“No, Dad. Finish your story.” The moment Warren resumed speaking, Joshua’s hand glided further up Eleanor’s leg and started a journey toward her inner thigh. Her skin broke out in goose bumps. She gritted her teeth and clamped her knees together tightly, trapping his fingers.
She heard his startled curse and smiled. Feeling triumphant at finally thwarting him, Eleanor smugly glanced his way, disappointed to discover only a hint of strain about his lips.
“How’s the golf game, Dad? Is Rosemary still beating you?”
Rosemary grinned with delight. “Two out of three times. He starts out strong, but usually runs into trouble on the back nine. And he grumbles about it all the time.”
“I grumble because you make me walk the course,” Warren insisted. “Zaps my strength and takes us twice as long to play a round.”
“There is nothing wrong with your stamina.” Rosemary winked slyly at her husband. “Do you play golf, Eleanor?”
“No.” Eleanor squeaked out her answer. Joshua’s hand was now firmly wedged in between her thighs and she couldn’t figure out how to get him to remove it without causing a major commotion. “Golf looks like a fun sport. I’ve always wanted to learn how to play.”
“I didn’t realize you were interested in golf. I’d be happy to teach you,” Joshua offered with a charming smile. He shot her an assessing look and wiggled his fingers.
Eleanor nearly groaned out loud. The heat from his hand was starting to send shivers of sensation throughout her body. Her eyebrows rose in alarm. Was he actually going to try and carry on a polite conversation with his hand wedged between her legs?
The thought alone was enough to make her break out in a cold sweat. Thankfully, the arrival of the salad course saved Eleanor from having to make any further conversation. As the waiter expertly wielded a large pepper mill, she began wickedly imagining what she would do if she held a golf club in her hand right now. Perhaps bash Joshua over the head with it?
Eleanor shifted in her seat. To her great consternation, the movement gave Joshua better access to her sensitive flesh. He wiggled his fingers again and the light, fluttery movement nearly made her jump out of her chair. She speared a piece of lettuce forcefully, took a small bite of her salad and tried desperately to ignore the warm, glittering sensations his touch evoked.
It wasn’t easy. With each slow, circular stroke it felt like her insides were melting. Joshua next slid his hand downward, confining his caresses to the soft, vulnerable spot on her inner thigh just above her knee. It drove her nuts.
Eleanor seized the opportunity the moment the waiter appeared and started clearing away the salad course to tilt her head near his and hiss in his ear. “What in the world do you think you are doing?”
“Being friendly?” He actually had the nerve to sound affronted by her question. There was still a hint of strain about his lips, but no other sign of distress.
She flinched away from him. “I ordered steak for dinner and I’m sure it will be served with an extra sharp knife. You’d better behave, or else it might end up in a most indiscreet part of your anatomy.”
“Your occasional nastiness I can learn to live with, but a violent streak really intrigues me.” He lowered his voice to that sexy, sultry pitch she found so irresistible. “Have you ever fantasized about being tied up on a bed and ravished?”
Eleanor nearly sprayed her mouthful of wine all over the table. A coughing fit ensued and by the time it was over her face was the same color as the lovely burgundy wine—deep red. But Joshua’s hand was also gone.
Eleanor stifled a smile. He might be shameless, but he was incredibly inventive, too. Dinner arrived and the conversation between the four adults resumed. Eleanor deliberately took her time eating, cutting the delicious steak into tiny pieces so that every time she was asked a direct question by Rosemary or Warren, she could give a very brief reply and then fork in a bite of food. That left Joshua to carry the bulk of their side of the discussion.
She was pleased to note that he seemed far more comfortable around his father and Rosemary than he had been in North Carolina. As Joshua launched into another story, she realized that she was the center of several of his anecdotes, always emerging in a positive light.
When he finished one particularly outrageous tale about her and some of the children at the library, he grabbed her hand and lifted it to his lips. She snatched it back before he had a chance to kiss it and gave a small cough, letting him know she wasn’t going to put up with any more of his manipulation. She generally was slow to anger, but something about the way Joshua was acting tonight seemed to get her blood boiling in record time.
