by Kris Jayne
"You could have texted me back, beautiful," he said as soon as he answered the phone. Micky blushed.
"I'm leaving the office so I thought I'd go old school and make a real phone call."
"Ah. On your way to your dinner. Where is your family get together again?"
"Nettuno. They have a small banquet room that my brother reserved. Pete's nervous. No one else knows this, but he's proposing to his girlfriend tonight. He asked me to go early and check on the arrangements he made. Dinner's not for another couple hours."
"Good for him. I'm sure there's no reason for him to be nervous. From everything you've said, it's not going to be totally unexpected."
"Oh, he's not worried about whether she'll say 'yes.' He just wants everything to go perfectly. They are plating the ring as part of Clarissa's favorite dessert. I'm taking the ring over and making sure the space is set up. I guess I'm his muscle for the evening. If anything happens to the ring, I'm supposed to break someone's kneecaps or something."
"You think you can handle that?"
"I could manage it if I had to."
Nick laughed. "I'll bet you could. If you'll have some time beforehand, you want to grab a drink? Nettuno is right by my house."
"I would, but there's a lot going on. We're still not sure if our dad is going to make it. He had flight problems."
Or so he said. She couldn't believe the man would let anything interfere with his son's one request.
"Too bad. About your dad, and that we can't meet up. Congratulations to your brother." He sounded truly disappointed, which made Micky perversely happy.
"Thanks. I'll see you this weekend."
They said their goodbyes, and Micky started her car, heading toward the restaurant.
Micky ran her hands through her hair as she walked past the entrance of the chic Italian restaurant toward the private room they reserved. This night was about Pete and Clarissa, so she wasn't sure why she felt nervous. She handled the business with the ring, getting more assurances they wouldn't lose it. Everything was going to be fine.
Soon enough, her brother arrived with his mother and stepfather in tow. The minute she saw him looking excited and nervous, she slapped a smile on her face and gave him a big hug. He deserved happiness. Nothing was going to interfere with that.
"Everything's good to go with the ring. What time is Clarissa getting here with her parents?"
"They should be here in about fifteen minutes. Clarissa, her parents."
"Dad?" Micky leaned in close to Pete, not wanting Lila to hear any mention of her ex-husband.
"He sends his regrets," Pete said. "He'll just have to meet Clarissa's parents another time."
Micky directed the conversation away from their flaky father. "You look dashing, it's going to be a fun night."
"You think?"
"Sure," Micky said. "You do look like you could use a drink, though."
"Maybe a small drink."
Micky turned. "Lila, Donald—would you like something to drink?"
She ordered a couple of red wines for herself and Pete, a pinot grigio for Lila, and a Scotch for Donald.
While they waited for their drinks, Donald asked Pete a few questions about Clarissa's parents.
"They live in Little Rock?"
"Yes. That's where Clarissa grew up. Her parents run a deli with a specialty grocery selling local goods."
"That's sounds lovely. So many small merchants are closing up shop these days. We're losing our local color." Donald was an advocate of small town life, which is why he and Lila had moved back to his expansive, but rural, family estate outside of Jackson, Mississippi, when he retired. Pete and Micky were shocked Lila agreed to move there from Atlanta, and she wasn't entirely happy.
"I wouldn't mind a few more mainstream shops nearby. Some things you just can't get in a small town," Lila interjected.
"They have a Wal-Mart now, right?" Pete looked with wide-eyed innocence at his mother.
"That's a terrible, joke, Peter. You know what I mean," Lila said. "But they do fly planes out of Jackson, so it's not totally desolate. I can come here to visit you and travel. It's important not to get too provincial. Clarissa's parents have always lived in Little Rock?"
"They have."
"I can't imagine."
"Clarissa loved living there. She only left to go to school, and there's more opportunity in Dallas than up there."
"Of course, there is. You're good for her. You can help her learn new things."
