Sold!: A Holiday Romance

by J. L. Campbell

  Her next question popped from her lips before she’d formed the thought properly in her mind. “What did you do about it?”

  “You don’t want to know,” he said.

  A chill ran up the back of her neck and without conscious thought, she tightened her grip on the glass. His steady appraisal made her want to shrink, as if she planned to rob him or something. She didn’t shake her head at her stupidity, but came close to it. She’d never done a dishonest thing in her life, so didn’t like feeling as if he were accusing her of something. Before she got carried away, she reminded herself that he hadn’t, but she wondered what on earth he meant by his last statement.

  It sounded ominous.

  Did he have the woman locked up or something worse?

  She didn’t have the chance to follow her thoughts, because he was talking again. “Marlon assures me you're honest, which is why we’re here.”

  “How long d’you anticipate the auction will last?”

  He shrugged, calling her attention to his shoulders. "Three, maybe four hours."

  Carsten wasn’t huge, but he was tall and she found men with some height on them attractive. She frowned and concentrated on her next question. “How much are you paying?”

  When he answered, she blinked but said nothing until her mouth caught up with her brain. “What did you say?”

  Carsten repeated the figure he'd quoted in a matter-of-fact tone.

  Her brows contracted as she examined him.

  He had to be joking, but his eyes weren’t twinkling and there was no hint of a smile around his mouth.

  Not for a minute did she believe her time wasn’t worth what he was offering, but the sum he quoted was generous. Excessively so. Impressive enough to make her question his motives.

  “Why?”

  He shrugged again. “Why not? You get what you pay for. That’s something I believe in.”

  Briefly she wondered if he’d been stiffing the employee who robbed him and nearly fell off the chair when one side of his mouth lifted and he answered her question. “No, I paid her just as well.”

  “So why did she rob you?”

  He smiled, and that’s when she realized she’d said what she was thinking.

  “Who knows why people do the things they do?” He met her eyes again. “At a guess. I’d say because she could.”

  “Were you in a relationship with her?”

  “You don’t pull your punches, do you?”

  “Were you?”

  A smile was the last thing she expected, but that's what she got. In the next moment, Carsten's amusement died and he made her wait for his answer.

  He sat forward and before he spoke, the piped music changed to something soft and dreamy, distracting Feechi.

  “No," he said, "I was not seeing her or anything close to it.”

  “I wasn’t accusing you of anything.”

  “I never said you were.” He swallowed another mouthful of beer before he added, “But I couldn’t help but guess exactly what you were thinking.”

  When she raised one brow, he added. “Your expression gave you away.”

  She hid behind her drink, trying to find a way back to the business they were supposed to be discussing.

  He saved her from running her brain to a wreck when he asked, “Would you like another drink?”

  She swallowed the last of the lime squash and then declined his offer. “This is fine. Thanks.”

  With a raised hand, he caught the attention of the waiter who served them and settled their bill in a few minutes. Carsten got to his feet, stashed his wallet in his back pocket, and waited while she got up and dropped her handbag over her shoulder.

  He put out a hand to indicate that she should go ahead of him.

  She moved forward, conscious that with him behind her there was no way of telling where his eyes were focused. The twinge of discomfort that came with the thought didn’t last. None of the men she knew were so circumspect that they'd avoid what she suspected he was doing. From the way he’d been studying her, she doubted he’d be the exception.

  Outside the hotel entrance, Carsten stopped and faced her. “Where’s your car?”

  She hesitated before answering, since she didn’t want to be a bother.

  “It’s not here is it?”

  “Why d’you say that?”

  “Well, you’re not even looking for it, which means you didn’t drive it here.”

  “Okay, you caught me. I was going to call a taxi.”

  His expression changed and instead of the smile she expected, he said, “Don’t bother. I’ll drive you home.”

  “But—”

  “It’s no problem.” He raised the car fob and pressed the button. “I’m parked over there.”

  Feechi wasn’t sure what she expected, but the Toyota Land Cruiser fit Carsten to a tee. The black four-wheel-drive was high and spacious, and probably cost more than she earned in a year.

  After helping her inside, he got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and then asked, “You're comfortable?”

  She told him yes, while watching him trying to find the radio station he wanted. He settled on one playing a love song.

  “Where d’you live?”

  “Queensborough. D’you know where it is?”

  “Yes. I don’t live too far away.”

  She gave him the address and grabbed her handbag that threatened to fall off her lap when he swung the SUV onto the street. “Where are you?”

  “Up the hill,” he said.

  Somehow, she expected him to mention a community in Kingston 8, where most of the rich had their homes. Not to say Red Hills wasn’t impressive, but she'd expected something different.

  Her neighborhood was a quiet one, which thankfully hadn’t been affected much by the increasing criminal activity around the area.

  “You live alone?”

  His voice startled her and it took her a few seconds to figure out what he’d asked.

  “Oh, no. There’s my sister and my son.”

  Briefly, his eyes cut to her. “You have a son?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  He laughed. “Sorry. It’s just that you look younger than your age and too young to be a parent.”

