"Yeah, well Caleb would probably give you a share in BGE to keep you as his PA. He's really worried you'll leave him after you get married."
"Caleb doesn't have anything to worry about, and I've told him that. I love my job, and nobody is going to dictate what I choose to do for a career." I sensed she might be referring to her fiancé, but I didn't want to be nosey and ask her outright. Clay Whitcomb was a charming guy, handsome and successful, but there was something just a little too shiny about him. A high-profile lawyer like James, but in a completely different way. Where James was serious and all business, Clay came off as arrogant with a little bit of snob thrown in. I didn't really see his attraction, but Victoria must see something in him that the rest of us didn't, because she'd agreed to marry him. Their wedding was planned for July.
"So, you want me to tell Caleb it'll be easier for you stay on as his PA if he doubles your salary? I'll be seeing him this weekend at Lucas's place on the island," I teased.
"Oh, please tell him hi for me," she said a little too quickly.
Why would she need to tell Caleb "hi" when she saw him every day? Weird. "Okay…I will?" I left the question dangling.
"I meant Lucas…tell Lucas I said hello." A flush appeared over her face, and I got the impression there was far more to this story than I was aware. Lucas and Victoria? I didn't know of the two of them having any kind of history, but then secrets are meant to stay secret, so it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities that I wasn't in the know. I kept pretty busy with school and work most of the time. Interesting. Yet she's engaged to another man.
"I will tell Lucas then," I promised. "He's going to pick me up from the helipad at BGE in the morning. It's a good thing I trust his piloting skills, because I am not a fan of helicopter rides." I shook my head. "Have you ever flown with Lucas?" It was a calculated question on my part—I was curious to see her reaction—because I am a hopeless matchmaker. My sister would verify the "hopeless" part due to some disastrous dates I set her up with before she met Roger.
"Once."
I caught some regret in that one small word, and she didn't offer anything more to elaborate, so I let it go. Vanessa joined us then and asked if everything was ready, so it was time for a change of topic anyway.
But I'd noticed something important in my conversation with Victoria.
What had started out being about Caleb, quickly switched to Lucas the instant his name came up. She didn't acknowledge my offer to bribe Caleb into giving her a raise for agreeing to stay on as his PA—which was easily a joke, but seriously a viable option for her if she ever wanted to use it on him. Most people would at least laugh at the humor in the silly words rather than ignore them completely. But not Victoria tonight. Hmmm.
She also never mentioned her fiancé in the course of the entire afternoon. Not that she missed him, or that he might have arranged a phone call from wherever he was to wish her and her family a happy holiday—just nothing at all. It struck me as odd, because Victoria wasn't normally so quiet. Her silence was actually surprising.
"Is your hand hurting, dear?" Mrs. Blakney asked kindly when she found me tossing back a couple of my prescription painkillers amidst dessert. Choosing between the exquisite-looking pumpkin cheesecake on my plate and pills would normally be a no-brainer. Dessert always won. But today, less than twenty-four hours since I'd sliced my hand open, I needed the pills more.
"It is starting to ache again actually."
"You must have been so frightened when it happened." She focused on the bandage covering my right hand. "Was it terribly painful?"
"It wasn't really. That's the ironic thing. The knife injury didn't hurt, in fact I didn't even feel it happen. It was the sight of all the blood that got me. I just can't tolerate looking at it. I basically passed out and don't remember very much about last night." I smiled at James and then leaned into him a bit. "If it wasn't for your son helping me, I don't know where I'd be right now."
Judge Blakney said, "You'll have to work on that when you start a family. Children bloody themselves all the time."
Excuse me, but what?
Where in the hell had that comment come from?
I gave the judge my best resting bitch face and shrugged. "It's a very good thing I intend to focus on my career for the moment, then."
Judge Blakney raised a challenging eyebrow, first at me and then at his son, but kept any comments to himself. Probably a smart move on his part based on the anger James was throwing off in tense waves. His whole body was stiff beside me yet again. Clearly, his father irritated the hell out of him. His dad was an ass.
I marveled at how the judge could effortlessly turn any topic into something weird and mysterious, while Mrs. Blakney did her best to defuse the awkwardness her husband's comments caused. And she's had over thirty years to perfect it. Definitely a saint. Jesus, how the heck did she put up with him?
"What color is your dress for The Autumn Ball?" she inquired in an attempt to change the subject. "Victoria and I just had our fittings earlier this week."
"Black," I answered. "I know it's not very festive, but I love the dress, and it just…works very well…for me this year."
She reached across the table and squeezed my undamaged hand in the sweetest gesture of comfort.
She understood. She totally got that I was still mourning the loss of my father and didn't feel particularly celebratory at attending this first major charity event since he'd passed. And I greatly appreciated her silent message to me.
"I have some stunning opera-length gloves I'd like to show you that would probably go nicely with your black gown. They are a beautiful dark coral. Nobody will ever know you've hurt your hand if you wear them."
"How kind of you, Mrs. Blakney. I would love to see them. That's a really good idea for accessorizing this year," I said, holding up my bandaged hand. "I'm going to need something pretty to cover up this ugly thing."
"Oh, please call me Vanessa, or even better just Mom…if you prefer," she said with another sweet smile.
Ohh-kay then. This whole afternoon just kept getting weirder by the hour.
I nodded and smiled back at her while squeezing James's hand under the table for some kind of reassurance.
He leaned in and whispered, "They all adore you, even my prick of a father thinks you're perfect."
Perfect for what, exactly? His father thought my career choice was substandard at best and would…do until I started a family. Call me Mom? They thought there was something between James and me? How ridiculous.
Yet.
He'd suggested we get married on the way over… Had he said something to his parents before I arrived to make them believe that? Like this was a test run, or something?
Was James truly serious about his offer to marry me?
Chapter Eleven
JAMES
The reason I was happier than I could ever remember being—after spending an entire afternoon tolerating the company of my dickhead father—was sitting beside me in my car, smelling divine and looking beautiful.
I might have lost my mind during the course of the day, saying things I probably shouldn't have said, but I was actually happy for once.
And feeling very selfish—if I had to put a word to it—because even the limited discussion of a marriage of convenience didn't worry me. I already knew I wanted to keep her. I saw her face when I mentioned dissolution on the way over. I'd felt like such a bastard for using that word about our marriage. It was a lie.
My doubts and fears about bringing Winter into my life were being blown away bit by bit. The way she'd handled my dad today was nothing short of brilliant. Nobody pushed Winter Blackstone around and had an easy time of it. And I started toying with the idea that maybe it could work with us. My father's threat wasn't going away. I could see how ecstatic he was at the prospect of having a Blackstone in the family. Hell, he'd probably be calling me before Monday to ask the date we'd chosen for our big day. Not happening, Dad.