Annie's Rainbow (19 page)
Authors: Fern Michaels
Parker swung his legs over the side of the bed, the headache he'd felt on awakening hammering inside his head. He reached for his address book, which was always within reach, and flipped the pages until he found Tom Clark's home phone number. His fingers drummed impatiently on the nightstand. “Tom, Parker Grayson. I'm sorry to hear about your appendix. Kiki just told me. The good news is you can live without it. Listen, Tom, my hotheaded, know-it-all sister and your hotheaded sister seem to have a problem. It's some kind of woman thing neither one of us understands. Kiki kept babbling about a Chanel bag and a hat with a ribbon. Yeah, yeah, I can see how that would tick off Annie. Can't say that I blame Annie. You know that's not the way I do business. I was out and about for the past two days wining and dining some old college pals who are here visiting. I gotta tell you, we're all too old for this crap. We did a hell of a job pretending, though. Look, the deal Annie presented to my sister is okay with me. We can't cut the price two dollars, but I can go one-fifty. It's a good deal for both of us, and you know it. Of course it's roasted. I could use a little manly advice about now. How do I manage to make this right, Tom? Now why did I know you were going to tell me I'm on my own. We'll make it right. Where's Annie staying? I'll call you tomorrow. Take care of yourself.”
Parker gulped down four aspirin, showered, shaved, dressed, and was out the door in less than twenty minutes to head for the airstrip where he kept his private plane.
After all this time, Annie had finally returned to the islands. Maybe there was a God after all.
Ninety minutes later, Parker strode into the lobby of the Monarch. At best it was tacky. He frowned. Why in the hell would Annie Clark stay in a dump like this? He found out a moment later when he asked for her room.
“Miss Clark checked out, sir.”
“Do you know where she went? Did she go back to the Whaler?”
“She didn't say, sir. Perhaps one of the bellboys or the valets can tell you more.”
“Yes, sir, Miss Clark drove off with one of the other guests. I know it was Miss Clark because yesterday she had two big dogs with her. She gave me a ten-dollar tip. The dogs were ferocious, big as little ponies. She was going to the airport with an elderly gentleman and the dogs. That's all I know, sir.”
“Do you know the name of the other guest?”
“Yes, sir. I do.”
“Well?”
The valet shuffled his feet and waited until Parker handed him a ten-dollar bill. “A honeymoon couple. Stella and Joe Kaminsky,” the boy said, reading from the valet parking chart.
“When they return, will you give them this card and ask them to call me?” Another ten-dollar bill changed hands. With nothing better to do, Parker shoved the car into gear and headed for the coffee plantation. He had a thing or two to say to his sister Kiki.
CHAPTER TEN
“This is really nice of you, Stella. I could have taken a cab, though.”
“It's the least I could do after you gave me that smashing bag. How come you're leaving?” Stella said as she put the pedal to the metal. Annie's neck snapped backward. She was certain she had a whiplash when her body jolted forward.
It had been a long time since she'd talked to a girlfriend. Jane was busy with her own life now, and the few female friends she did have weren't the kind she wanted to share confidences with. This outgoing young woman with the ditzy hairdo and racy clothes had a kind heart and a warm smile. The same wonderful qualities Jane had.
“A long time ago I met this man. I thought the instant I saw him that he was the man for me. He said in turn that he felt I was his destiny.”
“Wow! Joe never said anything like that to me.”
Annie smiled. “Obviously he didn't need to. You're married, aren't you? You don't see a ring on my finger, do you?”
“Yeah. He's sweet. I wish you coulda met him. You'd like him, and he'd like you. He was really bowled over when I showed him that pocketbook you gave me. No one ever gave me anything that elegant.”
“Joe will give you everything he can someday,” Annie said.
“Yeah. He'd give me the moon if he could. You still didn't tell me what happened with that guy. You know, the
real
lowdown.”
real
lowdown.”
“At that time I suppose things were different. He said when his parents died they left their estate to him and him alone. Even though he had six sisters. I didn't think that was right. I still don't think that's right. I said so. He said it was the custom here. He didn't share with his sisters, either.” .
“That's awful,” Stella said as she barreled through a yellow light.
“I asked him what he would do if we had a son and two daughters and something happened to him or me. I have my own business, so I was a little concerned. He said it would go to the son and then I asked what would happen to my daughters and he didn't have an answer. So, I told him off and left. That was years and years ago. I still do business with his company though. My brother handles it.”
“Jeez, he sounds like one of those, what do you call them, Neanderthals or something like that?”
“Just out of curiosity, what would you have done, Stella?”
