her head. She wore simple gold hoops in her ears and a diamond necklace. Trista thought her sister looked beautiful and elegant.
“I’m going to freshen up myself. Everything is almost ready.” Trista glanced at the clock. Brent would be here within fifteen minutes.
“Do you want me to do anything?”
Trista handed her sister a margarita. “Just relax. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
She ran upstairs. After washing up, she opened her walk-in closet. There was no shortage of beautiful dresses that she could wear. Tonight, however, she would be dressing down. She wanted Nicolette to be the focus of Brent’s attention. She chose a plain cotton dress that was yellow and white striped with navy buttons halfway down the chest and on the cuffs. She had bought it during their trip to the Bahamas but never wore it. A pair of navy anchor earrings and matching necklace completed the fashionable, but casual nautical look. She slipped on a pair of Reef flip-flops and threw her hair back into an easy braid. A minimal amount of makeup—just a touch of mascara and a swipe of lip gloss—and she was ready to go. As she was walking downstairs, she heard voices. Brent was early.
“Hello, Trista.” Brent greeted her as she walked into the kitchen. She took a look at the scene in the kitchen. Nicolette stirred the paella while Brent opened a bottle of wine.
“I see you’ve met my sister,” Trista said, accepting a glass of white wine from him.
“Yes, I have,” he replied. “If I would’ve known I was having dinner with two gorgeous women, I would’ve brought more wine.”
Nicolette took in Trista’s outfit and gave a small smirk. Trista took a hearty sip of her wine. She saw that Nicolette had already taken the cheesecake out of the oven, and it was cooling on the counter. All Trista had to do was make the strawberry sauce and pop some bread in the oven.
“Why don’t you take Brent out to the balcony with the appetizers, and I’ll bring some more wine,” Trista suggested. She took out a plate of cheese and crackers from the refrigerator and handed them to her sister. Nicolette leaned in and whispered in her ear, “I see what you’re trying to do. The question is why?”
“Because I love you and want to see you happy.”
“Right,” Nicolette countered. She took the appetizer tray and motioned for Brent to follow her.
Trista quickly chopped the strawberries and added a teaspoon of sugar and a splash of water. After mixing the sugar water together with the fruit, she covered the bowl and put it back in the fridge. She took the seafood paella off the stovetop and put it in a decorative casserole dish, covering it to keep it warm. She slathered a loaf of French bread with garlic butter, covered it in tin foil, and popped it in the oven for a couple of minutes. While she waited for it to warm, she sipped on her wine and peeked around the corner to see Brent and Nicolette talking on the balcony. They were both laughing. So far so good, she thought.
Her thoughts turned to Riker. Seeing him today was like a shock to her system. She had mistakenly thou
ght that her trip to the Bahamas would help her forget about him. After seeing him today she knew it was going to take more than just a long weekend trip. She was going to have to make another call to her agent to speed up the process of getting a new job—hopefully in New York City. Far away from Blue Mountain Beach…and Riker.
Chapter Nineteen
“Dinner was great,” Brent complimented her again. He wiped his mouth with a blue cloth napkin. “I love Spanish food.”
“Thank you,” Trista said, scooping up the last bit of cheesecake from her plate.
All through dinner, Trista tried to steer the conversation away from herself and toward Nicolette. Talking finance and real estate, which Brent and Nicolette both had in common, she thought they would make a connection. It was hard to tell if Brent was into her sister or not. He was very polite and paid equal attention to both women.
“I’ll get the dishes while you two enjoy the sunset,” Trista offered, picking up the dirty plates from the table.
“I can help,” Brent said, getting up from his seat. He picked up his own plate and wine glass. “It’s the least I can do for such a lovely meal.”
“Thank you,” Trista said, looking over at Nicolette. She just smiled back at Trista as she refilled her wine glass.
Brent followed Trista into the kitchen. She filled the sink with hot soapy water and dumped the dishes in. “I got this. Why don’t you keep Nicolette company?”
Brent put his hand on Trista’s shoulder and turned her away from the sink so their eyes met. “I just wanted you to know that I had a really nice time tonight.”
“I’m glad you took me up on my offer,” Trista said.
Leaning in, he caught Trista off guard by kissing her lightly on the lips. She tried to take a step back, but she was already pushed up against the sink. Just as she was about to push Brent away, Trista heard a noise. Nicolette cleared her throat as she walked into the kitchen. Brent pulled back quickly.
“I was just seeing if I could help, but it looks like you guys have everything under control.” Nicolette set her wine glass on the counter and left the room.
Trista blew out a breath. This wasn’t turning out like she had hoped. One problem at a time. “I think you have the wrong idea, Brent.”
“What do you mean?” Brent leaned against the kitchen counter, facing Trista. “I thought you invited me to dinner, to you know…get to know each other better.”
Trista wiped her soapy hands on a dish towel. “Look, I like you Brent. I’m just not interested in dating anyone right now. I just got out of a relationship and…”
“You were trying to set me up with your sister.” Brent stood up straight and looked toward the balcony where Nicolette was sulking on the chaise lounge.
Trista nodded. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. I didn’t mean to lead you on. You and Nicolette have a lot in common. I just thought—”
He held up his hands. “Hey, it’s okay. You had good intentions.”
“Yeah, well…you know what they say about good intentions. Road to hell, and all that. I guess I should stick to acting. Matchmaking, apparently, is not my forte.”
“Really? I think you did well. I really like your sister. She’s pretty, sweet, and very smart.” Brent looked toward the balcony again. “Should I go out there?”
“Not unless you want to be tossed over the balcony.”
