Midnight Touch

by Kendall, Karen

  Kate watched an opportunistic seagull dive and snatch something from the water before wheeling away. She envied its freedom—but more than that, she envied that the bird knew what to do with it.

  She’d created some freedom by leaving Boston and putting hundreds of miles between herself and her family, but it still felt peculiar. She did a lot of rambling on her own, felt lonely much of the time, and second-guessed her decision to leave. But it was time.

  The poor little rich girl: oldest story in the book. And yet she lived it, cliché that it was. Money was supposed to create freedom, wasn’t it? Yet all too often it tied people down. Tied them to a certain lifestyle, or ways of thinking, or to a monolithic business dedicated to making more and more of the green stuff. And for what purpose? So that it could be counted, guarded, fought over, invested, lost or stolen.

  Filthy lucre: that was how she’d come to think of it. Most of her family loathed each other or didn’t speak to one another for various financial reasons having to do with Spinney Industries.

  Kate sat cross-legged on the floor in only her oxford shirt and underwear, staring vaguely out to sea. She was quiet for a would-be revolutionary. But as her thirtieth birthday approached, she felt an urgent need to discover the Kate side of her as opposed to the Spinney. To break some rules. To defy some conventions. She even had a secret desire to—just once—dance on a table in a bar. Why should Paris Hilton have all the fun?

  But so far it remained only a renegade impulse that her brain wouldn’t allow her body to follow. Spinneys didn’t do such things, unlike Hiltons.

  The phone rang and she almost ignored it, but finally got up to see who it was. She didn’t get many calls these days, since she hadn’t given many people her Florida number.

  It was a 617 area code, not surprising, and it was—her heart sank—her unpleasant cousin, Wendell Spinney IV. The last time she’d seen him, he’d made fun of her hair, insulted her and then voted not to allocate funds for a Spinney donation to the Special Olympics.

  What did he want? She thought about letting it go to voice mail, but she’d only have to call him back.

  “Hello?”

  “Katydid. It’s Wendell.”

  She loathed the nickname. “No, Katy didn’t. What’s up, Wendell? Need a good stock tip?”

  “I’m doing pretty well on my own, thanks. But I’m headed down to Miami and I need a place to stay.”

  “Why are you coming down here?”

  “Business,” he said vaguely. “Now, about accommodations—”

  “That’s easy—the Mandarin Oriental.”

  “I’m not paying those prices.” Wendell loved status goods but was incredibly cheap when it came to anything else.

  “How about a Motel 6, then?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Go to the Spinney compound in Palm Beach. You’ll be a lot more comfortable there than in my condo. And there’s a chef.”

  “Alistair is there with Lisa and the kids. And don’t tell me to just avoid him. It’s not possible with those brats.”

  She sighed. Just when she’d found some peace…

  “C’mon, Katy. Where’s your sense of family? Besides, I need someone to show me around town.”

  “Wendell, I’m the wrong person to show you around. I do absolutely nothing but work.” Miami was an intimidating town to explore by herself, and she didn’t seem to possess the easy familiarity that made other students quick friends.

  A brief hope flickered in her: maybe Wendell had become a nice person in the few months since she’d last seen him? Doubtful. Kate grimaced. And she certainly couldn’t dance on a table with him in the picture.

  “I’ll be there from the sixth to the tenth,” he said. “Can you pick me up at the airport? And Katy, you do have a guestroom there?”

  “Yes,” she admitted reluctantly. “But no bed.”

  “You get a bed. I’ll bring my own sheets.”

  “Get a bed? Just for you?”

  “What’s the matter, Katy? Can’t afford it?” Sarcasm dripped from his voice. “You need one anyway.”

  That’s debatable. But she said, “E-mail me your flight info.” Great. It looked like she’d have Wendell’s pudgy, pompous ass here whether she wanted it or not. It never ceased to amaze her how he didn’t blink at going where he wasn’t wanted.