“Same damn thing you did. I'd just like to see Joe pull something like that on me. I don't have to worry though, neither one of our parents has much, and we'd never fight over it anyway. You still love him, huh?”
“Yes. No. I don't know. Something must have happened during those years, because his sister works for the company. She and I had a little disagreement yesterday. A rather serious one. In fact, I'm still steaming.” Annie turned in her seat to face Stella, whose eyes were glued to everything but the road. “Tell me what you think of this, Stella.”
When Annie finally wound down, Stella zipped to the side of the road, cutting off two other cars before she slammed on the brakes. “You own those Daisy Shops! Well, Lordy, Lordy. Me and Joe go there for cappuccino sometimes. There's one off the campus of Rutgers University. I betcha I been there three dozen times. Joe's gonna be real happy when I tell him you're gonna be selling that coffee by the pound. So what are you gonna do, Annie?”
“I don't know. With the mix-ups in the condos and all, Kiki, that's the sister, didn't call me. She did call my brother quite a few times yesterday. It seems she can't make that kind of decision without consulting her brother. There's a lot of money involved here and a lot of coffee.”
“You're telling me. I don't like ultimatums.”
“Neither do I. I guess I made a mistake by giving her a five o'clock deadline. She ticked me off big-time. At first I didn't know she was Parker's sister. That old devil named jealousy reared her ugly head. She was beautiful, and I immediately thought any man would be attracted to her, mainly Parker since she worked for him. I reacted.”
“Don't you go feeling bad now. I probably would have done the same thing. Sounds like you got her on the run. They're both probably chasing all over this island looking for you. I bet they are, Annie. You gonna let the guy catch you? You should, but first give him a run for his money. I wish Joe was here. He'd know right off what to tell you. He's a man!” Stella said proudly.
“I just made up my mind. I'm going to Maui!”
“Good for you! You gonna stake him out or what?”
“Were you serious about frizzing up my hair?”
“Nah. That was in the dark with three Buds under my belt. Your hair's much too pretty to mess with. You're a beautiful woman, Annie Clark. You dress good, too. Someday Joe is gonna have his own garage, and he'll get me anything I want. He promised to get me a Visa card the next time an application comes in the mail.”
“Are you and Joe married to your jobs, Stella?”
“For now. They pay the rent. We're paying on a big-screen TV because Joe likes sports. He surprised me with a glue gun, a super-duper model 'cause he knows I like to make crafts while he's watching sports. They don't come any better than Joe. Takes the edge off all those cranky women I have to pamper all day long. I swear, one of these days I'm going to snatch one of them baldheaded. I like being a hairdresser most days, but there are days when it gets to you.”
“Do you mind me asking what kind of money the two of you take home every week?”
“Yeah, I do mind. That's kind of private. Why do you want to know?”
“I was going to offer you and Joe a job.”
“What kind of job?”
“Running one of the Daisy Shops. We're about ready to open two very close to Princeton University. You could operate both of them. We have an excellent health plan and a very generous pension plan. You'd be able to save for your children's college educations. It's something you need to talk over with Joe, though. I'll give you my card, and you can call me with your decision. The money is very good, Stella.”
“Jeez, I almost missed that sign,” Stella said as she careened past an airport van and a jeep. “Annie, I don't know anything about running a store. Neither does Joe.”
“We'll train you. Everything is premixed and prepackaged. All you have to do is read the directions. And you get to wear one of those cute little daisy uniforms.”
Stella laughed. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why would you do that for me and Joe?”
“Because you took the time last night to stop and ask me if I was all right. You cared enough to ask. You offered to drive me here, and you didn't even know me. I appreciate that and the advice. Besides, I like you. I think I'm a good judge of character.”
“I didn't give you any advice, Annie.”
“Sure you did. You as much as told me to stake him out and see what gives. I think I just might do that.”
“So you're going to Maui?”
“Yep: You're sure now I shouldn't frizz my hair and get one of those dresses you suggested?”
“Nah. That's not who you are. You're a lady, Annie.”
“That's probably one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me,” Annie said, with a catch in her voice.
“I bet if you give that guy a chance, he'll say all kinds of nice things to you. You gotta give him the chance, Annie.”
“Here's my card, Stella. Will you call me either way? Leave a message on my machine back home. If you decide to go for it, I'll fly to New Jersey and make sure you're all set up. Thanks for the lift. See you around,” Annie said, pulling her bag from the car.
“You wait right there, Annie. Listen, if I seemed uninterested or whatever... you know. It's just that no one ever did anything so nice for me except Joe. I didn't know how to act because I was so flabbergasted. The answer is yes. We'll do it. We'll take it. We want to do it.”
