“Just a friend from college. His family is connected and I thought if I could get him involved, there would be more donations,” I answered quickly, pushing the words out like a four-year-old who had been caught in the cookie jar.
“Does he know about me?”
“He was flirting with me the other day and I wouldn’t answer him about if I was seeing someone.”
“Why?”
“You and I are part of my private world. It’s no one’s business what you and I do,” I explained and felt the nod of agreement as his chin moved against the top of my head as I cuddled against his broad chest.
“Why did you tell him our families were old friends?”
“I found a picture in one of Mother’s old albums. There was a man I thought was you until I realized he was shorter and stockier. I knew it must be your father and they were all standing at one of Mother’s barbecues. She was famous for them. I quizzed her about it and she said your father and mine were acquaintances.” I felt Worth’s body stiffen, but was content to answer questions only.
“Why him?”
Confession time. “He’s easy to get to and has always had a thing for me. I knew I could get his cooperation and I guess you could say I’m using him for that. He’s my link to a great deal of other cooperative people.”
Again, I could feel Worth’s head nodding.
“One more question.”
I tipped my head so I could look him in the face.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, a glimmer of humor in his eyes telling me that the storm had passed. We were on the same footing now and would be, forever. In fact, I believed he approved of my using Brandon. Although, I can’t safely say he would feel the same if it was someone else.
“I’m starved,” I said.
Worth kissed me once more and in a single, smooth motion, rolled off the bed and began dressing. “Your clothes are ruined. I’ll be back. Take a nap,” he ordered and for once in my life, I did as I was told.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Auggie
I hadn’t been asleep long when there was a knock at the room door. I gathered up the sheet around me and inched it open. There was a young woman standing there and she had shopping bags in both hands and surrounding her feet. “The gentleman said I should deliver these to you,” she said. I nodded and stood back to open the door. She brought them all in and laid them on the bed. “Have fun,” she said. “You’re a lucky gal.”
Worth, it seemed, was bent on spoiling me. I pulled clothes out from between tissue paper and found several expensive, as well as casual, outfits with underthings and even some nice jewelry to match. There were shoes and stockings and everything fit perfectly. He was a good judge of size, it seemed.
I was dressed and had remade the bed by the time he came back. I kissed him for the gifts and cleared the table by the window for the food. As I unpacked it, he dragged over chairs and hung his jacket up in the closet. He saw all the clothing and turned around, “Did I do okay?”
“More than okay,” I answered. “As the girl said when she delivered it, I’m a lucky gal.”
“See that you remember that,” he said, grinning.
We feasted and I fed him grapes like Cleopatra. We kissed and even fondled one another a bit. It was lovely and the sun began to set before I suddenly remembered Brandon.
“I can’t let him show up without Mother expecting him. He’s certain to tell her where he saw me and who I was with.”
“It’s going to come out eventually, Auggie.”
I shook my head. “You don’t know Mother. This isn’t the sort of thing she wants to hear from relative strangers, no matter the standing of his family. In fact, that would make it worse. I’m not going to give her something more to bitch about. There’s no choice, I have to go home.”
“Now?” I heard the disappointment in his voice.
“I know. It’s my fault and you can take it out on my hide later on, but for now, please humor me. Take me home in time for dinner so I can intercept Brandon.”
“What about me?” the storm was gathering in his face again.
“You’re invited as well, of course.”
“How is that different from her finding out about us from someone else?” he posed the question.
“Mother wouldn’t dare cause a scene at her own dinner party. I’ll deal with her questions later on, but for now, let’s get going.”
An hour later, both suitably attired, we walked into the house just as Mother was beginning to serve cocktails. We had beaten Brandon and for that much I was grateful.
Mother looked up when we came in and I saw her face go white once again. What an odd reaction she was having to Worth. “Mother, Daddy…there will be three more for dinner,” I announced.
“I thought you were gone,” Mother began in a chiding voice.
“Change of plans. Worth was kind enough to bring me home and while I was out, I ran into an old school chum who has agreed to do some legal work for me. He should be arriving at any time.”
I could tell Mother wanted to protest, but there were already guests in the room and this prohibited her from acting out her role as inquisitor. I was grateful for that.
I personally set three more places at the table and was glad to see she was serving prime rib so the roast could be sliced just a bit thinner than normal and there would be plenty. She always had more food than necessary, something about being poor and hungry at some primeval part of her life.
I heard a commotion at the door and realized that Brandon had arrived. Since Worth was the only person who remotely knew him, he’d been elected to welcome him in. I took this duty over and the rest of the night was a nightmare of maneuvering between my two admirers.
Brandon took the chair next to mine and Worth asked me to get him steak sauce from the kitchen. When I returned, he was seated in my chair and I was to his right. I sat on the sofa and Brandon scrambled to take the seat next to me. Worth admired something of Dad’s from the library and offered to show it to Brandon, and then took his seat while Brandon stood. It was quite a production and childish, at best. Dad smiled quite a bit and Mother was fascinated. The rest of our guests were highly entertained and I was simply humiliated. At one point, I was ready to go to my room or outside and ride Carlos, even in the darkness.
The horrible evening finally came to an end. I signed the paperwork Brandon brought. It amounted to essentially a standard blank form since he’d not had time to prepare anything in advance of this ruse. He lingered, wanting Worth to be the first to leave, but it became embarrassingly clear that Worth was not going anywhere until Brandon was gone. I was beginning to wonder which of them would piss on me first.