The Captain’s Table, though. One of the most expensive restaurants in town. It sat at the edge of Lake Michigan, a wall of windows on the waterside. That’s all she knew; that’s all you could see by driving by. She honestly didn’t have anything appropriate for that kind of restaurant.
She tapped her finger on the card, thinking. Well, darn it, she wasn’t going to embarrass herself because of her pride. And if she was going to accept the gift card, then she might as well enjoy the shopping.
Joe had told her this morning that she’d only be working eight-hour days, but he’d be working overtime and then he’d have to go back to his security office to check in with his boss. She hadn’t expected them to come back from their honeymoon and be so freaking busy all the time, but today she was glad. She didn’t have to explain to him where she was going or why.
By the time she finished work at five, and hurried to find a new dress, Tori was both excited and nervous. What should she talk about? Should she try to keep Mom out of the conversation? What should she say if he asked about her? They hadn’t spent that much time together – what if after a few hours in her company, Kane decided he was glad he’d left them?
Of course, at some point she’d have to tell him she couldn’t see him anymore, that Lexie had refused to see him, that he’d never meet Ben. Somehow, she didn’t think Kane would take that very well. She’d have to leave it for the end of the evening. And she couldn’t think about it now, it only made her more nervous.
She checked her make-up and straightened her necklace. Smoothing the skirt of her black dress, she admired how svelte she looked in it. The neckline showed off her neck and shoulders – some of her assets, if she did say so herself – and the skirt swished as she walked. Assuming that the amount of the gift certificate was representative of how much Kane did not want to be embarrassed at her appearance at such an upscale establishment, Tori bought new shoes, a matching purse, and a luxurious black coat that came nearly to her ankles.
Excitement and guilt continued to wage war. These were the nicest clothes she’d ever owned. She’d never felt more beautiful. But the more she loved how she looked, the more convinced she was that she had just been bought as easily as she’d bought the clothes.
The only problem she could foresee with her attire was where in the world she’d be able to wear it all again. Certainly Joe wouldn’t notice and ask. He had no idea yet what she owned and what she didn’t. But a niggling voice in the back of her head suggested secrets were no way to build a good marriage. Even so, would he ever take her to place as nice as The Captain’s Table if they were just getting by financially?
But she had tonight so, darn it, she was determined to enjoy it.
Checking her watch, Tori gathered up her things and locked up the house. It only took twenty minutes to get there, so she arrived on time. The Captain’s Table was the kind of upper crust establishment that didn’t have self-parking. Fighting embarrassment, Tori pulled up to the valet stand and smiled as she handed over her keys. Her Honda wasn’t in bad shape for Northern Michigan, but the rust showed in the daylight. If she could pretend not to be embarrassed or unnerved at anything tonight, perhaps that would be enough.
The valet smiled back at her. A good sign.
Inside, the maître d’ took her coat and escorted her to the table where Kane waited. Her father rose gracefully and leaned over to kiss her cheek. Tori pretended she was used to that type of greeting. He pulled out her chair and waited until she was seated to ask what she would like to drink. She pretended this was normal, too, and assured him water was fine. Kane nodded to the maître d’ and sat down again.
A moment later, a glass of ice and a bottle of expensive water arrived along with a bottle of wine. Kane and the waiter went through all the motions of pouring, sniffing, tasting, and nodding that Tori had only seen in the movies. She reminded herself to keep smiling.
She tasted her wine when it was served and smiled graciously at both men. “Delicious, thank you,” she said. She wasn’t sure she really thought it was delicious, but it was the appropriate response. And she shouldn’t be drinking if she was driving herself home. But the sip seemed necessary to keep up what was now feeling like a charade rather than a way to cope.
Kane smiled at her as the waiter left them. “You make me proud,” he said.
Tori wondered why. Because she smiled and nodded a lot? She wanted to ask, but didn’t know how to do so without sounding insecure. Instead, she managed to blush and reached for her water.
Kane watched her. “I don’t know why I left you.”
Tori didn’t know why either. But she liked the idea that he wished he’d stayed with them, tried to make his marriage work. She wondered, if he had tried harder, if her parents would still be married.
“I should’ve taken you with me, no matter what she said. You’re mine.”
Okay, not really the line of thinking she’d been pursuing. She kept smiling. Her father must not understand that such a possessive tone wasn’t normal.
He lifted his glass. “To family.”
Tori lifted her glass to his, then drank a sip. Her romantic notions flew in the face of reality – at least as Kane perceived it. She should probably stop thinking about what might have been and start focusing on what might yet be. Maybe with time Lexie would bend, and Kane would learn how to act more appropriately toward his daughters.
“You haven’t told your mother yet, have you?” he asked.
Tori’s smile faltered. “Not exactly.”
“Alexia will tell her.”
It was a statement, not a question. Well, Lexie hadn’t exactly made her feelings unclear. But how could Kane know that?
Tori wanted to argue that her sister always kept Tori’s secrets, but she didn’t know how to explain that to this man she hardly knew. She took another sip of water, needing an excuse to break eye contact. Her father stared at her as if he were reading her very soul. A bit unnerving.
