Mending Fences (Destined for Love: Mansions)

by Lorin Grace

  Mr. Vandemark had sent him a note thanking him for trying to help Summerset. There would be no retaliation. Time to pull Hastings’s team off Amanda. He put in the call.

  For a while he waded through emails and the reports he had set aside knowing if there were a real problem, some VP would have contacted him directly. Colin had the correct idea—focus on the parts of the work you love. The only reason Colin hadn’t made that stupid top one hundred list is few people knew Colin Ogilvie as the current O in C & O. Yes, he showed up at annual board meetings and kept up with the major dealings, but he spent most of his days surrounded by his computers, contributing to the tech end of the business by inventing new things. Daniel had been somewhat surprised he had left his little tech cave to see Mandy’s MFA show, even if he did want to try out his new button cam.

  Daniel brought up the footage and watched it again. Colin had streamed the entire thing live. He had been gratified to see Mandy had worn the flowers he had sent, but her smile was tight and her laughter guarded. As suspected, Colin focused on Candace when he wasn’t showing the exhibit. He hadn’t noticed the first time he watched it, but the frequency with which Candace’s name entered the conversation made him look twice. During the live feed, Daniel had focused on Mandy, trying to assess the toll the last month had taken on her, hoping to catch her voice and wishing she would smile. He flipped off the computer. Even though he’d only recorded Mandy in a public place, he still felt somewhat dirty, like an old peeping Tom.

  He turned the computer back on and deleted the files.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Daniel saved the attached photo to the cloud before reading the email again.

  Daniel,

  Thank you so much for sending the corsage. It matched my dress perfectly.

  I’ll be honest. I’m glad you couldn’t come to the show. The local paper was there, and it was a relief to not be asked about you. You live in a world that resembles a fish bowl. I am a Swainson’s Warbler (one of the shyest birds in North America, in case you are wondering). You need an angel fish or even a dolphin to share your life with you.

  I can’t live a life with bodyguards—though thank you for sending them—or where if I run to the store without makeup people think they can photograph me.

  I suppose that some birds and fish can be friends, depending on size. Can we just go back to being friends who shared a summer? Maybe one day your fishbowl will shrink.

  You will probably be tempted to call. Please don’t.

  I really do need this to be a good-bye. We can be the type of friends who like posts and send Christmas emails. Someday we will run into each other at a Cubs game or something and exchange a hug.

  I wish you the best.

  . _ …

  Mandy

  PS. When I see you at the game, I owe you an apology. But it is too hard to explain. It’s another reason I am glad you didn’t come.

  The bordello. Poor Mandy. She must have been hearing Grandma Mae’s voice scolding her over it ten times a day. Too bad. It made him smile. She had done a magnificent job with it. He looked at the attached photo again and wondered where she had found the vintage gown. He saved it to her profile in his phone, then started to look up the Cubs schedule but remembered she wasn’t a fan. Fighting for her had just moved to a whole new level. How much could he ditch the paparazzi and his fans in the next few weeks? Shouldn’t be too hard considering how much work had managed to wait for him and with his empty social calendar.

  Pondering the plans he’d set in motion, it hit him. It had been in an interview with a couple on their seventieth wedding anniversary. The reporter had asked them if they had any secrets to their successful relationship. The husband stated that he made it a point to kiss her good morning and good night. His wife had blushed when she admitted that he still brought her a single flower every Friday. The therapist had it wrong. Love wasn’t in the grand gestures; they weren’t real. One of the reasons he wanted a relationship with Mandy was that she was real.

  Mandy’s mother turned as far as she could in the pedicure chair. “I haven’t done this for years. How different is this from that spa in Chicago you went to a couple of weeks ago?”

  More like a month and a half ago, which was why she agreed to a new pedicure for graduation, but she had already explained that to her time challenged mother. “No comparison, starting with the robes they had us change into.” Mandy leaned back as the manicurist pulled her foot out of the water.

  “I can’t believe how much not being on a dig for three weeks has let my nails grow. We haven’t had a chance to spend much time together since you started college. I miss this.”

