How. It wasnt a question, just a polite murmur. How could anybody get along with this idiot savant? Poor Hadley must have thought hed died and gone to everlasting steam heat turned way up by the time the honeymoon was over. Hed apparently been desperate enough to engage in combat with a bull. Didnt that say something about the mood the man was in?
Thats what Im going to show you, hon, Maybelle said with another of those abrupt softenings of her usual shrillness. She shot up out of the armchair, shouldered a brown leather purse that reminded Hope of a feedbag and got the Stetson twirling on one finger. Can I have the run of the house for a coupla weeks?
Absolutely not! Hope got up, too. First I really do insist on having an
estimate. Budget. Maybelle sighed. Honest to gosh, if you yuppies could get your minds off money for a split second
She was moving rapidly toward the door with Hope in her wake. and credentials, Hope said firmly. Was the correspondence course the end of your professional training?
Maybelle spun. Lands no! I spent two years in Chiner and Jap-pan learning everything they had to teach me, then I come up here and got me the kind of degree you young folks understand. The Parsons School of Design. So dont you worry none about my credentials.
Well. Okay, heres a key. The voice that uttered those utterly reckless words was strange, yet familiar. It was her own voice. Thats why she recognized it.
Hope promised herself shed call the insurance company first thing in the morning. Have an art appraiser out. Determine the current value of the African head and the glass bowl. Adjust the insurance accordingly. And when this nonsense was over, shed hire a proper Manhattan decorating firm to undo the damage.
She would never see Sheila again.
And tomorrow night she was going out with Sam Sharkey.
A little thrill shot straight down through the center of her body just thinking about it.
SAM GUESSED hed been looking for a brown-haired woman with green eyes and a face to match.
As he stepped out of the luxurious Lincoln hed hired for the evening, he scanned the crowd surging through the doors of the office building into the blustery wind of December and didnt find anyone who fit that description. The woman who waved and stepped briskly toward the limo was something else again.
Hope?
She smiled. Am I late?
Right on time.
First thing, her face wasnt green. Of course he hadnt really expected it to be. He wasnt prepared, though, for creamy skin or full, glistening lips, for the even thicker, darker lashes that framed her eyesstill green, thank God. And her hair. Why had he thought it was brown? Must have been wet. This woman had hair the color of copper pipe.
Maybe shed dyed it to match her product.
Under a thick, soft-looking cape, she was wearing a tuxedo. So was he, but the only similarity was their satin lapels. Hers had a short skirt, for one thing, and some kind of low-necked black-lace top under the jacket instead of a white shirt and bow tie. And the jacket poofed out at the top and in at the waist in a way that almost made him forget the reason she was with him in the first place.
For a second he felt like somebody had gut-punched him.
He slid into the car first and let the driver help Hope in beside him. He helped her shrug off the capecashmere, by its feeland pretty soon she was showing him a pair of long, long legs with smooth, slender knees in sheer black stockings. Something bubbled up inside him that was supposed to simmer, covered, for another five years or so, until he really got his feet on the legal ground.
The next thing she was showing him was a laptop. I hope you dont mind, she said, perching it carefully on top of those pretty knees. I was into something important when I realized it was time to change jackets.
Be my he paused to clear his throat guest. I brought work along, too.
Even before he got to that last line he was looking at her profile, at a big emerald earring on a really cute ear that had a thick bunch of shiny hair tucked behind it, at slim hands with long fingernails painted a sort of ginger-peachy color that matched her lipstick, fingernails that went tap-tap, tap-tap-tap on the computer keys.
Wondering if this had been a really bad idea instead of a really inspired one, Sam reached down for his briefcase.
For a time they rodesat absolutely still, rather, in the crosstown trafficin silence except for her taps and the rustle of the brief he was scanning.
Hope knew it was a brief because shed let her gaze stray once too often in his direction, sweep up and down the considerable length of him. Lord help her, he was glorious in black tie! Black tux, onyx studs in the buttonholes of a dazzling white shirt, black hair, black lashesshe wouldnt mind having a brief of her own to fan herself with.
