Greater Than Rubies, a Novella inspired by the Jewel Trilogy (6 page)

Shaking her head, knowing he wanted to get married as soon as possible and in their church, she waited for the valet, who pulled up in a sleek and shiny royal blue sedan. He walked toward her. “Hi, Ryan. Did you get it started?”

“Mr. V. took care of it, Robin.”

She waited, but he didn’t move. After several heartbeats, she said, “I don’t understand.”

He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. “That’s yours, now, ma’am.”

His thumb loosely pointed at a brand new four dour sedan that looked like it had just rolled off of a high end showroom. Robin shook her head. “No, it’s not.”

“Yes, ma’am. Your other car was towed away and this one was brought in. The stuff that was in your trunk and back seat has already been transferred.” He held out brand new shiny car keys that were absolutely not hers hanging on her key chain beside her apartment key and the keys to Hank’s place.

She suddenly remembered Maxine mentioning a tow truck. Nice of her sister not to mention that her car was strapped to it. Without another word, Robin pivoted on her heel with military precision and marched back into the hotel. She stalked to the elevators and hit the top floor button harder than she should have. Thankfully, she had no wait and the elevator shot up twenty stories with efficient speed, but the ride seemed interminable to her.

The receptionist sitting behind a large half-moon desk saw her and smiled. “Good afternoon, Miss Bartlett,” she greeted.

Robin nodded but did not speak. Instead, she stormed off the elevator and into the lobby of the office floor. She barely realized that her feet sank into the lush carpet nor did she pay any attention to the leather furniture and black granite tables.

Her eyes caught the scrolling brass on the wall behind the desk that read: He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8.

She proceeded down the corridor and entered Tony’s outer office. His secretary sat poised with hands on her keyboard but looked up when Robin entered. “Hello, Robin,” Margaret said with a smile. “Mr. Viscolli will certainly be happy to see you.”

“I doubt it,” she said through gritted teeth. “Is he available?”

“He is in this morning, but he has someone in there. Let me call him out.” She stood and walked around her desk, stopping at the large double oak doors. With a quick tap, she opened the door a crack and stuck her head in, speaking in a low tone. As she finished speaking, she stepped back and the doors opened wider.

Tony came out, looking like he had just stepped out of a shoot for the cover of a fashion magazine in his gray silk suit and dark green tie. He grinned and held his hands out to her. “
Cara
, my love. What a wonderful surprise.”

Robin held her hands up to ward him off. “Where did you take my car?”

Tony stopped and raised his eyebrows, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Ah, so it’s like that is it?” His smile grew infuriatingly broad. “I seem to remember the first time you ever came to this office. You threw a fist full of money at my chest like throwing a stone. Are we to metaphorically commemorate that act? Is today an anniversary or something?”

“Tony, where is my car?”

He gestured toward some double doors on the other side of the room. “Let’s take this conversation into my conference room.”

Robin stormed behind him and waited to speak until he had shut the door. “Answer me. Right now. Where is my car?”

“You mean where is that rusty junk heap that refused to start and had to be towed away?”

“Yeah, I mean
my
rusty junk heap that you had towed without my permission.”

“I stand corrected.
Your
rusty, unreliable, and unsafe junk heap is at a mechanic’s shop. I had a feeling you wouldn’t approve of the new car, so I’m getting the old one fixed until I can charm you into accepting the gift of your new car.” He smiled an endearing smile that started to melt her anger.

“Charm me?” She shook her head. “I don’t want cars from you, Tony.”

“I know that, Robin. I also don’t care,” He held up a hand, palm facing her, at her gasp. “Understand that my wife, when she becomes my wife, will drive a safe and reliable car that will not break down on her. Ever. Because, you see, I will take my God ordained responsibilities to my wife very seriously. My wife will be protected and provided for in a way that glorifies our Creator’s design for husbands and wives. And as for giving you gifts, I cannot imagine a time when that will ever stop. You are the love of my life and I would give you the moon and stars.”

Robin took a deep breath and released it. She rubbed her forehead. “Can we just wait to do things like buy me expensive new cars and such until after we’re married? We aren’t married yet, and I really, really don’t feel right about this.”

Tony stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders. “We are married in my heart. The rest is just ceremony and tradition. But, yes, of course. We can wait. Your car should be back soon. Apparently, it only needs the engine and transmission replaced. And new tires, of course.” She stepped forward and let him wrap her up in his arms. He smelled so good, and she buried her face in his neck and just breathed. “And brakes. And that back door and window fixed. Just a few details like that.”

“Tony …” she warned.

Tony cleared his throat. “
Cara
, I need to talk to you about something. A bit more serious than your inexplicable anger that I took care of your car for you, if I may.”

She lifted her head, but before she could step back, he framed her face with his hands and leaned forward and kissed her. She wondered if there would ever come a day that the feel of his lips didn’t warm her body all the way to her soul. Would her heart ever not pause between beats in her chest just long enough to trip forward at an impossible rate? Would her skin ever not tingle for want of his touch? As she stepped closer and deepened the kiss, her arms slipped around his neck and she sighed.