“Loyalty well-placed is a good thing,” he said. “Life would be easier on you if Dixie could continue in her make-believe world.”
Tori wondered what that meant. If there was one thing Tori could not imagine her mother doing, it was playing make-believe. Not even when they were children.
Kane leaned toward her and lowered his voice a little. “Listen, Victoria, let’s keep our relationship between us. Your sister and your mother don’t understand. They don’t understand me and they certainly don’t understand you. Do they?”
Tori fiddled with her napkin and shook her head. She felt like she should speak, add to the conversation. But she was so uncomfortable, she didn’t know what to say. Was he criticizing her family? She suppressed the fleeting thought that once again, it seemed to be on her shoulders alone to hold her family together. As always. And as always, to do so against everyone else’s will.
“You’ve had a hard time, I know that.”
Tori thought of the last couple weeks. “A hard time” was an understatement. “It wasn’t so bad.” She didn’t want to add any more details than she’d already divulged. She certainly didn’t want to bring up the possibility of super powers. That would really freak him out.
“You should’ve grown up safely ensconced in the arms of your family–”
What? Kane wasn’t talking about her recent troubles. She tried not to frown – she did grow up safely. “I was–”
“But instead you were ripped away and kept away.”
What was Kane was talking about? She was kept away from his family, yes, but they didn’t live that far away, the other side of the city. They could’ve contacted her when she was older. So why hadn’t they? Even if he’d been waiting until Mom couldn’t interfere, she’d moved away from home five years ago.
“But I’m going to fix that now,” Kane continued. “You just have to trust me.” He smiled warmly at her. “Don’t tell Dixie or your sister. Don’t talk about me with your friends. Let’s start over, father and daughter, and rebuild our relationship
without anyone else’s interference. Okay?”
Tori nodded. Not that she agreed so much as she didn’t know how to disagree. Kane was kind of intimidating, even when he was being his version of warm and fuzzy. This was a little weirder than she’d anticipated, but…she didn’t really have a frame of reference for reconnecting with a long-lost parent. So…maybe he was right. Lexie certainly hadn’t taken kindly to Tori’s wish to renew her father’s acquaintance. And she did want to make a habit out of making her own decisions, something that her mother had taken from her for years.
They spent the rest of the evening eating expensive food and talking about Kane and his company and all the wonderful things he’d done. Curtis Enterprises had faltered for a bit after his father died, Kane said, but he had taken over and brought the revenues to record highs. He traveled around the world for business and had a second location in Las Vegas. When Tori commented that she’d never been there, Kane smiled and assured her she would see everything soon.
“In fact, come work for me,” Kane said over dessert. “We have excellent benefits at Curtis Enterprises. You’ll have your own office and a generous salary.”
Tori blinked in surprise. “That’s very kind, but I don’t think I have the kind of skills that would–”
Kane waved his hand and interrupted. “You’re my daughter. You’ll get the best of everything. You can start next week.”
Weird had just risen to a new level. Not only had Kane talked about himself for the entire evening, but he obviously had no idea what Tori did for a living. She didn’t even know what she was good at, but she knew it wasn’t something that deserved an office and a generous salary.
Come to think of it, he hadn’t asked her a single question about herself tonight. He hadn’t even congratulated her on her wedding. Did he know she was married? He must think she still lived with Lexie. But, wait, how did he know that?
“In fact, I have a block of magnificent condos facing West Bay. The view is excellent. I’ll call the manager and tell him to set one aside for you.”
Uh, that would be a no.
“Thank you, really, but no,” Tori protested. “I’m not interested in moving right now.” Because I’m married should’ve been the next words out of her mouth. But a lifetime of guarding her private life had turned a habit into an instinct. She suddenly didn’t want to tell him anything.
Kane’s face twitched. He seemed to be working hard to control himself. And thank goodness, because Tori didn’t want to know how scary he’d look if he wasn’t trying to control himself.
She felt goosebumps rise on her arms.
“Think about it,” he said in a clipped voice. “I told you, I want to make up for lost time.”
He held up his hand when Tori started to speak. “Just think about it. We’ll talk later.”
In minutes, the bill was paid and they were outside waiting for their cars to be brought around. Tori tried to smile up at Kane. She didn’t want to end the evening with such hard feelings.
There were a few moments tonight when he seemed kind of wonderful – thoughtful, funny, interesting. She’d hoped to find out more about herself by finding out more about where she came from. But he was too controlling to feel comfortable around. Maybe he’d decide it was too much work and they’d drift apart as quickly as they’d gotten together.
Always hoping for the easy way out, she admitted to herself. If he was angry that she wouldn’t move into his condos, imagine what he’d be like if she told him she’d promised Lexie to never see him again.
When the valet drove up in Kane’s Mercedes, Kane walked over to the driver side and tipped the man, then turned to Tori and waved. “I’ll call you,” he said. Then he got in and drove away.
Tori faltered in surprise, then waved at his taillights. She’d expected a hug or some kind of gesture. He’d kissed her hello, after all. She tamped down her disappointment. Maybe he wasn’t the demonstrative type. That was fine.
