Forgotten Dreams (2 page)

There had been something about this woman that had made it unusually difficult for him to concentrate on business. He kept imagining himself seated across from his latest "find" in some cozy restaurant while he cahnly and methodically planned her seduction. He wasn't prepared for the indifferent glance Toni had thrown him when Connie became aware of his presence, or of her cool smile as introductions were made. Before he had time to make a single charming remark, Toni had excused herself and walked away, leaving him with a tongue-tied Connie, who by then was ready to throw herself at his feet.

Now he'd found the icy Miss Grant again, but she had apparently thawed quite a bit in so brief a time. The only problem was, Christian thought distastefully, he wasn't the one responsible for melting the ice.

Karen threw him a cheeky grin, then cleared her throat in a manner that would have halted traffic on Main Street in any city. Toni and Steven sprang apart as though jerked in opposite directions by invisible ropes. As Toni swung around, the first thing she saw was the cynical gleam in Christian Barr's blue eyes and the barest twist of his lips. There was something in his expression that made her feel somehow shabby at being caught in her fiance's arms, she realized as she felt her face turn bright red.

She dropped her gaze after only the briefest contact with his turning her attention to a teasing Karen, who ws apologizing for barging in.

" But we did knock," Karen said with a chuckle, then went on to introduce Steven and Christian. As the two men moved forward to shake hands Toni couldn't help but notice that Christian Barr was severals inches taller than Steven. He also appeared older, she decided, considering the weathered toughness of his rough-hewn features and the tiny lines that fanned out from his eyes. His hair was dark and thick, as were the heavy brows that grew above his piercing eyes. For no reason at all, Toni found herself resenting the man. He had an air about him that set her on edge. It was as though he felt superior to the people around him. Without going to a great deal of trouble to hide her own assessment of the man, Toni excused herself and left the room. There was no denying the fact that Christian Barr was news wherever he went, she thought as she scooped up her purse and headed out of building and to her car.

His name had become synonymous with excellence in the field of journalism, particularly in investigative reporting. No corrupt organization, federal program, or public figure was beyond his reach if unfortunate enough to catch his attention. According to articles written about him, Toni knew he'd been threatened by a number of the people he'd gone after. He'd had a couple of lawsuits brought against him, which he'd won, and he'd actually been shot at on one occasion. '

Add that to his colorful social life and you've got quiet a character," Toni muttered as she got into her car. Almost the only redeeming quality she could think of at the moment regarding the infamous Mr. Barr was his reluctance to marry. At least he was kind enough net to inflict himself permanently on some poor woman. Toni had no trouble at all imagining the sort of life a wife of his would lead.

As she had hoped, her final session with the therapist was brief and in no time at all Toni was on her way to her apartment to shower and dress for the evening.

By the time her friends arrived to pick her up, Toni had managed to mask her disappointment at not being able to see Steven that evening.

The restaurant Connie and Mark were so anxious to try turned out to be picturesque and served excellent food. But it was the overnight accommodations that caught Toni's eye.

Rather than building a conventional motel, the architect had carefully designed a number of one- and two-bed/oom cottages to blend in with the tush trees that grew so abundantly in the area. A small stream meandered lazily through the grounds toward an old grist mill that was still standing, its huge wooden wheel intact. Though the wheel was no longer used for its original purpose and was made to turn by electricity, the effect was still the same.

The setting was rustic and appealing and made Toni feel as if she had been transported to some other, more romantic time. This fact did not go unnoticed by Mark and Connie as they observed the rapt expression on her feee.

She endured their good-natured comments in the same vein as they were offered.

"Well, at least the owners have tried to retain the natural beauty of the area,"

she with a shrug as they turned and walked toward the entrance to the restaurant. "But I suppose you'd like it better if a kidney-shaped pool replaced the stream and music of some punk rock band was blaring over the speakers," she said to Connie.

" For once I agree with you," the blonde replied with an easy grin. " Not that I'd care to spend more than a day or two here, mind you."

The two of them continued their friendly bickering as they entered the restuarant, but stopped short whenMark announced his disappointment at the shocking lack of scantily clad beauties milling about carrying tall frosted glasses of alcoholic beverages.

"Philistine!" Connie hissed at him

"Unappreciative pig," Toni said with a chuckle.

"Endless orgies and a continuous flow of mind-numb- ing liquor. That's all you want."

"Exactly." Mark nodded his blonde head, a mischie- vous expression on his attractive features. " What more

could a man possibly ask for?"

Both women slowly shook their heads, each mutter- ing her own thoughts regarding his depraved charac-

ter, and began ot inspect the menu. They retaliated by ordering the most expensive dishes offered, then sat

back and laughed when Mark almost fainted at the thought of the check. They let him suffer several minutes

before telling him that the evening was Dutch treat.

As they ate, Toni couldn't help but wish that Steven were seated next to her. She felt almost guilty for enjoying herslef while he was stuck in a dull meeting, attempting to work out the complicated details of some business deal his father wanted. It didn't seem fair.

She was about to say just that when Connie gave a loud gasp, then stared across the room as Mark began to talk at a rate of speed that would have made any auctioneer jealous.

Toni looked curiously at one and then the other. "Have you suddenly seen a ghost?" she asked Connie, noting the shocked expression on her friend's face.

"No." Connie quickly shook her head, a nervous laugh escaping her. "It's nothing. ... I ... er . . ." Before her stammering explanation could be completed, Toni glanced up as a couple was being shown to a table near the large windows that overlooked the grounds. She froze.

The fork that was raised halfway to her mouth with its tiny wedge of tomato was slowly lowered to her plate. The couple that held her undivided attention was none other than Steven and a tall, attractive redhead.