They placed their orders for dessert. When fifteen minutes had elapsed without any additional antics, Eleanor finally began to relax. Apparently Joshua had declared a moratorium on his juvenile behavior. Yet just when she thought she had herself—and Joshua—under control, she felt a light caress against her leg. Her head swung immediately toward Joshua, but his hands were in plain view. She had almost convinced herself she had imagined it, when it happened again.
Thinking fast, Eleanor pushed the linen napkin off her lap.
“Oh, I’ve lost my napkin,” she announced softly, to no one in particular, ducking her head under the table. Even in the darkness it took only a second to see that it had been the tip of Joshua’s shoe intimately caressing her calf.
Eleanor’s patience snapped. Without another thought, she sat upright in her chair, pulled her knee up, and kicked him in the shin as hard as she could.
Joshua’s barely muffled curse let her know she’d scored a direct hit. It was a small, petty, infantile act and it made her feel ten feet tall.
“Was that your leg, Joshua?” Eleanor asked in sweet innocence, bestowing her best facsimile of deep concern and worry upon him for Rosemary and Warren’s sake.
“That’s okay,” Joshua gritted out. “I have another one.”
“How clumsy of me. I’m so sorry.” Eleanor kept her gaze directly on Joshua, certain there were wicked lights of devilment flashing in her eyes as she gazed at him.
He raised his snifter of brandy toward her in mock salute. She drew her knuckles to her mouth to prevent a full-blown laugh from escaping. She didn’t think either Rosemary or Warren had realized she’d kicked him. Eleanor almost wished they had, deciding it might be amusing to watch him try and explain why his girlfriend. was acting so oddly.
Eleanor took a sip of her coffee, deciding to hold onto her cup with both hands, lest it leap out, dumping its contents into Joshua’s lap. If the situation weren’t so completely ludicrous she might succumb to the absurdity and burst into laughter.
Miraculously they finished the meal without further incident. Eleanor was relieved when the waiter finally presented the bill. The strain of the evening was really starting to wear her down, so much so that she barely tasted her beautiful chocolate soufflé.
After a bit of scuffling over the check, Warren reluctantly agreed to let Joshua pay for the meal, vowing he would pay for the next. As they adjourned to the cloakroom to retrieve the lightweight coat Rosemary had worn, Joshua’s pocket started ringing. With an apologetic shrug he retrieved the cell phone from his suit jacket.
He spoke for a moment, then turned to them. “Sorry, I need to take this call.”
He moved to a small alcove off the coat room for privacy. Eleanor saw him reach into his pocket again, this time extracting an electronic notepad. He tucked the phone into the crook of his neck and began punching the buttons of the device.
“Looks like Joshua will be tied up for a few minutes with that phone call,” Rosemary commented. “I think I’ll take a quick trip to the ladies’ room. Eleanor?”
“I’m fine.”
Eleanor realized her mistake the minute Rosemary left. She hadn’t wanted to spend any time alone with either Warren or Rosemary, but given the choice she belatedly decided it might have been better to be with Rosemary.
“Did you enjoy dinner?” Warren inquire
d.
“It was lovely,” Eleanor replied, working hard at keeping her features free of the pained expression that would reveal her true feelings. “Both the food and service were excellent.”
The tension heightened as they stood together in the opulent foyer, listening to the sedate classical music that was piped into the restaurant at a discreet level.
“I’m glad that you and Joshua are dating each other,” Warren said. Leaning close to Eleanor he whispered, “For real.”
For real? “We aren’t exactly dating.” Eleanor’s hands started shaking. She knitted her fingers together for strength. “All that much.”
To her great relief Warren nodded his head. “I understand. You want to keep the relationship under wraps for a while.”
What in the world has Joshua told his father about us? Something completely outrageous, judging by the look Warren was giving her. Perfect. All this pretending and confusion was starting to make her feel like the drama queen in a soap opera. The only truth she could honestly acknowledge was the pure absurdity of the situation.
