by Tiana Cole
She had no idea how this would play out, but she knew she hated the wall she felt between them. She understood that what she really wanted, if she could manage it, was a chance to find out what James was really like. She’d like to let him get to know her. She felt a magic that ran from him to her, an electricity that somehow was staying alive despite everything. If they could just get through this.
With all the crap that was going on, all the shit that was flying around them, and the fact that her secret would probably come out sooner or later, she had no clue how that could possibly happen. Once he knew the truth, James would hate her. It really wasn’t any more complicated than that. Doing what she’d been asked was a fix for one important thing, but just might be stabbing a knife through her heart.
She pulled herself together and pushed the button for the elevator. If the man was holding up his side of the bargain, she had some things to do. Important things. Her love life, whatever she could make of the relationship with James, would just have to wait.
CHAPTER FIVE
She stepped out of the elevator into the ornate lobby and walked straight to the front desk. A woman in a business suit stood behind the desk marked Concierge.
When the woman looked up, Deja smiled. “Do you have anything for Ms. Fontaine in 1215? I was expecting an envelope.” Her heart pounded as the woman turned to look.
It had to be there. It better be there.
Then the woman had an envelope in her hand and a smile on her face. “Yes, I certainly do.” She slid it across the desk. “Here you are.”
Deja felt a tremble of relief as she thanked the woman. Looking at the envelope, conflicting emotions tore at her. Part of her had hoped it wouldn’t be there. If Alan had screwed her, then all bets were off. She could self-righteously go back upstairs and tell James, face the music, and blow away this cloud hanging over her head.
But if it hadn’t been there…she calmed herself. It was there. She’d done what she’d done to get this. She took the envelope and walked over to a large sitting area. Settling herself on a couch, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She still felt tense, but the tremble eased. No one was near her or paying the least attention to her. It occurred to her that James might hire a private detective to follow her, or check her out for something he could use against her.
What was supposed to be a rather simple game was turning into a serious business with a lot more at stake than she’d been told. Of course that explained why the money was so good—too good to be true.
She opened the envelope and saw the green bills. Without removing them, she flipped through them, counting twenty beautiful fifty dollar bills—one thousand dollars, exactly as promised. The envelope also held a piece of paper and she pulled it out.
The handwritten note had a telephone number and a name. She knew what it was and her heart skipped a beat. James was almost right. The name was that of a tabloid reporter who loved scandals, of trashing well-known people. Alan expected her to call this man, but that wasn’t part of the deal and the idea turned her stomach.
She wadded up the note and stuffed it in a garbage can beside the couch, then put the envelope with the money in her purse. She sat thinking for a moment, steeling herself for what had to happen next.
She needed to go. Barbara was expecting her, and if James came downstairs and found her sitting there when she’d told him she had to leave, she didn’t have any reasonable explanation for her actions. Even if she managed to ad lib something, he was already too suspicious of her. And rightly so.
So she stood, brushed the wrinkles out of her skirt, and headed for the door. As she passed through the automatic door, a man in a business suite glanced at her. He smiled and then his gaze ran down her body and over her legs.
Ordinarily that would have made her feel good. The attention would seem flattering, but at the moment, it just annoyed her. She thought of telling him, sternly, that she was a married woman.
The idea that she was married, really, actually married, seemed odd and somewhat sad. Marriage was supposed to be a happy thing, wasn’t it? She didn’t really know what she was, but now she had enough money to move her plan along one more step.
* * * *
Deja was relieved to see Barbara looking remarkably well, bright-eyed. It took a practiced eye to notice the weariness that subtly marked her face, made her smile just a little off. But then Barb always amazed her. How could the woman battle cancer for three years, weather the ups and downs that the illness and the treatment put her through, and still manage to flash her little sister that same cheerful and welcoming smile?
Whenever Deja came to see her, Barb made it seem that she was pausing a busy life to make time for her little sister. No one would ever know that she was dying and that Deja was helping her make one last attempt to thwart fate.
You had to know her, know of her amazing strength before you’d see how frail she’d gotten. You had to have grown up with her to be aware of the way pain put a slight hesitation in her movements. You had to know the woman who sat upright, impeccably dressed, to appreciate that she was fading away.
Deja shook her head. “Looking at you, sometimes it’s hard to believe you’re really sick.”
Barbara patted her hand. “I’m not sick, little sister. Remember all those doctor shows we watched when we were kids? I got hooked. I like being around them, so I let them think I’m sick. So stop looking so worried.”
“Any news on the new treatment? Has the doctor found out anything?”
Barbara laughed. “What treatment? Oh, you mean the one that seems to work, the one that is still experimental so my insurance company won’t pay a dime for it?
There’s a chance it might be reclassified soon, but I called the insurance company and apparently that won’t matter anymore. I’ve managed to max out the payments they’ll authorize for my condition trying all the tried and true remedies. They even rejected a request to pay for the tests to see if it would help me half as much as the good doctor wants to believe.”
