The Deception (16 page)

"Allie says you've decided to make her a ward of the state."

"Yes, I did. And you know what's funny, Alex? I thought I'd feel guilty about it, but I'm actually quite relieved. Mr. Greene made good on his promise and he helped me with the paperwork. Now that it's done, I feel as if someone's lifted an incredible weight off my shoulders. I can finally start thinking about upgrading my business, and maybe putting some money away while I'm at it. If only I didn't have this damn lawsuit staring me in the face."

"Don't go there, Carrie-Anne," he said with a wink. "It's after hours, so I'm not talking shop. So tell me, what would you say to going out and celebrating your new lease on life?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"I know of a resort, in the mountains outside of Tucson. It's called the Double-Diamond. It used to be a ranch at one time, and it's a beautiful place. The hotel was built during the Great Depression, so it's kind of a rustic art deco. You name it, they've got it; hiking trails, mountain biking, horseback riding, a pool and spa, and best of all, peace and quiet. They don't even have television sets in any of the guest rooms. The whole idea is to be able to unplug, unwind and get away from it all."

"I see. So when did you want to go there?"

"Soon," he replied. "You need a break, Carrie-Anne. A nice, quiet weekend at a desert spa, away from everyone and everything, would do you a world of good."

"I think you're right, and I'd like that. My birthday's coming up next month."

"Yes, I remember."

"It'd be a nice way to celebrate. By then, Mama should be completely over her bug."

The waiter came to take their plates. As they were talking, Alex noticed something on one of the big-screen television sets mounted in a corner. The ten o'clock news was on, and they were showing a clip of one
of Carrie's old Mercer's Market
s ads. It was followed by a shot of one of the nude photos of her in
Gentry Magazine
, with certain portions blurred out. Carrie noticed it too on one of the other screens.

"Oh my God."

"Calm down." He reached across the table to grasp her hand. "Don't do anything that might draw attention to yourself. No one is watching it. I've been concerned for some time that someone in the media would connect the dots, so we'll have to deal with it. I'll take care of the check, and then we're going to quietly leave. I'll take you home, and when we get there I want you to pack your bags. You can stay at my place for a few days. Don't worry, it's a big house. You can make yourself at home in the guestroom."

"Thanks for the invite, Alex, but I'll be okay."

"No, Carrie-Anne. Please, listen to me. There's litigation pending and I don't want you being hounded by reporters. You don't need that kind of publicity right now and it could jeopardize our case. Don't worry, this will all blow over in a few days. Until then, you'll be much safer at my place."

Alex took care of the bill and they left the restaurant. Fortunately, none of the other patrons recognized Carrie. Soon she was packed and they were back on the road. She was in her car, following Alex's white Camaro.

Alex lived in a well-to-do neighborhood in the mountains on the northeast side the city. The road to his house wound around a golf course and he soon turned onto another narrow, curvy road, leading to a house at the top of a hill. He pulled into the garage, while Carrie parked in the driveway.

"Here we are, home sweet home." He walked out to her car and took her suitcase out of the trunk. He noticed her eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Alex, I don't know what to say. I always knew you would do well, but this..."

"Looks can be deceiving, my dear," he said with a smile. "This house was in foreclosure. Let's just say I got a sweetheart deal. Come with me. I'll show you around."

She followed him inside. The house was beautifully furnished. It looked like something out of a home-decorating magazine. The living room had a wine-colored corner group sofa facing large picture windows that revealed a stunning view of the city lights below. He led her down the hallway and opened the door at the end. He waited as she stepped into a cozy, comfortable guest bedroom.

"The bathroom's at the first door on your left." He set her suitcase on the foot of the bed. "The master bedroom is off the other side of the living room, so if you want to stay up late and watch
TV
it's okay. You won't be disturbing me. Feel free to help yourself to whatever's in the kitchen."

"Alex, I don't know what to say, other than thank you."

"You're welcome." He gave her a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. "Have a good night and I'll see you in the morning."

He stepped out and closed the door behind him, heading off to the master suite to get ready for bed. He turned on the television set and tried to relax, but he felt restless. He climbed into bed, grabbed the remote and began channel surfing, but he was unable to focus. He finally switched off the television and began fluffing his pillows around. Try as he may, he just couldn't make himself comfortable. He let out a sigh.

"Don't go there, Alex. It's forbidden fruit and you know it."

He somehow managed to fall asleep, only to wake up in the middle of the night. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was a few minutes past three. After tossing and turning for another half hour he decided a glass of warm milk might help him get back to sleep. He climbed out of bed and quietly entered the living room.

"You too, huh?"

The unexpected sound of her voice in the darkness caught him off guard.

"Carrie-Anne?"

It took a moment for him to make her out in the darkness. She was laying on a section of the corner group. He noticed she'd brought a pillow and blanket with her.

"Sorry, Alex. I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd come out here and watch the city lights for awhile. They're so beautiful. From here they almost look like some sort of magic fairyland."

"I couldn't sleep either. Must be one of those nights."

"Why don't you join me?" She pointed to the other section of the corner group.

"Don't mind if I do."

He went to fetch his pillow and a blanket. Once he returned, he made himself a bed on the other section. As he lay down he could feel the top of her head brushing against his. For some reason it made him feel calmer. As he relaxed, his mind's eye began seeing the images of their lives from when they were children. Before long he dozed off.