Shed set up her laptop at once in order to have something to focus on besides him, but she wasnt getting a lot done. For one thing, she was concentrating on hitting the laptop keys with the pads of her fingers, not her nails. Clear polish was definitely the way to go, and thats the way she usually went, but for some reason shed wanted to look especially, well, pretty tonight.
But only because she wanted to be sure she left the right impression with the bosss wife. Lick your lower lip at somebody else. Hes mine!
How do you want me to act tonight? she said. Shed been thinking about it, but she hadnt meant to say it aloud.
Oh, I dont know. Sam rolled the brief a little in his hands and frowned. Like a girlfriend, I guess.
Wonder how a girlfriend acts. I havent been one since She couldnt remember since when. That was pathetic. Her sophomore year in college, she thought, when shed dated a pimply philosopher.
Likesmile up at you, and
We should use terms of endearment, Sam said. You know, Sam, darling, would you fetch me one of those adorable caviar canapés. That kind of thing.
I take it I can put that kind of thing in my own words, she said, giving him a sidelong glance.
Whatever makes you comfortable.
Comfortable? She was already not comfortable and she hadnt even begun acting yet. We shouldnt try to pretend weve been together a long time, she said to get back on track. Im popping up for the first time, and these people know you. Youd have said something about having a girlfriend.
The thoughtful look that crossed his face told her that maybe he wouldve, maybe he wouldnt. What he said was, Could we claim love at first sight?
What about she did little quotation marks with her fingers fourth or fifth date, but we feel this really strong attraction?
He nodded. Thats the attitude. The overdone how can I make you happy stuff, like are you cold, heres your cape, are you hot, lets go out on the balcony, are you thirsty, Ill get you a drink.
Very good, Hope said. Then we do the sudden looks of appreciation at discovering something new about each other wed never known before, like you sail? Oh, my goodness gracious! I simply lo-ve sailing.
Thatd be you, he said, looking uncertain for the first time, saying my goodness gracious, I simply lo-ve
Probably not, said Hope. But better me than you, now that I think of it. Incidentally, is there something you do that I should know about?
Probably not, said Hope. But better me than you, now that I think of it. Incidentally, is there something you do that I should know about?
I work.
Well, yes, but
Thats it. I work. Just say he works. Anybody youre talking to will know were well-acquainted.
There was a faint bitterness in his tone, or had she imagined it. Must have, because almost immediately he turned to her with a quick, flashing grin. Then theres the isnt she wonderful face, he said. For me, thatd be a sappy smile. He demonstrated.
Yuck. You look like a lovesick gander. For me, she said, it would be a sort of parted lips, widened eyes kind of thing. She demonstrated, embellishing her act by pouting out her lower lip as if it were swollen with lust.
He cleared his throat again. She hoped he wasnt getting a cold. By George, I think weve got it.
Sorry I interrupted your work, Hope said.
No problem, he said.
She returned to her laptop and he returned to his brief. But first he had to flatten it out, hed had it rolled up so tightly.
CHARLENE. Sam bowed slightly. Phil. This is Hope Sumner.
Im sorry about the circumstances that brought us here, Hope said, looking properly funereal, but thanks for letting us join you at the last minute. Sam has told me so much about you.
Sam gave her a look. Where did she learn to do that, get all the right words into one receiving-line sentence?
Were delighted that you were willing to join us on such short notice, said Charlene. A pair of huge blue eyes shot daggers in Hopes direction, then Cupid arrows at Sam. He pretended not to notice, but it was hard not to notice that Charlenes dress went down to here and came up to there, and that she was as voluptuous here as she was slender there.
Silicone at the top and liposuction at the bottom? Hed ask Hope what she thought.
Please come in, Charlene went on. Make yourselves comfortable. You know almost everybody.
Yes, yes, Phil murmured. Sad time for all of us, but I know Thaddeus would have wanted us to go on with ourHarry! he said, putting a manicured hand forward. Great to see you. Hows the golf?
Sam gripped Hopes elbow and propelled her forward into the Carrolls magnificent reception room, a marble-floored space with twenty-foot ceilings and fifteen-foot windows. They ran directly into Cap Waldstrum. Cap, he said heartily. This is Hope Sumner. He paused. You remember Hope.
