When Lorna arrived at the plant on Wednesday, the first thing she noticed was Nick’s black Toyota truck in the employee parking lot. So he was back from Morgan Creek. She wondered if he considered the trip a success. She had purposely refrained from calling Bryce to ask him what had transpired between the two of them. She knew it was important to act as if she were just a regular employee in Houston, especially if she wanted to keep her working relationship with Nick a good one. And that meant getting her information through normal channels.
Entering the plant, she headed straight up to the administrative level. She had to pass Nick’s office to get to her own, and she waved at Karen as she went by.
“Oh, Miss Hathaway!”
Lorna stopped. She had tried, without success, to get Karen to call her Lorna. “Yes?”
“Nick would like to see you.”
“Oh, okay.” Lorna walked into Karen’s office. Nick’s door was closed.
“Can I get you some coffee?” Karen asked.
“That would be great.”
“Just go on in. He’s expecting you.”
Lorna knocked on Nick’s door, then opened it. “You wanted to see me?”
He looked up from whatever it was he’d been reading and smiled. “Yes, I did. Have you got some time to talk?”
“Sure.”
“Come in, then. Have a seat. Do you want some coffee?”
“Karen’s getting me some.” He sure was being friendly this morning.
A few seconds later, Karen appeared with a steaming mug of coffee. Once she was gone, with the door closed behind her, Nick spoke. “I wanted to tell you about my trip to Morgan Creek. But first I wanted to apologize for Saturday.”
Lorna tried not to show her surprise. “You don’t owe me an apology.”
“Yes, I do. You were waiting for someone, and I horned in. Then when you asked me to leave, I didn’t.”
Lorna had had awhile to think about the run-in with Nick on Saturday. She smiled ruefully. “I over-reacted. But I appreciate the apology.”
“Then we’re okay?”
Something about the way he was looking at her made her feel unsettled. “Of course, we’re okay.”
“Good.” He smiled again. “I’d like for us to get along better, Lorna.”
God, his eyes were gorgeous, she thought distractedly. She’d always wanted brown eyes, probably because everyone in her family had blue ones. “I—I’d like that, too.”
Just then his intercom buzzed, saving her from having to say anything else. With an apologetic gesture, he picked up the phone, saying, “Yes, Karen?” After listening a moment, he said, “Lorna, I’m sorry, I’ve got a call from a client that I have to take. But I do have a lot I want to discuss with you. Can you come back about eleven?”
“Sure, no problem.”
Lorna headed off to her office where she and Marilyn spent the morning reviewing forms and procedures for processing claims with their new health insurance carrier. Before she knew it, it was eleven and time to go back to Nick’s office.
They spent the next hour discussing his trip to Morgan Creek. By twelve, Lorna’s stomach was starting to rumble. She hadn’t eaten much for breakfast, and she was hungry. As if he knew exactly what she was thinking, Nick said, “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Want to go grab some lunch?”
He was just full of surprises today. “Sure.”
He suggested Carlita’s, a little Mexican restaurant nearby, one Lorna hadn’t tried but had heard good things about. The parking lot was crowded when they arrived. It was obviously a popular place.
“Hey, Nick, good to see you again,” the hostess, a pretty Hispanic woman, said as they walked in the door.
Nick gave her an appreciative smile. “You’re looking good today, Sylvia.”
Sylvia grinned. “Oh, you’re such a flatterer!” But it was obvious she was pleased by the compliment.
In the past, Lorna would have mentally rolled her eyes at what she would have perceived as Nick’s blatant flirting. Today, though, she saw his friendliness as something different: a genuine appreciation of women.
Had she misjudged him all this time?
Had it been her own insecurities when it came to men that had made her see him as something other than he really was?
The questions troubled Lorna. She had always considered herself a sensible woman with a good head on her shoulders, someone who made careful, considered decisions. But her gigantic mistake in marrying Keith had changed her and colored her perceptions, especially when it came to men. Maybe she had misjudged Nick.
“You’re in luck. I have one booth left,” Sylvia said, grabbing two menus and beckoning them to follow her.
