Beauty and the Feast (31 page)

“Are you going back to Chicago?”

“I need to finish up the interviews. It’s important for these kids. In fact, it means the world to them. Abbott Industries is their ticket out of poverty. I can’t let them down.”

“So, would I stay here?”

“We’ll figure something out.”

“What about Eva?”

“Well, I guess just like Abbott Industries is to those kids, Eva means the world to me. She’s my ticket. I can’t let her down either. But this is new territory for me. I’ll have to play it by ear. I’m going to get out of these clothes. You can put on jeans or whatever you like. You’re in Cali now, little brother,” Gabe grinned, “Get comfortable.”

* * * *

“All right, Jason, you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be. We got everything we need on the dolly?”

“Yup.” Eva turned toward the young man. She gave his arm a squeeze. “Thanks, Jason. You are a true friend. And I think you may be as crazy as I am.”

Jason grinned at Eva. “Well,” he said, “Us crazy folk gotta stick together, right? We’ll be okay. You can do this.”

“Right. I can do this. C’mon, bud. Let’s go see Miss Lindstrom.”

Eva, a manila folder tucked under her arm, followed by Jason pushing a loaded dolly, marched up to the information desk in the office building off Market Street.

“Hi. I’m with All Things to All People Catering, and I have a delivery for the law offices of Smith, Lindstrom and Peck?”

The elderly gentleman behind the desk glanced up at Eva and Jason, checking their uniforms and the neatly stacked containers of food and wine.

“Sixth floor.” He pointed toward the elevators and returned to his paperwork.

All business, Eva and Jason headed to the bank of elevators. Eva hit the ‘up’ button. Neither of them spoke until they entered the elevator and the double doors closed behind them. Eva pressed the button for the sixth floor.

“What if she’s not in?” whispered Jason, staring at the floor in hopes the security camera wouldn’t pick up his face.

“We went over this. There’s no need to panic now, Jason. I called first thing this morning. She’s in all day. Just chill. It will be all right.”

The elevator doors opened. Smith, Lindstrom and Peck leased a suite of offices at the end of the hallway. Eva strode determinedly toward their door. Jason trailed her with the dolly. Eva held open one side of the double glass door for Jason. She stepped up to the receptionist’s desk and flashed the young woman a lovely smile.

“Hi. I’m with All Things to All People. I spoke with Angela this morning. Miss Lindstrom’s assistant? We have a delivery for Miss Lindstrom from her father.”

“Oh,” said the young woman, rising from her seat. “Of course. She told me to expect you. This way.”

She led them down the hall to a small office. “Angela, this is the surprise you mentioned.”

“Oh, hello,” said Angela. “You’re the woman who called me this morning?”

“Yes, I’m Myriam Watts with All Things to All People.”

“Wow, that’s quite a delivery,” commented Angela, looking at the cartons.

“Mr. Lindstrom has good taste,” replied Eva. “These are some of the best wines produced in the Napa Valley and the caviar he chose is quite difficult to get hold of. He wanted this to be a very special gift.”

“Well, I guess you can leave it here and I’ll take it in to Miss Lindstrom.” The woman sounded uncertain.

“Oh, so sorry, Angela,” Eva said politely. “Miss Lindstrom’s father gave me specific instructions to deliver his gift myself and answer any question Miss Lindstrom might have. He gave me a card for her.” Eva flashed her manila envelope. “Besides,” Eva pointed out, “the cases are quite heavy and we need to take the dolly back with us.”

Jason nodded his agreement.

“Um, okay… I guess that’s all right. Just let me check to make sure she’s finished with her client and you can go in.”

“Remember, don’t say anything.” Eva smiled as she put a finger to her lips.

“Oh, I won’t.” Angela knocked quietly on the closed door across from her desk. She opened the door just a crack and disappeared inside. She reappeared shortly and motioned Eva and Jason inside.

Eva took a deep breath. “Here we go,” she muttered.

“Amen to that,” Jason mumbled, tilting the dolly and following right behind her.

