Show and Tell (19 page)
Swinging the door wide, she threw herself at him. “Where have you been, why haven’t you called me? I was so worried!”
Lance pried her arms from around his neck. “You’re suffocating me, sweetie pie.”
She knew he’d done some scummy things. But he was still her brother, and she loved him. Her mother would have wanted it that way.
Love him no matter what.
Stepping back, she dragged him into the foyer. “You’ve lost weight.” There was something else, too. “Oh my God, you shaved off your mustache and beard.”
Love him no matter what.
Stepping back, she dragged him into the foyer. “You’ve lost weight.” There was something else, too. “Oh my God, you shaved off your mustache and beard.”
He stroked his bare chin. “I got tired of it.”
Besides, the goatee look was so out, though Trinity would never have said that. “I like it. It makes you look younger.”
“Look at you.” He leaned in. “Your makeup’s all messed up.” Her hands clasped in his, he held out her arms and surveyed her body critically. “And are you
gaining
weight, Trin?” He slammed her with a grimace of absolute horror.
gaining
weight, Trin?” He slammed her with a grimace of absolute horror.
She whirled to the mirror. Did her cheeks look fat? She patted one. No, it was her mussed hair that made her face seem rounder. She tried rubbing the mascara streaks under her eyes.
“Long day,” she managed to spout. “Rushing around. Just got home.”
Been out doing nasty things in Scott’s car. It was oh so good, I loved it and need to do it again.
Been out doing nasty things in Scott’s car. It was oh so good, I loved it and need to do it again.
“I’m sorry about Harper.”
She glanced at his reflection behind her. “Who told you?” God, please, not the country-club circuit. She so did not want to be gossip fodder. In fact, she hadn’t been to the club since she kicked Harper out.
Lance gave her a
duh
look.
duh
look.
“Verna.” She stepped away from the mirror. The mascara wasn’t coming off. Who cared at this point? “She never told me she talked to you.” Why had Lance called Verna when he hadn’t returned one of Trinity’s messages in all this time? Six months, for God’s sake. She wouldn’t think about that. He was back, and that’s all that mattered.
“I asked her not to. You’d get into trouble with Dad if he found out I’d talked to you.”
Wasn’t that sweet of him to worry? That’s why he hadn’t answered her messages. “You want a drink or something?”
“I’d kill for a margarita.”
She wouldn’t normally have kept a bottle on hand, but Harper liked a margarita in the evening. Leading the way to the kitchen, she flipped open the cupboard beside the fridge. At least Harper hadn’t taken the bottle on his way out.
“So what happened, Trin?”
Running the ice-cube maker and filling a glass for Lance took all her concentration. She poured a smidge for herself. Then a double smidge, because why the heck not? Handing him a tumbler, she finally answered. “I jumped before I looked. We weren’t compatible. ” That was all she’d say. “Let’s sit down.”
In the living room, she folded herself into the corner of the sofa while Lance took the chair. “So where have you been?” she wanted to know.
Until her marriage, she’d lived with her father. The house was huge, and she hardly had to see him if she didn’t want to. Lance had moved out of Daddy’s house and left the Bay Area a week after the merger announcement.
If Daddy knew Lance was in her living room now, he’d have conniptions. These days, she didn’t tell her father everything, and Lance would always be her big brother. Yet between them, she felt pulled apart. How could Lance have ignored her calls for six months, as if
she’d
had something to do with his and Daddy’s battles? She had to forget about that. He was here now.
she’d
had something to do with his and Daddy’s battles? She had to forget about that. He was here now.
He shrugged. “Aspen. Santa Fe. Around.”
Despite losing the income from his vice presidency in the company, Lance had a trust fund from their mother, just as Trinity did. Her father, however, was trustee of hers and had made sure Harper couldn’t get his greedy fingers on any of it.
“It sounds like you’ve been having fun,” she said, trying not to think of Harper and his fingers. If she was going to think about anything besides her brother right now, it would be about Scott. How he tasted—so much better than a margarita.
“Right,” Lance scoffed, “loads of fun.”
Trinity sighed. “I know it hasn’t been easy on you. But you’ve been okay, right?”
He sipped his margarita, the ice cubes chinking. “It’s been hard, Trin.”
She didn’t want to scold him for what he’d done, yet neither could she agree with it. “I’m sorry” was the least innocuous answer she could give without being judgmental.
“I want to come home.”
“Then come home,” she said. “You can get an apartment.”
“I mean
home
.”
home
.”
“But you can’t go
home
, Lance.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Daddy won’t even talk about you.”
home
, Lance.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Daddy won’t even talk about you.”
Daddy might never forgive Lance. It wasn’t only that Lance lied, but he’d involved her father in the lie. It could have permanently damaged Daddy’s relationship with Jarvis Castle, Faith’s father, and they’d been friends since their college days.
“That’s why I need you, Trin.”
“Me?” she mouthed, her hand to her chest.
“Talk to him.” He swirled the cubes in his glass rather than looking at her. “Tell him I know what I did was wrong.”
“That has to come from you.” If she opened her mouth, her father would simply shut her down.
“I’ve tried. Verna’s tried for me. He won’t talk to me.”
“Send him a letter.”
“He’d tear it up.” A lock of dark hair fell across his forehead, and he looked quite boyish. Two years older than her, he suddenly seemed several years younger.
“No, he wouldn’t. He might not read it right then.” She considered exactly what her father would do. “He’d put it in his desk drawer. And every day he’d open the drawer and look at it. Then one day, he’d take it out and read it.”
“Trin, I’ve already waited six months. I don’t feel like waiting weeks for him to get around to reading a letter.” He grimaced. “Besides, I don’t even know what to say.”
