by Melissa Hill
‘Honestly, go. I’m fine. I’ve got some more work that needs doing back at the office so I might pop back there,’ she said forcing a smile. ‘It’s no problem, honestly.’
‘Well, as long as you’re sure.’ With that, he reached down to kiss her on the cheek, while his companion stood idly by, fiddling with her hair. ‘Again, I’m really sorry,’ he whispered softly, ‘she’s not normally like this. I’ll call you tomorrow, OK?’
‘Sure,’ Leonie smiled at them both, trying her best to ease Adam’s embarrassment. ‘Nice meeting you, Suzanne – I hope you feel better soon.’
There was a deep sigh. ‘Whatever.’
And Adam’s daughter fixed Leonie with a look of disdain that only a fourteen-year-old could perfect.
Now, having said goodbye to Grace and thanked her for the heads up on Suzanne, Leonie gave a wan smile thinking about that first meeting, and how naïve she’d been to expect that Adam’s teenage daughter would accept the new woman in his life at the drop of a hat, especially when father and daughter had such a close relationship.
She’d known from the outset that he had a daughter; he’d told her all about Suzanne in Tunisia.
After that trip to the desert, they’d been pretty much inseparable and one night over a couple of cocktails at Leonie’s hotel, he’d outlined the circumstances surrounding her birth. Unwilling to pry, she hadn’t pushed the topic, but Adam had no problems with putting her in the picture.
‘It was a bit of a shock to the system,’ he explained. ‘I was only twenty when it happened, can you believe it?’ he grinned, and Leonie had to admit that it was indeed hard to believe as Adam looked a very youthful thirty-four.
‘Suzanne’s mother and I hadn’t been together all that long when she became pregnant, so needless to say it was a bolt from the blue for both of us. Naturally our folks weren’t too impressed – poor Andrea’s parents went apoplectic – but right from the outset I told them that I’d stand by her, no matter what. We were so young there was no question of marriage – not for me anyway,’ he added ominously. ‘I’d just finished college and had already gone off to work in London so to say the timing was bad would be an understatement. Still, even though we didn’t raise her together, we raised her well, so I’d like to think I stood by that promise.’
Even though we didn’t raise her together. Leonie didn’t want to admit that she had already been wondering about Adam’s relationship with Suzanne’s mother.
‘So you and Andrea never married?’
Adam shook his head. ‘Don’t get me wrong, Andrea’s great and I was mad about her at the time, but in reality we were only kids ourselves. So I moved back from London when Suze was born, and while we tried to give it a go for a few months afterwards, in the end we couldn’t just stay together for the sake of the baby.’
‘It must have been very difficult.’
He nodded. ‘It was but especially so for Andrea. She took the break up pretty badly.’
‘I can imagine.’
‘Still, that was ages ago, and we’re grand now and I’ve made sure she doesn’t want for anything as far as Suzanne’s concerned,’ he continued easily but Leonie somehow couldn’t help but feel sorry for the other woman. Was it more likely that Andrea had taken the break up badly not because of money worries but because she was in love with Adam and didn’t want him to leave? And he’d either failed to notice this or convinced himself otherwise. It seemed a bit too tidy and straightforward to her anyway. Then again, she only knew half the story and Adam certainly seemed very much at ease with it all in any case.
‘So do you and Andrea get on OK now?’ she probed.
Adam grimaced. ‘Most of the time,’ he said meaningfully. ‘There’s no bad blood though and she’s since had another child.’ He explained how Suzanne had a five-year old half-brother called Hugo.
Again Leonie couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to this than he was letting on.
‘Good that you’ve managed to get through it, for your own sakes as well as Suzanne’s,’ she said.
‘Well, we’re getting there, I suppose. Suze was always such a sweet little thing and relatively easy to manage growing up. It’s only now that she’s that bit older and somewhat more … headstrong,’ he continued with a roll of his eyes. ‘Well, let’s just say that these days Andrea and I have different ideas about how to handle her.’
