Fool's Gold (Contemporary Romance), page 14
The cellist tapped Roxanne on the shoulder. “Sorry, babe,” Roxanne told Victoria, “I need to sing. Catch up to me later and we’ll chat, okay?”
“Sure.” Victoria waited through another song to be polite, then scanned the room again looking for Trent.
She didn’t find him, but she did find Jennifer, Trent’s interior designer. Jennifer had a navy dress with cream swirls up the hips and over the bust. It was hard to tell from across the room, but the cream looked translucent. What a tramp. Victoria picked another direction, any direction, it didn’t matter, and started walking. She accepted another flute of champagne from a passing waitress, then finally spotted Trent.
He was standing near a potted plant, wobbling a little. As she got closer, she noticed the slackness in his face and how his normally beautiful grey eyes were unfocused. He rubbed at his jaw, nearly poking himself in the eye, and for a split second Victoria thought she saw a smear of lipstick. When he took his hand away, it was gone.
When she reached him, Victoria caught his elbow, giving him a little extra support. “Trent, you feeling alright?”
“Whazzit? I’m good.” A blast of whiskey fumes blew over her as he spoke. “Victoria. Where have you been?”
“I’ve been out here looking for you.”
“Oh, I was... I...” He got quiet, taking entirely too long to pick his words. “I was in the whiskey lounge. Getting some whiskey.”
Victoria looked back over the room and spotted Jennifer on the opposite side. The exact opposite side. As if they couldn’t have been further apart if they tried. Funny that Jennifer had appeared at the same time Trent had.
Victoria took a deep breath. She didn’t know he was messing around on her. He seemed drunk enough that he could have just been working his way through the selection of scotch.
“I’m not... I’m not feeling too well.” Trent pulled away and stumbled off toward the bathrooms.
The band on the far side of the room was quiet, the music drowned out by the buzz of chatter and laughter. Victoria sighed. It was time to go. Trent was hammered, she was exhausted, and while it would be nice to talk to Roxanne, that could wait.
Someone bumped into Victoria from the side, sending her stumbling and nearly making her turn an ankle in her heels.
“Oh, excuse me.” Jennifer held a hand to her forehead. “Did I bump into Trent’s charity project?”
Her dress was in fact translucent. You could see all the way up her leg and follow the window of lace over her breasts, only barely missing the nipples. Prostitutes showed less skin.
Victoria ground her teeth. She wanted to give the girl a piece of her mind, but the middle of a Christmas party wasn’t the place for it. “I was just leaving.” She tried to edge around the other girl, but Jennifer moved to block her.
“I’m not done talking to you, country girl.” She jabbed a finger into Victoria’s chest. “Enjoy your time with Trent. He lasts about six months with each of the new girls. Wines them, dines them, gets his fill and then--poof! You’re gone.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you don’t. Not yet. But you know what? He always comes back to me. Always.”
A tremor of rage passed through Victoria. This hooker was trying to lecture her about men? “I’m leaving. Are you going to move, or am I going to move you?”
Jennifer laughed. “Please, make a scene. Trent would love that.”
Victoria took a step closer, her hand balling into a fist. Jennifer’s eyes went wide, and she backed up, letting Victoria past. Victoria wanted to give her a piece of her mind, but Trent was coming back.
He saw them together and nearly tripped. Victoria blew past the other girl and caught Trent by the elbow. “We’re leaving.”
“You can leave.” He pulled his arm away. “I have to stay.” He didn’t sound nearly as drunk. He stood firmly, not a hiccup in his posture.
“Fine.” Victoria walked away and didn’t look back. She wasn’t sure whether he was faking drunkenness earlier or sobriety then, but either way, she didn’t like it. She seethed all the way back down to the lobby.
Chapter 31
Drinks
ROXANNE sat at a narrow table, an empty martini glass by her right hand, and a full one in her left. She had her chair turned out toward the bar so her back was to the wooden railing that divided the bar area from the rest of the restaurant and her right elbow was up on the table.