Nick laughed. “Come on, admit it, you saved a booth for me.”
Sylvia laughed and looked at Lorna. “Oh, he is so full of himself! Do not believe him. I had no idea he was coming today.”
Lorna smiled. She liked Sylvia.
Lorna slid into the booth, and Nick sat opposite her. Soon they had a basket of warm chips and a bowl of salsa in front of them.
“I love this stuff,” Nick said, dipping a chip into the salsa.
“Me, too,” Lorna said. “Almost too much.”
“Yeah, they’re supposed to be bad for you, but what the hell. We can’t be good all the time.”
Lorna grinned. “So you’re saying you’re good most of the time?”
He laughed. “I try.”
Their waiter, a young man who introduced himself as Joaquin, came to take their drink order.
“You’re new, aren’t you?” Nick said.
Joaquin nodded. “I was lucky. My cousin helped me get this job.” He looked at Lorna. “Lots of people want to work here. It’s a good place.”
Once he was gone, Nick said, “So what do you think of Houston now that you’ve been here awhile?”
Lorna smiled. “I like it.”
“It’s a big change from Morgan Creek.”
“Yes, but most of the changes are good ones.”
Nick ate another couple of chips. “You know, when I first found out you were coming to Houston, I thought you were coming to spy on me.”
Lorna’s mouth dropped open. “You didn’t.”
He grimaced. “I did.”
“But Nick, that’s…that’s crazy. Bryce would never do anything like that. If he thought you weren’t doing a good job, he’d come right out and tell you.”
“I know that. It’s just that…” He shrugged. “You have to admit that you gave up a great position to take something that’s much lower in status, and I couldn’t figure out why.”
“Have you figured it out now?”
“I don’t know. I guess it’s possible you just wanted a change.”
“That’s exactly why I moved.” Lorna hesitated, then decided to be completely honest with him. “The truth is, my personal life was the pits. And in Morgan Creek there wasn’t much opportunity to change that. I knew I had to go somewhere where I could meet people. Have a chance to build the kind of life I want.”
“And have you?”
“Have I what?”
“Met people?”
“I’m working on it. It’s not as easy as I thought it would be.”
“What about that guy I saw you with at Burney’s?”
Lorna made a face. “He was a blind date.”
“And?”
“And not my type.”
“He seemed nice. And he seemed to really like you.”
“He was nice. Too young, though. It was all my sister’s idea. I hate blind dates. They never turn out well.” Later, she would never know what made her add, “But you wouldn’t know about blind dates.”
“What makes you say that?”
“A guy like you? Women fall all over you.”
He gave her a strange look. “Where did you get that idea?”
“Oh, come on, Nick, I’ve got eyes.”
“Well, you’re wrong. Women do not fall all over me. And I’ve had a few blind dates in my life, so I know exactly what you’re talking about.”
Lorna wasn’t sure she believed him, but she’d give him points for trying to downplay his sex appeal.
“So what about the guy you were waiting for on Saturday? He wasn’t a blind date, was he?”
“I—” Lorna stopped because just then their waiter returned with their drinks and wanted to know if they were ready to order. Nick had already recommended the house specialty, seafood enchiladas, which they both ordered. When the waiter left, Nick said, “You never answered my question.”
“About the friend I was meeting on Saturday, you mean?”
“Yes.”
“No, he…he wasn’t a blind date.” And technically speaking, Coach wouldn’t have been a blind date. After all, she knew Coach. She knew him as well as, or better than, some people she’d known all her life.
“So he did show up on Saturday?”
Lorna had just taken a drink of her iced tea, so she had a moment before she had to answer. “No, he didn’t make it. He…was unavoidably detained.”
Nick frowned. “I hope he made it up to you.”
“He apologized. He couldn’t help missing our date.” Then, because he was still frowning, she said, “Don’t tell me you’ve never had to cancel a date.”
“Sure, I’ve had to cancel dates, but I always cancel before the appointed time. I’d never let someone wait and wait and just not show up. Why didn’t he call you?”