  Kate didn’t want any of her family down here, but she especially didn’t wish to see Wendell. However, she felt a certain sense of obligation and kinship—his nuclear family was just as screwed up as her own. Their mothers had been identical twins, down to their matching drug habits. The only difference was that Kate’s mother was hooked on barbiturates and Wendell’s had been hooked on cocaine. A martini too many on top of it all had stopped her heart when Wendell was three.

  “See you soon, Katy,” he said into her ear. “Au revoir.”

  She hung up the phone. Why had she answered it? Get a bed. The nerve of the guy! Kate scooted on her butt over to her laptop, which lay on the floor since she still had no furniture in her living room, either.

  She logged onto the Internet, found the Web site of a well-known outdoor equipment manufacturer, and zeroed in on what she was looking for. Kate grinned evilly. She’d get a bed for Wendell, all right. One of the blow-up variety. He’d be right at home on the big air bag.

  When her order was complete, Kate wandered out onto the balcony and let the wind blow through her hair, inhaling the damp, salty scent. The air here in Miami was thick with humidity, very different from the crisp, briny Cape Cod breeze.

  Below her she saw people sunning by the pool, sailboats and yachts out in the ocean; the occasional fishing boat. She’d started to relax and just people-watch when she heard the phone ring again. Tension coiled in her neck and shoulders as she stepped through the door and picked it up. “Wendell, what do you want now?”

  “Who is Wendell?” said a deep, amused male voice with a slight South American accent. “Your boyfriend?” The timbre vibrated right down her spine and coiled into her stomach.

  “Who’s calling?” she asked, even though she recognized the voice immediately. A shimmer of unwilling excitement went through her. She shook it off.

  “Alejandro, from the MBA program.”

  “How did you get my number?”

  “From the student roster, Kate. How are you?”

  “Uh, fine.” A pause ensued, and she tried to remember her manners. “How are you?”

  “Fine.” The tremor of laughter still echoed in his voice. “So who is Wendell?”

  She dragged her bare toe across the sheen of the hardwood floor, leaving a streak. “He’s my cousin. My obnoxious cousin, who’s invited himself to stay, even though I hinted that he should call a hotel.”

  “I see,” said Alejandro. “Well, maybe you should take pity on him. He’s probably saving money for new shoes, too.”

  Kate snorted. “No need. Not only could Wendell dress in suits made of hundred dollar bills, but he’s the type of person who actually travels with shoe trees and polish. So his footwear tends to last longer than mine.”

  “Ugh. I dislike him immediately,” Alejandro said. “But at least I don’t have to kill him, now.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Because he’s not your boyfriend.”

  Kate didn’t know how to respond. “You’re flirting again,” she accused him, suspicious.

  “It’s a genetic flaw,” he told her. “I am unable to help myself.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear that. But you can kill Wendell if you want to. He’s very annoying.”

  Alejandro laughed, and she loved the sound of it, rich and deep like flavored chocolate. “Kate, mi corazon, if he’s so bad then why are you letting him stay with you?”

  “He’s family,” she said gloomily.

  “Enough said. How long will he be there?”

  “Five days. Unless I can persuade him to leave sooner. I’m hoping the blow-up bed will do the trick.”

  “A blow
-up bed won’t get rid of anyone with determination. You’ll have to make things more uncomfortable than that.”

  “I’d love to, but I’m not sure how. You can’t stick nails into an air mattress.”

  “Hmm.” Alejandro thought for a moment. “Is this Wendell an animal person?”

  “No. Not at all. Why?”

  “Because I have a friend who could loan you a pot-bellied pig.”

  Kate choked on a laugh. “A pig? You’re kidding, right?”

  “No, I’m not. And does this Wendell smoke?”

  “God, no. He’s rabidly anti-nicotine and germ-phobic. The guy travels with his own sheets.”

  “Then you need a smooth-talking Peruvian to puff cigars in your living room, too.”

  “Are you trying to invite yourself over?”

  “The Yankee catches on.”

  Kate thought about it, and then said cautiously, “I actually like the smell of cigars, as long as they’re good ones.”

  “And I will bring a large dish of cau-cau, which your cousin will be forced to try out of politeness.”

  “What’s cau-cau?”