It was past time for it to all end and somehow set the record straight with Warren. But where to begin?
Eleanor swung around and faced Warren squarely. “I sincerely hope you haven’t gotten the wrong impression about my relationship with Joshua,” she said. “We really are just friends.”
The words sounded lame even to her own ears.
However, Warren was apparently a man who heard only what he wanted. “That’s fine.” He patted her on the shoulder sympathetically. “I know you must be harboring some resentment toward Joshua over getting fired. It’s only natural. I’ll bet he never explained that the whole idea was mine.”
“Yours?” A flush rose in her cheeks. But how did Warren even know she had worked for the firm? It had been deliberately kept a secret so she could pretend to be Joshua’s girlfriend while they were staying with Warren and Rosemary. “I hadn’t realized you knew that I worked for Joshua. So, you told him he should fire me?”
“Yes.” Warren smiled, seeming genuinely pleased with himself. “I could tell that idiotic rule about employees not dating was making him miserable. The best solution was for you to leave, especially since you had already found another career that suited you.”
Warren folded his hands together with a heavy sigh. “Naturally, I didn’t mean for him to go about it quite the way he did. Even as a boy he had trouble controlling his intensity sometimes. I wanted him to discuss the notion of you leaving the firm first and if you agreed, then you could resign. I never suspected you would be blind-sided with a letter of termination. That must have made you pretty angry.”
“You could say that.” Eleanor slid her fingers up to her temples and tried massaging her brain. It didn’t help. “When exactly did you discover I worked for Joshua?”
“The afternoon you left North Carolina,” Warren answered promptly. “I think the lie was making him feel guilty. Joshua really opened up to me, probably for the first time in years. It staggered us both to realize, and admit, how much alike we are. I know you’ve had a lot to do with my son’s change in attitude toward Rosemary and my marriage. Heck, even toward me. I’m grateful to you, Eleanor.”
“Grateful?” she echoed in astonishment.
“Certainly. You’re good for Joshua. Rosemary thinks so, too. That’s why I was so pleased when he called and invited her to speak at the library. I knew you had forgiven him for his earlier misjudgment.”
Eleanor’s head was spinning. She had a dozen more questions, but wasn’t sure if she was prepared to hear the answers. Suspiciously, she glanced over at Joshua. He was still engrossed with his phone call. Realizing she’d probably never get a better chance, she plunged ahead.
“I’m afraid Joshua might have given you a slightly skewed picture of our relationship.”
Warren would never win any prizes for hiding his emotions. His jaw clenched and his eyes grew stormy in an instant.
“Unintentionally,” Eleanor quickly added. “The point is, I’m not sure what sort of a future exists for us. Our backgrounds are so dissimilar. I had a very modest upbringing. As you have no doubt realized, I’m not from one of those upper-class, cosmopolitan-type families where everybody seems to instinctively know how to handle any situation with ease. I’m afraid I don’t fit in all that well with the way he lives.”
“You’re referring to Joshua’s house, right?” Warren’s expression changed from anger to understanding. He sighed. “I told him not to buy that old mausoleum, but he wouldn’t listen to me. It took him two years and I don’t know how many dollars to restore that place. Then he hired a team of New York decorators and they completely ruined the house. Looks like a museum.
“It doesn’t have that same comfortable, homey feel that my place does. Too many rooms and too much staff. I suppose he needs the help because of all the business entertaining he does out there, but it could be better managed and made to be more of a home. By a smart wife.”
Fortunately Eleanor was in too much shock to be blushing over Warren’s none-too-subtle hint about marriage. His father thought that Joshua’s home was even grander than the North Carolina estate? Where exactly did Joshua live, Buckingham Palace?
With effort, she cleared her throat. “I’m glad that you understand how Joshua’s lifestyle might overwhelm a simple girl like myself.”
