Stephanie’s associate rolled his eyes. He hadn’t noticed anything of the kind. The young woman was very attractive. Farm girl or no, she was obviously intelligent, and she and Gabriel Abbott seemed quite well matched.
“Are you in love with the man?”
Stephanie sighed. “I don’t know. I just know I don’t want him with her. I had a chance with him until she showed up. I’ve had my eye on him for years.”
“What exactly do you think you can do about it? Pretend you’re in high school again and talk behind her back? Start a slam book? Really, it seems like a pointless exercise. They’re a couple. Let it go.”
“No, I don’t want to let it go.” Stephanie sounded like a petulant child.
“Miss Lindstrom, Stephanie, you are a very successful, accomplished, beautiful woman. You could have practically any man in this city panting at your feet. Why waste your time on Gabriel Abbott? Sorry to be so blunt, but he obviously doesn’t want you.”
“But he did, Paul. He did. I didn’t imagine that. What does this… this Eva Raines woman have that I don’t have?”
“I have no idea and I don’t care. I don’t think it matters. There’s such a thing as chemistry. Maybe the two of them have it. I advise you to drop it.” Paul walked to a sidebar and helped himself to a bottle of sparkling water.
“When you become a partner, you may advise me. Until then, keep your mouth shut.”
Paul sipped his sparkling water. “Yes, Miss Lindstrom.”
Stephanie paced in front of her desk for a moment, staring at her cell phone.
“What are you planning to do?”
“I’m going to figure out a way to make her crawl back under the rock she came from.”
“Well, Miss Lindstrom,” said Paul as he set tossed his now empty bottle into a recycling bin, “I’ll say goodnight. I’m going home. Would you like me to send my cab back for you?”
“Wait. Paul, when do you expect to make partner? Six years? Seven years?”
Paul gazed in silence at the woman, careful to keep his face neutral.
“I can make it happen by the end of this year, if you’d like. If you’d do me a favor.”
“What kind of favor, Miss Lindstrom? I’m not a hit man.”
“Of course not. Don’t be silly. I have no intention of hurting the woman. I’d just like to push her a little. Encourage her to show her true colors. You wouldn’t even have to go anywhere near her. At least, not immediately.”
“When you come up with something, let me know and I’ll consider it, but I won’t do anything illegal and I won’t hurt her. Right now,” he waved dismissively, “I’m going home. Do you want that cab or not?”
“No thank you,” replied Stephanie, her voice sweet.
Paul strode from the office and hit the elevator button. What a fucking bitch. He was concerned that anything Stephanie came up with could backfire big time and land him in hot water. He’d graduated number one in his law class and he’d worked hard to get where he was. Paul was quite certain he’d make partner within three to four years without her help. The problem was, if he didn’t cooperate, she could get his ass fired and impugn his reputation. Who was the man she’d talked to? She’d called him Eddie. Probably the private investigator she hired from time to time. What was his name? Eddie Jamison? Edward Jamison, that was it. He glanced back over his shoulder. Stephanie’s office door was still shut. He walked quietly to her assistant’s desk and pulled out her rolodex. Edward Jamison. Several of his business cards were stuck on the little ring. Paul quietly removed one and slipped it into his jacket pocket. The elevator door opened and he hurried to get inside before it closed.
Chapter Twenty
The White’s had given Eva the day off. She’d decided to go for a long overdue bike ride and stop by Gabe’s house. She strolled into Gabriel’s garden where she found Luis working in the herb bed. He rose to his feet when he saw her.
“Buenos días, Señorita. Cómo está usted?”
“Muy bien, gracias. Y tu, Señor, y su hermana?”
“Bien, gracias. Y mi hermana? Ella esta muy feliz.”
Eva thought Luis was looking very well. He seemed at peace in the garden, with bees buzzing and butterflies fluttering around his head.
“You and Señor Abbott are together, sí?” he asked, a hopeful note in his voice. “It’s very good for him. You are very good for him, Señorita.”
“I think it works both ways, Luis. He’s very good for me too.” Eva smiled at the man. “I just stopped by to say hello and to tell you that Gabe has given me a key. I wanted you to know so that you wouldn’t think I was taking advantage of the situation. Will it be a problem for you in any way?”