  “Tripe. The stomach lining of a cow. It makes most gringos gag, and my Tia Carlotta loves to cook it.”

  Kate shivered. “That will send dear Wendell right over the edge.”

  “So when am I coming to dinner? I’m inviting myself for purely altruistic motives,” he reassured her. “Only in order to save you, you see.”

  “Yeah. I am touched by your selflessness, Al.”

  “No, please not Al. You may call me Alejo, though.”

  “Alejo,” she repeated, liking the exotic sound of it.

  “Yes. Perfecto. Now, Alejo is coming to dinner on what evening, mi corazon?”

  “You are shameless,” she told him.

  “Sí.” His tone remained warm and amused.

  She decided to relent. “I can’t believe I’m doing this, but it’s for a good cause—Wendell-fumigation. You can come to dinner on Saturday, okay?”

  “I am there. Gracias.”

  “And you’ll bring the cigars and the…that nasty stuff.”

  “Well, as a Peruvian, I don’t think it’s nasty, but sí. You wish me to bring the pot-bellied pig?”

  Kate almost said no. Then she looked around. Spinneys didn’t bring the barn into the parlor…but Just Kate might. What the hell. She had no carpet for it to soil. And it might be very entertaining to see Wendell’s reaction to it. A woman who danced on tables might have a pig in her condo, right?

  “I really can’t believe I’m doing this. But yes. I’ll need the pot-bellied pig on the sixth, the night he arrives. It doesn’t bite or anything, does it?”

  “Not usually. It does squeal, though. And it makes other strange pig noises.”

  “What does it eat?”

  “Purina Mini Pig Chow, of course.”

  “Of course. Silly me, I should have known that.” Purina made pig chow? “Is this animal house-trained? Do I take it for walks?”

  “Exactly. It’s just like a dog with a snout and a curly, non-waggable tail. It even fetches. So, Kate, does this mean we’re going to work together on the marketing class project?”

  “Is that why you’re helping me get rid of my cousin?”

  “Maybe.”

  “We don’t even know what the project is yet,” she said. Why did he want to work with her so much? What was his agenda? Her money? Her mouth twisted.

  “We know that it’s a hands-on project, and that we’ll be working in teams. He’ll tell us the rest next week.”

  Hands-on. Did Alejandro, self-proclaimed genetic flirt, want to get his hands on her? The thought sent a flash of heat through her body. She’d never had a Latin Lover. The term cracked her up. It sounded so purple, so over the top.

  “So what do you say, Kate? Will you trade a partnership for a pot-bellied pig, a cigar and some tripe?”

  “Limited liability partnership,” she said, hugely entertained. “And I need it in writing that the pig won’t bite.”

  He chuckled. “I can’t possibly put that in writing. There’s no guarantee with animals. But I’ll throw in a roll of duct tape and we have a deal. What you do with it and the pig is your concern. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Kate peered over the railing at three buns-up bathing beauties who were abundantly endowed and wore nothing but neon thongs. “Alejandro, you’ve got to explain something to me. The women down here in Miami—how can they walk around wearing nothing except butt-floss? It’s indecent!”

  “Butt…floss, did you say?”

  “Yes. These women down by the pool—they’d get arrested for indecent exposure in Boston.”

  “Why?”

  “Their br—bodacious ta-tas are hanging out! Among other things.”

  “Kate, they’re just breasts and buttocks.”

  “Yeah, I noticed. Where I come from, we cover those things up. We don’t display them to the entire United States and all of South America, too.”

  “What a shame. You’re such a Yankee, mi amorcito. Women are beautiful. Why not appreciate them?”

  “I’m not your little love-morsel, you flirt. And it’s fine for women to be attractive, but I think they can be that way without baring their cracks to the planet.”

  He laughed softly.

  “And the flashy men! What’s with all the Rolexes and gold bracelets and rings? Talk about conspicuous consumption.”

  “You’re not in Boston anymore, Dorothy. It’s just a different style here. Casual but elegant.”

  Don’t you mean tacky?

  “You will get used to Miami soon. And,” he said provocatively, “I think you’d look wonderful in a thong yourself.”