Pete bristled. "Mother, Clarissa was educated when I met her. She studied in France. She hardly needed me to be Henry Higgins to her Eliza Doolittle."
"I know, I know. I mean it's nice to have some sophistication in life. Traveling widens your point of view. That reminds me, Donald. Have you arranged your schedule so we can do our cruise?"
"I'm working on it, darling. I promised I would, so don't you worry about it."
"I'd hate to have to postpone. Although maybe then Sheila would come—assuming we went after her daughter's wedding."
Hearing a mention of Vivienne's impending marriage—allegedly to Nick—piqued Micky's interest. If Vivienne were getting married, then Lila was obviously mistaken about the groom. Nick had been very clear. While there was a story there, Micky believed him. Before she could ask Lila more questions, Clarissa arrived with her parents and the group was ready for dinner.
An hour and a half later, Micky sat at a large round dinner table next to Lila, who—to her credit—was on her best behavior. She and her good-natured husband Donald chatted up Clarissa's parents over emptying glasses of Chianti. Harper and Bess Langley arrived from Arkansas that morning and spent time shopping and going to the art museum downtown.
"How did you like Northpark? There are some fabulous new stores and then the old standbys. Nothing says Dallas like a trip to Neiman's," Lila joked.
"Big. So much bigger than I remember, but then I haven't been to Dallas in years. Clarissa did take us to Neiman-Marcus for lunch. It's a beautiful store. Everything is so sparse and neat." Clarissa's mother declared.
"And expensive. You've got to sacrifice a limb to afford anything in that place," Harper interjected. "My tuna salad was fifteen dollars. Fifteen bucks for a tuna fish sandwich! If we charged that at Langley's, they'd run us out of town, and you know it."
"It's expensive, but it's beautiful," Bess said. "It's a special trip, Harper. And it was very nice of Clarissa to treat us to lunch." Harper nodded in agreement on the last part.
"I couldn't agree more. I'm sure it was quite a treat for you. Neiman Marcus is a place where you find unique things for special occasions," Lila stated with a smile. Micky laughed to herself. If she lived in Dallas, Lila would be there twice a week. She'd pay a hundred dollars for a plain white T-shirt from a famous designer.
"I sampled a wonderful perfume. That's going on my Christmas list for sure, Harper. You'd better be paying attention. After all this time, sometimes I still have to remind my husband of the things I like."
"Don't we all, dear," Lila said, patting Donald's hand. "Men may run the world, but seriously, don't you wonder how they manage it?" Lila and Bess shared a laugh.
Donald shook his head. "We're busy working hard to keep our ladies happy. Those fancy lunches don't pay for themselves. Do they, Harper?" Now it was the men who laughed. Micky rolled her eyes. Hadn't Clarissa paid for lunch?
"It was a fun afternoon," Clarissa said. "And you loved the art museum, Dad."
"We had a good time. I like art museums. It's always interesting to see the things people create," Harper agreed.
"Must be where Clarissa gets her artistic streak. Last night, she put a plate of food in front of us so beautiful it could have been in a museum," Donald added.
"She's talented." Pete reached over and squeezed Clarissa's hand. The smooth progression of the evening thrilled Micky.
"Our little girl has come a long way since helping us slice ham and dish out potato salad." Bess winked at her daughter.
"You laugh, Dad, but it's not a bad idea. I've been telling you should add more specialty items on the weekends and holidays. Keep things interesting, and give people a reason to come to the deli for more than just lunch." Donald nodded approval at what seemed like good business sense.
"Come up to Little Rock for Christmas, and we'll sort out some ideas," Clarissa's father said.
"What are your plans for Christmas, Peter?" Lila asked. "I'd hoped you'd make it to Mississippi."
Four pairs of parental eyes turned toward the couple.
Clarissa began to answer. "I'm not sure how much time I'll have. The holidays are the busiest time of year for me with all the parties and events." A faint murmur of objection started to bubble, and Pete intervened.