Lorna knew she could say this was none of his business, but he seemed sincerely concerned for her feelings. “The truth is, he couldn’t call me. He…he doesn’t know my name.”
“Doesn’t know your name?”
Lorna shook her head. “He’s never really met me. Not in person, anyway.”
Nick stared at her. “But you said he wasn’t a blind date.”
“He wouldn’t have been. The thing is, we’ve been friends for months, even though we’ve never met in person. I—I met him on the Internet.”
“On the Internet?”
“Don’t look so surprised. People do meet on the Internet, you know.”
“Yes, I know, but not women like you.”
“What do you mean, not women like me?”
“Lorna, come on. You’re a beautiful woman. You’re smart, you’re rich. Why would you have to meet men on the Internet?”
“It’s not like that.”
“It’s not?”
“Don’t look so skeptical. It’s not. We…we met playing this game that’s like Scrabble. And we got to be friends.”
“But he doesn’t know your name.”
“No. We decided not to identify ourselves. I—I thought it was more prudent.”
“At least you were sensible about that.”
They stopped talking as their food arrived and didn’t resume the conversation until their waiter had refilled their water glasses, asked if they wanted anything else, then left them alone again.
Nick waited until Lorna had a chance to sample her enchiladas, which were, as Nick had said they would be, exceptionally good. Then he said, “So what made you decide to meet this Internet friend of yours?”
“I don’t know. He’s…he’s so nice. I like him very much. And he suggested meeting.” She met Nick’s eyes. “Do you think I’m crazy?”
He shook his head. “No, but I’m glad you picked a public place.”
“That’s what Claudia said. In fact, she and John—that’s her husband—said to call them immediately if I felt the least bit nervous.”
“That’s good. I’m glad someone was looking out for you. Hell, Lorna, the guy could’ve turned out to be a real weirdo.”
“I know, but I don’t think he is.”
“People can misrepresent themselves on the Internet. They do it every day.”
“I know, but—”
“But you’re going to meet him another time, aren’t you?”
Lorna shrugged. “Maybe.” She ate some of her enchiladas. “If he wants to.”
“If he wants to? You mean he didn’t suggest meeting again?”
She shook her head.
“If he had any brains at all, he would,” he said softly.
Lorna didn’t know what to say. Her heart fluttered in her chest as her gaze locked with his. What was going on here? Was Nick flirting with her?
“What will you do if he does suggest meeting again?” he said after a moment.
“I don’t know,” she admitted truthfully. “I’ll probably go.” Her heart was still going too fast.
He nodded. After that, they both ate quietly for a while. Lorna’s heart finally settled down, and she decided she’d been flattering herself to think Nick was flirting with her. Why would he flirt with her? It was just his nature to compliment women. Hadn’t she decided that already? That he just liked all women?
“So,” he finally said in a teasing voice, “what other things have you been doing for fun? Besides blind dates and meeting guys on the Internet?”
Grateful that he’d lightened the atmosphere, Lorna said, “I’ve started jogging in Memorial Park.”
“I said, for fun.”
Lorna grinned. “Running is fun.”
“Actually, I’ve been thinking about running there myself. When do you go?”
“After work usually, although on the weekends, I go early. Before it gets too hot.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe I’ll see you there sometime. Although probably not on Saturdays. That’s the only day I have to work on my house.”
“That’s something you and my Internet friend have in common. He likes old houses, too.”
Nick gave her a funny look. “How’d you know I like old houses?”
Too late, Lorna realized her mistake. She could feel her face heating. Damn, she hated the way she blushed when she was embarrassed. “I, um, actually, my sister-in-law, Amy, mentioned it when we talked last night.”
“You were talking about me, huh?” His eyes twinkled.
“Well, yes, she mentioned that you’d been there for dinner.”
“It was a nice evening. I liked her very much.”
Lorna smiled. “Everyone likes Amy. She liked you, too.”
“Your brother’s a lucky man.”