  “You couldn’t get me into one of those if I were dead, sport.” She shuddered. “And people wonder why there are shark attacks in Florida?”

  She watched, scandalized, as one of the bathing beauties sat up, rubbed oil shamelessly all over her bare gazangas, and then lay back down tits-up. Unbelievable.

  “When in Rome, Kate.”

  “At least in Rome they wore togas!”

  “Yes, before and after the orgies.”

  “Orgies? How did we get onto this topic, Alejandro?”

  “I believe you asked me how Miami women can wear thongs. It’s because they’re not uptight like Yankees.”

  “I am not uptight.”

  “Describe your own bathing suit, then.”

  “It’s a navy blue one-piece.”

  He chortled. “That says it all, Kate.”

  She felt like growling. “Well, if I’m so uptight, then why do you want to work with me? Why are you riding to my rescue with a pot-bellied pig?”

  A long pause ensued. Finally he said, “Because I think you’re bright and beautiful and in a class by yourself.” All traces of teasing were gone from his voice.

  Kate’s knees wobbled, and she sat down abruptly on the rough cement of her balcony. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. “Who paid you to say that?”

  “Nobody paid me, tesorito. What’s the matter, you can’t take a compliment?”

  A lump formed in her throat and she knew she needed to get off the phone before she embarrassed herself. “I can accept a compliment,” she insisted. “But I’m thinking you need an eye exam, since you’re a little young for cataracts. I’ve got to go, Alejandro. See you in class Monday.”

  “Oh, very flattering. I say something nice, and I’m told I need an eye appointment. I suppose I need a cane and some Viagra, as well?”

  “You tell me,” she said, before she could stop herself.

  “I’d be more than happy to show you that I don’t.”

  Kate experienced a flash of heat, but she just laughed.

  He cleared his throat. “It’s been a pleasure talking with you, my stiff-necked little Yankee. Enjoy your weekend.”

  “You, too.” Suddenly she didn’t want to end the conversation, but she’d already given the signal. She wondered wh
at gorgeous, strapping Latin men did on weekends in Miami, then looked down at the row of juicy bottoms in their thongs again and decided she didn’t want to know.

  Despite her Harvard degree, Alejandro had the last word. “And Kate? While I maintain that I don’t need Viagra, you definitely need new shoes.”

  Chapter 4

  Kate stared at the forty-seven-pound miniature pot-bellied pig outside her building’s freight elevator. It stared right back with a porky little grin.

  “Meet Gracious,” said Alejandro, who had her on a leash just like a dog.

  Kate was torn between helplessly admiring his biceps and chest in the tight, black T-shirt he wore, and fascination with the animal. The men she knew wore loose golf attire or heavy, cable-knit wool sweaters. They didn’t look as if they’d stepped off the set of Miami Vice. And if they had anything on a leash, it was more likely to be a springer spaniel or a golden retriever, not Vietnamese livestock.

  Alejandro was perfectly proportioned, like a classical statue out of a coffee table art book. His torso stretched in a triangle from wide shoulders down to a trim waist over long, lean legs. Snug denim covered those. The black T-shirt was tucked into the jeans, he wore no belt, and on his feet were black European-style slip-on shoes of high-quality leather. The only other accessory he wore was that killer white smile of his. Oh, and the dreadful gold chain around his neck—but she decided to ignore that.

  “Gracious,” he said as they rode up to her floor in the elevator, “likes raisins, dried fruit, grapes, melon and veggies. Her favorite thing in the world is dried apricots.”

  Gracious was black with light brown eyes and fuzzier than Kate had expected, though the fuzz was wiry and her skin was visible in places. She had pink discolorations on her snout that looked like big freckles. Kate swallowed as the pig cocked her head at her and came forward to sniff at her ankles. She made a grunting noise and looked up at Kate with surprising intelligence. The animal was quite cute in a homely way.

  “How did you, er, meet Gracious?” Kate asked, starting to regret her impulsive decision to board the pig while Cousin Wendell mooched her guest room.

  “She belongs to my next-door neighbor, and periodically she gets under the fence and hangs out in my yard.”