"We still haven't had dessert." Pete gestured to catch Micky's eye. A quick signal, and Micky excused herself to grab Emilio.
In a moment, Emilio appeared, carrying a tray of chocolate desserts—including one special chocolate truffle and cake placed in front of Clarissa. Lila immediately asked Emilio to box hers up to take back to the hotel.
"These are too beautiful eat," Bess said, looking first at her husband's plate, which was the same as her own, and then looking at her daughter's. "Yours is different, Clarissa. You have a little chocolate basket on yours. That's just adorable."
Clarissa plucked the piece of chocolate from her plate and gasped. Pete stood up.
"If I can get everyone's attention, there's something I'd like to say."
He moved, dropping down on one knee at Clarissa's side, which stopped the room.
"Clarissa, the past year since I've met you has changed me forever. I never thought I could find in one woman everything I've always dreamed of. You're beautiful, creative, and funny, and every day that I've known you has been better than any day before. So, I'm hoping that you'll agree to let me return the favor every day from here forward. Will you marry me?"
"Absolutely," Clarissa answered, breathless. Pete slid the ring onto her finger, and then she grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him.
Pete stood and wrapped his arms around a teary-eyed Clarissa. They gave each other a peck on the lips and locked eyes. The excited chatter of the parents blended with the soft Italian music piping through the restaurant. Micky teared up. Pete had waited a long time for a woman like Clarissa, but his persistence paid off. He found his "one."
Their server returned with a tray of champagne flutes. Donald and Harper began slapping Pete on the back with hearty congratulations as their wives hugged Clarissa. Micky looked on. She thought this night might be hard for her, but it wasn't. There was something about seeing these happy couples—not just her brother and his new fiancée, but Bess and Harper, and even Donald and Lila.
Lila and Pete, Sr. had been miserable, and they had lots of foolish marriages between them. In the end, even Lila found someone who made her happy enough to live—as she often put it—on the edges of civilization. Donald doted on her.
For the first time in a while, Micky thought maybe there was a happy ending for her that would be so much the sweeter for what she'd overcome. She lifted her champagne and silently toasted the thought along with her brother and his new fiancée.
Chapter Twenty-Two
A call from his ex-fiancée offered Nick a poor substitute for having another dinner with Micky. However, he'd asked to meet with her, and a cancelled appointment freed her up to meet for drinks that evening.
After his trip to Fort Worth, Nick called Speedy Tech under the guise of wanting to hire a company for computer maintenance for his business. The owner informed him that he had eight technicians, including himself. Bingo.
No reason for Nick to do more legwork. He called Rick and told him he'd figured out that the blackmailer worked at Speedy Tech. With that bit of information, Rick had agreed to go ahead and give him the list of employees. After all, given enough time, Nick could come up with the names himself.
The news should make Vivienne happy, and he hoped Vivienne had news of her own that would please him—namely, a plan for what she'd tell her parents. Nick could only avoid eye contact with Tom Moran in meetings for so long. The time had come to tell the truth—or a version of the truth—and end their engagement for good. They both needed to move on.
He thought again about Micky. He wanted to be free and clear and totally honest—not hiding a fiancée.
Nick pulled up in front of the Morans' favorite sushi restaurant—where Vivienne wanted to meet—and valet parked his car. As soon as he opened the door, he spotted her in a small corner booth in the bar—beautiful and impeccably dressed as always.
"Hello, Vivienne," he said, as he slid into the booth opposite her. Vivienne returned his hello with a tentative smile and fiddled with the corner of her napkin. They sat in silence for a moment. She had taken the liberty of ordering him a drink, and he took a healthy swig.
"What did the investigator have to say?"
"We have a hot lead that narrowed down the list of suspects." Nick relayed everything he and Rick discovered. "We should have Rick look into each of the eight people, see if they have any connection to you or your family."
"No." Vivienne's response came quickly.