  “Obviously, you haven’t lived in this country for a while.”

  “I haven’t been away so long that I don’t remember the lay of the land.”

  “D’you have any kids?”

  He shook his head. “No, I haven’t had the time to settle into a serious relationship.”

  She wondered how old he was, but figured if he was keeping company with Marlon, he had to be somewhere around thirty-five, or older. Although he wasn't involved by the sound of it, he probably had a dozen women on speed dial. The thought soured her stomach and she warned herself to stay out of his business.

  A while later, he turned onto the road where she lived. She squinted and homed in on a beige fluffball streaking across the asphalt.

  Jack came through the gate and looked up the street, but didn’t step off the sidewalk. His mouth opened wide, and Feechi was certain he was yelling Max’s name.

  “That’s your son?” Carsten asked as he slowed the vehicle.

  “Yes, and he’s in deep trouble because he knows he’s not allowed on the street.”

  “Well, if he’s chasing the dog … ”

  “Yeah, and I’ll have a thing or two to say to that dog too.”

  She swung her head to look at Carsten when she realized what she’d said. Carsten might think her strange for saying something like that, but Max knew when he did something wrong and when he was in trouble. Not that it stopped him from misbehaving.

  Suzanne, her friend since high school, had discussed all his idiosyncrasies before she left the island, but what she hadn’t explained was that Max was always getting into something he shouldn’t. His beige facial hair and soulful brown eyes hid the chaos he could unleash because he had the energy of a mischievous puppy.

  She di
rected Carsten toward the house, still watching Jack, who stuck something in his shorts pocket before picking up the dog and going back the way he’d come. He looked up when he stood on the sidewalk and the van stopped next to him. The eyes that everybody claimed were identical to hers opened wide and his mouth formed an O. Hurriedly, he swung away from the vehicle and put Max down in the yard. Then he shut the gate as if that would wipe out what he’d been doing before she got there.

  She bit one corner of her mouth, muting her smile when Carsten looked at her. “The poor guy knows he’s in trouble up to his ears.”

  “Thank you,” she said, facing him. “I really appreciate this. I’ll give you a call when—”

  “Are you dismissing me, Feechi?”

  Her name on his lips stole her breath for a few vital seconds.

  He made it sound like a caress, taking his time with the vowels in the middle.

  She licked her lips to give herself time to come up with a response. “Not at all. We’ll talk on Monday.”

  “If I don’t hear from you, I’ll call.” His words, softly spoken, seemed to carry a slight threat.

  She didn’t need to answer because he got out, stopping at the front of the vehicle to speak to Jack before coming around to open the door.

  She slid out and went to stand on the sidewalk, where he joined her.

  “Thanks again,” she said, stepping back to open the gate.

  “Aren't you going to introduce me to your son?”

  When Carsten mentioned him, Jack climbed onto the bottom rungs of the gate. “I’m Jaquan.”

  “That’s an interesting name.”

  “Mommy says it means a loving spirit.”

  "Thanks for sharing that. Why don’t you get down off there since Mommy needs to come inside?"

  “Okay.” Jack jumped down and shook the hand Carsten offered through the grillework.

  When Jack opened the gate for Feechi, Max jumped and twisted around his ankles as if he thought there would be another outing. Jack shushed him and faced Carsten.

  “What is your name and why are you bringing Mommy home?”

  “Because we had a meeting and it was getting late, so I gave her a ride.”

  “That’s a good reason,” Jack said, nodding at Carsten.

  “Where is Dee?” Feechi asked on her way through the gate, which she made a point of closing behind her.

  “She’s around the back with the hose.”

  “So she doesn’t know you’ve been outside.”

  Jack scratched the back of his neck. “No, but I opened the gate because I lost my marble and Max got out."

  “Next time call Auntie, okay?”

  He nodded and then grumbled. “Then Mad Max won’t run into the road.”

  She faced Carsten over the gate. “Thanks again.”

  His knowing expression said he was aware of her evasive action. “Nice meeting you, Jaquan.”

  Jack waved while Max barked and put his front feet on the gate as if he resented being left out of the conversation.

  “It was good meeting you too, Max,” Carsten said.

  Feechi took Jack by the hand, turning him toward the verandah, but he waved over his shoulder. “Hey, you didn’t tell me your name.”

  “It’s Carsten.”

  Jack stopped, despite Feechi’s gentle urging for him to keep moving.

  “What does it mean?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know if it has a meaning, but I’m sure if it does it won't be as interesting as yours.”

  Jack laughed and waved a second time. “We’ll talk about it when you come back again, right Mommy?”

  Feechi gave Carsten a polite smile, but read the amusement in his eyes. Her expression must have given her away, because without a word between them, Carsten knew coming to their house again wasn’t happening if she had anything to do with it.

  Chapter 3

  Feechi aimed her handbag at one of the sofas and headed to the kitchen. The cozy space where she’d always liked chatting with her sister didn’t distract her from her mission.

  With Jack and Max trotting on her heels, she went through the back door and stepped onto the small verandah. The grille hung open and her sister stood with her back to the house.

