Making Time

by C. J. Harte

  “I’m sure she will find me.”

  Bren stood and grabbed Mia’s hand. “Come on, honey. We have an hour to rest before we need to dress.” She quickly led Mia away. “What a barracuda! She was openly making a pass at you.”

  “Well, you gave her something to think about. She already thinks I’m sleeping with Jeremy and Teri.” Mia told her the story of her encounters with Pamela Milton.

  “I’m going to have a chat with Teri tomorrow. Pamela Milton is a barracuda. I have zero tolerance for that, and right in front of her new business partners.”

  “Please don’t say anything. I don’t want to cause problems.”

  “Trust me; you aren’t the one with problems.”

  “Bren, please. If anything goes wrong with the merger, Teri will blame me. I just want Michel’s passport and to get out of here.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Teri watched Mia and Bren come into the house. She couldn’t believe Pamela Milton went to get a drink and then headed out to the pool. She would talk to Bren sometime this evening and find out what was going on. Meanwhile, she needed to make sure all their overnight guests were cared for. It was the only way to push back the image of Mia. Mia in sweats. Mia in a cocktail dress. Mia with warm sleep surrounding her. Mia in a bathing suit.

  By five, Teri was finally alone. She had only said “hi” to Mia all day. She was definitely missing her. Maybe when this merger is done….No, I need to concentrate on the merger. She made phone calls, answered e-mails, and finally dressed for the evening. She chose a black, Donna Karan outfit. The pants were soft and hung well on her tall frame while the shell top emphasized her broad shoulders. The V neckline gave enough hint at the firm breasts beneath. She applied her makeup with care.

  She looked at herself in the mirror and liked what she saw. She never had time for exercise, but her body was still in great shape. She wondered what Mia thought of her. That led to wondering what Mia would be wearing. Staring in her mirror, she realized she had chosen this outfit because of Mia. It was the kind of outfit she often wore when she was younger and into a seduction.

  “Maybe I need to change.” She picked up her Cartier Rose Gold watch. It was almost seven. She strapped the watch on. “Too late now.”

  People were running around everywhere. Large tents had been set up for food and bar at both ends of their large garden. Teri knew more than two hundred people had been invited, including the French ambassador and the French consul general in New York. Protocol dictated their presence when a high-ranking emissary such as Auguste Garson arrived to conduct business on behalf of his country. That also meant the U.S ambassador to France would be present, several dignitaries from the State Department, the mayor of New York, plus numerous other New York and Washington guests. Teri was also aware of the large number of residents from this end of Long Island as well as the financial and corporate leaders. Normally, this was the kind of evening she relished. Tonight, something was different.

  Teri did a walk around. She only needed to greet her guests. Why, then, was she looking for one particular guest? By eight, the Miltons and about a hundred guests were wandering around. A large group of French officials, including the Garsons, were just exiting the main house. In the center of the group was Mia, laughing and talking, as if she were with old friends. She was stunning in an off-white, strapless evening dress. One side of the dress appeared to be lace, and Mia’s leg was definitely visible under the see-through lace skirt. The low cut neckline provided enough glimpse of breasts that Teri forced herself to look up at Mia’s face. Teri couldn’t help smiling. She walked toward the group. Her shortness of breath was not from the walk.

  Mia made rapid introductions. “Sorry if you already know everyone.”

  “You continue to amaze me,” Teri said. “Is there anyone in France you don’t know?”

  “Absolument.” Mia’s eyes roamed Teri’s body, only increasing Teri’s excitement. “You look…gorgeous.”

  “You…you are stunning.”

  “Thank you.” She linked her arm in Teri’s as they walked toward one of the bars. Mia lowered her voice. “Reminds me of the many times your brother and I hid up there.” She pointed to the upstairs terrace. “I remember how beautiful you looked and your equally beautiful dates.”

  “Ooops. Didn’t know anyone was paying attention. I promise my behavior will be much better tonight.” Teri began handing flutes of champagne to the group.

  “Too bad.” Mia laughed. This definitely was unexpected.

