Alejandro checked out of the hotel and was at Olivia’s condo by eleven o’clock on Sunday morning. After the kiss last night, she wasn’t sure what to expect today. Olivia had even prepared herself for the possibility of Alejandro deciding to stay at the hotel rather than with her.
They were both a little shy this morning as she showed him to the spare bedroom down the hall.
“Here’s the closet where you can hang your clothes. I put some extra hangers in there for you. There’s a dresser if you need some drawers. I’m sorry this room doesn’t have an en suite, but the bathroom is right across the hall. Here, let me show you.”
She knew she was talking too much, rambling away like a Realtor showing a house rather than someone welcoming a houseguest. But he wasn’t just a houseguest. The thought that she and Alejandro would be sleeping under the same roof made the muscles in her stomach knot a little too tight.
He smiled at her. “This is perfect. Thank you for letting me stay here.”
“It’s for a good cause. I’ll leave you alone while you get settled in. Please let me know if you need anything else to be comfortable. I put fresh towels in the bathroom and—”
“I can unpack later,” he said. “What I’d really like to do right now is go get something to eat. Are you hungry?”
She hadn’t really thought about it until he’d asked, because she’d been so anxious about whether or not he would end up bailing on her. She put a hand on her stomach and realized that she was famished.
“I am hungry,” she said. “Did you have someplace in mind? I would offer to whip us up something but I don’t have any food in the house. And that’s probably a good thing because I’m not much of a cook.”
He laughed. “I was serious last night when I said I was happy to serve as the chef while I’m staying here with you. I might even teach you some of my secrets.”
She would love to learn Alejandro Mendoza’s secrets, and not just those that pertained to the kitchen. And just like that, all of the potential awkwardness she feared would be spawned from last night’s kiss melted away like ice cream on a hot Austin day.
“I’ll hold you to that,” she said. “Maybe you can give me a cooking lesson tomorrow? But in the meantime why don’t we go to the South Congress Café? They have carrot cake French toast that is to die for.”
Olivia’s condo was just a short walk to the restaurant. It was a beautiful, sunny day, cool enough to make it pleasurable to be outdoors, but warm enough that the walk had Olivia working up a thirst even in the light sundress and sandals she wore.
Alejandro looked crisp and cool in his khaki shorts and ivory linen shirt.
When they arrived at the restaurant they found there was a short wait for a table. This was one of her favorite places to eat and Olivia was happy to see it doing such brisk business.
Even though she’d been there more times than she could count, the place looked both familiar and brand-new as she tried to see the exposed-brick walls and blond-wood-beamed ceilings through Alejandro’s eyes.
Once they were seated, Alejandro asked her, “Do you have to do anything constructive today? If not, do you want to order Bloody Marys? One of those would really hit the spot right now.”
“I scheduled myself to do absolutely nothing today but recover from the wedding,” Olivia said. “A Bloody Mary sounds good, but I think champagne is what I need.”
They ordered the drinks along with water and coffee, but asked the server to come back for their food order.
It was nice to be out like this with Alejandro. The pressure of the wedding was off her shoulders, and there was nobody around that they needed to impress. The entire day was theirs. It dawned on Olivia that this was the first time they had been together without any expectations weighing them down.
“I’m guessing that your day is clear since you’re drinking?”
He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “For the most part. I have some calls to make later this afternoon. I need to get in touch with my cousin Stefan. He and his brother Rodrigo are my business partners. Since I was basically out of pocket yesterday, I need to go over some things with them.”
“Do they live in Miami?” she asked.
“They do.”
“Will they be relocating to Austin once you take over Hummingbird Ridge?” That was a clever way of asking whether he’d found a new investor without appearing too nosy.
He shook his head. “Right now, I’m the one who will be in Texas. I know the Dailys so it stands to reason that I would be the one stationed here. Basically Stef and Rod are silent partners. Although I imagine they will want to take a much more hands-on approach once the wine starts flowing.”
Well, that sounded encouraging.
“Who wouldn’t?” Olivia said. “In fact, if you’re ever in need of a taster, I’d be happy to volunteer. It’s a tough job, but I am willing to step up and sacrifice myself.”