Now, recalling that conversation word for word as she set out on the short walk to Flower Power, Leonie was struck by how much of an understatement that particular comment had been, and how neither she nor Adam had any real idea of what was to come.
Chapter 11
Alex frowned as she studied her reflection in her bedroom mirror. She wasn’t sure if the dress she was wearing – a strapless pale cream and gold evening gown – was quite right for the occasion; a fundraiser she and Jon were attending that night.
The event, which was in aid of the hospital, was taking place outdoors at the very beautiful setting of the Palace of Fine Arts. Guests would be dining by candlelight at the edge of the lagoon and beneath the soaring dome of the famous neoclassical rotunda.
It was a stunning location and certain to be a very elegant affair, which was why Alex wasn’t entirely confident that her choice of attire would fit the bill. Maybe a cocktail dress was more suitable for an outdoor event?
Man, she hated feeling so unsure of herself like this! Normally she was fine about this kind of stuff, but this was different, because tonight she would be meeting Jon’s friends for the first time.
And these guys were no ordinary friends; they were bankers, consultants, doctors …in other words the kind of rich, high-society types that were all part of Jon’s circle and which went hand-in-hand with his career.
While in her line of work Alex came across people from all walk of life and could easily hold her own, mixing with the high fliers generally left her cold.
Yet if she and Jon were to have a serious future together, which Alex really hoped they would, she guessed she’d just have to get used to it.
She smiled thinking of her friend Jen, who the year before had moved to the East Coast to take up a job on Capitol Hill. Jen was way more suited to that kind of life and would have been able to tell Alex in an instant whether or not the dress was right.
Her dark eyes narrowed. Hmm, thinking about it now, maybe another opinion was exactly what she needed, she decided, quickly throwing a sweater over her bare shoulders before popping outside to ring the upstairs buzzer.
‘I love it!’ Leonie gushed almost immediately upon arrival. ‘The cream is gorgeous against your skin tone, and with your hair swept up like that you look so…I don’t know … very Greek goddess – kind of like Angelina Jolie in that Alexander film.’
‘Thanks – I think,’ Alex self-consciously put a hand up to her recently styled French twist. She wasn’t sure if the ‘Greek goddess’ look was a good thing, but she was pleased with Leonie’s very positive reaction nonetheless. As someone who generally preferred to live in jeans and a T-shirt, it was good to know that she looked the part, for tonight at least.
Hopefully Jon and his friends would think so too.
‘It sounds like it’ll be an amazing night,’ Leonie said dreamily, when Alex explained where the fundraiser was being held. ‘What a fantastic location to work with. The rotunda will look even more atmospheric lit up at night and … sorry,’ she said breaking off suddenly. ‘I used to work in event management back home, and old habits die hard.’
Interesting, that was the first time Leonie had involuntarily mentioned anything about her life in Ireland, Alex realised. Up to now, she’d seemed quite reticent about it. ‘Sounds like a fun job,’ she said, applying a coat of mascara. ‘How long did you -’ But the rest of her question was cut off by the loud buzz of the intercom.
‘Damn,’ Alex cursed, looking at her watch. ‘That’s got to be Jon, and I’m not near halfway ready yet.’
‘Take your time; I’m sure he won’t min
d waiting a couple of minutes,’ Leonie assured her. ‘Do you want me to let him in? I can always chat to him while you finish getting ready.’
Alex looked at her gratefully. ‘Do you mind? I don’t want you to feel like you have to make small-talk with some guy you don’t even…’
‘Are you mad? I’m only dying to get a look at him!’ Leonie grinned, before heading out front to answer the door.
She really was fun to be around, Alex thought smiling, as she quickly rushed through applying the rest of her makeup. It was nice having another girl to talk to, something Alex had really missed over the last while. Sure, she and Jen spoke on the phone whenever they could but it just wasn’t the same. Her best friend had helped her get through one of the most difficult times of her life so while Alex knew she’d miss Jen terribly when she left, she really hadn’t anticipated just how much, or how adrift she’d feel without her.
