Unexpected tears burned at her eyes and she swiped at them, feeling foolish and overemotional. Darned hormones. Maybe she needed to start some sort of a diary or journal detailing the things that were happening to her, the things that made her feel as if she were slowly losing her mind.
She could take the journal in to her doctor when she had her next appointment in three weeks and maybe Dr. Finnegan could make sense of the things that Debra seemed incapable of figuring out at the moment.
At least she had something to look forward to tonight. After work she was going shopping for a gown to wear to Trey’s party. Because her place was normally behind the scenes, she didn’t have an adequate gown to wear as a guest and she was actually looking forward to shopping, which she rarely did.
She checked in with Kate and then worked until just after noon when she heard a knock on her door. The door opened and Trey filled the space. “Can I come in for a minute?” he asked.
“Sure,” she replied and fought the sudden rapid beat of her heart. She hadn’t seen him since the night he’d had dinner at her place, the night he’d kissed her like he meant it. That darned kiss, this darned man, had haunted her for the entire week.
He plopped down in the chair across from her small desk. “I just thought I’d check in and make sure everything was on schedule for Friday night.”
“Everything is in place. Stacy has been like a bulldog getting things done.” Debra shuffled several papers on top of her desk and pulled out one that displayed the centerpieces she and Stacy had agreed upon.
Short crystal vases that would hold an array of white and red flowers with silver and black sticks of onyx and crystal poking upward, the centerpieces were sophisticated, chic and short enough not to impede conversation across the table.
“Looks good,” he replied and handed her back the paper. He frowned. “But you don’t look so well.”
“Gee, thanks, you sure know how to flatter a girl,” Debra replied dryly. Self-consciously she tucked an errant strand of hair, that had escaped the knot at the nape of her neck, behind her ear.
“No, I’m serious. You look tired. You have dark circles under your eyes and your features looked strained with exhaustion.” The worry in his eyes made the threat of tears rise up the back of her throat and burn at her eyes.
She swallowed hard to staunch her emotion. Darned hormones anyway, she thought. “I’m fine. I just haven’t been sleeping very well, that’s all. I’ll catch up this weekend, once the dinner party is over and done.”
“This has been too much on you, dealing with both my party and mom’s work,” he said with a guilty tone. “I should have taken a bigger role in putting together the dinner party or I should have seen that I was overworking you and gotten you an assistant.”
“Don’t be silly,” she replied. “Haley has been a big help with Kate’s work. I’ll be fine and you did take on a big role in this process. I just need to grab a couple of hours of extra sleep this week.”
His obvious concern touched her and she told herself that she’d better either get more rest or start wearing more makeup. She suspected it was the pregnancy and the worry about her mental state that was draining her energy, not the work she’d put in on the party.
“Is there anything else I can do to help?” he asked, his tone gentle and filled with a caring that wasn’t appropriate between them.
“I promise I’m fine,” she said firmly. “You need to focus on your own health. You’re about to enter months of a marathon race to get yourself elected. You’ll be traveling all over the state and beyond, getting out your vision of what you want to see for the state of North Carolina in the future.”
She wanted to tell him to go worry about the woman he was going to marry, not about a woman who had spent one night with him when they’d both been a little bit drunk and a lot stupid.
“I’m not your concern, Trey. You have bigger and more important things to focus on,” she said.
His eyes turned a deep midnight-blue as he held her gaze.
Suddenly she was afraid he might say something, might do something that both of them would regret. “Go on, get out of here,” she said, the words coming out more harshly than she intended. “I have lots of work to do and you are holding me up.”
She held his gaze, as if daring him to do anything other than get out of her office. He finally sighed, raked a hand through his thick brown hair and stood. “Then I guess the next time I see you will be on Friday night at the party.”
She nodded and stared down at her desk, as if already distracted. “See you then,” she replied airily.
When he’d left, she once again leaned back in her chair and drew a deep steadying breath. She knew he felt something for her. Passion definitely, a caring certainly, but they were unacceptable emotions from a man who had far bigger fish to fry.
Her love for him was equally unacceptable and would remain unrequited. She had no illusions. She wasn’t a dreamer. Trey would do what was expected of him, as he always had done in the past.
He’d choose a wife that would help him accomplish his ambitions and once his campaign kicked into full gear it would be Cecily at his side.
He wouldn’t be around the Winston Estate much after that, and that was fine with Debra. Even though she carried his baby, she had to forget him. She had to emotionally separate herself from him.
Somehow, someway, she had to figure out how to stop loving Trey Winston.
* * *
Trey felt ridiculously nervous as he pulled up in front of Cecily’s house to pick her up for the night’s event. His tuxedo felt too tight, although he knew that it fit him exactly right. The evening air seemed too hot as he got out of his car, but in truth it was in the low forties.
Tonight was what he’d waited for. Tonight was his night to shine. Out of the two hundred and fifty invitations they’d sent out they’d only received eight regrets. It would be a full house and he was nervous as hell now that his moment had finally arrived.
