Tell Me Something Good (15 page)

“No, let me go.” Lyrissa seemed frantic to
escape.

“Those two ladies got a cheap thrill. So
what?” Noel smiled softly. Still she struggled to get away.

“Cheap is exactly how I feel.” Lyrissa yanked
free and strode out of the museum.

Noel went after her. She stood underneath an
oak with her back to him. He approached but did not try to touch
her again, much as he wanted to.

“What are you talking about, Lyrissa?” he
said quietly.

She closed her eyes. “I know about you and I
still fell for it.”

“What do you think you know about me?”

“This city is littered with women you’ve
dumped.”

“That’s an exaggeration.”

“Is it?” Lyrissa wore a hard expression as
she stared at him.

Noel had never thought of his romantic life
as a whole. It seemed to flash before his eyes in an instant.
Women’s faces whizzed by at high speed. He’d done his share of
dating over the years. Yet he hadn’t thought of himself as callous.
He considered himself honest, straight up. There were no whispered
declarations of love or promises made in the dark to haunt him.

“Yes, I’ve broken up with women before.
Sometimes it was mutual.” Noel shoved both hands in his pants
pockets. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Pleading guilty, huh?” Lyrissa folded her
arms.

“You didn’t seem to mind that kiss,” Noel
said.

She visibly relaxed. “Well, I—you caught me
off guard.”

“Come on, Lyrissa. Tell the truth.” Noel
leaned closer to her.

“It shouldn’t have happened.” She moved away
from him. “This is strictly business.”

“Not anymore,” he said promptly.

“Yes, it is.” She put more space between
them.

“Okay, okay. It was my fault for giving in to
temptation. I apologize.” Noel ignored a raging need to taste her
again.

“We’re not going there again. Got that?”

“Listen, Lyrissa—”

“No.” Lyrissa shook her head.

“Why?”

“Because.” She wore a stubborn
expression.

“Can you be a bit more specific?” Noel tilted
his head to one side.

“There are a lot of reasons.”

“Name one.” He smiled at her.

“We’re too different. That kiss was a
mistake, a silly impulse.” Her lovely eyes narrowed. “You set the
whole thing up when you asked me to meet you here. I should have
known.”

“No, I didn’t—honestly,” he added, when she
gave a skeptical snort. “I was just as surprised as you.”

“Planned or not, it won’t happen again.”

“We’re not that different.” Noel gazed at
her.

“Tell your family that,” she tossed back.

“My family doesn’t have anything to do with
it, okay?’ Noel said quietly. “Have dinner with me.” The words were
the second time he’d surprised himself today.

Lyrissa returned his gaze. “That would be
another mistake,” she replied just as softly.

Noel sighed with pleasure at the enticing
sound o her voice. She hadn’t said no outright. He got up and
walked to her until they were only inches apart. “I’ll pick you up
tonight around seven. I’ve got a late meeting. Please?”

“I don’t think—”

“We’ll talk about art, if that makes you feel
better,” h teased with a half-smile. He touched her hand lightly.
“What’s your address?”

She didn’t look away from his eyes. For what
seemed forever they stared at each other. Noel held his breath. All
sounds around them seemed muffled as he waited for her answer.

“Six sixty-seven Erato Avenue,” Lyrissa
murmured.

Noel started to steal another kiss, but the
anxiety in her eyes stopped him. “Okay,” he said.

They parted and he walked back to his car.
Noel wanted to believe his happiness came from the thrill of
victory. He’d melted her resistance. Still, he had never
experienced such intense anticipation of a first date. The shadow
of her alluring smile followed him for the rest of the
afternoon.

Julie sat across from Carlton with both
elbows propped on the arms of her chair. She tapped the toe of her
Ferragamo pump on the floor. “Noel is spending way too much time
chasing this art thing.”

“Humm, did you go over the report from Andre
yet?” Carlton was engrossed in a memo on his desk.

“I’ve read it twice. You know the art sale
should be handled correctly. We talked about that, remember?” Julie
shifted in her seat.

“I’ve got the claims projections. I assume
you talked to our accountant.”

“Of course.”

“Good.” Carlton nodded.

“I don’t like it.” Julie said.

“The claims report?”

“The way Noel is following that Rideau woman
around like a puppy,” Julie said.

“Let Noel waste his time on some flighty
scheme. At least it will keep him out of my hair for a while.”