Victoria sank into the chair across from her.
“You look rough, lady,” Roxanne said.
“I’ve pulled three doubles in a row, and that was after being out half the night Saturday.”
Roxanne drank off about half her martini on a long swallow. “You couldn’t have been too late. I looked for you after we finished playing.”
“I left a little after midnight. Trent and I aren’t seeing-eye to eye on some things.”
“That’s your boyfriend?”
“Yeah. I caught him with a another woman, but he explained it away somehow.”
Roxanne finished her drink. “Run that by me again. He just explained it away?”
“He says the girl was his interior designer and just stopped by. And then he said they used to date. I think they were fucking, but he denies it.”
“So? So what if they were?”
“It’s not something I do. Or condone.”
“Ah. So if you think he’s fucking around on you, why not end it?”
“I don’t know.” Victoria sighed.
A waiter came over. He was a little shorter than Victoria preferred, but plenty cute. Roxanne flashed him a wide smile.
“Jeremy, another martini for me. And whatever Victoria wants.”
“A cosmo.” Victoria sat up a little straighter. “Actually, make it a double.”
“Got it.” The waiter nodded to each of them, turned on his heel and strode away.
Roxanne watched his ass until he was out of sight. “God, he’s hot.”
He did have a nice set of buns. And the rest of him wasn’t too bad, either. His ears were a little too big, though.
“What, you don’t think so?” Roxanne asked.
“He’s not my type.”
“Too short?”
“Maybe.”
Roxanne laughed. “That’s exactly my type. Here he comes.” She pushed her chest out and watched him all the way to the table.
“Ladies, your drinks.” His gaze lingered on Roxanne a few moments longer than on Victoria before he left them to chat.
“Sorry about that.” Roxanne fixed her attention back on Victoria once the waiter was gone. “You were saying something about your cheating boyfriend?”
“Just that I’m not the cheating sort. My mother is sort of a tramp. I always hated seeing her bring guys home, and I vowed I wasn’t going to be like that.”
“Right. So why not drop his ass?”
“Because he’s handsome and charming and I’m not sure if it’s not just me projecting my own messed up ideas about relationships onto him. Or something like that.”
“Well, at least you have your reasons. I, personally, am going to sit here until I have enough liquid courage to ask our darling waiter what he’s doing when his shift ends. And then I plan to take him home and give him the time of his life.”
Victoria shook her head. It sounded just like something her mom would say, but coming from someone else, it didn’t bother her: Roxanne didn’t have a little girl at home.
They sat and chatted about music. Roxanne told Victoria how she landed the gig singing with the band that played at the party. Victoria told Roxanne how she was collecting enough rejections that she could repaper the walls with them. It would have been an opportune time for Roxanne to encourage her, to tell her to stick with it until she found something. To say anything at all positive. Instead, she just shrugged and ordered another drink.
Before the waiter left, she slipped her hand over his. “Jeremy, isn’t it?” She batted her eyes at him.
“Yes.”
“I was talking to my friend here, and she’s got plans later on and my evening has suddenly cleared up. Would you be interested in a drink after your shift?”
The waiter’s smile popped like a balloon floating into a cactus. “I’m engaged.”
Roxanne smiled wider and thrust out her chest again. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
“No. Not interested. Can I get you your bill?”
Victoria covered her smile with her hand. She hadn’t ever shot someone down that coldly.
Roxanne’s eyes narrowed. “Sure.”
When he left, Roxanne finished her drink and looked at Victoria. “I don’t really have much reason to stay back here. You want to see about getting a table and having a proper meal?”
Victoria chuckled. “Food sounds good. Would you rather go somewhere else?”
“And miss out on Chef Nomi’s food? Are you kidding? His sushi is the best in town.”
The bar was situated in the back of the building, connected to the front by a long, elevated walkway that stretched down one side of the dining area. About halfway down the walkway, Victoria turned to Roxanne. “Do you find it odd to eat Japanese food on December 7th?”