Angela held the door open for them. Eva saw that Stephanie was seated behind her desk, her head bent over a file. A young man stood beside her chair, leaning over her shoulder. He was the first to look up when Eva and Jason rolled their cargo through the door. He did a double take when he saw Eva’s face. Jason leaned back against the door, effectively shutting Angela out of the room.

Eva stepped forward. Stephanie had yet to look up from her paperwork.

“Jerry Harding, I presume,” said Eva to the young man.

Stephanie’s head flew up. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I brought your order…the wine…the caviar…the cheeses…everything. Here’s the receipt.” Eva tossed the manila envelope onto Stephanie’s desk. “You’ll note that I included my mileage and bridge tolls, plus an additional two hundred dollar delivery fee,” Eva nodded at Jason, who began to unload the boxes. “Oh, I added a ten percent surcharge for the canceled credit card. I wouldn’t wait too long to eat that caviar, by the way. It will only be good for another day or two.”

Stephanie reached for the phone. “Get that shit out of here now or I’m calling Security.”

Eva stepped up to the desk. She smiled without amusement. “Call away, Miss Lindstrom. This morning I spoke with the District Attorney in Napa County. I believe this is a law office, isn’t it? And I’m correct in assuming you’re a lawyer? So you probably already know that I can file a civil case against you, and if he so chooses, the District Attorney can bring criminal charges against you for credit card fraud. So by all means, call Security and have me thrown out. The choice is yours.”

“You’re blackmailing me?” Stephanie’s voice sounded shrill.

“Of course not. You purchased my services, or more specifically, the services of All Things to All People, and I’m simply fulfilling your request. This,” Eva motioned toward the cartons, “is what you ordered. A personal check will be acceptable.”

Stephanie grabbed the manila envelope and ripped it open. She read through the itemized list quickly. “This is outrageous!”

“Yes,” said Eva, keeping her voice cool, “I couldn’t agree more.”

“Do something,” Stephanie ordered Paul Rupnik.

The man shrugged and backed away. “You’re on your own,” he said.

“Bloody coward.”

Eva stared at the floor for a second, trying not to laugh. She looked up and met Stephanie’s furious gaze. “As I said, a personal check will be fine. Make it out to ATAP.”

“Oh…not to you?”

“No. My managers will reimburse my expenses and pay my usual salary.”

Stephanie reached beneath her desk for her purse and ripped out her checkbook. Her pen flew across the paper. Finally, she tore the check and tossed it at Eva. It fluttered to the floor. “There you go, bitch. Fetch.”

Without a word, Eva bent down and retrieved the check. Her eyes locked on Stephanie’s as she handed the check to Jason. He folded it and put it in his wallet, then he stepped out of the way. Eva approached Stephanie without hesitation, deliberately invading her personal space.

“I know why Gabriel wouldn’t fuck you,” Eva said, her voice loud enough for the two young men to hear.

“What did you say?”

“I know why Gabriel Abbott refused to fuck you,” Eva repeated.

Stephanie rose to her feet. Her voice shook as she said, “You know nothing of the sort.”

“Oh,” said Eva, “but I do. Gabriel Abbott has exquisite taste. In food, in wine, and in women. He’d never fuck a manipulative, lying, frigid, blond worthless piece of trash like you.”

Eva saw the blow coming but she made no move to avoid it. She didn’t intend to throw the first punch, but she definitely intended to have the last word. Stephanie’s palm connected with Eva’s cheek with a resounding thwack. Eva stumbled a few paces to her right. She heard a gasp from Jason and a shouted
hey
from the fake Jerry Harding as she moved quickly and tackled a shrieking Stephanie, taking her down to the floor, being careful to roll with her so the woman wouldn’t be too hurt. Eva allowed the taller woman to struggle for a few moments, keeping her head away from the elbows Stephanie thrust in the direction of her face. Using her greater strength and flexibility, Eva wrapped her bare legs around the wiggling woman and held her in a leg lock while she controlled Stephanie’s torso with a move her brothers used to call
the
guillotine
. She squeezed.

“Do you give?” rasped Eva, holding on for dear life.