“No, Señorita, I am always happy to see you, but I do think, well, I do think the man should marry you. It would be the proper thing to do.”
Eva sat down on a low stone wall and Luis joined her. “He hasn’t asked yet, Luis, and I think it would be a little sudden if he did. We haven’t known each other all that long.”
“Es verdad, pero, yo pienso que…”
“You can say it in English.”
“I think it would be better for him and best for you. It is always best for the woman. Even in this country. It is better to have a man to look after you. And I think Señor Abbott would look after you very well.” Luis winked.
Eva laughed. “You are quite a gentleman, Luis. And very old world.”
“Sí, yo soy viejo sabio.”
“Sí, sí señor, mucho, mucho viejo sabio.” Eva squeezed the man’s hand. “So, Mr. Wise Man, I’m going to check out the kitchen and see if there’s anything I can make us for lunch.”
“Justa lo que necesitaba, Señorita Eva. Gracias.”
“Me too. But first I guess I better find out if Gabe has any food in his house or if I should do a little grocery shopping.”
Luis nodded and returned to his pruning. Eva pushed herself off the wall and headed to the kitchen. Foraging through Gabriel’s fridge and his cabinets, she managed to find a carton of eggs, some mayo, a jar of capers and a loaf of frozen whole wheat bread. Eva put six eggs on to boil while she drained and chopped a couple handfuls of capers and searched for a pepper grinder. When she’d catered for Gabe, she’d brought her own fresh ground black pepper. The water in the pot with the eggs began to boil so Eva shut off the stove. Her mother had taught her when she was a kid that if you want hard boiled eggs to have nice, bright, yellow yolks without that greenish ring around them, you should shut the stove off the instant the water begins to bubble and leave them to sit, covered, for exactly ten minutes. Eva had done that ever since. She checked to see if Gabe had any fruit or even a head of lettuce, but he had nothing in his fruit and vegetable bins, so she walked out into Luis’ vegetable garden and picked a handful of tangy arugula. While the eggs sat, she brewed some black tea, added sugar, and poured it over two glasses of ice.
In ten minutes, Eva ran cold water over the eggs and peeled them. She chopped them coarsely and added a couple tablespoons of mayo, the capers and ground some fresh pepper over all. She tossed a couple slices of frozen bread in the toaster to brown while she mixed the egg salad. Retrieving the bread from the toaster, she spread each slice lightly with mayo, placed a few arugula leaves on the bottom, scooped on a big spoonful of egg salad, and spread it around on over the green herb. She covered the salad with the second slice of bread and cut the sandwich in half, trying not to squeeze all the egg salad onto the plate. She made two sandwiches and then she called to Luis. While he washed up, she carried both plates onto the patio, returned for the glasses of ice tea and scrounged up a couple napkins. She and Luis ate in companionable silence, listening to birdcalls and the hum of insects. When they finished, Eva refused Luis’ offer of help. She insisted that he sit for a few moments while she cleaned up.
“Gracias por la comida, Señorita Eva. The sandwich was muy delicioso. I must get back to work. A tree fell down in back and I must begin to cut it up. Señor Abbott can use it
for firewood.”
“De nada, Luis. I’m glad you’re okay with me having a key.”
“Don’t worry,” replied Luis with a smile, “I have faith in Señor Abbott. He will do the right thing. He’s already met the right woman. That’s a good first step.”
Before Eva could answer him, the man had walked into the garden. Eva had ridden up here today for Luis’ sake, to tell him and get his permission. She knew Gabe was a very private man and he wouldn’t discuss his personal life with Luis. Eva, on the other hand, wanted Luis to think well of her. She didn’t like the idea that he might lose respect for her if she became Gabe’s mistress in his eyes. Luis had lived in the States a long time, but his values were still very old world. She could tell that in his mind, if a man and woman were, well, intimate, it meant that they were either married or getting married. Gabe hadn’t said anything about marriage, although he had said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and he’d torn up the check she’d left him for the bicycle repairs and told her to drop the matter. Eva smiled at the memory. As Marsha warned her, Gabe did like to take care of people. Well, his words would have to be enough for now. She had her job in Napa. He had his company in San Francisco. Besides, she loved the man. She could wait.