“I know. I was just up in the business office.”
“Begging for crumbs for me again.”
“Reminding them that without the treatment you’ll die. But that doesn’t affect their bottom line.”
“Of course I’ll die without it. I’ll die even if I get it, just later on. We all die, Deja. The trick is to die well, isn’t it? Let them run their business without making them feel like it’s their fault. I’ve been lucky and I’m still surrounded by luck and love, if not good health. I have my two lovely children and my darling Fred.”
“How’s Fred doing?”
“As well as can be expected, working at his two shitty jobs. He’s more or less keeping up on the bills.”
“He couldn’t do any more than he’s doing.”
She stroked Deja’s cheek lovingly. “And I have you—you’ve done so much to help me and my family. I couldn’t have had the treatments I’ve gotten if you hadn’t been helping pay for the deductibles that are eating up every penny we earn. It hurts me that you’ve sacrificed so much, quitting school and working so hard. What you’ve done for us has helped me keep my family together. Obviously, I’ve been blessed.”
“And now you are giving up?”
She smiled. “Not giving up, just accepting that I’ve run out of medical options. Railing against the system might be fun, but it won’t help. I have some time left and I intend to spend it with the people I love, and stop running up medical bills. That way I can enjoy myself and I can have some hope the family finances will recover once I’m gone.
The poor children have grown up making do with so little. I’m reminded of the tales our grandparents told of growing up in the Great Depression, except that our grandparents weren’t surrounded by friends and classmates who had plenty.” She bit her lip. “I wanted so much to be the kind of parent who got her children the best books and nice clothes…not indulging them, but providing the best of what they really needed.”
�
�And you’ve done that.”
“Until three years ago. The best laid plans…”
Deja held her sister’s hand, wanting to give her hope. But she couldn’t say anything definite. Not yet. Not until she had the money she’d been promised, and before that could happen she had to make sure James didn’t divorce her, or annul the marriage. But she could hint.
“If we can get the money for the surgery—”
“We don’t even know if it will be right for me. Without the tests the doctor is just hoping I’ll be a candidate.”
“When I was in the office I found out that the doctor is certain enough that she talked to the people at UCLA who came up with the treatment. They agreed to underwrite all but a thousand dollars of the costs of the tests. They’ll do the lab work under a grant.”
Barbara shook her head. “As if we had a thousand dollars.”
“I just gave it to them. You’ll start the tests tomorrow.”
“Where did you get that kind of money?” Her voice was sharp.
“I did a favor for someone. They felt it was worth a thousand dollars.”
“A favor! What kind of favor? Never mind—don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. I don’t care. But I do care that you’re wasting your money, Deja. Even if I’m the perfect candidate for this treatment, even if they magically covered most of the costs, we’d still need thousands more for the surgery. What’s the point?”
“Then the point would be getting the money. I’ll get it. Somehow.”
Barb frowned at her. “So you waltzed in the hospital with a thousand dollars?”
“I did.”
“And now you’re broke.”
“Not entirely. I have a few dollars, and I’m going to work from here. I’ll get enough in tips for taxi fare.”
“Maybe I do want to know how you got your hands on that much money.”
“I have some exciting news.”
Barbara’s eyes smiled. “And what would that be?”
“I got married.”
“Married?”
“Last night. You can call the money a wedding present. I was given it to get married.”
The smiled vanished. “The last I heard you weren’t even dating. And someone paid you to get married?”
“Sort of.”
“So who is he, your surprise husband?”
“A wealthy businessman named James Andrews.”
“Whom you’ve never mentioned before today.” The suspicion in her voice sent a chill of apprehension shooting through Deja.
“I just met him the other day. Last night.”
“And you married him?”
She nodded. “Last night. We really hit it off. Think of it as love at first sight. And he’s wealthy.” She tried to keep the hard, defensive tone out of her voice but knew she was failing.
“You married him because he has money and I’m sick? You expect him to pay for the treatment?”
“No. Not that. We were having a good time and we didn’t want it to stop.”
“So why isn’t he here with you?”
“He doesn’t know about you yet. I was going to tell him, but we had a fight.”
Barbara tipped her head back and let out a long laugh. “So last night you went out and happened to meet a man, fell in love, and married him. This morning you’ve had your first fight and even though he’s wealthy you are off to work in the diner?”
“Yes.” Barbara’s sarcasm irritated her but that was because when said out loud, it sounded stupid. It made her feel stupid. Well, it was stupid. And I’m going to work because we haven’t worked out the details of our relationship yet.”
“No shit, Deja. I’m surprised you had time to learn his name.”
She cringed. Barbara had cut to the core. Even if she knew the real reason for what she’d done, it was still stupid—the kind of stupidity one resorted to when desperate. “It’s been a whirlwind, but I’ll sort it out. And maybe, in a few days, I can talk to him about your surgery.”