  Teri handed Mia some champagne.

  “Thanks, but I’ll pass until I get something to eat.”

  Teri excused herself and walked with Mia over to the food. She handed Mia a plate. “Thank you for being here.”

  “Teri, all these people speak English fluently.”

  “I know. I just felt more secure knowing you’re here.” Teri briefly touched Mia’s arm. “Thank you.”

  Mia was close. Her head was slightly tilted, her expression one of intense interest. Teri wanted to kiss her. Capture those full lips and hang on for dear life. She took a step back. “Get lots to eat. We always have too much left over. I’ll catch up with you later. I see my sister has just arrived with her handsome date in tow.”

  Teri walked away as quickly as she could. Her body was pleading with her to turn around, grab a bottle of champagne, take Mia by the hand, and pray no one noticed them climbing aboard the boat tied up on the dock. Her nipples ached. Her center was throbbing. It had been so long since she had wanted someone this much. Her body craved to be touched. Her heart pleaded for more. She walked faster trying to will the desire away. Tonight had to be about business.

  She greeted Bren. “Where’s Jeremy?”

  “Right behind me. Teri, this is Dr. Alan Crain, the new trauma head at the hospital. Alan, my sister.”

  Teri chatted briefly and then joined Jeremy and Elaine. She only had a few moments to spend with them, but she didn’t need long to realize that they loved each other. She couldn’t remember ever seeing Jeremy this happy. And she was sure Elaine wouldn’t meet her parents’ muster. One more thing to deal with later.

  Her emotions were back under control.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  This party couldn’t end soon enough. Mia was emotionally and physically exhausted. The time with Jer and Bren was definitely supposed to be relaxing. Then everything fell apart. She knew Michel’s passport was due any day. Maybe she could have Bren send it to her. No, I can’t take the chance of it being lost or delayed. Just a few more days and I’ll be gone. I’ll stay with Bren in the city until then.

  She said good night to the last of the French guests and looked for a place to hide and rest for a few minutes.

  “Ms. Daniels.” Teri’s father. Mia recognized the old discomfort overtaking her. It had been her frequent companion when she lived around here when she was younger.

  “Mr. Stanton. How are you?”

  “Thank you for assisting us tonight. Whatever amount you and my daughter agreed to for your help the last couple of days, I’ll make sure our office makes out a check to you tomorrow. If you’ll leave your address with one of the staff here, I’ll have it delivered tomorrow. I’m sure you’re anxious to get back to whatever you were doing before we interrupted. Good night.”

  He was gone as quickly as he arrived. Mia felt cheap. She was just hired help and she had been royally dismissed. She was tired, angry, and close to tears. She found a bottle of cold water and climbed to the upstairs terrace. She looked at her watch and realized it was still too early to call her family. She missed them and her much more stable life. As soon as she got Michel’s passport, she was going home and never coming back to this area.

  She sat and waited for Bren or Jeremy to come get her. Mia laughed. All those nights she hid up here with Jeremy and dreamed of being all dressed up and being one of the guests. Well, here she was all dressed up and sitting on the upstairs terrace. Alone. Initially, this evening, Teri had reacted
to her arrival. The rest of the evening, Teri mostly ignored her. Dealing with Teri was like trying to walk along the beach. Waves in and waves out. In either direction, it could knock you down. Her father just knocked you down.

  Heels clicking on the stairs alerted her that someone was approaching, but it sounded more like one set of footsteps. Maybe it’s Bren. The head quickly appearing, however, was Pamela Milton’s. Shit. There was no way she was going to be alone with Pam or give Teri ammunition for wild accusations. She stood and greeted Pam.

  Pam offered her a glass of champagne. “No.” She held up the bottle of water.

  “I saw you come up here and thought this would be a great place for us to meet.”

  Mia needed every ounce of will power to not groan and dump the rest of her water on the intruder. “Pam, I’m not interested. I think I’ve made that clear. If you’ll excuse me.”

  Pam grabbed Mia’s wrist as she walked by. “I know you want me.”

  “Actually, I was just getting ready to leave. Let go.” Mia’s politeness would only extend so far.

