By the time I arrived at Reagan National, I was so burned out I wasn’t looking forward to the trek to pick up my luggage. My feet hurt, my eyes burned and all I wanted to do was rest. The liveliness of a busy airport hummed around me. I willed one of those carts and drivers to come to my rescue and couldn’t believe my eyes. A cart appeared as if by magic, but wasn’t at all what I hoped for. The full cart breezed right past me as it whisked a smiling pair of oldsters to their gate. Resigned to my fate, I took off my shoes and trudged barefoot in the direction of the signs pointing to Baggage Claim.
The last few days had taken a toll on my energy. When I’d checked flights, Alaska Airlines was the only one with a non-stop from Seattle to National. I’d left my house at 6:00 in the morning to make it. Only one other flight would have gotten me to D.C. in time for the meeting. True, it was half the price but required a connection, so it almost doubled the traveling time. I would have had to leave my house around 2:30 in the morning.
The shuttle dropped me at the hotel with enough time to take a short nap and freshen up. Neither Kate nor Cameron had checked in yet, so I left notes saying I would meet them downstairs at 6:00 as planned and requested a wakeup call. I’d just hung my jacket in the tiny closet when my cell phone rang. Plopping down on the comfy king-size bed, I pushed the answer button without checking the Caller ID.
“Kimberly? Glad I caught you. Hey, Julia told me what happened.” Matt! Just what I needed. He was the last person I wanted to talk to.
“Um, yeah—” For a moment, my mind went blank and I couldn’t remember exactly what I’d told Julia. Then it all came back in a rush. Of course—Ryan had supposedly been caught in Boca, so the phony hearing I dreamed up would probably take place in Ft. Lauderdale. Other scraps of my lie made their way into my consciousness fast enough for me to answer Matt. “—uh, I’m actually at the airport picking up my rental car right now,” I lied.
I adjusted a pair of fluffy pillows under my head, then said, “Oh, wait a minute,” followed by, “Listen, they’re signaling me that the paperwork is ready. Can I call you tomorrow? I’m totally beat and can’t wait to get to the hotel.” Not having a clue about flight schedules from Seattle to Ft. Lauderdale, I hoped I was making sense.
“Sure, Babe. Listen, you give him hell when you testify. I hope he gets what he deserves.”
Ironic. If Nathan decided to investigate, depending upon what happened, Matt could be about to get what he deserved as a result of our testimony and all the evidence we had gathered.
Snuggling between the covers, I prayed for sleep and it must have worked. The telephone jarred me awake an hour later.
A pleasant mechanical voice greeted me with, “This is your wake up call.”
Half an hour later, after enjoying a quick shower, applying fresh makeup, then using the flattening iron on my hair, I definitely felt much better. Sporting a pair of sleek gray pinstriped slacks, a red cashmere turtleneck, light gray blazer and ankle boots to die for, I added heavy gold hoop earrings and a gold coin on a chain I’d gotten in Greece when I was still flush with money.
There was a spring in my step, as I walked along the carpeted corridor from the elevator to the lobby taking in the décor. Gold stars woven into the border of the deep blue carpet highlighted paneled doors of highly polished Cherry Wood. Subtle gold striped wallpaper covered the walls above a Marine blue wainscot. The theme felt very patriotic and historical. Solid. When I’d checked in, I was actually so tired I hadn’t noticed any of it. The comfortable lobby felt like a good place for us to meet the United States Attorney General.
“Kimberly, hey, over here.” Cameron called from the lobby, looking absolutely gorgeous as she sat perched on a blue damask loveseat with a carved Cherry frame. There wasn’t a tired line in her face. But then, that was probably Botox doing what it was supposed to. She patted the seat next to her.
“Kate is on her way down. She left the presentation in her room, though. You know, so we don’t spring this on Nathan immediately. Poor guy. He’s probably looking forward to a reconnection with me after all these years, and instead he’ll get three anxious women and a despicable plot.”
I sighed. “If he’s the person you say he is, I think there’s a good chance he will be angered enough by what we show him to take it seriously. I hope he can’t wait to catch those sleazeballs. You know his personality. How do we approach him? Should you introduce us right away or take a minute, then signal us to come over?”
She tapped her index finger against her chin as she considered my question. “You know, maybe waiting to introduce you isn’t a bad idea. You and Kate could sit on the sofa over there like you’re waiting for someone. He doesn’t need to know the person you’re waiting for is him. He always spotted the pretty women, so he’s sure to notice both of you. By the way, Kimberly, travel must agree with you. You look great tonight.”
Before I could say ‘thanks’ a familiar voice called, “Hey you two—” Kate strode across the lobby, a vision in forest green suede, right down to the matching boots. The outfit really set off her auburn hair. She looked as glamorous as a movie star. Never in my wildest dreams would I be that stunning, but I felt I was still a head-turner.”
Cami checked her watch. “He should be here any minute. He—“
I interrupted her. “Hold on about Nathan for a minute. Check out that man who just came in.” I glanced in the direction of the lobby doors. “You know, there is something about a guy with a young face and a helmet of silver hair that really turns me on. I think I just fell in love. He’s not really what you’d call handsome, but—“
They both looked in the direction I indicated.
“—but if you must know, Kimberly, you just fell in lust with my friend Nathan Hartman!”
The man looked in our direction, waved and called out, “Cameron. I’d know you in a minute. You haven’t changed a bit.”
My heart flip-flopped then sunk. Why did he have to be Cami’s Nathan? Plan A was abandoned since he’d now seen us together. They hugged and Cami said, “You look amazing, Nate. Love the silver hair. It really suits you.”
Then she did that cute little lip biting maneuver. “Look, I didn’t plan to start the evening this way, but these are my friends Kimberly Martin and Kate Steele.”
Despite the confusion that shot across his face, he was gracious. His eyes filled with questions, but he extended his hand to Kate with a gleaming attorney-like smile. “Pleased to meet you.” Then he turned to me and the expression in his eyes changed. Nathan Hartman was one very sexy man. You know how they say in romance books that a person felt an electrical connection. Well I don’t know if he felt it, but the electricity shot from my hand right down to my toes as he shook it warmly.
We locked eyes and he said in a husky baritone, “Kimberly, or is it Kim?” Before I could say Kimberly, he said, “I’ll call you Kimberly. Welcome to the political hotbed of the nation, or at least the perimeter.” Was it my imagination that he held my hand longer than a normal handshake? And oh those eyes. Such a deep brown you could drown in them.
Turning back to Cami he said, “So, tell me my lovely, do I have a dinner date with three beautiful women, or just the one who broke my heart years ago?” He smiled showing straight white teeth as uniform as a packet of Chiclets and put an arm around Cami’s shoulder.
She opened innocent eyes, drawing him in. “Hope you don’t mind. It’s actually all three of us and I can assure you the evening won’t be anything like you anticipated.”
He gave her a theatrical leer, and she slapped his arm. “Knock it off! Not that kind of an evening. Anyway, we can tell you all about this over dinner, okay? I’m starving.”