“Say you’re sorry.”
“I
have
said I was sorry from day one.” Surging forward, he slammed his glass on the coffee table. “He doesn’t listen.”
have
said I was sorry from day one.” Surging forward, he slammed his glass on the coffee table. “He doesn’t listen.”
She hated that he was so upset. “I wish I could change it, Lance, but I tried, and Daddy won’t listen to me, either.” Her mother would have been able to bring them back together. Moisture clouded her eyes, and her temples ached. “I swear, he’s like one of those little monkeys with its hands over its ears.”
“Then talk to Faith.”
She pulled her head back. “Faith?”
“She can talk to her father. If Jarvis were to go to Dad and tell him enough’s enough . . . ,” he trailed off with a sad droop to his lips.
She swore tears gathered at the corner of his eyes, but still. “That’s worse than
me
talking to him.” Faith didn’t like Lance, not one bit. Nor would Trinity use their friendship to get something done that she was nervous about doing herself.
me
talking to him.” Faith didn’t like Lance, not one bit. Nor would Trinity use their friendship to get something done that she was nervous about doing herself.
“I miss my family, Trin. I miss
you
.” He bit down on the inside of his cheek as if he didn’t trust himself to say more.
you
.” He bit down on the inside of his cheek as if he didn’t trust himself to say more.
And she gave in. “I’ll try another talk with Daddy.” She wagged her finger at him. “But I’m not promising.”
“You’re a doll.” He rose out of his chair, grabbed the back of her neck, and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Look, I gotta run ’cause I know it’s late and you need your rest.”
She followed him to the front door. “Call me?”
“Sure, hon. And let me know what Dad says.”
Ug.
Daddy’s blood pressure would skyrocket. “I will.” Kissing him once more on the cheek, she shoved him out the door and locked up.
Daddy’s blood pressure would skyrocket. “I will.” Kissing him once more on the cheek, she shoved him out the door and locked up.
Wonderful that he was home, but Lord, what was she supposed to do about Daddy? She’d think about that tomorrow.
In her room, she punched a key on her computer, and the screen popped out of sleep. She’d forgotten to turn it off this morning after checking for any Scott messages.
Logging into e-mail, lo and behold, exactly what she was looking for. Her heart tripped all over itself.
Not one message, but two. She opened the first. “You are like no woman I’ve ever known before.”
She got an incredible thrill. Covering her mouth with her hand, she read the second. “I am madly, deeply head over heels in lust with you.”
He didn’t use the word
love
. She wouldn’t have believed it anyway. Lust was so much better. He wanted
her
. Badly. She’d never been wanted in quite this way. She’d been admired from afar. Men had certainly wanted to have sex with her. But Scott wanted her in the dark when he couldn’t see her. He wanted her over the phone. He’d wanted her when she was just a voice.
love
. She wouldn’t have believed it anyway. Lust was so much better. He wanted
her
. Badly. She’d never been wanted in quite this way. She’d been admired from afar. Men had certainly wanted to have sex with her. But Scott wanted her in the dark when he couldn’t see her. He wanted her over the phone. He’d wanted her when she was just a voice.
And he was
madly
in lust with her. It made her problems with Inga, Lance, and Daddy a little easier to take.
madly
in lust with her. It made her problems with Inga, Lance, and Daddy a little easier to take.
“WHY would I want to go to lunch with
you
?” Inga’s red lips curled in a sneer.
you
?” Inga’s red lips curled in a sneer.
Trinity held her breath, counting to three. She would not blow up at this woman. She would not give Inga the satisfaction. “It’s not just you. I’m inviting all the AP and AR girls so we can get to know each other.” It was Friday, her first full week complete. Lunch could actually be called a celebration.
Inga snorted, turning back to her computer. Her cubicle was the antithesis of the woman. Pictures of fairies and mythical creatures dotted the cloth-covered walls, secured with decorative butterfly and bumblebee pinheads. A crystal unicorn reared its forelegs on the hard drive beneath the monitor. Hanging from the arm of a desk lamp, a winged horse readied itself for flight.
She should have had a Valkyrie’s battle ax instead of this menagerie of delicate creatures.
Inga glanced over her shoulder with a telling look.
Are you still here?
“I see enough of you all at work.” Inga’s overly loud voice carried through, up, and over the cubicle walls, dispersing through the entire Accounting bullpen for maximum humiliation. “I don’t need to socialize at lunch as well.”
Are you still here?
“I see enough of you all at work.” Inga’s overly loud voice carried through, up, and over the cubicle walls, dispersing through the entire Accounting bullpen for maximum humiliation. “I don’t need to socialize at lunch as well.”
Trinity clearly remembered the AP girls, including Inga, going out to lunch on Wednesday. The
all
in “you all” didn’t apply. It was Trinity she didn’t care to socialize with.
all
in “you all” didn’t apply. It was Trinity she didn’t care to socialize with.
“That’s too bad.” Trinity gritted her teeth for a moment before easing the tension from her jaw. “Everyone else can make it. We’ll miss you.”
Not.
Except that the whole point of the lunch was to placate Inga. Then again, Inga was only one of her five employees, and
they
deserved a welcome lunch.
Not.
Except that the whole point of the lunch was to placate Inga. Then again, Inga was only one of her five employees, and
they
deserved a welcome lunch.
“I’m sure they’re dying to have lunch with the boss’s daughter.” A tick appeared at the corner of Inga’s mouth.
The sneer did nothing for her. She’d be pretty if her attitude didn’t suck. Trinity was darn glad she hadn’t asked Inga first. The others might not have agreed without their de facto leader’s consent.
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