“Yes, he is. When his first wife died, we weren’t sure he’d ever be happy again, but then Amy came along. It’s worked out so well.”
“That baby of theirs is beautiful. So are the other girls.”
Lorna’s smile turned bittersweet. “Yes, they’re darlings, all of them.” Her eyes met his again. “I miss them. That’s part of the downside of moving away. I used to see them practically every day. Now it’ll be weeks, maybe even months, between visits.”
“They won’t forget you.”
“No, but it’ll never be the same.”
By now Lorna had finished her lunch, too. Nick signaled for the waiter to bring their check.
“Do you have any nieces or nephews?” Lorna asked.
Nick smiled. “Yep. My sister has two boys and my older brother and his wife have two girls. And my younger brother’s wife is expecting.”
“My sister’s expecting, too!”
“Your younger sister? The one who lives here?”
“Yes. She’s so excited. It’s their first.”
“She got married recently, didn’t she?”
“Yes, in February. They eloped.”
“Really?”
Lorna grinned. “You can’t imagine the ruckus that caused. I thought my mother would have a stroke, and my grandmother! She was furious with them. Hathaway women do not elope, you know. It just isn’t done.” She started to laugh. “Oh, it was priceless. I was never so proud of Claudia.”
“I think you have a bit of a rebel in you.”
“Maybe I do. It’s been tamped down for quite a while now, but who knows? Maybe it’s coming back.”
By now the waiter had brought the check and while Nick took care of the bill, Lorna excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. When she returned, Nick was waiting by the door. “Ready?”
They didn’t talk on the short drive back to the plant. When they got there, Nick said, “Thanks for joining me today. I enjoyed it.”
“Me, too.” And Lorna meant it.
Saying goodbye, Nick left her to go talk to Cal Lopez. As Lorna climbed the steps to the office level, she thought about how quickly things could change. Yesterday if she’d been asked, she would have said she no longer disliked Nick DeSanto, but she couldn’t imagine herself ever being friends with him. Today she felt just the opposite.
And yet…there was still a small part of her that didn’t entirely trust him. This change of heart he seemed to have had toward her…could it have been brought about because he’d realized, after the trip to Morgan Creek, that it was to his benefit to win her over?
Did he want something from her?
All those compliments today. He had to want something. Why hadn’t she realized that sooner? Before she’d exposed herself so thoroughly?
She especially wished she hadn’t told him about Coach. Well, it was too late now. She’d told him, and she couldn’t take the words back. But one thing she could do. She could be a lot more cautious around Nick in the future.
That night, when Lorna walked into her house—dripping wet from a forty-five minute run—her phone was ringing. She debated just ignoring it until she’d had a chance to shower and change, then thought she’d at least check the Caller ID.
It was her sister Chloe.
Lorna sighed, but she answered. “Hold on a minute, Chloe. Let me get a towel to dry off. I just got in from jogging.”
“Jogging outside? Why don’t you buy yourself a treadmill?”
Lorna made a face, glad Chloe couldn’t see her. “I’m going to put the phone down for a minute. I’ll be right back.” She didn’t wait to see if Chloe agreed or not. Instead, she set down the phone and headed for the bathroom. Once she’d dried herself off, she hung the towel around her neck, picked up the phone and walked toward the kitchen with the intention of retrieving a bottle of water from the refrigerator. “Okay,” she said to her sister. “I’m dry now.”
“Has Mother called you?” Chloe said.
“Mother? No. I haven’t talked to her in a week. Why? Is something wrong?” Surely Amy or Bryce would have called her if something was wrong.
“You could say that.”
“What?” Lorna said, alarmed now.
“Mother is getting married again.”
“What?” Lorna stopped in the act of twisting the top off her bottle of water. “To whom? I didn’t even know she was dating anyone.”
“She wasn’t. This whole thing is crazy, Lorna. Just crazy. Get this. She’s going to marry her masseur!”
“Her masseur!”