He laughed. “That’s magnanimous of you. Not many would sacrifice themselves like that.”
Their server reappeared and they ordered—the French toast for Olivia, and the goat cheese and bacon omelet for Alejandro.
“How long have you lived in Austin?” he asked once the server had refilled their water glasses and left to turn in their order.
“All my life. I was born and raised here. I’ve done a fair share of traveling—you know, study abroad semesters and a postgraduation backpacking trip through Europe. But I keep coming back to Austin. It’s home. My life is here. It’s where my heart lives. Are you sad to leave Miami?”
“I don’t know that I will completely leave. It’s hard to say where I’ll be after everything is settled with the winery.”
Oh.
Disappointment tugged at her insides. She hadn’t realized it, but she had been hoping he would say he was eager to call Austin home. It was a crazy thought, though. He was so Miami sophisticated, so big-city, he probably wouldn’t be happy here long-term. For all its quirks and artistic originality, Austin had a different vibe from Miami.
“So Miami is home?”
He shrugged. “For now. But less so than it has been. My uncles and cousins still live there, but my father and my immediate family are all in Texas now. As I told you, we’re a pretty tight-knit bunch.”
“That’s nice. Maybe you should think about joining them and making the move. Austin has a lot to offer thanks to the university, and the town has a pretty progressive music scene. Have you ever been to the South by Southwest festival? It’s a fabulous film and music festival.”
“I know what it is. Or maybe I should say I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been. I’ll have to catch it sometime.”
“It’s always in March. So you just missed it by a couple of months. But there’s always next year.”
He raised his glass to her. “Here’s to next year.”
They spent the next ten minutes or so asking personal questions, in a verbal dance of getting to know each other: colleges, careers and craziest things they’d ever done. When their food finally arrived, they ate in the companionable silence that came from good chemistry, each digesting the fresh information they had gleaned—until a familiar voice pulled Olivia out of her reverie.
“Olivia? I thought that was you.”
She turned to see Pamela Davis, an accountant at Robinson Tech.
“Hi, Pam. Happy Sunday.”
Pamela looked expectantly at Alejandro, obviously waiting for Olivia to introduce her. She was opening her mouth to do just that when the older woman beat her to the punch.
“And this must be your fiancé.” Alejandro was a good sport as the woman introduced herself and fawned all over him.
“I was so excited for you when Sophie announced the big news. I had no idea that you were even seeing somebody.” Pamela reached out and grabbed Olivia’s left hand. “Where’s the ring?”
Olivia shot Alejandro a glance. She should have anticipated this. She should simply go to the mall and buy a suitably impressive, but budget-friendly, cubic zirconia because this would surely not be the last time this happened. But then again, if they were going to call off the engagement by this time next week, a ring might complicate matters.
“I wanted to take her to pick out the ring of her dreams,” Alejandro said. “We’ve been so busy with Sophie’s wedding that we haven’t had a chance to do that yet.” He turned to Olivia. “Querida, would you like to do that as soon as we finish here?”
“That sounds lovely.” For Pamela’s benefit, they made googly eyes at each other.
The older woman put her hand over her heart. “Be still, my heart. There’s nothing like young love. It makes an old woman like me feel like a kid again. Alejandro, it was so nice to meet you. You take good care of our girl. She’s a keeper. And I’m sure you are too if she chose you. I’m going to leave you lovebirds so that you can finish your breakfast and go get that ring. I’ll come by your office first thing tomorrow and get a good look at it.”
As soon as Pamela cleared the doors of the restaurant, Olivia turned back to Alejandro. “What kind of a fiancé are you to not give me a ring?”
He laughed.
“Querida, you heard what I told the lady. We are going right now to pick out the ring of your dreams.”
When the dishes were cleared and the server presented the check, Olivia tried to reach for it, but Alejandro was faster. “This is on me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “Please let me split it with you. You need to save your money for that ring.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that, but this is my treat.” He smiled at her. It was a knowing look that made her feel like he could see right through to her soul.
“You can’t stand not being in control, can you?” he said.
