High Stakes Seduction - Book 5 Page 3

  "Maria Tilson," Antonio said, stepping back to let the second man shake my hand, "this is Gregory Arnold, curator of the Lakeside Gallery."

  I smiled up at him, then looked over my shoulder at Thompson. He smiled and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

  "I’ll be back in a couple of hours to pick you up," he said, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "Enjoy yourself."

  The moment his hand left my shoulder, my nervousness leapt into my throat, making it dry. I managed to resist turning to watch him leave, wishing he’d stay—I could really use the comfort of his presence. I'd only met Mancini a short time before, and while we'd hit it off pretty well, we were hardly good friends. I did my best to swallow and smile as I looked to the two men who had taken their seats again.

  "My name is Shelly and I’ll be your waitress," said a bubbly voice as the ponytailed blonde laid menus before us. "May I get you something to drink, to start?"

  She looked to me first. I glanced down at the wine list in front of me, totally lost. "Um, I’ll just have some water, thank you, with a slice of lemon?" I couldn’t drink wine anyway, I reminded myself, especially during the day. Not with the medicines I was still taking for my back.

  Antonio and Gregory ordered their drinks, and when the waitress disappeared to fill our order, Antonio leaned forward.

  "Thompson doesn’t like to keep secrets, but I told him this was a surprise and I suspect, by the look on your face, that he managed not to spill the beans?"

  I smiled. "Well, no, he didn’t say a word. I assumed it was about—" I snapped my mouth shut. Obviously this wasn’t about my impending surgery or the arrangements Antonio was helping with. I mean, if that was what this was about, he would have brought a surgeon, or physical therapist or something.

  "Thank you for joining me—for joining us for lunch,” he continued. "I wanted to meet with you because I have an idea I think you might like." Antonio glanced at his other guest. "At least I hope you will.”

  He leaned back comfortably in his chair. "I realize it might seem a bit presumptuous of me, given we've only met once before, but I think you are a very talented artist. And I make it a habit to support talent. So, when I found out my friend Gregory here had an opening coming up, I immediately thought of you, Maria."

  An opening? A Gallery Opening? Holy…. I hoped my face didn't register as much shock as it felt. "M-me?" I managed to squeak.

  Gregory spoke up then. "Antonio’s eye for art is rivaled only by his eye for beauty and fashion. He told me you are a promising, new, up and coming artist. I would love to see your work and, if possible, jury it into a show we have coming up at the Lakeside."

  My throat was dry again. I took a sip of water. "B-but I’ve never—"

  Antonio interrupted me, speaking gently. "The gallery often features up and coming artists, as a way to support new talent, by showcasing their work as part of a charity fundraiser. A portion of the funds raised go to the charity we are supporting, with the artist receiving a percentage as well."

  "Oh," I managed to say, a mixture of excitement and sheer terror vying for my thudding heart. I struggled for a moment to understand the opportunity being laid at my feet. Antonio Mancini wanted to display my paintings in a gallery? Was I ready for this? I hadn't yet allowed myself to dream of exhibiting my work anywhere outside of my own living room, much less making money from it. As far as I was concerned, I was still just an amateur.

  I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat. Sitting here in front of these men, in this five-star restaurant, it seemed odd to think about displaying my art. But I certainly wouldn’t mind the prospect of helping Angela with some of the financial responsibilities.

  "There are other artists?" I asked.

  Gregory nodded. "We often showcase three to five at a time, depending."

  Good, that took a little pressure off. I liked the idea of a portion of the money going to charity. That also made it slightly less threatening—after all, I'd be doing it for a good cause.

  "Okay, I’ll do it," I blurted, then slapped my hand over my mouth, feeling my face flush with embarrassment at my impetuousness.

  Antonio grinned warmly at me. "Excellent! I’m glad to hear that, Maria. I think this will be a fantastic opportunity for you to gain a little recognition while supporting a worthwhile cause."