“Yes. Some young stud that she’s been going to for a whole two months. It’s disgusting. He’s my age. Thirty-eight! And she’s sixty-five. I know she doesn’t look it, thanks to all her cosmetic surgery, but the fact remains that she is. God, Lorna, everyone is going to laugh their fool heads off over this. It’s a cliché. Rich, silly, older woman loses her head over handsome young stud. How stupid is that? Couldn’t she just have sex with him? Does she have to marry him?”
Now that Lorna had had a chance to digest Chloe’s startling revelation, she was starting to feel amused. Proper Kathleen Bryce Hathaway was thumbing her nose at the world? The same Kathleen Bryce Hathaway who, for years, had been so obsessed about her social position? The very same Kathleen Bryce Hathaway that had practically written the book on proper behavior? Lorna bit back a smile. “What does Grandmother have to say about all this?”
“What do you think? She’s furious. She told Mother to get out of the house if she was going to behave in such a scandalous way.”
“Oh, my.” For one of the few times in her adult life, Lorna felt sympathetic toward her mother.
“Lorna, this is a disaster. We’re going to be a laughingstock.”
“Oh, come on, Chloe, it’s not that big a deal, is it? I mean, older women have been making fools of themselves over younger men for longer than we’ve been alive, and the world hasn’t come to an end.”
“Easy for you to say. You don’t live here. And you don’t have a husband or children to worry about.”
“I don’t know what one has to do with the other.” Lorna tried not to feel hurt by Chloe’s insensitive comment, but she did.
“We have a certain position to uphold in the community, Lorna. Surely you realize that.”
“Now you sound exactly like Mother.”
“Yes! That’s the point! What is she thinking? Maybe he’s drugged her or something. This is just not like her.”
“For heaven’s sake. Listen to yourself. I’m sure she’s not drugged.” Drugged on sex, maybe, Lorna thought, laughing in spite of herself.
“I don’t know why you find this so amusing.”
“I’m sorry, Chloe. But you know, it’s not cancer. It’s not the death of a child. And it’s not war. It’s just sex. Normal sex. Something Mother hasn’t had in a long time, I’ll bet.” In fact, Lorna was sure of it. Her father had been an alcoholic for a long time before his death, and alcoholics cared about one thing only: booze. Not to mention the fact that alcohol rendered many of them impotent. Realizing abruptly that she’d carried this thought as far as she’d cared to, she said, “Don’t you think she deserves to be happy? No matter where that happiness comes from?”
“Oh, you’re just as bad as Claudia.”
“You’ve already called Claudia?”
“I tried calling you, but you’d already left work, and then you didn’t answer your cell phone. I had to talk to someone.”
Lorna always locked her cell phone in her car when she jogged. “So when is this happy event taking place?”
“Mother said they’re going to Vegas. Tomorrow. Then they’re going to Europe. They’ll be gone a couple of months, she said. Maybe longer. I don’t know, and right now, I don’t care. I’m just thankful she doesn’t control the company or our portion of it. At least Dad did something right.”
Yes, Lorna was glad the company was protected, too. Although, unlike Chloe, she thought her mother had a perfect right to do whatever she wanted to do in her personal life, she didn’t want to see her squander the family fortunes while she was doing it. “So where is Mother now?”
“Apparently she’s taken a suite at The Lake House.” The Lake House was a privately owned resort hotel on a small lake about ten miles northwest of Morgan Creek. “And he’s moved in with her.”
“What’s this man’s name?”
“Julian. His last name is something like Thanos. He’s Greek. She said he plans to take her to Greece.” Chloe made a disparaging sound. “That’s a joke. We all know who’s going to be paying for everything.”
After they’d hung up, Lorna thought about calling Bryce, and then Claudia, but she wanted a shower more than she wanted to hear their version of the story.
The calls could wait, she decided.
Nothing was likely to change in the next hour, and after a shower and something to eat, she’d be better prepared for the conversations to come.
Wasn’t life interesting? she thought as she stripped and entered the shower stall. You thought you knew someone, and then they did something so totally out of character that you realized you didn’t know them, after all.
We all have secrets and hidden desires.
Even me.