Hot on the Trail (4 page)

Blonde would have made me look a lot different, but that awful Eve Masters has blonde hair and I do think it can make you look very cheap. I don’t think it suits me one bit. I remember I bleached it blonde when I was a teenager. I loved it then, but looking back, it was awful.

 Joanne combed her hair, spraying it with hairspray and looked at the finished product. Her make-up was perfectly done; all she had to do was put on her deep red lipstick and slip on her little black dress. It was short and tight fitting, but she was slim enough to get away with wearing it. She shivered with anticipation as she imagined Charles’s reaction to seeing her a little later on.

Joanna had only met Charles Sheffield the previous evening. She had been eating dinner alone in the hotel restaurant when she noticed a man watching her. He was rather handsome and he looked sophisticated with his dark hair which had streaks of grey in it. He was sitting with some other men and Joanna guessed that he was probably attending a business meeting. She wanted to talk to him, so she slowed down eating in the hope that he would finish his meal before her and then leave first, perhaps stopping to talk to her on his way out. Joanna even ordered dessert, something she rarely did. Unlike Eve, she had to watch what she ate otherwise she would pack on the pounds.

Well, most of this dessert is sorbet and fruit so I should be alright, although I my get up earlier to go to the gym tomorrow.

Joanna was totally obsessed about her appearance. As a teenager, she had suffered from anorexia, but had finally managed to control her eating disorder, although there were times that she got close to falling back over the edge.

Just as Joanna was thinking she had had enough of the dessert and was feeling well and truly stuffed, Charles and the men at his table got up. Joanna’s heart missed a beat. This was it. Was he going to come and talk to her or was this the end of her little fantasy?

The men, including Charles, walked by her table. Joanna was looking straight ahead, feeling that all she wanted to do was jump up and grab the gorgeous stranger, but her feet were stuck to the ground, all her confidence gone. Suddenly, a voice spoke.

“Excuse me. I hope you don’t mind me speaking to you, but I couldn’t help but notice you from my table.”

Joanna looked up and instead of playing it cool as she normally would, she exclaimed excitedly.

“I noticed you as well!”

He laughed and Joanna felt her stomach doing somersaults. She didn’t dare stand up as she knew she’d probably stumble.

“I’m glad we both felt the same,” he said. “My name’s Charles Sheffield by the way.”

 “I’m Victoria Castle.”

“That sounds very grand, even royal!”

“Well I am English, although Castle was my husband’s name.”

“Was/”

“He died, I’m afraid,” Joanna said, putting on a suitably sad expression.

“I’m so sorry,” Charles said. “I’m a widower myself, so I know exactly how you must feel.”

Joanna said how sorry she was as well for his loss and then looked at Charles expectantly. They were attracted to each other; she could tell the feelings were mutual, and they had something in common, so why didn’t he ask her out?

“Well, I’m actually on a business meeting so I’d better join my colleagues in the bar,” Charles finally said as he took her hand and then walked away.

Joanna felt a rush of disappointment. Was this it? Usually she would make a move on the man, but she couldn’t do it with Charles. For some inexplicable reason, it didn’t seem right. She felt different with him and she thought that he saw her as something else to what she really was. He saw her as a lady, as someone who a man would open doors for, pay for meals and so on. For once, she liked being thought of as that sort of woman. If only he had liked her enough to ask her out

Joanna ordered a liqueur coffee. She decided that she would get a little tipsy this evening. Yes, she was disappointed, but tomorrow was another day and there were plenty more fish in the sea. Perth was a big city and it would be better if she found herself a man who was attractive and that she liked, not one who made her go weak at the knees. She would lose all control if she went out with Charles and where would that leave her?

I need a man with money to keep me in the style I’m accustomed to. If I fall in love, I’ll lose all my objectivity and end up doing something stupid. I might start talking too much and give away secrets of my past.

“Victoria...................Victoria.”

Joanna jumped, realizing she was being spoken to. She had drifted off and sometimes it was difficult to remember that she had changed her name.