“It’s not a flighty scheme. A lot of large
corporations buy art and sell it. It’s totally legitimate to use
art as an asset,” she said defensively.

“You stick up for him no matter what.”
Carlton gazed it her over steepled fingers.

“Noel isn’t plotting to cut you out of the
company,

Carlton. He’s only doing what he thinks is
best.” Julie lifted her chin.

“I suppose that’s your totally objective
assessment.” Carlton grunted to emphasize his cynicism.

“Stop being paranoid. Noel hasn’t made any
kind of move against you. The three of us can take this place to
the top again.” Julie leaned forward with an intense expression

“I feel so secure knowing you two are behind
me,’ Carlton retorted.

“This childish rivalry is a waste of energy.
The board made him CEO. Deal with it like a grown-up.”

“He’s CEO for now,” Carlton said
bitterly.

“Dream on. Noel has added the right color to
this place, black ink on the balance sheets and lots of green in
the bank. Compete with that!” Julie said with pride.

“He’s not exactly the golden boy. He’s made
mistakes, Carlton complained.

“You’re no shining example. I know about that
stun you pulled with the board.”

“Julie, you don’t know anything about me.”
Carlton lip curled, making his wide face even less appealing.

“Don’t I? You wanted to have Miss Georgina
declare incompetent.” Julie smiled at the effect of her words. “O
yes, somebody squealed.”

“That’s impossible!”

“Anyone will talk if the right amount of
pressure is applied. You didn’t even wait a good twenty-four hours
after she was admitted to the hospital last year.” She crossed her
shapely legs.

“That’s an unsubstantiated accusation.”
Carlton stared at her hard.

“You’re so predictable.” Julie sighed. “It
wasn’t hard to guess you were up to something. Then there’s the
little matter of the financial audit. Wonder what it would show,
hmmm?”

“Nothing,” he barked at her. “Those
expenditures were legitimate.”

“Expenditures, huh? I didn’t know about
those. Tsk, tsk.” Julie wagged a forefinger at him.

“They won’t find anything I can’t justify.”
Carlton balled his thick hands into fists.

“Okay, but don’t be so defensive next time.
It makes you look guilty.”

“Don’t forget, I’m your boss. I can—”

“Fire me? Go right ahead. I want to see you
explain why. Have you forgotten my Aunt Barbara is a member of the
board?”

“You’ve been a bitch since the cradle,” he
muttered. “Now you’re trying to get on my good side.”

Carlton’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Noel is
waiting for the right time. I’m sure you’ve given him the dirt on
me.”

Julie shook her head slowly. “How little you
understand me after all these years.”

“Get to the point, Julie. What do you want?”
he spat out. “Noel.”

Carlton let out a harsh sound that was
supposed to be a laugh. “Number one, that’s old news. Number two, I
can’t make him jump into your bed. You’ve been running after him
for years. Take a hint!”

Julie struggled to maintain her cool
exterior. She was •betrayed by a slight tremor of her bottom Up.
“We dated n high school.”

“His mother forced him to take you to one
prom.”

“That’s a lie. We went out more than once!”
Julie breathed hard.

“Whatever gets you through those long lonely
nights,’ he cackled.

“You help me, or I talk. Your grandmother
isn’t going to find my story amusing. And I’m sure you won’t be
laughing, either.”

Carlton’s mirth died quickly when he saw the
wrath ii her eyes. “This is nuts! I can’t make Noel want you.”
“Noel cares for me. He’s just too much into work right now.”
Julie’s expression dared him to disagree.

“I still don’t see what I can do.”

“Don’t oppose his idea about using the art
collection as a company asset. I want in on the whole thing.” Julie
stood and paced.

“He and this Lyrissa Rideau should... now I
get it. You’re jealous of her.” Carlton’s eyebrows formed a single
dark line.

“I don’t want him sucked in by the slut.
She’s going t come out looking like some kind of savior. I want to
get there first.” She stood with her legs apart.

“I’m lost again.” Carlton looked genuinely
baffled. “Just tell me which family members I can call about the
art collection. I want to know about every knick-knack, every white
elephant before she does.”

Carton studied her in silence for a time. A
cunning light went on in his coffee colored eyes. “I’m not going to
be your puppet. Go on, talk. The worse I’ll face is Grandmother’s
anger. My father will help me with her and the board.”

Julie gazed back at him. “Okay, suffer
through months of company politics.”

“I can handle it.” Carlton drew himself
up.