Cecily’s butler, John, met him at the door. “Good evening, Mr. Winston. Ms. Cecily will be down momentarily,” he said.
In all the months that Trey had been seeing Cecily, she’d never been ready when he arrived to pick her up for any occasion. He stood patiently, knowing they had plenty of time as he’d made sure to build in waiting-on-Cecily time when he’d made the arrangements to pick her up.
At that moment Cecily appeared at the top of the staircase. She stood for just a moment, as if allowing him to appreciate how beautiful she looked in her silver formfitting gown and with her short dark hair coiffed to perfection.
“You look nervous,” she said as she started down the stairs.
He grinned at her. “Does it show that badly?”
“Only to somebody who knows you as well as I do.” Her ruby lips smiled as she reached him.
Up close she was utter perfection. Diamond earrings adorned her ears, sparkling as brightly as her brown eyes, and her makeup appeared effortless and yet enhanced her elegant beauty. She reached up and straightened his black bow tie. “Don’t be nervous. You’re going to be dynamite.”
John held out her wrap for the evening, a silver cape that matched her dress. Yes, Cecily was perfection in heels. She would spend the evening at his side saying all the right things to all the right people.
It would be a good night for a proposal, he thought as he ushered her out to his car in the driveway. Yes, he knew Cecily was ready for the ring, but he hadn’t bought a ring yet, and he had a feeling she’d much rather have a proposal be all about her instead of at the tail end of a party that had been all about him.
On second thought, it was a bad night for a proposal. Cecily would expect roses and him on bended knee, at least a five-carat ring and a band playing their song. Did they have a song? He frowned and tried to think of what it might be.
Proposing to her was going to be a lot of work, but he couldn’t think about that now. He had a party to throw, people to persuade and a speech to give that would hopefully make campaign donations fall into his hands.
Tonight was the beginning of a long process and he knew with certainty that he was up for the battle. His nerves calmed the minute they were in the car and headed to the Raleigh Regent Hotel.
He knew his speech by heart, he knew that Debra and Stacy would have everything on point. The night was going to be a huge success, in large part due to Debra.
He didn’t want to think about her right now, either. Thoughts of Debra confused the hell out of him and he needed to be clearheaded. Besides, the woman he intended to marry sat just beside him.
“You’re very quiet,” Cecily said.
“Just going over everything in my head,” he replied.
“It’s all going to be fine. Debra and Stacy have done a great job putting things all together and you always perform well. You’ll charm everyone in the room.”
“From your lips...”
She laughed. “Trey, honestly, for a man who has accomplished everything that you’ve done, you manage to have a humble streak in you that is quite charming.” She paused a moment. “Is Sam planning on attending?”
“No. He told me he’d rather eat dirt than go anywhere tonight.” Trey frowned. “I just wish we could get him to talk to somebody, to help him process everything he’s been through.”
“What about Thaddeus?” she asked.
“He sent his regrets also, as I figured he would.”
She was silent for another long moment. “Will either of them become a liability to you as you move forward?”
“Not as far as I’m concerned. Sam is a war hero and Thad is a respected crime-scene investigator. The fact that neither of them are particularly enthralled with politics shouldn’t be an issue for anyone to use against me.”
He frowned as he thought of his grandmother. Secrets and lies. What had she meant? Did she know something that could destroy them all?
Each time in the past week he’d tried to talk about his concerns with his mother, she’d insisted he needed to forget about his conversation with his grandmother and get on with his business of winning an election.
“I can’t believe I haven’t heard your speech yet,” Cecily said.
He flashed her a quick smile. “Nobody has heard it. I wanted it to be all mine, with no input from anyone. If I can’t write a fifteen-minute speech without help to excite people to get behind me, then I have no business being in politics at all.”
“You’re definitely bullheaded enough to be in politics,” she replied teasingly. “Is your mother giving any kind of a speech?”
“No, just me. She’s showing her support by being at my side, but we don’t want to confuse what tonight is about, and it’s about the state Senate race, not the next presidential race.”
“You’re a wise man not to let her steal any of your thunder,” Cecily said.
For some reason her words irritated him. The last thing his mother would ever do was attempt to overshadow him or “steal his thunder,” and the fact that Cecily’s brain worked that way showed the cold, calculating streak he knew she possessed, but didn’t show often.
Of course, it was that calculating, unemotional streak that would make her such a good wife. He would be able to depend on her to remove any emotion from any issue he might have to address if he became the next senator.
The Raleigh Regent Hotel was at the top of a fairly steep hill and Trey was thankful the weather was cooperating, not making it difficult for people to attend this special night.
By the time they reached the entrance of the hotel, any irritation he felt toward his beautiful passenger had passed and he couldn’t wait to get inside and see the final results of all of his and Debra’s preparations.