Toni watched along with Connie and Mark as Steven reached for his companion's hand and raised it to his lips in a lingering kiss. Instead of releasing her after such an obvious show of affection, Steven kept his fingers intertwined with hers as if he couldn't bear not to touch her.

Toni could clearly see the warmth and softness in his face, and, she told herself, it certainly didn't require an expert on human emotions to see that these two were much more than "business" acquaintances.

It took all of her willpower to pull her gaze away from Steven. She looked at Mark and Connie, an expression of shock and disbelief on her face.

Mark glanced at Connie, who gave him a hurried nod. He removed his napkin from his lap and placed it beside his plate. "Why don't you ladies go on to the car? I'll pay the check and be right with you."

"Great!" Connie exclaimed a little too enthusiastically as she began to scramble beneath her chair for her purse. "Do hurry, Mark. I've suddenly taken a distinct dislike to this place."

"No." The one word slipped softly but firmly past Toni's lips. "Why should we deprive ourselves of a delicious dinner just because Steven has been caught playing footsie?"

"Oh . . . but, honey," Connie cried in a low voice.

"This must be awful for you. I never dreamed they'd be ... I mean . . ." She stopped her helpless jabbering and looked imploringly at Mark.

"I think what Connie's trying to say is that we're just as shocked as you are, Toni," he said smoothly.

"And we can certainly understand your wanting to leave."

Bat Toni had caught Connie's slip of the tongue. Sbe reached for her wineglass with an amazingly steady hand and raised it to her lips. The cool liquid offered only minimal relief to her parched mouth. "I don't think that's what Connie meant at all, Mark, and neither do you. I get the distinct impression that the two of you know more than you're telling me."

She included them both in a shrewd look, her dark eyes going back and forth from one uncomfortable ex-pression to the other. "Well? Are you going to sit there and deny that you know Steven has been seeing other women behind my back? Or are you going to tell me the truth?"

"Oh, Lord." Connie mumbled, shaking her head in disbelief. "This can't be happening."

"But it is- and I want to know for how long," Toni said bluntly. "'In the last two months I've spent more tune with the two of you than I have with Steven. I believed his stories about long business meetings. But from the looks of his present dinner companion, I'd say that I've been royally had."

"All right." Mark gave a deep sigh of concern. He took hold of Toni's clenched hand and held it in his warm grasp. "This isn't the first time we've seen them together." He shrugged. "I suppose Steven assumed that since Connie and I work at the station and might be concerned for our jobs, we would think twice before telling you."

"Was that the reason you kept quiet, Mark?" Toni asked softly.

"No," he said firmly. "I'm a damn good cameraman, honey, and I've never had any trouble finding a job. But Connie and I talked it over and decided that with everything that's happened to you during the past year, you didn't need to be told that your fiance was two-timing you." "Do other people at the station know?" "I doubt it. He has been discreet, I will say that for him. It's just that once before Connie and I ran into him and Lea in a nightclub."

"Lea? Is that her name?" Toni asked calmly. How strange, she thought as she sat listening to Mark, that I can sit here as though nothing more disturbing than a light shower of rain has dared to intrude on this peaceful evening. Deeper introspection would come later. She knew that. At the moment, however, she felt nothing but a kind of self-protective numbness separating her from the harsh reality of what she was seeing and hearing. That, and a deep brooding anger.

"Her name is Lea Simmons. Her family owns several radio stations in the state," Mark answered.

"Do you suppose Steven is attempting to work out some sort of merger?" Toni asked acidly.

"That ... I can't say. In fact, I'm not even sure the woman knows he's engaged," Mark pointed out. "Well." Toni removed her hand from Mark's, sat straighter in her chair, then smiled at her friends. "I'm ready for dessert- Oh ... and Mark," she said pleasantly, "why don't we have a bottle of champagne sent over to the happy couple? I'll pay for it, of course. I think it would add the perfect touch to a most spectacular evening, don't you?"

CHAPTER TWO

"Oh, my." Connie stared round-eyed at Toni. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather leave quietly and talk to Steven about this little incident later?" she asked pleadingly.

"If you're afraid that what I do will cause some trouble for you and Mark, Connie, then I'll simply have the waiter find me a separate table. I can also call a taxi to take me home."

"Oh, honey, it isn't that," Connie said unhappily. She was clearly rattled by this sudden turn of events, and more than a little concerned by the way Toni was behaving.

It just didn't seem normal for a woman to catch her fiance with another woman, then send over champagne while she calmly ate and watched.

Mark patted Connie soothingly on the shoulder. Damn! he thought. I'd like to choke Steven Crowell. I've got one woman on my hands about to go into hysterics, while the other one is as calm and beady-eyed as an executioner. And yet, there was something about the way Toni was handling this thing that he admired.

His only relief was that he wasn't the two-timing jerk over by the window.

The waiter was duly summoned and the order for champagne given. "Any message?" the young man asked.

"Er ... I don't think—"

"Yes," Toni interrupted Mark, smiling sweetly at the waiter.

"How about . . . 'Compliments of Toni.' Don't you think that has a nice ring to it?" she asked Mark and Connie. She turned back to the young man. "I think that will do nicely." On Toni's insistence they also ordered dessert; then the three of them sat back, watching and waiting, lost in their own thoughts.

Connie seemed near a state of collapse. Her handswere shaking visibly as she lifted her wineglass to her lips. She swallowed the entire contents in one gulp,

then lowered the glass to the table and pushed it toward Mark.

"A refill?" she croaked.

Mark chuckled softly and did as requested. He'd been happy in Richmond, he thought fleetingly. But what the hell. ... He was single and free to go and