“You are an idiot!” Barbara’s cry combined astonishment and frustration. “You went out husband hunting, didn’t you? You convinced a rich man to marry you so that he’d pay for my surgery? That stinks to high heaven, Deja. I’m so disappointed in you.”
The words stung. “That isn’t exactly what happened. Even if it was, what’s wrong with that if it saves your life?”
Barbara sat back, her expression stern. “For one thing, you are supposed to be living your own life, not trying to compensate for problems and bad luck in mine. For another, it’s dishonest and you will hate yourself, and he’ll probably feel used when you tell him why you married him.”
“Maybe that’s exactly what I’m doing, living my life. Maybe I love James. Maybe I’m sick of being poor andhaving a wealthy husband is the best thing to ever happen to me.” Deja held her breath. Her big sister had always been able to see through her, far better than their mother could. And now the familiar penetrating look burned into her soul.
“How did you meet him? What made you pick out this man?”
With her mind racing, Deja tried to think up an answer, but the question had come out of the blue. She’d prepared herself to answer lots of questions about James Andrews but this caught her off guard, and with Barb staring at her, she couldn’t think straight. Finally she did what she always did when she tried to lie to her big sister—she blurted out the truth. “I didn’t pick him out.”
Barb took her hand. “Sit on my bed, Deja,” she said sternly. Take a deep breath. Relax and get yourself together because you are going to tell me the story. All of it, right from the beginning.”
* * * *
“I recently heard an odd thing about you,” Shen Liang said over lunch. The man had called to announce he was back in town early and wanted to meet for lunch. That Deja was gone worked out well. She was busy and he could find out the status of the deal. He’d made reservations at a new hotel, then had his bags sent over. When he checked out, he left a note for Deja telling her the name and address of the new hotel.
Now he was sitting in front of Shen Liang, trying not to show his nervousness. “You heard an odd thing?” James couldn’t help but wince, seeing the concern on the man’s face.
“A disturbing thing, actually. Another business associate told me that he mentioned your name to the son of a friend, in passing. The son is a great fan of the social media. He said he recognized your name and that you were featured in a video on the internet that was trending.”
James felt his stomach tense. So Shen knew. The question was how it played out. “Really?”
“I have no idea what ‘trending’ means, but whatever it means, he said the video showed you acting disgracefully drunk and boisterous. The video was apparently of you getting married.”
“I haven’t seen that video.”
“But you know of it? It is of you?”
The temptation to lie was strong, but saving face and winning a business deal that way wasn’t promising. Any relationship that began with a lie was probably doomed. “Yes. I won’t deny it. I’m embarrassed to say I know it exists. I was married last night.”
Shen Liang’s eyes opened wide. “So you were married by an Elvis impersonator on a whim, while drunk?”
“Yes, I’m ashamed to say that’s true.”
Liang’s stony face returned. “I see.”
“I hope this doesn’t…”
“Affect our negotiations? I have to say, Mister Andrews, that I’m not entirely sure what it means as far as our discussions go. I can’t deny being rather disappointed in you and perhaps even more in myself.”
“I can understand your not being pleased with me, but disappointment in yourself? Why?”
“My vanity clouded my judgment. I have grown proud of my ability to judge people. Now it appears I was overly proud, and vain. I had judged you to be a rather different kind of person than one who gets drunk in public and humiliates himself in such a fashion. I must re-evaluate myself and my judgments.”<
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James wanted to say something more, to defend himself. He might have, but he agreed with Shen Liang. In letting himself be carried away, he hadn’t lived up to his own standards. It pained him to admit it, but he’d screwed it up.
“I have heard that now you intend to have this marriage annulled.”
“I haven’t told anyone my intentions, but it’s true that I was drunk and in Nevada that is grounds for annulment. My lawyer is examining all the possible ways of dealing with the situation.”
“That too is disappointing.”
The assessment surprised him. “Why?”
“While the legal ground might allow a person to act dishonorably, marriage is a contract. Regardless of the circumstances, you gave your word.”
“I was drunk.”
“And that is the fault of your bride? Or is it yours?”
“Mine.”
“So she must suffer your dishonorable actions twice—once when she learns you promised something you didn’t mean, and then again when you use a legal trick to negate that promise?”
“That’s not exactly—”
“Then what? Did you ask her to marry you, and then go through with the ceremony?”
“Yes.”
“Then, apparently, you feel it is fine to break a contract if you didn’t intend to sign it?”
“That’s not exactly what I mean.”
Shen Liang paused, then sipped his tea. “I don’t want to discuss this anymore until I see this video that McCabe mentioned for myself.”
“McCabe? Alan McCabe?”
“That’s right. He’s the other business associate I mentioned—the man who told me about the video. Before you say anything foolish, I am fully aware that he brought the video to my attention because he wants the deal for himself. But he made a point worth considering—he feels he would do a much better job of representing my interests. With some dignity.”