Eva made a short list of kitchen essentials, committed them to memory, and left by the front door. She locked up and tucked the key into the pocket of her bike shorts. She sat on the stoop to put her bike shoes back on. She hadn’t heard from Gabe today and she didn’t know if he’d be able to get away, but if he could, she wanted to have something ready for him.
* * * *
“Mr. Abbott,” called Marsha, “Your sister’s on the line. She says she’s been trying to reach you on your cell but it’s gone straight to voicemail.”
“Crap.” Gabe pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He’d forgotten to switch it on when he left Eva’s bed this morning. “Put her through.”
His desk phone rang. “Lise, what’s up? How are you? How are the girls?”
“The girls are fine, Gabe, they’re good. It’s me. I’m spotting and the doctor says I need to stay in bed.”
“Well, if the doctor says you have to stay in bed, then sis, you have to stay in bed. What about the girls? Can David handle them?”
“Mom’s coming to stay with us for a while,” said Elise. “Besides, it’s not the girls I’m worried about. I’ve already enrolled them in day camp for the summer.”
“Quincy,” said Gabe.
“Yes, Quincy. He gets out of school at the end of this week and he’s supposed to be staying here. It would be okay with me, but Gabe, it won’t be any fun for him. He’ll feel like he’s a babysitter. That’s no way to start a relationship. Father Joe says Quincy can stay with him for a few weeks, but the man is still recovering.”
“Sis, I don’t want you to worry about it. Quincy can fly out here. I’ll make the arrangements. I’ll pick him up at the airport and he can stay with me in the apartment or we’ll go to the house in Napa. It’s not a problem. I’ll talk to Eva.”
“Eva?” his sister asked.
“My…my…” suddenly Gabe didn’t know exactly how to describe her.
“Gabriel,” sang his little sister, “You have a girlfriend. Eva… Is she the woman you were talking about?”
“Yes, we’re…we’re together.”
“So spill, are you in love with her or is this one of your seven-week flings?”
“I’m in love with her, Lise. Does that ease your mind?” Gabe smiled despite his worry for his sister.
“Very. All I can say is, it’s about damn time. I was afraid you were going to become one of those lecherous old bachelors who always has a blond bimbo on his arm.”
“Not a chance, sis. Just waiting for the right woman. This one is about as far from a bimbo as you can get.”
“And she’s the right woman?” Elise asked.
“She’s the right woman for me,” answered Gabe. “So I’ll call Father Joe and set this up.”
“There’s another tiny problem,” Elise interrupted.
“Yes?”
“Quincy’s not a ping-pong ball and I don’t want him to feel like we’re bouncing him around. He’s never flown before, Gabe, at least not as far as I know. I don’t think he’s ever even been out of Illinois. I spoke with him and while he tried to hide it, I could tell he’s pretty nervous about making the trip by himself. You think you could come out here next weekend? You know, find a legitimate reason to come to Chicago? He could fly back with you and it would all seem on the up and up.”
“Possibly,” Gabe said. “Let me talk to Marsha and to Father Joe. I’ll see if we can get the interviews set up a little early. It would be good for Quincy to sit in on them anyway. He could learn from what his fellow students have to say, watch how they handle themselves. Might work out best for everyone concerned.”
“What about Eva? Can she come with you? I’d like to meet her. She must be very special to have my big brother publicly proclaiming his love for her.”
“I’ll ask, but if I know Eva, she’ll say no. It would be short notice and she takes her responsibilities very seriously. Don’t worry, Lise, you’ll meet her. I believe she has plans to fly back to Iowa in a few weeks to see her family. If I’m still in the Midwest, I can probably coax her into taking a little detour.”
“Sounds good. Thanks, Gabe. I really appreciate this and I’m sure Quincy will too, even if he doesn’t admit it.”
“Don’t worry, sis,” Gabe reassured her, “I’ll handle everything. You rest and keep your chin up. Give David my regards and kiss the girls and mom for me.”
“I will. Love you, big brother.”
“Love you too, Lise.” Gabe clicked off.