They were half an hour early, as Debra had requested them to be and as he handed his keys to the valet, his heart thrummed with restrained excitement.
As they walked into the lobby, there was an air of anticipation that he breathed in eagerly as he led Cecily toward the ballroom.
The doors were closed and an attendant stood at attention, obviously there to keep people out before the appropriate time for the festivities to begin.
He greeted Trey with a respectful nod of his head. “Mr. Winston, Ms. Prentice said to let you in as soon as you arrived.” He opened the door and Trey and Cecily stepped inside.
“Oh, Trey,” Cecily said and grabbed his hand. “It’s all so perfect.”
Members of the orchestra were already there, pulling instruments from bags and setting up on a raised stage on one side of the room. Black-and-white-uniformed waitresses and waiters scurried around the room, checking tables that already looked beautiful.
The dance floor gleamed with polish and the centerpieces with their pop of red were perfect foils against the white tablecloths and with the black-and-white dishes.
The head table was also on a dais and Debra had made the decision for it to be a table of nine, placing him in the center with four people on his left and four on his right. His mother and Cecily would sit directly on either side of him. The two most important women in his life, he thought.
Stacy came up to greet them. Clad in a plain black dress, with little makeup on her face, it was obvious she was here to keep things running smoothly with the staff and work behind the scenes.
“Everything looks great,” Trey said after he’d made the introductions between the event planner and Cecily.
“It does look nice, doesn’t it?” Stacy replied with obvious pride. “Of course, you can thank your assistant, Debra, for bringing things together. She’s a tough taskmaster and a killer at negotiations.”
“Is she here yet?” Trey asked.
“She’s been here for about a half an hour. She checked everything out and then went to the office to sign off on some paperwork. She should be back here any moment now.”
Trey nodded, hating himself for wanting to see her when he had the beautiful Cecily right by his side.
Stacy checked her watch. “We have about twenty minutes before people will begin to arrive. Debra wanted the two of you to stand at the doors and personally receive each guest as they arrive. We’ll have hosts that will then see people to their assigned tables and on the tables are nameplates to indicate where they are to sit.”
She flashed them a bright smile. “It should go relatively smoothly as long as you keep the initial greetings at the door to just a handshake and a welcome.”
“Got it,” Trey replied, his heart once again thundering in anticipation for the evening to come.
In just a little while he would take the place that his grandfather had groomed him for, he would begin to fulfill dreams long ago destined for him.
This was just the beginning and the excitement, the energy that flowed through him was one of challenge and there was nothing Trey loved more than a good challenge.
At five minutes before the doors were to open, the orchestra began playing soft dinner music and Cecily grabbed him by the arm, her eyes lit with a calm determination. She would perform brilliantly tonight, charming friends and adversaries alike.
His mother entered through the doors. Clad in a blue gown that emphasized the bright color of her eyes, she looked beautiful.
“Good luck tonight,” she said as she pulled him to her for a hug. “And Cecily, you look wonderful on my son’s arm.”
“Thank you, Kate. We’re all here for the same reason and it’s going to be a wonderfully successful night for Trey.”
At that moment the door opened once again and Debra walked in. Trey felt as if he’d been sucker punched in the gut as he took in her dazzling appearance.
The emerald-green dress she wore sk
immed her body in silk from her shoulders to the tips of her silver high-heeled shoes. The neckline dipped just low enough to show a flirty hint of the tops of her breasts.
It was the first time since that crazy night they’d shared that he’d seen her with her hair down, rather than in one of her usual messy buns. It fell in soft waves to her shoulders, looking shiny and touchable.
Mascara darkened her eyelashes and a coppery pink lipstick colored her lips. Her cheeks grew pink and he realized he was staring at her as if she were the only woman in the entire room.
He also realized that this had been part of the anticipation he’d felt upon arriving at the hotel, the desire to see her all dressed up. He knew she’d look great, but he hadn’t expected such beauty.
Everyone said hello to everyone else and then it was time for Trey and Cecily to stand at the door and greet the guests who had begun to arrive.
As Debra faded back near a large potted plant in the corner of the room, Trey swore that before the night was over he’d hold her in his arms. It was only right that he dance with all the women who had arrived without male companions. He told himself it was the gentlemanly thing to do, but deep in his soul he knew it was a simple decision of desire that he didn’t want to try to justify or analyze.
He just wanted to hold Debra.
Chapter 8
The night was going magnificently well. Trey had begun the festive evening with a short but rousing speech about his desire to make a difference in the state of North Carolina. He’d spoken with passion and enthusiasm that had resulted in the crowd being on their feet clapping and cheering when he’d finished.
Cecily and his mother had beamed and Debra felt the same pride and joy that she knew they must be feeling for him. Once the speech was given, dinner was served.
The servers moved like silent, efficient ghosts, filling glasses, placing plates with filet mignon and salmon without interrupting conversations.
HER SECRET, HIS DUTY Page 10