  The two of them were almost the same height, but according to their mother, Feechi resembled her father more, which didn't thrill her at all. As far as she was concerned, their plump lips, expressive eyes and lush hair, marked them as their mother's children. She put her absent father out of her mind and walked toward her sister.

  “Dee, I’m home.”

  She looked over her shoulder, her locks swinging in time with her movement. “I know. I heard.”

  “You need to keep a closer eye on your tag team here.”

  Dee covered the end of the hose with her thumb, directing the spray at the roots of the oleander bushes that lined the yard. “What did they do this time?”

  “You mean apart from being out on the street?”

  “You’re kidding me, right?" Dee's gaze went to Jack, who stood close to Feechi. "Jack knows he’s not supposed to go beyond the gate.”

  “But Auntie, my marble fell on the sidewalk and that’s why I opened the gate and then Max ran outside and—”

  “That’s when I drove up.”

  Dee cocked one brow. “You got the car back from the garage?”

  “No, but that’s beside the point.”

  “I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching him like I should. Thank God there wasn’t an accident or anything.”

  “I keep telling you, you trust Jack too much.”

  “Come on Fee-Fee, he’s only seven years old and he’s such a good boy.”

  Feechi snorted and rolled her eyes as Jack inched toward the side of the house. “Yes, of course, but you know what happens when he and that dog … ”

  “Yeah, that dog you keep threatening to get rid of,” Dee said, while walking toward the pipe.

  “Yeah, that.” Sighing, Feechi crossed the yard and went back inside the kitchen, where she got a glass of lemonade out of the fridge and sat at the dining table.

  She kicked off her shoes and wriggled her toes while her mind went back to the meeting she’d just finished. Before her thoughts could wrap around Carsten, something attacked her foot, pulling a yelp from her.

  The dog's sharp teeth were clamped around her big toe. “Max!”

  She jiggled her foot and he let go, licking her toes as if to make up for what he’d done.

  Leaning sideways, she looked under the table into Max’s face.

  His head was angled to the side and he wore an innocent expression.

  She shook her head. “I’m not buying that act.”

  Max stretched then laid his head on his paws, and she could have sworn the dog smiled before she let go of the table and sat up straight.

  Dee and Jack walked into the kitchen, singing a silly song she had taught him last week.

  After locking the door, Dee sat opposite Feechi. “You’re not eating?”

  “In a bit.”

  Jack went past them on his way to the living room and within seconds, Max scrabbled from under the table to follow him.

  “Where are you going?” Feechi asked Jack.

  “To watch television.”

  Glancing at her watch, Feechi said, “Okay, I’ll be there in a while.”

  “Max and me will be fine.”

  “Max and I.”

  He said something Feechi didn’t catch, but she didn’t doubt he was being cheeky.

  Across the table, Dee propped her chin on her hand, her gaze expectant. “So who took you home?”

  Before she answered, Feechi swallowed a couple mouthfuls of lemonade. “Is there a reason you’re asking?”

  “Nothing other than the fact that I saw a Land Cruiser parked outside our gate. Who was that?”

  “I thought you were occupied.”

  “I was, but when anything drives up, I gotta check who’s outside.” She chuckled and folded
her arms. “Plus, I heard you grousing at Jack and Max was putting up a racket.”

  “When is that ever different?”

  “Anyway, who’s the owner of the van?”

  “A guy I met.”

  “Just some random guy?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Come on, you’re just being difficult and secretive.”

  “If you must know, I met him yesterday.”

  “Is this the start of something in the relationship department or am I to be disappointed yet again by something as boring as a business associate?”

  “You need to get a life and forget about those romance novels and your unrealistic expectations.”

  “Well, at least they keep me occupied.” Her eyes shone as she asked. ”So who is this guy?”

  Feechi took a deep breath and then smiled. “Like I said, I met him recently at that auction I went to yesterday.”

  “This sounds promising.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up. We were only out on business.”

  Dee moved one hand in a fanning motion. “Tell me more.”

  “He wants me to help him with an auction he’s having.”

  “That’s all?” Dee sucked her teeth. “Man, your life is the same shade of boring as mine.”

  Feechi laughed and picked up her glass. “You’re beginning to sound desperate, little sister.”

  “I have time on my side, it’s you I’m worried about.”

  “To hear you talk, anybody would think I’m over the hill.”

  “You might be pretty soon, if you keep not getting any dates. You’re all of thirty, in case you forgot.”

  “Thirty isn’t old and it’s not like I see guys lining up to take you out.”

  “I’m single by choice, as you well know.”

  “So am I, as you well know.”

  “But I’m not bitter and it makes me worry about you.”

  “For your information, I am not bitter.”

  “Yes, you are. You just won't admit it.”

  Feechi rubbed her forehead and prepared to get up. “Look, I’m perfectly happy the way I am. Dennis is wherever he is and Jack and I are doing just fine.”

  “I know all that. What worries me is that you haven’t gotten past what Dennis did.”

  “I’m a long way past that waste of space, okay?”