“Don't you have to ask Joe?”
“Yes and no. If there's a change, I'll let you know.”
“Okay. Bye, Stella. It was nice meeting you.”
“Not so fast.” Stella threw her skinny arms around Annie and bear-hugged her. “He's a big jerk if he lets you get away from him,” she whispered.
Annie pried herself loose. “It's been a lot of years, Stella. I'll let you know how it goes.”
“You don't have my phone number.”
“Call my house and leave it on the answering machine. Gotta go, destiny awaits.” Stella's fist shot into the air.
Annie cringed when Stella peeled away from the curb, her tires smoking.
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His face murderous, Parker slammed his way out of the jeep and into the offices of the Grayson Coffee Company. The moment he saw the naked fear in his sister's eyes, his shoulders slumped. How well he remembered his own fear when he'd done something wrong and had to account to his father. He wasn't an ogre, was he? Obviously Kiki thought so.
“Let's sit down and talk this through. Maybe we can salvage the account. Tell me what happened, Kiki. Tears aren't going to help. Wipe your eyes and blow your nose. Then get me some coffee.”
“Get your own coffee, Parker.”
The palms of Parker's hands shot forward. “Sorry, I forgot. Women don't fetch and carry for a man anymore. It just seems to taste better when a woman hands it to you,” Parker mumbled. “Sit down, Kiki, and let's hear your side of this.”
“Until the day before yesterday I didn't know Tom wasn't coming. The truth is, I didn't get the message until very early yesterday morning. When I thought it was Tom coming, I didn't concern myself because you always meet him at the airport and spend the day with him. I got in late yesterday morning because I had to go to Loya's school to talk to her teacher. She's becoming a discipline problem. I'm dealing with it. Anyway, that threw me behind. I wasn't in the best of moods when I got here. My day was all mapped out. I jiggled and juggled and found thirty minutes. I thought it was going to be a cut-and-dried meeting. I was wrong.”
“Then what happened?”
“Miss Clark arrived. You know what, Parker, she looked... she looked like I always wanted to look. She was crisp, businesslike, she was dressed beautifully, and she was carrying this gorgeous Chanel bag. Her white straw. hat had a lime green streamer on it. To me she just reeked of success. She had this air about her like she was saying, I'm here, and we're going to do it my way. Or, I take my marbles and leave. She never said that, Parker, in words. It was probably my own insecurities. It was that damn Chanel bag. My son could pay his board for a full semester with the money that purse cost.”
Parker threw his hands in the air. “I must be stupid. What in the goddamn hell does a woman's purse have to do with the price of coffee?”
Kiki burst into tears. “I don't know, Parker. I guess it was a symbol of something I didn't have, should have, will never have. I don't know.”
“I'll buy you a damn purse just like it.”
“No. It's not the same. She bought it. She earned the right to pay thousands of dollars for a purse. Don't you get it? I know it's stupid. I would probably never spend that much on a purse, but I should have the right to if I want to. It's also time to talk about a raise.”
“You screw up a ten-million-dollar deal and you expect a raise. Nobody pays thousands of dollars for a purse. What's it look like?”
“It's just plain. It has a gold chain with leather woven through it. It has a gold clasp and is quilted. Don't buy me one, Parker. I mean that.”
“Okay, okay, what else?”
“I told her I could give her thirty minutes. From that point on, it was all downhill. I asked her if she wanted coffee and she said no but would take something cold. I never did give her the cola,” Kiki said miserably.
“Let's hear it all,” Parker grated.
“She told me what she was willing to pay per pound, roasted. I said no. I gave her the bit about rising costs, and she just looked right through me. Then she threw in that bit about buying the coffee to sell by the pound in her shops. I had to backpedal then by saying I had to talk to my brother. She didn't seem to know I was your sister. She looked kind of stunned for the moment. She asked where you were, and I had to say I didn't know. Then she just looked disgusted. She said she wanted my answer by five o'clock, not one minute later. I called you all day long. I sent someone to Maui to see if you'd gone fishing or something. In a way this is your fault, too, Parker. You didn't tell me you were going to Waikiki to meet your friends. I tried calling Miss Clark at the Whaler, but they said there was a problem there and she'd gone to the Monarch. I called there, and they said they never heard of her. The only thing left for me to do was call Tom, which I did. He said he'd be in touch as soon as his sister called him. I met her deadline, Parker. The screwup can't be blamed on me. Just tell me one thing, what the hell would you have done? Would you have made the decision on your own or would you have waited to talk to me?”
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