“Charles, you’re back,” Joanna said, trying not to sound too pleased.

“I had to come back. Have dinner with me tomorrow night; that is if you’re free.”

“I’d love to, Charles,” Joanna replied happily, forgetting that she had thought that Charles wouldn’t be good for her.

“Great. Shall we meet in the hotel lobby at about seven thirty?”

“Yes, that will be fine.”

So here Joanna was at twenty past seven the following evening getting ready to meet what could be the man of her dreams. She had never thought that coming to Perth in Australia would bring this. She had to find a man; she knew that, a rich man. Her money wouldn’t last long, not with her lifestyle.  She wasn’t a woman who was prepared to budget. She hoped Charles was rich as well as gorgeous as she would hate having to end this relationship before it had even begun. She had done her best to avoid having any true feelings for men for years, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to help it with this man.

Joanna walked down the stairs instead of taking the lift. She was both nervous and excited at the same time and when she got into the lobby, her legs turned to jelly and she almost fell over. Charles was standing waiting for her, looking very handsome in a black suit and she was impressed that he was wearing a tie. She liked a man to dress elegantly. As soon as he saw her he rushed towards her and kissed her on her cheek. She almost fainted at his touch. What was happening to her?

“A cab’s waiting outside to take us to the restaurant. I hope you will like my choice.”

Joanna just smiled. She didn’t care where they ate, as long as she was with him.

* * *

As Joanna lay in bed that night, she kept thinking about her evening and how perfect it had been. Charles had taken her to a sophisticated Italian restaurant where the soft music and candles had immediately whisked them away into their very own world of dreams and romance. Over plates of smoked salmon and avocado, gnocchi and chicken cacciatore, they talked about themselves. Joanna had never spoken so much about herself to anyone before. She even came to believe that some of what she was telling him was true. He told her of his early life in England and emigrating to Australia at the age of fifteen when his father, a doctor, got a job offer. Charles was a merchant banker and even better, a partner in a firm. Joanna lit up when she heard what his job was, knowing that he must earn a good salary. It really was the icing on the cake. Was there nothing wrong with this man? Joanna certainly couldn’t find any faults.

When the gelato came, Charles fed Joanna little spoonfuls of the different flavors; the tiramisu, the vanilla and the caramel. She felt she was in heaven. Every time their eyes met, she trembled, feeling like a schoolgirl who had fallen in love for the first time.

Once they had had liqueur coffees, they took a walk by the Swan River. Charles took Joanna’s hand and they said very little to each other as they strolled in the mild spring air. There seemed to be no need for words; the silence was comfortable and they felt as if they had known each other for a long time. Finally, Charles stopped and took Joanna in his arms. She looked up at him in anticipation, her whole body on fire.

“Victoria, I never thought that I could meet anyone like you, not since my wife died.”

He cupped her face in his hands and his lips touched hers gently and lingered for a while before he pulled her closer and kissed her with the same desire she felt for him. Joanna‘s head was spinning and she clung on to Charles, never wanting the kiss to stop.

However, when eventually Charles reluctantly pulled away from Joanna, they carried on walking, arms around each other, not saying anything, but feeling the desire for one another in the closeness of their bodies.

Charles finally brought Joanna back to the hotel and said goodnight, kissing her slowly and longingly before he left. Joanna was relieved that he didn’t put any pressure on her to spend the night...She knew she wouldn’t be able to resist him, but she didn’t want the relationship to move any further yet. Charles was different to other men she had met and she wanted to savor each stage of their relationship for as long as possible.

Suddenly, Joanna sat up in bed.

This is foolish. I’m living in a dream world. I’m planning a future with someone, but I don’t do that. I take what I can and run. If I stay too long, there’s a chance he’ll find out who I really am and I’ll go to jail for a long time. What am I going to do? It would be best not to see him again because of the way I feel. Or perhaps I should steel myself to take what I can and move on. Joanna, you’re going soft and it’s got to stop.    .