Tony lifted his head and looked at her, his eyes so dark they looked nearly black. He stared at her for a long time before giving her another quick kiss and stepping away.

Robin smiled. “You need to talk to me about something?”

“Yes.” He pulled out a chair at the conference table and gestured toward it. Robin sat down and he sat next to her. “Last month, when I was in my old neighborhood, I met a boy. A young man, that is.”

Robin grimaced, knowing exactly why he’d been in that neighborhood. “Go on.”

“The Holy Spirit spoke to me, almost audibly, and told me to reach out to him. I gave him my card and told him to come see me when he turned eighteen. His birthday was yesterday.”

Robin cocked her head, a little confused. “Did he come see you?”

“Yes. He’s been here since about eight-thirty.”

“And?”

Tony reached for her hand. She placed it in his. He ran his thumb over the sapphire. “And, I’m going to bring him home with me tonight. I’ve been gutting the apartment rooms, prepping for you and your sisters. Maxine let me know at church Sunday that she will not be moving in with us because she’s purchasing that place on Newbury Street. Since I’d already started the work on a suite of rooms for her, I have the space nearly ready. I’m going to offer him a job and a home.”

She felt her eyes widen. “Wow.” Knowing people, and the neighborhood where Tony met this boy, she leaned forward. “Is this wise?”

Tony smiled and ran a finger down her cheek. “Is it wise to listen to the counsel of the Holy Spirit? I feel good saying yes to that.”

Robin sandwiched his hand with both of hers. “Then I trust you, and Him.” She smiled. “You are a good man, and I love your heart. I can’t wait to marry you.”

Tony brought her hands up to his mouth and kissed each one. “Thank you,
cara
. You do my heart good.”

She stood. “I’ll let you get back to him. What is his name?”

“Derrick.” He stood with her. “Derrick DiNunzio. If you can meet us at the apartment in a couple of hours, that would be wonderful. My interior designer is there with a few contractors working as quickly as possible to get a room ready for him. I’m sure she’d appreciate some authoritative direction.”

She mentally rearranged her day. “Okay. I’ll go by there.”

“Can you enlist Maxine? He’ll need clothes. She might enjoy taking him shopping with my credit card.”

“I’ll call her as soon as I get to the car.” She put a hand on his cheek and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. “Don’t forget that I want my old car back.”

Tony sighed. “I haven’t forgotten. I’ll wait to have it crushed until the day after we get married.”

She laughed as she put her purse over her shoulder. “Don’t say that too loud before the wedding or she might not start anymore.” She headed toward the door and paused. “Oh, before I forget, you’re limited to 750 wedding guests.”

“Oh? Just 750 couples? That should be fine.”

“No, Tony, 750 total guests.”

With a raised eyebrow, he said, “
Non possibile
.”

“Well, you’re just going to have to make it possible, mister.”

Tony’s laugh barked around the room. “Very well. I shall limit it. Let Margaret know. She’ll have to start cutting down the invite list.”

OBIN
and Maxine stepped off the elevator and into Tony’s apartment. It took up the entire top floor of the building – space equal to four luxurious penthouse apartments. They stepped down from the entrance into a huge great room with a glass wall that looked out over the city. A large circular sectional couch and a low square coffee table created a sitting area. Double doors on one end of the room led through the dining room into the kitchen, and a wide hall on the other end led to four bedroom and bathroom suites.

Maxine looked right, then left, then up. “I should reconsider and move in here. Is it too late? It’s too late, isn’t it?”

Robin walked in the middle of the room and turned in a circle. This was only her second visit to Tony’s apartment. A middle aged woman wearing designer jeans and a plaid flannel shirt with white hair falling out of a sloppy bun on the top of her head came out of the hallway and rushed into the room.

“Robin? Hello, I’m Betty.” She went straight for Robin, with her hand extended. Then she looked at Maxine. “You must be the sister. Maxine, right? So pleased to meet you both.” When her hand was free, she gestured toward the hallway. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you what we’re doing.”

Betty stopped at the first door on the left. She opened it, revealing a sitting area with a white couch and matching wing backed chair. By the far window sat a desk with a laptop, still in its box. A bookshelf was lined with medical books and titles about Christian living.

“This will be your sister, Sarah’s room,” she said, walking through the room and opening the far door. Maxine and Robin looked past her to see a four poster bed with plastic wrapped mattresses, two wing back chairs sitting in the middle of the room, and a carpet rolled up, propped against a wall. A fireplace with a white marble mantle occupied the center of the farthest wall from the door. “She has an appointment with me after classes tomorrow to finalize colors,” she said, shutting the door and gesturing with her hand. “That door leads to the bathroom, and that one to the dressing room.” They left the room and crossed the hall.” This is Tony’s office,” she said. “I’m to redesign it and rearrange it to accommodate another desk, and make the decor a little more feminine.”