  “Or what? Come on. I know when a woman’s interested.”

  Mia quickly rotated her wrist toward Pam’s thumb, causing the grip to be broken. “And when a woman says no, what do you do? I’m saying ‘no’ and I have no interest in knowing you at all.”

  Pamela Milton moved closer. Her eyes were dark pinpoints. “I’ve never had anyone say no, so this is a challenge. What is it? What do the Stantons have to offer I don’t?”

  Mia tried to step away, but Pam pulled her close and tried to kiss her. Mia’s instinct was to turn quickly and put Pam into a chokehold until the bitch was flat on the ground. This was not the time or place. She was determined to get away safely and not have Teri Stanton have one more thing to complain about. She grabbed Pam’s thumb and bent it back, forcing her to back up. “I’m leaving. Good night.”

  “Who the hell do you think you are? Do you have any idea who I am or what influence I have? The Stantons want my family’s business. I don’t think they would appreciate your behavior.” Pamela Milton was now the predator, and Mia’s patience was gone.

  “I don’t care about what the Stantons want, and I care even less about you.”

  Mia pushed Pam away. She had taken three steps when she felt a hand on her upper arm. This time the grasp was tight. “Let me go!”

  Pam tried to pull Mia hard against her. “You want me and I want you. So stop pretending.”

  She relaxed enough that Pam Milton loosened her grip and, with a sharp jerk, Mia was able to pull free. The effort resulted in her stumbling and losing her balance. She leaned forward, panic setting in. Her foot slipped and she began falling forward toward the steps. She had only seconds. She put her right hand out to break the fall and tried to lean away from the stairs at the same time. The stairs were cold and hard. A sharp pain shot through her right arm as she slipped down another step. That was followed quickly by her head slamming against the step. She had no way to stop herself from going down the stairs. Somehow, a hand caught her, stopping her tumble.

  “I’ve got my medical bag downstairs with my clothes.” It was Alan Crain. Mia closed her eyes. She was in pain, but she would be okay.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  “Have you seen Pamela Milton? Her father’s looking for her.” Bren and her date interrupted Teri’s conversation. Teri was saying good night to one of their guests. It was after midnight.

  “I just saw her heading upstairs to the terrace.” Before she could finish, Bren grabbed her date’s hand and walked quickly away. Teri wondered what was so damn urgent. She wasn’t happy about Pamela’s actions but decided to wait until her guests were gone before finding out what was going on. There was no reason for Pamela Milton to be on the upper terrace.

  She turned back to a local banker and his wife. She still had business responsibilities. “Thank you for coming. We’ll talk next week.” Several others wished her well and departed. The next ten minutes were spent with her parents thanking their guests. She had just said good-bye to another couple when her cell phone went off. It was her sister. She ignored it. That was followed by a notice of text message.

  On the way to hospital ER with Mia.

  What the hell? Mia, emergency room? Who was hurt? What happened? Too many questions were swirling, and they had nothing to do with work. Teri was torn between concern for Mia and her all too familiar responsibilities. Once again, she chose her responsibilities. It was the easiest path. She kept looking over at the steps but forced herself to concentrate. Her vice president of operations and his wife stopped to chat. He was flying to visit several of the Milton facilities.

  “Make sure you take the brief I prepared.” She continued to talk to various guests. Finally, she saw Alan and Bren running down the steps. Her guest was saying something, but Teri was having trouble concentrating. “Sorry, what’s that?” She half-listened, but she was looking for Mia. She wanted to run to Mia, yet every fiber of who she was required she finish this job first.

  A group of executives approached and chatted about work. She half-listened and thanked them for coming. “See you on Monday.” Her phone vibrated. She ignored it. The Miltons were nearby. Teri glared at Pamela. She could read nothing in her facial expression. “I understand you’ll be spending a few days upstate.”

  The senior Milton nodded. “We’re leaving early. Have a ten o’clock flight.”

