Positive/Negativity (28 page)

Changed and ready to go, I ducked into a room for privacy to phone Aria.

“Hey, baby. Aimee and I just finished up. How’s everything coming with the renovations?” I asked.

“Couldn’t be better!” She said excitedly. “We’re running ahead of schedule. I’m so excited to see the changes taking place, Declan. It looks wonderful. It’s been a long four months, but I’d say that, with another month or so, it’ll be all finished.”

“Sounds good, babe. I’m going to get together with Aimee and plan some time to put out the word about the studio and to start scouting. You know, make a plan; then I’ll be on my way back to you. I feel like I’ve been away from you forever, and I can’t wait to hold you,” I said; then added softly, “I miss you, Aria.”

“I miss you too, bear…and I can’t wait to be held,” she said with a sultry promise in her voice.

“See you soon, baby,” I said; then I hung up the phone.

I grabbed my bag and called Aimee on her cell to tell her I wanted to meet her for coffee to go over the plan. As I was walking to meet her, Marisol intercepted me.
T

“Leaving so soon, Declan?” she asked, wearing a sinister smile.

“Yes, Marisol. I have plans,” I brusquely answered.

She blocked my way.

“Want to have dinner with me?”

“No, thanks. As I said, I have plans.”

I didn’t want to engage her any longer, and I was attempting to make that clear.

“What have I done that has offended you so?” she asked, acting wounded. “You never pay attention to me anymore. We never go out for dinner or to parties, and you don’t even stay around to talk to me after the photo sessions. I’m beginning to think that you don’t like me.”

“I’m beginning to think that you just don’t get it!” I spat out at her in a curt tone. “I don’t believe that I’ve ever led you on. We were
never
more than friends, if that.”

“Friends with benefits,” she said in a tantalizing tone.

“That’s bullshit, Marisol! I’ve never touched you!”

“You wanted to!” she shouted at me.

“I never said that!”

She was moving me to violence.

“You never had to. I saw the look in your eye at the party that night.” She moved closer and looked up at me, attempting to lure me with a seductive tone, “You wanted to sleep with me.”

“If I had slept with you, then it would have been because I had drank way too much, and you were ‘a hole for my pole’. Nothing more; nothing less,” I insensitively said to her.

“I would have made it more! I could have made it more,” she desperately pleaded to me, trying to grab ahold of my sleeve as I was attempting to walk away from her.

“You’re right,” I acknowledged. “You could have and would have made it more—in your own twisted mind.”

“Twisted?” She cackled. “You’re the one who’s twisted. You have a twisted perception of what a beautiful woman is. I’ve seen that gordita.”

I refused to hear her malign Aria.

“Don’t let me hear one more word about Aria come out of your obnoxious mouth. You’re a sick and malicious bitch, and I’ve spent enough of my time on you!”

With that, I walked away from her. I could hear her stomping her feet. She threw something that whizzed by my ear, but I refused to let her think that it affected me, so I kept on walking to find Aimee.

As I reached outside, I saw her waiting.

“What took you so long?” she asked.

“Marisol had a meltdown, and I had to walk right through it. She seems to think that she and I were either going to be a couple, or were a couple.”

A worried look crossed Aimee’s face.

“Dec, I’m not sure you should blow her off so easily. I think her mentality is crossing some lines, like borderline psychotic. Maybe it isn’t all temper.”

“I’m not concerned about her, Aimee. I barely see her except for jobs.”

“It doesn’t matter, Decs. Before, I thought she was just a little pissed at you, but now I’m beginning to wonder if she has a psycho loose screw somewhere in that snobbish head of hers. The way she obsesses when she sees you isn’t normal. You and Aria have been together for a while, so she should have been over it by now.”

I tried to ease Aimee’s mind.

“Don’t be so intense,” I said, taking her hand in mine. “I’m okay, and so is Aria. Stop worrying so much,” I tried to reassure her. “Let’s talk business,” I said, changing the subject.

“Okay,” she said, but she still looked worried.

“Hey, babe, I’m on my way now.” “Yep.” “Aimee and I finalized our plans.” “Six weeks from now.” “Yes.” “I was thinking we could multi-task.” “I have a shoot scheduled then with Aimee.” “When we’re finished, we can spend the weekend at the lake.” “I’ll meet you there.” “Aimee can drive there with me, and you drive your car.” “We can just drive one car back to the beach, and Aimee can drive the other; then she and I can work out our plan at the new building when we get to the beach. Sound good to you?” “Yes, those are the dates. Would you call Carter and Lacey and see if those dates are good for them?” “Thanks, beautiful.” “Love you.” “See you soon.”