“No, why?”
“Pearl Harbor Day.”
Roxanne shrugged. “I bet the Japanese eat hamburgers on the fourth of July. What’s it matter?”
They went down the steps into the restaurant proper and were halfway to the hostess stand when Victoria saw a familiar face.
Jennifer.
A man sat across from her. He had the right hair and the right shoulders to be Trent. Part of her wanted to confront them and tell Trent they were done. Part of her wanted to turn tail and run the other way. If she wasn’t sure it was him, she wouldn’t feel obligated to end it. Indecision tore her up, but inertia bore her forward. She still hadn’t come to a decision when Jennifer’s eyes settled on her. Jennifer’s face lit up and she said something to her dinner companion, though she was too far for Victoria to hear anything over the murmur of the other diners.
Trent turned around in his chair and spotted her. His face was expressionless, then his eyes crinkled with amusement.
Victoria caught Roxanne’s elbow. “That’s them. Trent and the girl.”
“Here?” Roxanne grinned. “Can we go harass them?”
“I don’t know if--“
“Come on. Where is he?”
Victoria sighed. “This way. He’s in the blazer.”
Jennifer had a sleek, blood-red dinner dress that made Victoria’s jeans and sweater look pedestrian. She also had full makeup, and Victoria had just put on a little mascara and lipstick before going out--she didn’t have anyone to impress, but clearly Jennifer did.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Jennifer said when Victoria and Roxanne reached her table.
“Who you calling a cat?” Roxanne asked. She put her hands on her hips. She wasn’t tall enough to tower over anyone, but it was enough to make Jennifer flinch.
Trent just stared coolly between the three of them. “How nice to see you this evening, Victoria.”
“Did she forget something here, too?” Victoria looked at Jennifer as she asked Trent the question, her voice shaking. Some irrational, animal part of her wanted to wade in claws first and let them both have it.
“It’s a business dinner, actually.” Trent was like a regal duck. All her anger just washed off his back like so much water.
Roxanne rolled her eyes. “Business dinner? Really?”
“Yes.” Trent said. “Who are you? I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”
Jennifer snickered. “The village people don’t have manners.”
“This is my friend Roxanne,” Victoria said. “Roxanne, this is Trent.” She pointed to Jennifer. “And this is the hired help.”
Jennifer blanched, but Trent actually smiled. “Jennifer is the firm’s interior designer. We were just discussing how to furnish my new office.”
“Riiight.” Roxanne shook her head. “You two have a nice date. Come on, Victoria. This is a waste of time.”
Trent snorted. “Have a good evening, Victoria. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Victoria bit her tongue, forcing herself not to lay into him. Not yet. “Sure.”
She followed Roxanne to the hostess stand, Jennifer’s giggling echoing in her ears. “Hey Rox, I think maybe I’m going to pass on the sushi.”
“It’s not that good, anyway.” Roxanne passed the hostess stand, angling instead for the front door. “I just wanted to another shot at the waiter.”
Victoria followed her outside into the night. Her chest felt tight and she had the beginning of a migraine throbbing at her right temple. She and Trent were going to hash this whole thing out, and she had a feeling it was going to end in tears. Hers, probably.
Chapter 32
Office
CHRISTMAS garlands hung above the door to Beta’s office, and the decorators had even put a wreath in his window. Beta ran a finger along the inside of the window pane, checking to see if the frost would smear. It did, leaving a smudge on the glass and some kind of white powder on his finger. He wiped it off on a tissue, then settled into his chair. One nice thing about living in the building was the commute. Unless he went out for lunch or groceries, he never went below the fifth floor.
It was probably how the people in Wool felt, but to the negative one power. Or something.
A sonorous piano tune rose from the baby grand in the common area. Sol was in early, too, practicing. Beta didn’t recognize the tune, but whatever it was, it was beautiful and haunting.