No, Cap said, and I promise you I wouldve. The caressing gaze of Sams colleaguehis opposite number in the Corporate Department, the man who might edge Sam out of the partnershipslid down to Hopes cleavage. This drew Sams gaze in the same direction, toward creamy breasts just barely peeking out above the lace.
He had a brief, satisfying daydream of socking Cap in the jaw. And not merely because Cap was apparently an early invitee to this dinner party while he, Sam, was just filling in. This was bad news.
Hed decided to try bluffing Cap about Hope, but as direct as lawyers were, subtlety was out of the question. Hed have to hit Cap over the head with the message to back off.
Ill get you a drink, darling, he said.
Id love some sparkling water, angel, she answered him, giving him the sappy smile hed thought he was supposed to use. With lime. I do better if I start out slowly, she was explaining to Cap as Sam made a beeline for the bar, especially during the holidays.
The bar being a mano-a-mano scene, he barely got back to Hope in time to hear her say, Pipe. Im in pipe.
Not Palmer, Cap said, sounding amazed. What a coincidence. Our firm
She knows, Sam said abruptly. Small world, huh?
So how did you two meet? Cap was looking increasingly interested.
I met Sam through Hope began.
mutual friends, Sam interjected smoothly. And for once, the friends had heads on their shoulders. He gave Hope a replay of the sappy grin shed blatantly stolen from the script theyd agreed on.
Well, so nice to meet you. Cap The Snake slithered off into the crowd to offer his apple to someone more vulnerable. Sam The Shark decided to let him gothis time.
Two down, Hope hissed. Whos next?
Not a new player, he hissed back. Charlenes coming back for a second match.
Sam, Charlene purred, youre my dinner partner this evening. Your friend
Hope, Sam supplied. Hope Sumner.
Hope Sumner, Charlene said, will sit across from you between Capyouve met Cap her gaze flitted briefly in Hopes direction and Ed Benbow.
So its time to go in to dinner? Sam said, relieved that Charlene hadnt yet invited him to dally with her in some private location until the soup was on.
She gave him a mischievous look. Soon, you impatient boy. Ed, she said, come and meet
Hope, said Hope.
Sumner, said Sam.
Sad occasion weve got here, said Ed. He did some appropriately lugubrious head shaking.
Hope turned suddenly to Sam, Daring, I didnt ever meet
Thaddeus, Sam supplied.
Fine man, Ed rumbled. Salt of the earth.
Sam slid a possessive arm around Hopes shoulders. We poured him into our opponents wounds, he murmured.
It was important, of course, to behave as if he and Hope were lovers. About to be lovers, at least. But when she leaned into him, when he felt her shiver of pleasure, he wondered if putting his arm around her and whispering so directly into her ear, a small, very pretty ear, had been a good idea. That shiver had been disquieting, had awakened the sleeping monster inside him again. Except it wasnt inside him. It was right out there in front for all the world to see. And for all he knew, Hope was just ticklish.
How long have you known our boy Sam? Ed asked Hope.
Just a few weeks. Hope smiled prettily. Long enough to know all he does is work.
Thats Sam, all right, Ed agreed.
Sam had let his hand begin to move against Hopes shoulder in the most natural lover-like wayjust testing for signs of response from herwhen to his annoyance he felt something tugging at his other arm.
Sam, Charlene said, I want to show you my new orchid. She dug her spiky little heels into the floor and tightened her death grip on his elbow. We can give Ed and
Hope, said Sam, sending a desperate glance in her direction as he slid away from her.
Hope a chance to get acquainted.
Id love to see your orchids, Hope said warmly. You, too, Ed? You interested in orchids?
My wife is, Ed said. Tanya?
A stunning blonde half Eds age left the group she was visiting with and came over to him. What, honey? Hi, she said, holding out her hand to Hope, Im Tanya Benbow. Hey, Shark! Whats up?
Were going to see Charlenes orchids, Ed said. Knew you wouldnt want to miss that.
The merry party set out for the conservatory, led by Charlene. Earlier, her slim hips had swung seductively inside her lace sheath. Now she gave the impression of a woman on a forced march.