  Pamela smiled, and Teri wanted to strangle her. She didn’t know why. Her phone went off again. “I’ll let you know if there are any unresolved issues. We’ll have the limo take you to the airport in the morning.” Pamela walked to the cottage, laughing and talking to her parents.

  “Theresa, nice work tonight.” Her father patted her on the back. “What happened to Jeremy and Brenna? I expected them to at least be here until after all our guests were gone. You need to make sure those two, especially Jeremy, understand their roles in this family.”

  Teri looked at her father and wondered when she became her siblings’ parent. “I’m sure they are taking care of our guests.” Her phone vibrated. She couldn’t decide whether to throw it away or answer. She was so damn frustrated.

  “Your mother and I want Jeremy to take more of an interest in the business. We also need to introduce him to some of the eligible daughters of our friends out here.”

  “He’s engaged, Father.”

  “Not as far as I’m concerned. He needs to make a suitable match, and this gold digger is not suitable. Make sure she leaves when your little friend leaves. Let’s meet in the morning after the Miltons leave. I want to close this deal before the end of the third quarter.”

  “Father, that’s impossible.” Teri glared at him. Could he really be that cold and calculating? He knew nothing about Elaine or Mia. Teri stopped. What was it she had felt when she first saw Mia and Elaine? She’d even referred to Mia as her sister’s little friend. For the first time in years, she felt a niggling regret for her own behavior. The image of a very different Theresa Stanton was congealing in her brain, and it made her uncomfortable. She pushed it away. She had work to do. “The merger’s scheduled for completion by the end of the fiscal year.”

  “Get it done. I know you can.” She was left standing alone, wondering why she was talking about the impossible. As soon as her parents were gone, Teri was ashamed of her own spinelessness. Why didn’t I stand up to them? When did I become such a coward? It was a word she had never associated with herself or her life, yet it seemed to fit snugly, like a well-broken in shoe.

  Distraction and action were her salvation. She called Bren. No answer. She tried Jeremy. No answer. What the hell is going on with them?

  She checked her phone and listened to the voice messages. There had been an accident. She needed to change quickly. She ran up the stairs. It was the quickest route to her part of the house. At the top of the steps was the type of detritus that she expected from a medical emergency: bloodied bandages, an empty glass vial, discarded container
s from various wraps and bandages.

  Teri panicked. Mia was hurt. She pushed the debris aside and ran into her room. It took less than five minutes to change before she was running out the door with car keys in hand. She started the engine remotely, jumped into the car, and raced out the gate. Why was no one answering the phone? She again tried voice dialing on her car’s Bluetooth. Still no answer. “Damn it. Someone answer.”

  She was well above the speed limit, but didn’t care. She was on autopilot, well aware that her behavior was irrational. All she could think about was Mia and the need to make sure she was okay. “This doesn’t make any sense.” She wasn’t even sure that anything was wrong with Mia.

  Her voice was the only thing keeping panic at bay. “Probably just a minor cut. Otherwise they would have called for the ambulance.”

  No matter how much she tried, logic did not ease her fears. She had barely spoken to Mia all evening. Suppose something serious had happened. She had put feelings for Mia on a back shelf. Work was logical. Emotions weren’t. She didn’t doubt that, buried under her Stanton persona, were deep-seated feelings for Mia. She just didn’t know what to do about it. Or if Mia felt the same way.

  Her throat tightened and she couldn’t swallow. Panic was setting in. Teri hadn’t felt this type of emotional pull in so long she wasn’t sure she could name it. Suddenly, an old children’s game came into mind. Name it and claim it. Teri didn’t know how.

  Seconds stretched into minutes. Teri wondered if she had missed a turn. The hospital’s much closer. Finally, she saw the lights up ahead. Jeremy’s car was in the parking lot. “No wonder I couldn’t reach him.”

  Bren, Jeremy, and Elaine were sitting in a corner of the waiting room. “Where’s Mia?”

  Bren crossed her arms across her chest. “Where the hell have you been?” Her voice was cold and accusatory.

  “Taking care of business, as if you or Jeremy cared.” Teri was angry. How dare Bren challenge her? “Tell me what happened and where she is.”