What was she supposed to say to that? Of course, the answer was yes, but she wouldn’t acknowledge it, nor would she admit how she was feeling—as if she and Alejandro had just had their first date.
As they made their way back to her condo, arms bumping and hands brushing occasionally as one or the other slightly leaned into the other’s space, they passed a block of storefronts. Olivia paused to linger at the windows. She wasn’t in any hurry to get home. Out here they were a man and a woman spending time together, getting to know each other. Once they got back to the condo, he would make his phone calls and she would prepare to return to work tomorrow after being off this week for the wedding. And they would be swept back into their separate lives—separate lives lived under the same roof for the next week. At least she had him to herself right now.
One of the storefronts was an art gallery. They slowed down so she could look at the display cases housing original, handmade jewelry. Earrings and necklaces of hammered silver and burnished metals shared space with ornately rendered rings boasting gemstones of all colors. Olivia caught a glimmer of an exquisite fire opal ring set in an ornately carved rose gold band.
“That’s gorgeous,” she said, pointing to the ring. “I’ve always wanted something like that. I’ll have to come back and try it on. I’m guessing that you’re not a shopper. Am I right?”
“I’m guessing you’ve got me pegged. But if you want to try it on, you might as well since we’re here.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to subject you to that torture, because once I start in a shop like that I can’t promise how long I’ll linger.”
She flashed him a flirtatious smile as she started walking away from the shop. “But since we’re getting married, maybe that could be my engagement ring.”
* * *
“Ariana Lamonte of Weird Life Magazine is here to see you,” Judy Vinson, Olivia’s administrative assistant, said over the phone. “I know she doesn’t have an appointment, but she asked me to see if you could give her a few moments of your time. She said she’s been trying to get in touch with you for more than a month.”
“Ugh,” Olivia groaned into the phone.
No! Not Ariana Lamonte. The woman was the last person Olivia wanted to see today. It was her first day back and all day she’d felt as if she had been stuck in first gear when she needed to be in fourth to make serious progress toward catching up. Work did not stop even when the boss’s daughter got married.
Olivia had already fended off Pamela Davis who, as promised, had appeared in her doorway first thing that morning expecting to see the ring. Olivia was surprised the woman hadn’t brought her jeweler’s loupe. She stopped her sarcastic thoughts. She was just being defensive because she felt bad for having to tell yet another white lie—this one about the ring being sized.
Lies begat lies. She should be used to that by now. But it didn’t mean she had to like it.
Now she had to contend with Ariana Lamonte. The woman was relentless. She had been dogging Olivia for over a month now, trying to pin her down for a meeting. Until now, Olivia had been able to avoid her. Ariana was writing a series of articles about the Fortune family, more specifically about her father’s children. She’d been interviewing both the legitimate and illegitimate children of Gerald Fortune Robinson. It was juicy news that Austin’s resident genius had sown his seeds far and wide.
“Olivia?” Judy said. “Are you there?”
Olivia sighed loudly. “I’m here, Judy. Look, I can’t deal with Ariana Lamonte today. I am drowning in work. Can you get rid of her, please?”
“I’m sorry. Ordinarily, I would have already done that,” Judy said, her voice low, “because I know how you feel about her. But I think you might want to talk to her today. She says she has some news that you need to know.”
Oh, for God’s sake.
Olivia leaned her head back on her chair. If she sent the reporter away, she would only come back. She might as well deal with her once and for all and make the problem go away today.
“Okay, Judy, tell her I’ll be with her in a few minutes. I’m going to take a walk with her outside the building. She makes me nervous being in here. Please make sure she stays put. Don’t let her wander around. She has a knack for finding the exact place she shouldn’t be.”
“I hear you,” Judy said. “No worries. I have it all under control.”
“Thanks, Judy.”
Olivia took a moment to smooth her long dark hair—she was wearing it down today. Thank goodness she had taken the extra time to flatiron it smooth. She retouched her powder and reapplied her crimson lipstick. Finally, she stood and smoothed the wrinkles out of her black pencil skirt and white silk button-down blouse.