  I didn't know what to say. This was so far out of anything I considered to be in my league. An opportunity beyond anything I could have hoped for. I wanted to lean across the table and throw my arms around Antonio.

  "Angela is going to be so excited! I can't wait to tell her about this."

  Antonio held up his palm. "Actually," he said, his face turning serious, "I have another idea. What if we kept this as our little secret? At least for now."

  I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

  A mischievous, boyish grin spread across his lips. "We could surprise her."

  I felt the matching smile spread across my own face. He was right. It would be a huge surprise, and maybe just the thing to get my sister and me back on track with each other after everything. Especially given my recent admonition to her about not treating me as overly fragile. By setting this up as a surprise, I'd be showing her that I was, indeed, able to take care of myself much better than she realized. "I like it," I told the men on the other side of the table.

  "There’s no immediate hurry, but the show is coming up rather quickly," Gregory said, sliding a business card across the table, "I would normally review the submissions from photographs, but since this is such short notice, perhaps I can make arrangements to come see them?"

  "Actually," I said, "Anytime during the day would be fine. Could we plan on the day after tomorrow? About noon? That way I'll have time to pull together some pieces I think you'll like."

  "Absolutely, just give my office a call and we'll confirm."

  I looked down at the card in my hand, grinning. This was one time it felt great knowing I had a secret from Angela—one that she would get an enormous kick out of.

  "Gentlemen," I said with tears in my eyes. "I don't know how to thank you."

  ***

  "You knew all along!" I accused Thompson as he helped me back into the limo. Antonio and Gregory had stayed behind to discuss other business details. I gave Thompson a playful swipe of my hand just for good measure.

  He laughed, his eyes twinkling. "I’m glad you agreed to it, Miss Maria. I knew it would please you, and the others as well."

  The rest of our lunch had been spent going over the dates, details and requirements for the event. I tried not to be overwhelmed by the scrumptious meal or dissolve into giggles like a school girl as the reality of my gallery adventure started to sink in.

  "Thompson," I said, taking his hand, "Thank you. I know you had a lot to do with this."

  "It was all Mr. Mancini’s idea," he said. "I didn’t do anything."

  "Right," I said. "I’m sure you said nothing to him at all."

  That little smile played on his lips as the car pulled away.

  "Well I’m not letting you off that easily," I grinned. "You have to come back to the house and help me choose some paintings for the gallery. After all, you got me into this."

  Chapter Nine

  ANGELA

  The living room was a mess when I got home—but it was the good kind of mess. Maria’s paintings had infiltrated just about every available surface. The artist herself was over in the corner, deep in conversation with Thompson, who knelt behind her. I smiled, both delighted and mesmerized by the image of the two of them. I couldn’t quite hear what they were talking about, but I noticed Thompson pointing to one or another of the paintings. Maria would nod or shake her head, and then they’d fall back into their murmurs, completely oblivious of my existence.

  I didn’t want to break the mood, but my jog had made me thirsty, and I really needed to grab a glass of water from the kitchen.

  "You two have been busy," I said, just loudly enough that I wouldn’t startle them.r />
  Thompson glanced back at me and quickly stood to greet me with a slight inclination of his head.

  "Miss Angela," he said.

  Was it just me, or was Thompson’s little smile ever so slightly wider than usual?

  "Hey Ange!" Maria said gleefully. She pivoted the wheelchair in one spot, but discovered that she was surrounded by paintings and couldn’t get to me without rolling over several of them. "I’ll give you a hug later," she grinned.

  "What are you up to?" I asked from the kitchen as I opened the cupboard to retrieve a glass. "Want some water?" I offered.

  "Sure," Maria said, and glanced up at Thompson, who nodded, stepping over the paintings to join me at the kitchen sink.

  Maria leaned down and picked up two paintings, propping them against her legs while Thompson and I filled three glasses with ice and water.

  "Which one do you like better, Angela?"