It was kind of strange how life worked though, wasn’t it? While two hugely important people had disappeared from her life almost at the same time, now, waiting for her in the next room were two others who a couple months ago had been complete strangers. And speaking of complete strangers…Alex thought she’d better get on out there and save poor Leonie from having to make small talk to someone she’d never met.
Taking a final appraising glance at her reflection, she picked up a matching gold clutch and headed out front. Although, judging from the sound of laughter emanating from the living room, she needn’t have worried too much about leaving her neighbour to entertain Jon.
‘Hey there, sorry for keeping you waiting,’ Alex said, entering the room to find Leonie and Jon (looking especially handsome in a crisp, black tuxedo) engaged in easygoing banter.
‘Don’t worry, my fault for being early, and Leonie here has been keeping me…wow!’ Turning to look at her, Jon stopped in mid-sentence. ‘Oh honey, you look incredible,’ he continued. ‘That dress really is something else.’
Leonie was nodding. ‘Isn’t it?’
‘Glad you like it,’ Alex said proudly. ‘I take it you two have been introduced?’
‘We certainly have.’ Jon smiled at Leonie, and Alex could tell by the other girl’s expression that he’d already made a very positive impression on her. And just then, she felt hugely gratified and incredibly lucky that she’d managed to find someone like him.
It was crazy to be so concerned about meeting his friends; hell, if they were anything like Jon, there was nothing to worry about, was there? Although it was definitely a relief to know she’d at least got the dress code right.
‘Have a great night,’ Leonie said, when they were ready to leave and outside in the hallway she gave Alex a mischievous wink, which left her in no doubt whatsoever that her opinion of Jon was a very positive one. ‘I can’t wait to hear all about it.’
Alex smiled. ‘Don’t wait up,’ she joked, following Jon outside and down the steps towards a waiting limousine.
As Leonie had pointed out, the dome at the Palace of Fine Arts was always atmospheric lit-up after dark, but what struck Alex upon arrival was how magnificent the huge rotunda and towering decorative colonnade looked mirrored in the calm black waters of the lagoon.
Designed in the early 1900s for an international exposition, the building was said to be inspired by roman ruins, and the lagoon intended to echo those found in classical settings in Europe. To Alex’s eye, the colonnade had always been distinctly Greek and instantly thinking of Leonie’s ‘Greek goddess’ comment about her dress, she grimaced, wondering if the other guests would spot it.
‘Thanks for coming with me tonight, Alex,’ Jon said, as they walked beneath the colonnade and approached a crowd of partygoers enjoying cocktails by the lagoon, their faces lit up by the low-level candlelight. ‘I know this kind of stuff isn’t really your thing.’ He made a face. ‘To be honest, it’s not mine either, but seeing as it’s in aid of the hospital…’
‘Hey no need to apologise. I’m happy to be here.’
‘Really?’ he said, with a disbelieving eyebrow. ‘You don’t mind listening to stockbrokers and venture capitalists boasting about their golf handicaps? And hell, that’s just the women,’ he added wickedly.
Alex had to smile. ‘Well, OK, maybe it wouldn’t be my first choice for a fun night out …’
‘I’ll make it up to you, I swear,’ he said under his breath, as one of the aforesaid guests approached, closely followed by a waiter bearing a tray of champagne.
‘Jon, great to see you!’ Alex sipped her drink quietly as one after another a selection of expensively dressed and patently moneyed people bore down on Jon like a flock of pigeons. Eventually, when all the back patting and handshaking was over, he managed to introduce her.
‘Ah, so you’re the famous Alex,’ one of the men said sagely.
‘Famous?’ she said with a light laugh. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘Close enough,’ Jon quipped. ‘Alex is a producer at SFTV News,’ he told them proudly.
‘A producer – really?’ another man replied, his eyes widening with interest. ‘So I guess the economic situation has been keeping you guys on your toes.’
‘It has, but I don’t actually produce in-studio,’ Alex told him, explaining how Today by the Bay covered lighter, more localised news pieces.