If the truth be told, she had put in the extra effort for Alejandro’s benefit. Why else would she have subjected her feet to the black stilettos she’d chosen if not to show him her professional side. When she’d walked into the kitchen this morning he’d given her a cup of coffee and a look that said he approved, one hundred percent.
Actually, as painful as the heels could be, they made her feel pulled together and in command. They made her feel badass. So, with that in mind, there couldn’t be a better day for Ariana to ambush her.
As Olivia walked down the hall toward the reception area, she chuckled to herself because she really was feeling pretty badass today. That meant the notorious Ms. Lamonte, who thought she could stage this surprise attack, would soon be discovering that the joke was on her.
When Olivia walked into the reception area, she saw a woman who looked to be in her mid to late twenties. She had a curvy figure, long brown hair and dark eyes. Her outfit was boho-artistic. Probably chosen to present an image of creative free spirit meets investigative reporter. She had pretty skin and her makeup accentuated her features but wasn’t heavy-handed. She wasn’t at all what Olivia had expected. Then again, Olivia didn’t know what she had expected when it came to Ariana Lamonte.
But here they were, face-to-face.
Olivia stuck out her hand, immediately taking charge of the situation. “Ms. Lamonte, I am Olivia Fortune Robinson. How can I help you?”
The reporter stood. She was probably close to Olivia’s height, but the high-heeled boots she wore made her seem much taller.
“Thanks so much for seeing me. I don’t make a habit of showing up unannounced, but I’ve called several times to set an appointment to no avail. So here I am. I had a feeling this would work.”
Ariana tilted her chin up a notch and smiled.
“Yes. I can only give you five minutes because I’m very busy. I’m in the process of digging myself out after being out of the office all week last week.”
Ariana’s eyes flashed. “Yes, I know. For your brother’s and sister’s weddings. I hear the ceremony and reception were absolutely beautiful. And I understand congratulations are in order for you, too. You’re engaged! Even though it does seem rather sudden, all of Austin is abuzz with the excitement of the happy news.”
It had been less than forty-eight hours since Sophie had opened her big mouth at the wedding and spilled the news. How could “all of Austin” already be abuzz?
“Is that so? You must have some very good inside sources because we haven’t announced that news yet. Who told you?”
Ariana widened her eyes and smiled an innocent smile. “Oh, Olivia, surely you know a good reporter never reveals her sources. But I can say this—everyone is very complimentary about your fiancé. I hope I will have the honor of meeting him sometime soon?”
Yeah, not on your life.
“Yes, well, what can I do for you today?”
Ariana hitched her leather handbag up onto her shoulder. “As you know, I have been writing a series called ‘Becoming a Fortune.’ I was hoping you would allow me to interview you for the next installment.”
“Why don’t we take a walk, Ariana.” Olivia didn’t wait for the reporter to weigh in. She simply started walking. “We can talk while we walk.”
Olivia cast a glance over her shoulder and saw Ariana stepping double time in those high-heeled boots to catch up. When she did, she fished in her shoulder bag and pulled out a small notebook and pencil.
“What can you tell me about your fiancé?”
Olivia frowned. “He’s a very private person, Ariana. I’d rather not talk about him in his absence.” They exited the front door of the office building and started walking down the path. “What other questions do you have? If that’s it, I really do need to get back to work. I hope you understand.”
“Of course. Well, I wanted to ask if you know anything about your father’s life before he moved to Austin. I have uncovered some evidence that he may have been married before. Can you tell me anything about that?”
Olivia felt the edges of her peripheral vision go fuzzy for a split second. What? Oh, the fun never ended. Was her mother now going to have to deal with a harem of Gerald Robinson’s ex-wives in addition to the flock of illegitimate children? If so, maybe the wives—or wife, singular, as Ariana had said—would legitimize some of her father’s newfound offspring.
“Ariana, I have no idea what you’re talking about. All I know is that my father has been married to my mother for many years. If he had been married to someone else before her I can hardly see how that matters or is any of your business, frankly.” She turned on her heels. “I need to get back to work now. For the record, I’d rather not be interviewed. Please don’t contact me anymore.”