The following day, as soon as Eve Masters woke up, she decided she wasn’t going to mention Sophie. There was no way she would let David know how insecure she felt. She also decided that she would have to try not to think about Sophie; didn’t she have enough on her plate with Joanna Neonakis?

When Eve got up, she found a note on the mirror from David saying he’d gone to the gym and that he’d meet her for breakfast in the Club Lounge at nine. Straight away, her resolution was well on its’ way to being broken.

Has he really gone to the gym or is he meeting Sophie somewhere for coffee? They could have arranged it when I went to bed early last night. Or perhaps he’s just avoiding me. He might have realized he was still in love with that woman and wanted to put off telling me. I don’t know what to think.

Eve wiped away a tear that had fallen
,
but then, realizing it was already eight twenty, she pulled herself together and hurriedly put on her make-up and washed and styled her hair. However, she was still late and had to rush down to the Club Lounge.

As soon as Eve entered the room, she caught sight of David and put on a smile, even though it was the last thing she felt like doing. He instantly smiled back and when she reached the table, he got up and kissed her. Eve felt a little reassured.

Thank goodness. It looks like he’s forgotten about that awful woman and he seems genuinely pleased to see me. I’ve been worrying for nothing.......Or have I? It could all be an act.

As David sat down, he too had many thoughts going through his head.

I was being silly last night. How could I think I still had feelings for Sophie when I’ve got such a wonderful woman as Eve? She might be difficult at times, but she’s beautiful and exciting and she’s agreed to be my wife. What was I thinking of. How could I possibly doubt my decision to marry Eve?

    
Eve spent most of their breakfast talking about Crete and wondering what their friends were doing, but just as David was relaxing back into the normality of his life with Eve, she dropped a bombshell on him.

“I think I’ll spend the next day or two sorting the house out. It does need a lot of things doing to it and the sooner I get them done, the better. For a start, a new kitchen is essential.”

David was now well and truly fed-up, having expected them to go sightseeing that day.

“I didn’t think you’d be having all the work done on this trip, Eve. This is supposed to be a holiday and there’s so much to see in Perth and the surrounding area Anyway, I’ve been thinking about everything you want to have done. Don’t you think it’s a waste of money? After all, the kitchen looked pretty new to me.  You haven’t changed your mind and want to live here, have you?”

“No, but I think it would be nice to have the option of coming here to our own home whenever we wanted. And you know me, David, I have to have my house the way I like it, not the way other people envisaged it. Andrea’s style certainly isn’t mine.”

“Don’t you think it would be more economical to sell the house and stay in hotels if we come back?”

Eve glared at David. She didn’t know why he seemed so keen on her selling the house, but she didn’t need the money at the moment so why should she? It was her house anyway and nobody was going to tell her what to do with it.

“I don’t care what would be the best thing to do financially, David. It’s my house and I don’t want to sell it. I don’t need the money after all”

“Fine, if it’s your house, then you can go and sort it out on your own. I’ll get on with my writing.’

“Very well,” Eve said sharply, getting up. “I presume I’ll see you for dinner?”

“If I’ve finished writing.”

With that, Eve marched out of the lounge. She was fuming.

How dare he try and tell me what to do with my own property? It’s not as if we need the money. I probably will sell it eventually, but I’d like to keep it for a little while and perhaps get to know a few Australians. David can be so bossy. That’ll have to stop when we get married...................... That is if he still wants to marry me.

Eve’s mood changed rapidly and she started to worry that she had blown her relationship with David. She never felt particularly secure with him, although she usually imagined he would eventually return to her whatever she did. However, now there was Sophie in the picture and she could be a real threat.

* * *

David was very upset when Eve stormed off. This was supposed to be a lovely romantic holiday, but it was turning out to be anything but that.

He ordered another coffee and sat thinking. Eve could be such a difficult woman, although she had become less aggressive over the last year and had tried to take the feelings of others into consideration as well as her own. However, there were still times when she could be challenging and now seemed to be one of them.