  I took a sip and moved past Thompson to crouch before the paintings. One was a bright, colorful image of wild flowers in a field, a sky scattered with wisps of clouds. But after a moment, I pointed to the softer, more subdued image of our tree from the back yard, its branches somewhat obscured by drifting fog, giving it an ethereal beauty that spoke of magic.

  "This one has more of a story," I said. "The flowers are vibrant and beautiful, but this one evokes greater emotion, I think."

  I looked up to find Maria trying to hold back a giggle, then looked over my shoulder to see Thompson nodding and giving her a triumphant ‘I told you so’ expression. I smiled as I got to witness a rare display of emotion from the ever controlled man who usually kept his emotions carefully tucked away.

  "Fine," Maria said, finally succumbing to her laughter, "two against one. I can take a hint."

  "A hint about what?" I asked in confusion.

  "Thompson bet me our next round of take-out that you’d pick that one. I guess the egg rolls are on me next Tuesday."

  I raised a brow, but I was undecided which path of questioning I should pursue. The fact that 'Tuesday night take-out with Thompson' seemed to be a regular thing? Or finding out the reason Maria's paintings were strewn all over the house.

  I opted for the latter.

  "What was I picking my favorite for anyway?"

  "Oh," Maria said, smiling shyly, "just an idea we had."

  "We?" I murmured. "An idea for what?"

  "Just an idea," she said. "I've decided to try something different. Something I've never done. Give me a chance to sort through things a bit more and I’ll share the details soon."

  Hmm, that was still a pretty polite way of saying "mind your own business".

  Thompson returned to my sister’s side and the two were soon whispering together again, seeming to forget I was even there.

  I wasn’t offended. They looked so cute together, and it made my heart feel ten times lighter to see my sister happily surrounded by her art.

  I left them to it, carefully stepping over sketchbooks and canvases to get to the hallway and head to my room.

  I sat on the bed and tossed off my shoes, contemplating getting into my pajamas. Instead, the book on my bedside table caught my eye.

  "Just a few chapters," I told myself. Then I snuggled under the covers with the book propped on my pillow.

  The sound of the front door clicking shut woke me up a moment later. But when I glanced at the clock, I realized that a moment had fast forwarded into hours and it was actually after midnight. Oh my, was Thompson only just leaving?

  I listened for a moment, hearing Maria moving down the hall. I set aside my book, grinning as I thought about how sweet my sister looked with Thompson, paintings scattered all over. Then shut my eyes and I drifted back to sleep.

  Chapter Ten

  ANTONIO

  I answered the phone without thinking, and half regretted it the instant I heard Naomi’s voice.

  "Tony, darlin'," she cooed. "If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been avoiding me."

  "How could anyone avoid you, Naomi," I made a sound that I hoped resembled a laugh. "You are one of the most charming and determined women I know. We’re making some changes here at the store, as well as incorporating a new line. That’s been keeping us all very busy. I’m still at the office right now."

  "You’re at the office even when you’re not at the office," she said, clucking her tongue in what could only be disapproval.

  I couldn’t disagree with that. Instantaneously I heard Angela’s voice in the back of my head, asking if I was heading to 'yet another business meeting'.

  "Well," Naomi said. "I’m just checking in to let you know things are on track. I've got my own business dealings to worry about for now. So, darlin' I'm afraid I just won't be available for a while. At least, not until we get this business taken care of."

  "So you've connected?"

  "I bumped into our friend the other evening and we ended up having a few drinks."

  I chuckled. "Bumped into him entirely by coincidence, I assume?"

  I could almost hear the seductive smile in her voice. "I have my ways," she said.

  "I know you do, Naomi. I have no doubt you’ll deliver on your promises."

  "Have I ever let you down, Tony?"

  "Naomi, you've never let go of anything you set out to get. Stay in touch and let me know how things are going."

  "You can count on me," came her reply. "I just don't want you to be disappointed if I'm not around to keep you company."