  “Me too.”

  “When are you going to stop moping around?”

  The exfoliation tickled, and Mandy shifted before answering. “I’m not moping.”

  Her mother raised her brows. “And I have a hamster that types.”

  “Is that how you get your papers published so quickly?”

  “Amanda Jane, I am serious. I know you told that Danny boy good-bye, but are you sure you did the right thing?”

  Mandy looked around the room before answering, wondering who might be eavesdropping. Only the manicurists were in earshot. “Mom, the fact I am checking to see who is listening should be answer enough. I just can’t do that my whole life.”

  “But if you could find a way, wouldn’t it be worth it?”

  “Mom, please.”

  “I haven’t seen him in the gossip columns since that silly trial ended.”

  “Have you been looking?”

  Her mother reached over and patted Mandy’s arm. “Hasn’t every woman under fifty-five?”

  Most of the employees, including Bonnie, had left for the night. Daniel pulled out his phone. Can friends text?

  Sometimes.

  What do you call a duck that steals?

  No clue

  A robber ducky. Later. Daniel set his phone down.

  Another text came. Bye.

  At least it wasn’t good-bye. Daniel considered that a small win.

  The restaurant was crowded with mostly graduates and their families. Mandy debated telling her parents about the scones. “I am glad you are here for my graduation.”

  “Did you really think I would miss my little girl receiving her master’s? I would fly halfway around the world for it. Oh. I did!” Mandy’s father laughed at his own joke.

  “Gerald,” her mother chided before turning to Mandy. “Have you been here before? What would you recommend?”

  “The salmon is excellent.”

  Her father set down his menu. “Dr. Christensen told me the scones were the best. I think I will order some for desert.”

  Mandy didn’t dare eat one.

  What do you call a bird that can fix anything?

  IDK

  Duck Tape.

  Thanks for the graduation flowers. They are lovely.

  Later

  Two ducks are in a pond. One went “Quack, quack!” and the other duck said, “That’s funny. I was just about to say that!”

  What do you call a duck on drugs?

  Stupid?

  A quackhead

  These are bad. You quack me up.

  Later

  Kk

  Daniel stared at the responses. He squelched the desire to high-five Terrance as he sat in the backseat and watched the eye of London turn in the distance. A month of texting had earned him an agreement to his ‘later.’

  “What has caught your fancy, sir?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Nice to see you smile again. Now, here is the agenda for the next meeting.”

  Trying to focus on the information, Daniel’s mind went back to wondering if they could move beyond jokes. He was running out.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  “Hey, Mandy! Are you up there again?” The wrought-iron steps clanged as Candace climbed into the loft.

  Mandy looked up from Wuthering Heights. Reading the n
ovel was the only way the novel would ever get off the shelf. She had once chosen it as her “do not disturb” book but had vowed never to kiss a guy again, or at least not for the rest of the year.

  “Not that book again.” Candace flopped down and took the book from Mandy. “Your Friday flower arrived—a perfect red rose.”

  Mandy didn’t touch the flower Candice held. Was it the sixth or seventh. She had lost track. “Did I tell you he texts me every night? Duck jokes.”

  Candace didn’t answer. “Let’s go to a movie or something. You have hidden up here for weeks. Didn’t you finish Tristan & Isolde yesterday? Enough with the tragic love stories. We need to celebrate. School’s Out for Summer!” The last few words were off key, if it was possible to be off key when singing an Alice Cooper lyric.

  “It’s Friday night. Don’t you have a date?”

  “Not very observant, are you? Larry the Lawyer tossed me like a hot potato after the protest. I didn’t have a single date in May.”

  Mandy sat up. “How did I miss that?”

  “That I didn’t have a date or that the calendar turned to June? There wasn’t much to miss. If he hadn’t ended it, I would have. He always talked about himself. Can you believe he never once asked me about my hair?”

  “No. Isn’t he like the third person to not ask?”

  “Other than employers, pretty much. What are those papers?”

  Mandy handed her the stack of printed emails and a couple of snails that came to the university. “Mostly job offers.”