‘Oh.’ someone else said in that sniffy tone that was often all too familiar to Alex. ‘I didn’t realise it was that kind of news,’ the woman continued in a manner that was meant to convey Alex’s work was somehow beneath that of the more ‘serious’ stories.
‘A damn sight harder than just taking the story of the day from the nationals,’ Jon said, immediately rushing to her defence. ‘Alex’s team brings us the kind of stuff we might otherwise never see.’ Although, pleased that he was standing up for her, Alex knew there was no getting away from the patronising looks the others were giving her. ‘Take the report she did on this place for instance,’ Jon continued, indicating the recently renovated interior of the rotunda. ‘Until then, I had no idea that without maintenance, these amazing buildings would have ended up subsiding into the bottom of the lagoon, did you?’
The others nodded politely, but she could tell that they weren’t buying it, and were convinced the work she did for the station was nothing but a piece of fluffy, idle entertainment for the masses. And again, she couldn’t help wonder what in the hell she was doing here in the middle of all these shallow, self-obsessed assholes, most of whom she’d be quite happy to see ending up at the bottom of the lagoon!
Well, let them look down their noses at her, Alex thought, she worked hard at her job, sometimes even harder than the in-studio producers, and didn’t feel the need to justify herself. But if they weren’t careful, maybe in the future she’d think about doing an expose on the inner workings of the stock market or Silicon Valley… or whatever unscrupulous means these guys used for making money!
This was Jon’s world not hers, so why did she ever think she could just slot right in without question?
But things improved a little when dinner was served, and Alex was pleased to find she was seated alongside a warm elderly woman from Berkeley who confessed she and her husband didn’t normally attend such events, but had been given the ticket for free.
‘Memorial were brilliant to Abe when he was there last year, so I couldn’t waste it,’ she told Alex. ‘Although I feel a bit of a fish out of water here, I can tell you.’
‘You and me both,’ she agreed conspiratorially and the two women spent much of the evening chatting and enjoying one another’s company, while Alex was happy to let Jon talk to his wealthy friends or mingle with the hospital’s more influential patrons.
Sometime after midnight, and much to Alex’s relief, they made their excuses and left.
‘I guess I’m not much of a society girlfriend,’ she apologised quietly in the car, as they made their way towards Nob Hill.
Jon frowned. ‘What are you talking about? Everyone loved you.’
‘Thanks,
but you really don’t need to make me feel better. I did try for a while, but I got the feeling they’d much rather talk to you.’
He took her hand. ‘Alex, do you think I care a toss about what these people think of either of us? Tonight was work for me – and for you too by the sound of things,’ he added wryly. ‘I’m sorry that I wasn’t more attentive.’
‘Don’t be silly, tonight was important and I was fine.’ Man, he was great! To think that she’d spent practically the entire evening sitting in a corner chatting to a ‘regular’ person – someone who would have no influence whatsoever on the future of the hospital – and here he was apologising to her! ‘I enjoyed it,’ she assured him, feeling like a heel for not making more of an effort. ‘It’s not often I get to be wined and dined like that.’
John shook his head. ‘Well, it’s not all its cracked up to be. Believe me, if I had my way, we’d have been home tucked up in bed hours ago. And speaking of which,’ he added, nuzzling her neck suggestively, ‘I hope you’re staying over?’
Alex smiled. She was convinced that tonight would be the night Jon would come to realise that they were two completely different people, that she wouldn’t fit in with his friends, and ultimately was all wrong for him. But he seemed totally cool about her lack of effort at the fundraiser, and equally cool about his friends’ lukewarm response to her.
He really was a guy in a million, and the more she knew of him, the more convinced she felt that this relationship really looked like it was going somewhere. Alex bit her lip.
All the more reason to get her ‘situation’ sorted once and for all.
Chapter 12
The following morning, Leonie finally plucked up the courage to call Jones Cantor, the stockbroker firm where (hopefully) Nathan worked.
She’d been putting it off for a day or two until she’d worked out exactly what she was going to say, and how she was going to explain how she – a complete stranger – had somehow managed to get caught up in his domestic problems.