  "Believe me, Naomi, I'll be fine. Remember, it's all in the line of duty."

  Chapter Eleven

  ANGELA

  "Angela, it's nice to see you," Ryan said, giving me a chaste kiss on the cheek.

  I still felt a little guilty spending time with Ryan. He was sweet and charming, and clearly still interested in me, even if there hadn't been sparks the other night.

  But I was more interested in the information he had on whatever Antonio was mixed up in. And that also made me feel guilty for a slightly different reason—as if I was spying on my boss… and lover. I sighed. Sometimes I wondered who I had become over the past few months.

  When Ryan had texted me earlier in the day, he had gotten straight to the point. No teasing or playing around, so I figured it was important.

  "I really appreciate you looking into all of this. I just hope you’re not going to get yourself into any trouble," I told him after we'd ordered drinks.

  "Nah," he said, brushing off my concern with a little wave of his hand. "It’s not unusual for me to be looking into various aspects of an investigation. I often have to gather field notes on individuals or organizations. Comes with the territory. No one has even questioned my research into the Children’s Academy or its Board of Directors."

  That got my attention. "Did you find something?"

  He shook his head and gave me an apologetic frown. "Not much. At least, nothing official that really stands out."

  My shoulders sagged a bit with the disappointment. I’m not sure what I was expecting him to find, but I’d thought it would be a little bit more than nothing. For a moment I wondered if maybe Ryan's text was just a way to see me again, to get me out on another date?

  "However," he said quickly, as if reading my thoughts, "Brad’s been acting strange lately."

  "How so?"

  "Normally, he keeps a pretty open door when it comes to communication. He’s always stressed the importance of me being aware of his comings and goings so that I can get in touch with him if anyone comes looking." He paused to finish his drink, then waved the waiter over for a refill. "But the other day, he told me he was meeting with a local attorney on some business. A short time later I happened to run into him in a totally different location. And the person he was with was certainly not an attorney."

  "Really?" I asked, perking up. Stephens was on the Board. If he was acting strange, maybe it was related? "Has he ever done this before? How did you find him at this other place? And how do you know the other person wasn't an attorney?"r />
  He held up his hands. "Whoa, Angela. One question at a time!"

  "I’m sorry," I said, trying to quiet the questions racing through my imagination—while in truth, I was practically on the edge of my seat. His text had said he had some pretty juicy news for me. This must be it.

  "There’s a bar on the other side of town that I sometimes go to after a visit with my family—believe me, I need it. My family can get pretty crazy sometimes."

  My lips tightened with impatience as I waited for him to continue.

  "Anyway, I didn’t see him at first since he had his back to me, but Brad’s got a really distinctive voice—not what you'd consider quiet or reserved—and when I heard it over the din of the bar, I looked around. He was sitting in the corner with one of the Academy’s Board members. The woman in the newspaper photograph."

  "Naomi," I said softly, my eyes narrowed in concentration. What was she doing in a bar with Stephens?

  "You know her? The platinum blond?"

  "Oh, I know her," I said.

  "Well," Ryan leaned in close, lowering his voice. "It looked a lot like Brad knew her pretty well, too, if you know what I mean."

  I considered what he said. There was a possibility that it was an innocent meeting, taking care of Board affairs. Then again, Ryan said Brad had lied about his appointment… and I was damn sure Naomi was no attorney.

  "What do you think they were talking about?" I asked him.

  "Somehow I don't think it was Board politics, not from the way she was draped all over him."

  "Isn’t he married?"

  Ryan shrugged. "You’d never know it by the way they were acting."

  Hm, that's interesting. I wonder what her game is this time? I really couldn't stand the woman, but it seemed odd that she would be draped over someone else when she clearly had her eyes, and claws, set on Antonio. Had something happened between Naomi and Antonio? Or was this something else entirely?

  Chapter Twelve

  ANGELA