  “The CIA? Seriously?” Candace held up a letter on cotton paper to check the watermark.

  “Apparently they have graphic-design jobs too.”

  Candace finished flipping through the papers. “California, New York, and London? Are you considering any of these?”

  “Who wouldn’t consider London? I got my new school-district contract, and even with the increase in pay, any of these offers is double or more. Well, maybe not the CIA. I am sure they can’t tell me my pay unless I accept, not that I am seriously considering them. I can only imagine the type of work I would be doing for them. Part of the reason I did the master’s was to get a pay raise.”

  “Do you still like teaching?”

  “I don’t know. So many of my students don’t want to be there. And since the coach has been fired, there are several kids who resent me. Did I tell you they caught the vandals? The head cheerleader was the ring leader. Her parents are blaming me. I haven’t figured that one out yet. The sad thing is, she has some real art skills.”

  “Am I losing a roommate?”

  Mandy shrugged. “There are a couple jobs I can work from here.”

  “Oh, then we can be the old art ladies. I have a new commission piece. If I get enough of them, I can stay in my studio all day. We’d get a couple of cats.” Candace tossed a throw pillow at Mandy, who snatched it out of the air.

  “You are allergic, aren’t you? Besides they would probably take over the lover’s loft, and then we would have no place to hide.” Mandy set the pillow down and slid off the beanbag.

  “Lover’s Loft? Considering no guy has been up here for ages, I think the room needs a new name. Come on. Let’s go to dinner at the Chinese place and catch a movie. There is a new one tonight with that hot actor.”

  “Which hot actor?”

  “Does it matter?” Candace laughed as she led the way to the garage.

  Colin opened the door to Daniel’s office. “Still working? You should take a break.”

  “This coming from the man who regularly puts in eighty hours behind his computer? There must be an ulterior motive.”

  “You know me too well, my friend. You need to go down to the mansion and see what the crews have been doing.”

  “I’ve been getting reports.”

  “To which you have been giving one-and two-word answers. I’ll drive.”

  “Do you even know how?”

  “I have a license. I just never use it. I think I have a red car I have only driven once or twice.”

  Daniel shook his head. “That is a Lamborghini, and if you want to keep a low profile, which I do, it’s the wrong car. We can take my car.”

  “Good. I left my duffel on Bonnie’s desk. I don’t like driving that far.”

  The caretaker’s house was empty, as Hastings’s security team had left, choosing to hire a local firm to watch over the property since they were more bodyguards than guard dogs. Daniel made the necessary call to let the local firm know they were on the property.

  Colin pulled open the refrigerator door. “Tabasco and an expired yogurt.” The freezer held a bag of peas that testified they had been used more than once as an ice pack. “Even the cupboards are bare. Let’s go get something. I am starving.”

  Daniel tossed Colin his keys. “You go.”

  Colin raised his eyebrow. “You sure you want me to drive?”

  “No one can know I am here.”

  Colin disappeared through the door. An engine came to life, followed by a sickening thunk-thud. Daniel winced. By the time he reached the car, Colin had already inspected the damage. “I only damaged the trunk—car and tree.”

  Daniel rolled his eyes at the bad pun. “Promise me never to ever back up in your Lamborghini.”

  “But it is in my garage. I’d have to back up to get it out.” Colin held up his hands in surrender.

  “Precisely. Hop in. Let’s go get some food.”

  “Just admit it. That was a terrible ending. I swear the actress cringed every time she kissed him.”

  “I agree. Zero chemistry. How can you not have chemistry with him?” Mandy smiled.

  “You know by now that chemistry takes more than good looks. Remember when we both thought Coach Robb was hot?” Candace opened her car door.

  “Then he opened his mouth.” Both girls laughed.

  “Ice cream?”

  Mandy groaned. “I feel like that is all I have eaten this month.”

  “Okay, then we can get some sorbet, too.” Candace headed her car in the direction of the little local market.

  Only one checkout was open, and the cashier sat pondering her nails. Candace made a beeline for the frozen foods with Mandy in her wake.

  “Raspberry-lemonade sherbet. That looks good.” Candace licked her lips.