“So we need to go to Chicago earlier than planned, huh?” asked Marsha from where she stood in the doorway. “Is Elise all right?”
“She’s pregnant. Four months. The doctor wants her to stay in bed. I think they’re worried she might lose the baby. My brother…the boy I told you about, Quincy, he was supposed to stay with Elise for a month and then come out here for the rest of the summer. He’s going to be coming here instead. I need to fly out there and pick him up, only he can’t know I’m picking him up.”
“Then I guess we’ll need to combine the trip with our interviews,” said Marsha.
“You read my mind,” Gabe replied. “Can you make the arrangements? Talk to the families? I’ll get on the phone to Father Joe’s secretary.”
“When will we be leaving, boss?”
“Friday. Early.”
“Okay, guess I better get my ass moving then. We have a busy week ahead of us.”
Gabe dialed the school in Chicago. He was able to reach Father Green’s secretary, but the man had already returned to teaching part time. Gabe shook his head, it figured that Father Green wouldn’t stay down for long. The secretary said she’d have Father Green call him back when he was free. Gabe doubted the priest would be able to make much time for him during the last week of school, but if Quincy was willing, he and Gabe could spend a little time together. Gabe could show him some of his favorite Chicago haunts.
He wondered if there was any chance Eva could go, but he dismissed the thought. She would never leave her bosses and her clients in the lurch like that. He called her cell anyway, but there was no answer. She had the day off today, now that the graduation party was over. Gabe had had a surprisingly good time at the party, even though the only person he knew was Eva. He’d tossed a football around with the boys, chatted with Dr. and Mrs. White. Sampled Eva’s fantastic buffet. Had a long talk with Jason about Eva.
The corner of Gabe’s mouth turned up. Despite the fact that the boy had a steady girlfriend, he obviously harbored a serious crush on Eva. He’d taken Gabe aside and warned him that if he didn’t treat Eva well, he’d have to answer to him. Trying to look equally serious, Gabe reassured the young man he’d do right by her. Gabe shook his head. Eva had that effect on men. Made them want to
protect her although she was perfectly capable of standing up for herself. Perhaps it was the big brown eyes, her innocent smile and sweet voice. Eva managed to rouse those innate protective instincts in almost every male she encountered. Luis had succumbed. Adam had been immediately smitten. Jason and his friends had her back. It seemed as if her bosses watched out for her like guardian angels. Gabe doubted she had any clue as to how the male sex reacted to her. He actually couldn’t believe his luck. A woman like Eva should have been off the market a long, long time ago. Fortunately for him, she was, as she described herself, selective. Talk about boosting a guy’s ego, among other things. And man, that woman could cook.
Even Marsha had nearly swooned when she ate the piece of chocolate cake Gabe brought her. “Oh my God…marry her… I’m telling you marry Eva,” she declared after her first bite, “For this cake if for no other reason.”
When Gabe tasted the cake himself, the flavors had exploded in his mouth. The texture was like chocolate velvet poured over his tongue. Tender, moist, creamy, rich, deep and dark. No wonder Jason had requested it. The silkiness alone kicked Gabe’s imagination into overdrive and he’d stood there, barely chewing, imagining some pretty intriguing things. When he had asked Eva how she did it, she merely shrugged.
“Oh, dark cocoa powder, sour cream, hot water…a few family secrets. It’s not all that difficult. My grandma taught me how to make this cake years ago. If you like this, wait until you try my whiskey cake,” she winked at him, “Another family secret. It’s how my mom caught my dad.”
Gabe believed every single word. If her mother was half the cook Eva was…
Gabe had brought her two bottles of wine, gifts from Adam, and he’d watched some of her prep work for Jason’s party. He’d asked her how she knew what flavors went together. How much salt to use? How much pepper? How she could get away with blending two such diverse ingredients as walnuts and cream cheese in her tuna salad and manage to make the stuff so addictive? Or mixing crushed pineapple and toasted almonds into chicken salad? How she could include habanero peppers in her fresh fruit salsa yet somehow meld them with other the other ingredients so that they became background hot and not just mouth-scalding, can’t taste anything the rest of the day hot? How did she know when enough of any one spice was enough?
Beauty and the Feast Page 17