“Her anger won’t just be a temper tantrum.
You know damn well it won’t,” Julie pressed. “But we can do a lot
for each other.”

“You’re going to help me? Yeah, right!”

“I’ll convince Noel to start his own company.
He can get the money from the sale of even one valuable piece of
the collection.” Julie walked to the edge of his desk and leaned on
it with both palms flat. “Tremé Corporation will be yours.”

Carlton gazed at her for a time, and then
wrote on a notepad. “I suggest you start with my cousin, Vic. She
just got back from St. Croix.”

Blouses, pants, skirts and dresses in the
closet mocked her. Lyrissa had been staring at them for twenty
minutes now. A pile of rejects was on her bed. Once again she tried
to convince herself to choose anything. Her outfit wasn’t
important. She didn’t care what he thought of he looks.

“This will do,” Lyrissa pulled out a pair of
black Capri pants and a white sleeveless blouse. “No, I’ll look
like one of the waitresses. Oh, hell!”

“Lyrissa, what in the world are you doing in
there? Aunt Claire called as she climbed the stairs.

“I’m almost ready.” Lyrissa quickly snatched
up the clothes and threw them into the closet. She shut it just as
Aunt Claire walked in.

“You can’t be wearing that!” Aunt Claire
pointed ring-bedecked forefinger at her. “Blue jeans cut-offs and a
Tweety Bird t-shirt? No indeed!”

“I’m about to change.” Lyrissa spied the
array of makeup spread out. Maybe she wouldn’t notice.

“Hmmm.” Aunt Claire looked around the room,
then back at her.

“I got caught up in this television show and
lost track of time.” She pointed to the television on the other
side of her bed.

“With the sound turned all the way down?
Those must have been riveting pictures.” Aunt Claire eyed her in an
appraising manner. “You care what this young man thinks of
you.”

“Puh-leeze! He’s about as shallow as they
come. I’m going to take a quick shower now.” Lyrissa went into her
bathroom with a handful of cosmetics.

“Come here a moment,” Aunt Claire called
out.

“I really should get moving.”

“I understand, but this is important.” Aunt
Claire’s voice was muffled.

Lyrissa walked back into the bedroom to find
her in the closet. “What are you doing?”

“This red silk blouse will be just the thing.
It’s not too dressy, and the quarter-length sleeves are so in right
now.” Aunt Claire held up the cropped black pants and shirt to make
her point.

She had to admit Aunt Claire was right. The
blouse had a delicate shimmer. Her black open-toed mules would
round out the ensemble perfectly. Lyrissa immediately decided on
the jewelry she would wear.

“Those bold silver hoop earrings, the
sterling watch you got for Christmas, and your silver link bracelet
are perfect.” Aunt Claire hung the clothes on the oak valet near
her bed. Then she picked up the clothes that had been flung onto
the closet floor.

“You’re going to make me believe you are
psychic.” Lyrissa rubbed the chill bumps on her arm.

“Maternal instinct. You forget how well I
know you. This mess isn’t like you.” Aunt Claire made a clicking
noise with her tongue.

“I’ve been busy lately.”

Aunt Claire placed the last blouse on the
rack and turned around. “Really, did you think I’d be fooled?”

“I’m late and you’re jumping to conclusions.”
Lyrissa forced a casual flippancy into her voice. She turned her
back and opened a dresser drawer.

“We’ll see,” Aunt Claire said. A knowing
smile tugged at the corners of her bow-shaped mouth.

“Don’t give me that look.” Lyrissa scowled at
her aunt’s reflection in the dresser mirror.

Aunt Claire’s expression did not change.
“Hurry along, cher. I’ll entertain Mr. St Denis when he
arrives.”

She sailed out before Lyrissa could think of
a suitable rebuttal to her unspoken assessment. Lyrissa whirled
around to stare at herself in the mirror. Was she that transparent?
She’d gone to sleep last night and promptly dreamed of him. It was
no fairytale-type Cinderella dream with chaste kisses, either. She
could taste his mouth, sweet and wet. In the dream they had not
stopped at kissing. They’d undressed each other right there in the
gallery. His skin was smooth and his muscles taut. Things had moved
quickly as they can only in dreams. Suddenly she was on her back
with her legs clamped tight around his hips. She had awakened to
find the top sheet kicked onto the floor and the fitted bottom
sheet damp with perspiration. Just thinking about it made her
hot.