"Vivienne—"
She waved him off. "No. That means telling him who I am and, what, telling him the specifics of the blackmail? I won't do that, Nick. If we have a short list, can't we look into it ourselves."
"You and I have neither the time nor the expertise for that sort of thing."
"It doesn't matter. Let's just have him run deep background checks on each of the people. If he does that, I may be able to figure out which person would have an ax to grind all on my own."
"The more we give him, the more he'll know where to look. He works for us, and he'll be discreet. I've worked with him before. He's a straight up, no nonsense kind of guy."
"I don't care. At this point, I don't trust anyone."
Nick could tell Vivienne wouldn't budge on the issue, so he dropped it. "Fine. I'll have him give us background reports on each person. We'll go from there."
"Perfect." She leaned back in the booth and let out her held breath.
"Was there something else you wanted to talk about?" Nick asked her.
"No. I just thought we'd catch up."
Suspicion filled the silence between them.
"How's it going with your parents? I haven't heard from you about telling your dad."
"I've been talking things over with my mother. Just so you know, you work entirely too much, and I don't think that's the kind of marriage I want. I told my brother the wedding is off. He won't say anything. I have to work up to telling my dad."
Nick didn't know whether to be pissed off or grateful.
"Your mother isn't going to say anything either?"
"Oh, God, no. No chance of that," Vivienne shook her head as she spoke.
Now Tom and Sheila's marriage made even less sense to him.
"We need to tell him soon. Every time I see him, I have trouble looking him in the eye. Plus, whatever he's going to do when he finds out, I'd rather know now."
"I know. I thought we might wait until you finish your deal."
"I don't know when, or if, this deal is getting done. This situation can't just go on and on. I have a life to live."
"You're still angry."
"The limbo of the situation is getting to me, and I feel like a moron. I don't know how I couldn't see the truth. Sorry. I want to try to remain friendly."
"We are friends. This is why I couldn't go through with the wedding without telling you. I thought I could. I thought I could live the life everyone wanted for me. My parents…I don't have to tell you how much my parents wanted me to get married."
Nick remembered another piece of their conversation the night he propos
ed. They toasted each other with champagne and sat on the beautiful balcony of their hotel suite. Vivienne had stared off into the distance at the busy Parisian street below.
"My parents will be thrilled to be marrying me off finally," she'd said.
"Aren't you happy to be getting married off?" he'd asked her.
"Yes. You're the only man I've ever pictured spending my life with. That I know."
The only man. Those words brought his focus to Vivienne's furrowed brow across from him. She picked at her napkin.
"Do you think you can ever forgive me?" she asked.
"Of course," Nick sighed. "Can you forgive me for being so oblivious?"
"Definitely. Let's just put this behind us."
"I'm glad your mom knows, but we need to tell your dad. This business deal may not go through at all. I don't think we should wait. Two blows at once?" Nick winced.
"What's going on with the acquisition?"
"I can't discuss that. We have some snags."
Vivienne sighed. "I'd hoped that your help with whatever he's doing with keep him from ruining your chances to make partner. It'll all be my fault."
"No. It won't, and what's going on with work isn't about anything I've done. I'll be fine." Nick forced assurance into his smile. "I know it will be difficult, but I think you should tell him in the next week."
Vivienne ripped her napkin into tiny pieces.
"Give me some time."
"What's the hold up, Vivienne? Nothing is going to change."
"You don't get how important this is to them."
"Why should they care this much? As far as they know, you'll find someone else."
"You know what my father said to me when I graduated college? I graduated summa cum laude with degrees in art and business from Columbia. My father looked at me and said, 'I sent you to one of the best schools in the country and no husband. You could have not gotten married at state school prices.' On my graduation day, Nick. In front of my friends."
"Your father thought he was being funny."
"My father is an antediluvian pig, and my mother is barely better. All she sees is the advantages of a good match. It's like I'm living in a regency romance novel. How dare I be over twenty-two with no prospects!"