* * *

The morning sun woke Carrie. She slowly stirred, being careful not to disturb Alex. After she sat up she turned to watch him sleep. He looked so peaceful. She reached over and began to gently stroke his hair. He moaned softly at her touch. She looked at his face. He appeared to be content. She sat with him for a few minutes, lightly running her fingers through his hair, before she carefully got up and went into the kitchen.

A
lex was dreaming of bacon and coffee. He opened his eyes to see the morning sun high in the sky, but he still smelled the scent of bacon and coffee. He got off the sofa and wandered into the kitchen. Carrie was there, frying bacon in a skillet.

"Morning, Alex." She smiled as she turned to face him. "There's fresh coffee brewing in the pot."

He poured himself a cup. As he took a sip, he turned to watch her. "What on earth do you have on?"

Carrie stopped to look down at her nightclothes. "It's a long, pink cotton nightshirt, Alex. What did you think it was?"

"I know that. Turn around. I want to see what's on the front."

She turned back to face him. A drawing of a laced-up corset was printed on the front of her nightshirt. She looked down again, realizing that was what he was talking about. She gave him another smile.

"So, I see you like my sexy lingerie. Allie gave this to me last year for my birthday. We both thought it was pretty funny."

He saw a vision in his mind's eye of her laced up in a real corset, and immediately chastised himself for thinking about her that way. She was a friend, not a lover.

Carrie returned to her cooking, announcing that she was making french toast for their breakfast. Over their meal he asked her if there was anything in particular she wanted to do that day.

"You know, Alex, I think I'm going to heed your advice and just unwind. I've brought a book with me. I'll probably spend the day just hanging out."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll head off to the gym in a little while. Then I can spend the rest of my weekend being a couch potato without feeling guilty."

"You? I figured a hot, eligible bachelor like you would be out somewhere playing golf or tennis, or doing sometime to attract the ladies."

Alex's ears perked up. Had Carrie just called him 'hot?' The well-worn t-shirt and sweatpants he had on were hardly sexy.

"Nah," he said with a smile. "This 'eligible bachelor,' as you put it, works hard for a living. By the time the weekends roll around, I'm usually beat. Besides, I did all that girl-chasing stuff when I was younger. I'm ready to settle down."

"I know what you mean. Unfortunately, Prince Charming--"

She was interrupted by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She excused herself as she stepped away from the table to answer it. Sierra Arroyo was calling, and the news wasn't good.

"You might want to come down here, as quickly as you can," said the nurse on the other end of the line.

"What happened?"

"Late last night your mother took a turn for the worse."

"I thought she was doing better."

"She was. Then last night she suddenly began to run a very high fever. She's developed a serious staph infection and she's not responding to the antibiotics. Her condition is deteriorating rapidly. I'm sorry to tell you this, Carrie, but we've called in hospice."

"What do you mean you've called in hospice?" She felt Alex's hand on her shoulder.

"We'll explain it all as soon as you get here."

"Thanks, I'm on my way." She quickly ended the call. "I have to go, Alex. There's some sort of a problem with my mother."

"I gathered that. Get dressed. I'll take you there."

"No. I appreciate the thought, but I have to do this alone."

"You're in no condition to drive over there, Carrie-Anne."

"I'll be okay." She stopped for a moment. "Alex, they told me she has a staph infection and that they've called hospice. They don't think she's going to make it."

She suddenly burst into tears. Alex held her as she cried on his shoulder.

"Carrie, please let go with you. I knew her too."

"She's not the way you remember her, Alex. For the past three years, she's been a vegetable. She's no longer able to speak, half her body is completely paralyzed, and her mental capacity is very limited. I've never allowed anyone to see her like this. Not even Allison."

"Carrie-Anne, you can't go through this alone. We're your friends. We know her too and we're here to help you. We'd also like it, very much, if you'd give us a chance to tell her goodbye."

Carrie thought it over. Perhaps she was being unfair. "Okay, I guess maybe you're right. I'll let you and Allie see her, but first I need you to do a favor for me."

"Anything."

"Would you mind calling Allie? She has a key to my apartment. Tell her there's a storage box, with all of my important papers, on the top shelf of my closet. Inside that box is a folder with my mother's name on it. Would you ask her if she'd mind picking up that folder and bringing it with her?"

"Certainly."

As soon as Carrie stepped away, Alex grabbed his phone and called Allison.

"What's up?"

"It's not good, Allie." He quickly brought her up to date.

"Oh no," she responded in Spanish. "I knew this day would come, sooner or later."

It took Alex a moment to switch gears to reply to her in the same language. "I don't know if you caught the ten o'clock news last night, Allison, but there was a story about the Mercer's Market
s
girl ending up in
Gentry Magazine
. I don't want any reporters bothering her, so I've brought her over to my place. She's staying in my guest room until this blows over."

"That's good, Alex. She doesn't need those vultures right now."

"My thoughts exactly. So we need to ask a favor, Allie."

"Sure, what is it?"

Alex relayed Carrie's request to go to her apartment and get her mother's papers.

"Sure, I'd be happy to. Where to you want me to bring them?"

"To the nursing home. I've talked to Carrie. She's decided to let us go in and spend some time with her mother. We both knew her."

"Thank you, Alex." There was a sound of relief in her voice. "I always loved her mother and I'd like to see her, one last time."

"Me too."

"Oh and Alex?"

"Yes, Allison."

"What has happened to that lovely accent of yours?"