He closed the door.
Once in his chair, Beta set his feet on the desk and settled the keyboard into his lap and went to work. Time lost meaning when he got buried in the code. People wandered past his office, and someone may have even talked to him, but he couldn’t remember who it was or what they said. When he next surfaced into conscious thought, it was pushing 11:00 and his legs ached from sitting still for so long.
Beta wandered down the second level walkway to Jerome’s office. The big guy was at his desk, hunched over his keyboard, his attention fixed squarely on one of his monitors. Beta cleared his throat.
Jerome jerked and looked. “Beta dude, how’s it going?”
“It goes. You got lunch plans?”
“Sol mentioned something to me this morning when I came in. You want to come with us?”
“Is that okay? I need to get out of the building. I don’t think I’ve been on the street in a week.”
Jerome shook his head. “That can’t be healthy, dude. You need to get out and see the town a little. Not just spend your time in EVE.”
“I haven’t been online much, actually. I take it you haven’t, either?”
“Nah, Charity and I have been going to the gym and stuff. Seen a couple movies, some shows up in Midtown.”
“Well, ping me before you guys leave.”
“Will do.”
Beta wandered back to his office and settled back in front of his monitors. Coming in early and staying late had turned into a routine. It was funny how that worked. Back in Omaha the routine had been tech support, web development, EVE.
Jerome and Sol gathered him for lunch and distracted him for a while, and it was good to walk around in the fresh air--even if it was cold enough to make him think he was back home in the Midwest--but the afternoon soon meandered into the evening and Beta was working alone in the building.
At least he thought he was, until Sol knocked on the window. “Benjamin, you’re here late again.”
Beta rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Yeah, Sol, what’s up?”
“Are you trying to impress me, young man? Because working yourself to exhaustion and burn-out isn’t something I find endearing in my employees.”
“No. I was just busy.” Beta gestured toward the screen. “Lost track of time.”
“How was your evening with Zoe?”
“Weird.” Beta met Sol’s eyes. “That girl has issues. And probably diseases.”
Sol chuckled. “I’ll refrain from passing that message to her mother. So I take it your evening wasn’t enjoyable?”
“It turned out alright. I ran into Vidya and a couple of her friends.”
“Vidya Butala?”
Beta nodded, but a pang of worry hit him. They hadn’t exactly had a date, but was there some company policy against it? “Is that okay? That we work together, I mean?”
“It’s fine, Benjamin. Please remain professional in the office, and try to avoid an acrimonious breakup, but you’re both adults. Be responsible.”
Beta exhaled. Well, that was good news, at least.
“What happened to your girl from Nebraska that you came out here to see?”
“I haven’t seen her since she left the hospital. I thought...” He looked away, studying the whiteboard and thinking about the last time he’d seen her laying on her hospital bed, pale and weak. “I thought maybe something would change. I’d ride in like Prince Charming and she’d be swept away and...”
“And it didn’t work out?”
“I only came to the city because she was in the hospital, right? And then when she was released, she ran straight back to her Wall Street boyfriend and I’ve barely heard anything since. So forgive me if I’d rather just carve out a niche of my own here, and not spend my evenings worrying about her. Because I’ve done that.” Beta clenched his fists. “God, have I done that. I’ve spent ten years chasing Victoria, and each time I catch her, she twists away.”
“To another man?”
“No. Not until this year. And then she meets this asshole banker from up here and the next thing I know she’s moving halfway across the country. Only, I’ve met this guy. He really is an asshole. So I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. Just trying to make it, I guess.”
Sol stood up. “Come on. We’re getting a drink. I’m saying this as a concerned friend and not your boss. You need to get out of this building for a few hours.”
“Sol, I really don’t think--“
“Benjamin, grow up. You want to know why she keeps running away from you? It’s because you act like a child. You chase her when you should give her space, and you hide from her when you should call. I don’t claim to know a lot about women, but I know more than a few things about people. Now get up.”