She smiled at the valet who opened her car door for her. The man returned her smile with an easy grace, nodding to her, and wishing her a safe drive home.
Even a stranger was nicer to her than her father. Maybe Lexie was right. She should forget all about Kane Curtis and move on with her life.
CHAPTER 9
TORI sighed and tried to focus on her work. It was Friday afternoon, and the numbers on the computer monitor blurred together as her mind drifted. The last couple days at work had been a combination of fun – pretending to dislike Joe – and boring. It seemed like Joe just gave her busy work. Create a spreadsheet using last year’s numbers. Now do it again with this year’s projections. Create one comparing the last five years. For heaven’s sake, this couldn’t possibly be real work that needed to be done. If so, this was not the job for her.
Nights were better because she and Joe had make-up sex. He pretended to be a tall, cool machine, buttoned up from the moment he arrived each morning. Not at all the fun guy she’d married. But the fun guy came home to her at night. She smiled a little, thinking about it. It was silly, pretending to have make-up sex, but it was fun. Maybe she’d have to get in a real fight with him at work and see what happened in the bedroom later.
She sighed and looked around the cubicles. Everyone, mostly women, hunched over their computers, not speaking to her. Since she couldn’t sit at her old cubicle, she no longer sat by Joanie, her only friend. The woman in the cubicle to Tori’s right glanced at her occasionally, but didn’t show any signs of friendship. Even polite acknowledgement would be nice.
Joe asked her boatloads of questions about who knew whom and who argued with whom and tons of stuff Tori could have no way of knowing after four days. But she did her best to be friendly so people would want to open up, and so she could help Joe figure out what happened to Evan.
Today she’d finally gotten fed up and told him if he wanted gossip, he should talk to Joanie. Seeing the calculating look in his eye, she immediately regretted her words. Poor Joanie. She wouldn’t like getting the third degree.
But it would be worth it to find the killer. Tori wanted to help but she was beginning to think she wasn’t doing anything more than getting in the way. How many times in the past had Dixie thrown up her arms and told her, “You can’t save the world, Victoria Joy. It’ll just land you in trouble.”
“You ready to go down?” Joanie’s voice cut through Tori’s thoughts.
She jumped in her chair and looked up.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Joanie said. She looked at Tori with something akin to pity. “You hanging in there?”
Tori took a deep breath and shuffled some papers. “It would be a lot easier if people would talk to me,” she said quietly so the woman next door couldn’t hear, “instead of look at me like I might be the killer.”
Joanie looked over her shoulder then leaned in closer to Tori. “He’s fairly awful, isn’t he?” she said in a low voice. “Joe. I mean, first of all, he walks around like he’s got a stick up his ass. He’s wound tighter than a cheap watch.”
Tori looked around to make sure no one was listening, particularly Joe. As much as she wanted to know what was going on, she tried to avoid gossip. She guessed she’d have to learn to see it as “work” while she was at this job.
“Then he starts asking me all about everyone in the office and do I think I know who did it.” Joanie raised her hands to her shoulders. “As if I’d know.”
Tori laughed in spite of herself, then pursed her lips in an effort to keep quiet. “But Joanie, you do know everything that goes on around here,” she said.
Joanie laughed and stood up straight. “Yeah, well…are you ready yet? Don’t tell me no one told you? The first Friday of every month we have cake for that month’s birthdays. We didn’t do it last week because of, you know.” Joanie ran a finger over her throat and made a sucking sound.
Tori laughed in surprise, then covered her mouth with her hand. “Joanie!”
“If you don’t laugh about it a
little, it’ll creep you right out,” she said with a shrug. “Anyway, so long as you go down to the celebration, you can leave early. If you don’t go down, you have to stay till five, so let’s go.”
Tori shook her head. A murder and a birthday party within a week. She couldn’t keep up with this place. “Well, uh…” She looked at the work on her desk. “When does it start?”
“Four-thirty. You’re going, so shut off your computer.” Joanie tapped her hands impatiently on the counter that ran along the top of the half-sides of the cubicles.
“It’s only 4:20,” Tori stalled. Shouldn’t she ask Joe first? No, wait, he’d left earlier. She couldn’t remember where, but he’d made it sound like he wasn’t coming back.
“We’ll walk all the way around the building really slow then,” Joanie said. “Come on, it’s Friday. The work will still be here Monday.”
It’s not like she was accomplishing a lot anyway. Tori turned off her computer and followed Joanie to the kitchen where they pulled pop cans from the fridge. Walking and talking, Tori relaxed a bit. She wasn’t a pariah. She had friends here.
SHE was a pariah.
Tori mingled with the others in the big conference room, picking at her cake and feeling like she didn’t belong. She didn’t. She was a temp. The temp who found her dead boss under her desk. Not really the sort of thing that made birthday cake conversation.
Joanie quickly got roped into a discussion about who was going to participate in the karaoke contest at the bar across the street. That left Tori pretty much standing alone against the wall, noticing people pretend not to notice her. She thought about wandering over to stand next to Joanie, but wondered at what point people would begin screaming and running for the door if she approached them.
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