What the hell is wrong with him?
Marisol thought as she watched him leave the coffee shop.
TT

She learned of the business that Declan and Aimee were going to have, but
why didn’t he ask her?
She was a much prettier model than Aimee
, Marisol thought.
She was in much higher demand and much skinnier.
Declan didn’t like doing much with her anymore, and the more he excluded her, the more she wanted to be included. She didn’t like him doing
anything
without her. The more she didn’t know about what he was doing, the more she wanted to know. She was even beginning to think that the private investigator wasn’t getting enough information. Maybe she needed to hire two private investigators, or three, or maybe she needed to start her own surveillance. She thought that by now Declan would have tired of his little dalliance with the beach girl.
What was it about her that he found attractive?
She just didn’t understand. She wasn’t pretty, she wasn’t skinny, and she didn’t even wear the most fashionable clothes or accessories. All of the things that Declan loved, this girl didn’t have.
So what was it?
She surely couldn’t be good in bed; she had too much fat to jiggle all around.
The thought disgusted her. She didn’t think she’d ever understand why men like girls with all those curves on them. They just weren’t appealing.

So Declan and Aimee were going to scout new modeling talent.
The thought made her laugh.
Declan couldn’t even pick someone for himself, and he thought he could pick beauty for the world to see?
Crazy!
Aimee was just a piss ant in the world of beauty.
Women like her were everywhere. She was a filler model, and she’d never reach the standards that Marisol set for beauty.
How could she ever think she could assist Declan and help his company succeed?

The one part of their conversation that Marisol listened to intently was about how Declan should take Marisol seriously. Aimee was right to fear her. Of course she was afraid.
Maybe she and the beach girl were friends. Maybe Aimee would tell the beach girl to be afraid.
Yes, that would be good. The beach girl should be afraid!!
She was standing in Marisol’s way, and Marisol didn’t like her; in fact, she hated her. She wouldn’t say just how much she hated her because she wasn’t sure how long the beach girl would be around. That thought brought an evil smile to her face.

As she brought her cup of espresso to her lips, she was forming a plan. The speculation of incorporating herself into Declan’s private life and business life was forming itself with each sip she took. With the plan taking form in her mind, Marisol decided that both Aimee and the beach girl were becoming nothing more than a nuisance to be discarded. It would make her life easier if they were gone…and wasn’t it about what Marisol wanted?

Yes, it was going to be a very good plan
, she wickedly thought.

Mr. Richards had been a Private Investigator for a long time, but his experience hadn’t included a client such as Marisol Franzi. She was as demanding as they come. He had been employed by her for months, reporting on everything involving Declan Sinclair. Now she wanted him to report on everything he could find regarding Aria Cole and both Carter and Lacey Sinclair. In his line of business, people were usually trying to prove that someone had done something wrong, but for months now, Mr. Sinclair had done nothing more than spend time with Ms. Cole and work. They both spent time with the other Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair, but he found that Declan and Carter were brothers. Nothing unusual there. Mr. Sinclair was opening a business at a small, East Coast resort town. Still, nothing sinister. He didn’t get it. Ms. Franzi always acted as if Mr. Sinclair was doing something against her. As far as he could tell, they never encountered each other except for employment purposes. In actuality, he found Ms. Franzi’s behavior to be suspicious. In his former line of work, he would have begun a case file on her. Hell! He didn’t want his thoughts to go down that road. He left the stress of that job behind and took these little investigating jobs for the diversion, but this woman didn’t always behave rationally. If Ms. Franzi didn’t pay so well, he would have dropped her as a client—well, at least he had a weekend off coming up. She said that Sinclair and the girl would be away, so there would be no need to watch them. Marisol said she would watch Sinclair herself; that they would be working together. That was fine with him, but it gave him a good laugh. She didn’t know what she was doing most of the time, her behavior was all over the place. However, he hadn’t had a weekend off in quite a while. If Ms. Franzi and Mr. Sinclair would be working together, he wouldn’t have much to report anyway.

“Everything looks good on this end, Declan,” I said while rolling my eyes. At least he couldn’t see my sarcasm through the phone.

“Are you certain, Aria?” We’re so close to finishing.”

The man was a worrier. We were ahead of schedule, and renovations were complete. There were only a few minor touches left, and then Declan would be ready for business in a few weeks rather than months.