“I can’t breathe…let me up…” hissed Stephanie.

“Do you give?” Eva repeated in Stephanie’s ear, squeezing harder.

Eva could hear loud voices in the hallway. There was pounding on the door. Jason had locked it. “Miss Lindstrom… Miss Lindstrom… Are you all right?” came a female voice.

“Last chance, Stephanie. Do you give? No more insults… No more expensive practical jokes?”

“Miss Lindstrom, I’m calling the police…” came the voice again.

“I give… I give…please…let me up… I can’t breathe.”

Just like that, Eva released her. She rolled off the woman and sprung to her feet. Stephanie began sucking in air. Like a helpless child, she lifted both hands toward Eva. Eva grabbed them and hauled the woman to her feet. She helped her into her chair.

“You’re… you’re bleeding,” said Stephanie. Her hand shaking, she pointed at Eva’s face. “Your mouth…your mouth is bleeding.”

Eva wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She saw bright red blood. “Yeah, well, you have a mean right cross, girl. I think I bit my cheek when you slapped me.”

“What was that hold you put me in?”

“It’s called the guillotine. At least, that’s what my brothers called it. All four of them wrestled for the University of Iowa.”

“The guillotine,” Stephanie began to giggle. “I’ve never… I’ve never been in a fight before. It was…it was…sort of scary…and sort of exhilarating at the same time.”

Eva grinned at her. “It’s the adrenaline rush. You’ll come down soon and you’ll be back to hating my guts.”

“You have four brothers?”

Eva laughed out loud. “Yes, I have four brothers.”

The pounding on the door grew louder and more insistent.

Eva heard Gabe’s voice. She was in deep shit.

“Man, that was sick,” said Jason, standing next to Paul Rupnik. “Did you see that take-down? It was awesome, man. Fucking awesome.”

Paul began to laugh so hard he had to sit on the floor. “I think…” he gasped, “I think someone better unlock the door.”

Gabe stood in the doorway, keeping the office crowd at bay. He glanced from Eva to Stephanie and back again. A purplish wheal marred Eva’s left cheek and he could see blood in the corner of her mouth. Stephanie’s clothes were in disarray and her hair stood up on her head, making her look like a scarecrow. Paul Rupnik lay sprawled on the floor, whooping with laughter, while Jason White—what the hell was Jason White doing here—stood above him, wearing an ATAP uniform and grinning like a devil.

“What the hell is going on in here?” Gabe bellowed.

“Nothing…” said Eva and Stephanie simultaneously. The two women looked at each other and both began giggling. Stephanie collapsed forward onto her desk, her shoulders shaking, while Eva tried her best to remain standing. Eventually, she gave up and sat down on the floor at Stephanie’s feet. Stephanie reached over and patted Eva’s head, causing them both to laugh harder.

Gabe stared at the scene, unwilling to believe his eyes. What on earth? When he’d had enough, he strode into the room, picked Eva up in his arms and carried her toward the door. She was laughing so hard she offered no resistance whatsoever.

“Jason…you coming?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Jason grabbed the dolly and followed Gabe.

“Gabriel,” Stephanie called after him.

Gabe turned.

“Marry that girl, you ass.” She waved him away through her laughter.

“Quincy,” said Gabe, “we’re leaving.”

The parade wound its way through the gathered office personnel, two security guards and a hallway full of curious tenants. They stopped at the bank of elevators.

Quincy pushed the button. They waited silently, feeling all eyes on their little group of four. The elevator doors opened and they entered. The doors shut.

Jason pushed the button for the first floor.

“Anybody care to tell me what happened in there?” Gabe said as soon as the elevator started to move down.

“Just making a routine delivery,” quipped Jason.

“Sure,” muttered Quincy with a grin, “and I’m Salvador Dali.”

“Who?” asked Jason.

“Nothing,” replied Quincy. “We missed a girl fight, Gabe. Damn. Who won?” he asked Jason.

“Who do you think? God, it was so sweet,” Jason replied. “I’m Jason White, by the way.”