  Mandy grabbed a couple of frozen dinners before joining Candace. “It would be a change from ‘Chocolaty, Choc, Choc, Chocolate.’”

  “Hey, Candace,” a voice called from the end of the aisle, “nice hair.”

  Mandy froze. Colin? Here? And Daniel?

  Candace tossed her pale-mint ombre locks. “This old thing? How kind of you.”

  For a moment Mandy considered diving under the cart or crawling behind the half gallons of vanilla. Too late.

  “Candace. Mandy.” Daniel nodded at them.

  “Isn’t this a coincidence? We were getting ice cream. Any chance you two want to help us eat it?” Candace grabbed a half gallon of fudge ripple and added it to the cart.

  “Sure, I’m game.” Colin added a container of vanilla.

  To Mandy’s mind, Colin seemed too eager and Candace too bouncy. Coincidence? More like elaborate setup. Mandy took a step back.

  Daniel stepped forward. “You got your boot off. How does your foot feel?”

  Mandy looked at her matching flats peeking out from under her maxi skirt. “My foot feels fine, but it’s funny to walk normally again.” Mandy backed into the cooler shelf.

  “Careful. You don’t need an accident tonight.” Daniel lifted his hand and brushed her cheekbone with his finger. “It looks like that has healed nicely too.”

  Mandy told herself it was an odd scar thing sending tingles dancing across her face. “You know about—? Never mind. Of course you do.”

  “I tried to call you that night. You didn’t answer.”

  “Hey, you two, the ice cream is melting. We will check out, and I’ll take Colin back to our place. Daniel, can you drive Mandy?
”

  “May I?” Daniel dropped his hand and stepped back.

  Mandy didn’t trust her voice, so she nodded. Daniel raised his hand and waved. “It looks like I still need milk.” He moved back up the aisle to where Colin had abandoned their cart. By the time they reached the checkout counter, Candace and Colin were gone.

  Mandy followed Daniel to his car.

  He pointed out the huge curve in the back end. “I’m not sure the trunk will open, let’s put these in the backseat.”

  “What happened?” Mandy traced the dent with her finger.

  “Colin. He has never been an attentive driver, but now I am wondering if it was deliberate.”

  “Why would he crash your car?” Mandy slid the last bag into the backseat.

  Daniel deposited the empty cart in the cart return. “I wasn’t coming to the store with him.”

  “You think they set us up?”

  Daniel opened her door. “Of course I do, and if you finally talk to me, his ploy will be worth the repair bill.”

  Mandy watched him round the car and get in. “I’ll talk. You have been rather persistent in the weeks since my MFA show. But when we are done and I say good-bye, will you let it mean adieu?”

  “If that is what you want, I will. Do you mind if we drop off my milk before going to your place for the ice cream?”

  Mandy turned in her seat to face him. “Sure. And I need to say I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” He turned north towards the estate, a road Mandy had avoided since the protest.

  “I did a final manipulation of your mansion I shouldn’t have. I was angry, and I thought you—never mind. It doesn’t matter what I thought. It was beneath me, and unkind.”

  “The bordello? That one is hilarious. You probably designed the pink monstrosity when I was in New York, and with all of the dates I had, you probably thought I deserved it.”

  Mandy stared out her window, not sure how to respond.

  “I need to explain about the New York dates. They were all setups. Mutually beneficial appearances complete with contracts and nondisclosures. My goal at the trial was to get Summerset into rehab, but I needed to get her father to hear me this time. As long as she maneuvered the press to tell her version of reality, her father would believe her. I spent the past three months in an ever-escalating frenzy of dating that peaked during the trials keeping me in the public eye, building evidence that Summerset and I were not exclusive. The photos made it difficult for her to claim a private liaison. All my contracted dates knew we were acting, and, no, they weren’t paid. They only got the publicity. But then I went on one very real date. And they wouldn’t let me tell you about the others. My guess is you did a less-tame version earlier. After the lick kiss and Summerset’s last stunt, I think half of the web gossips would have turned my house into worse if they had your skills.