Warren arched one eyebrow. “I’m not sure where you got the idea that we’re such snobs.”
Great. Now she’d insulted him. “Oh no, you’ve always been so gracious, Warren. Both you and Rosemary. But I won’t lie about my feelings. Joshua’s position and especially all his money definitely spook me.”
For a second, Warren looked almost sentimental. “Lord, you remind me of Joshua’s mother.”
“His mother?”
“Before she became my wife, she was my secretary,” Warren said in an affectionate tone. “She was always harping about the differences in our social standings. As if I cared about such malarkey. I think I fell in love with her the second day she worked for me, but it took me nearly a year to convince her to marry me. I’m proud to say she never regretted it.”
Eleanor had never heard of any such story. “Joshua’s mother worked at the firm? As your secretary? Are you kidding?”
Warren stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest. “Why would I joke about something like that? She was a smart woman, and a damn fine secretary, back in the days when women didn’t resent being called secretaries. Now they have to have fancy titles like administrative assistant or personal manager or some such nonsense, but they do the same type of work.
“You may not believe this, but I had a difficult time finding the right girl to work for me. It was a real tough spot to fill. I went through half a dozen secretaries until Joshua’s mother took the job. She was the only one who could put up with my brisk business attitude and not get emotional every time I had to raise my voice.”
Eleanor couldn’t help but laugh, imagining Warren in action. “You must have been a tyrant.”
He lowered his gaze, looking almost bashful. “I might have gone overboard once or twice, but only when I had just cause. I was thrilled when my beautiful wife became pregnant, and at the same time frustrated as all get-out because she left her position at the firm. It wasn’t easy finding a replacement.”
Warren eyed Eleanor with an expression that was strangely hopeful. “I want my son to experience that kind of love and joy in a relationship. I want him to be happy. And I believe he can be. With you.”
Eleanor flinched. Warren’s hearty and sincere endorsement of her character should have pleased her, but it only made her feel greater guilt for not being completely honest with him about her relationship with his son. Yet how could she possibly explain what she didn’t even understand herself?
“It’s getting late.” Eleanor fumbled in her purse for her car keys, then realized the car had been valet-parked when she’d arrived at the restaurant. Fortunately she was able
to find the stub quickly. She gratefully handed it over to an eager young employee waiting in the lobby. “I’d better get home.”
“You’re leaving?” Joshua asked.
Eleanor closed her eyes and sighed. He joined them just as she was voicing her plans to Warren. It would have been inexcusably rude to leave without saying good-bye to him, but she had seriously considered it. “I need to get home.”
“So soon?”
“Yes.” The possessiveness in his tone made her immediately feel defensive. “Tomorrow’s Rosemary’s big day at the library and I still have a million things to do.”
Joshua frowned. “But it’s early. I was hoping you would join us back at my house for the remainder of the evening. If you’re feeling too tired later, you can leave your car and I’ll drive you home.”
Eleanor shuddered. Visit Joshua’s fabled restored, decorated, and overstaffed museum? The place that his father felt was too stiff and formal? Wouldn’t that just be the perfect ending to the evening?
I’d rather eat glass. With a concentrated effort, Eleanor managed to keep her initial reaction to Joshua’s suggestion to herself. Luckily Rosemary also reappeared, making an escape possible.
“Good night, Rosemary, Warren. It was a lovely evening.” Eleanor impulsively hugged them. “I look forward to seeing you both at the library tomorrow.”
She heard Joshua mutter something under his breath, but she kept the smile plastered on her face as she bid him a polite good night. Her heart was pounding so violently she could feel the pressure in her eardrums, but she turned away and starting walking.
Eleanor wasn’t certain how she managed to get home without driving her car accidentally off a bridge. Her mind was totally consumed by confusion and doubt. She entered her apartment like a creature seeking refuge, a safe harbor from a cruel, uncertain world.
The message light on her answering machine was blinking furiously, but she deliberately ignored it, already knowing whose voice would fill the room if she played the tape.
A Night to Remember Page 20