“I see.” Brent rocked back and forth on his heels. “Well, maybe I should shove off. I’ll see you around the theatre next week. Please say goodbye to Nicolette for me.”
“Sure,” Trista said. “She just needs some time. Maybe call her later?”
Brent nodded before walking out the door.
Trista returned to the sink and rinsed the dishes before putting them inside the dishwasher. A door slammed, causing her to jump. She didn’t have to turn around to know that Nicolette was in the room. She could feel her sister’s presence, her eyes throwing daggers at Trista’s back.
“What’s on your mind, Nicolette?” Trista aked, without turning around.
“What the hell was that all about?”
“I was trying to set you up with someone.” Trista threw down her dishtowel and turned to face her sister. “It wouldn’t hurt for you to give people a chance, Nicolette. He’s a nice guy.”
“Are you kidding me? I saw him trying to kiss you! He was interested in you, not me.”
“I invited him to dinner for you. I’m not interested in him!”
“Well, obviously he wasn’t interested in me.” Nicolette smacked her hand on the counter. “It’s always about you! You were the most popular girl in high school. Always getting what you wanted from Dad. Everything came easy for you. You even had my mom under your spell.”
It wasn’t lost on Trista that Nicolette referred to Marla as “my mom.” She crossed her arms over chest, prepared for a fight. “Is this what this is about? Mom?” Trista thought she had cleared the air with Nicolette in the Bahamas. Obviously not.
“She wasn’t even your mother! She just felt sorry for you! Because you were the little bastard child. My dad’s big mistake.”
Trista felt like she had been stabbed in the heart. She knew that Nicolette had feelings of anger against her but she never knew how deep they ran. Until now.
“Nicolette, I never asked for this. I was just a little girl when Sam came out to California to find me. What was I supposed to do? Refuse to come to Florida?”
“You’ll never be a part of this family! Why did you even come back here again?” Nicolette shouted.
Trista started to answer but Nicolette cut her off.
“No, wait…don’t answer that. I already know. Things didn’t work out for you in California, so you wanted to come back here and mess things up for me. You like seeing me miserable.”
“That’s not true.” Trista fought back the tears welling up. “I came back to mend fences with you. Which I thought we had done last week!”
Nicolette let out a small laugh. “Yeah, you expect our problems to be fixed with one weekend in the Bahamas?” she asked, her words stabbing Trista in the heart.
Trista had reached her breaking point with her sister. She was tired of fighting the same old battle with Nicolette. “You know what, Nicolette? I’ve been trying to make friends with you ever since we were kids. All you have done is shove me away. You blame all your problems on me. Well, I’m sick of it. When mom got sick, I was the one here taking care of her. Sam was working all the time, and you stayed away at college. I changed her, I bathed her, I gave her meds to help with the pain, and I held her when she moaned in agonizing pain. She may be your biological mom, but she’ll always be my mom too. And if that makes you angry, then so fucking be it!” Trista felt her face flush with anger. “I’m tired of trying to get you to like me. I’m done.”
“You’re a real piece of work!” Nicolette grabbed her purse off the counter.
“Where are you going?” Trista asked, watching her sister pull her keys out of her purse.
“I’m not staying here another minute longer to listen to your bullshit. This is your house, not mine.” Nicolette yanked the door open. “I’ll be back for my things later.”
Trista was shaking with fury. She felt her knees start to buckle and she let herself slide to the floor. Suddenly she was so tired. She curled up in a fetal position, and finally let the tears flow freely. After years of trying to get her older sister to accept her, to love her, to allow her to be a part of the family, it was over. She couldn’t do this any longer.
Chapter Twenty
Trista thought she heard the door to the garage open. She figured that Nicolette had come back for the rest of her stuff. Lifting her head off the kitchen floor, she saw a pair of black, dusty work boots.
“Trista? Honey, are you okay?” Riker’s voice was filled with concern. He kneeled down in front of her. “What happened?”
She crawled into his arms. “Nicolette and I had a fight. It wasn’t good.”
“Ar
e you hurt?” He asked, slipping his fingers through the silky stands of her hair.
Trista shook her head. “Nothing that you can see on the outside.”
Riker kissed her on the top of her head. “I’m sorry, baby. Your sister can be a little….a little…”
“A bitch?”
He continued to run his fingers through Trista’s hair. ”Want something to drink?”
She looked up at him and placed a finger on his lips. “I just want you.” Their eyes met, and Trista wondered if Riker was feeling what she felt at this very moment. A desperate need that had nothing to do with sex, but everything to do with a longing to be known, inside and out. She wanted Riker in her life, despite the impact it would have on her relationship with her sister. Quinn was right. It was time she started living her life for her. Not anyone else. Trista gently pressed her lips against his, relishing the softness of his lips and the intoxicating scent of his cologne.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, giving her tiny kisses around her neck that sent electric jolts throughout her body.
“I’ve missed you too.”
“Want to go upstairs?” He nibbled on her earlobe after whispering in her ear.
“I don’t think I can wait that long.” She needed him more than ever. “I want you, right here. Right now.”
He pushed her dress over her hips, planting his face firmly on her sex. “I’m going to make you feel so good, you’ll forget about everything.”
* * *
The incessant ringing of her phone pulled Trista out of a deep sleep. She rolled over and squinted at the sunlight coming through the blinds. Her cell phone was lighting up and dinging, letting her know she had a missed call and a voicemail. She reached out for Riker, but the other side of the bed was empty. She began to wonder if it was just a dream until she noticed a note on his pillow.
Sunkissed Page 10
