Inheritance (66 page)

They exchanged a look, remembering the day, six years earlier, when Laura had arrived at Damton's needing a job. "Of course I do. I'm not sure what, but we'll find something that's perfect for you." She turned as she felt a hand on her arm, and met Carlos Serrano's carelessly seductive black eyes.

"Beautifiil one, you will have dinner with me while I am in the city? I will call to arrange it; I have only two weeks. And I must tell you I came this morning from your hotel in Chicago, and it was perfection; I salute you."

Judith Michael

Laura smiled. It was impossible to resist Carlos's charm, though almost everyone knew it was as automatic with him as breathing. "I'm glad you were comfortable; we were lucky to find a wonderful manager—^" She stopped, her head tilted as if listening to her own words. "Please excuse me . . ." She turned back to find Kelly, who was talking to Rosa. "How would you like to live in Washington?" she asked Kelly.

"I have no idea. Why?"

"I own a hotel there, and it needs everything: manager, assistant manager, even a chef for the dining room."

"A manager and a chef," Kelly repeated. Her face had brightened. "I have a chef. Or I will have. The one we had at Damton's doesn't like the new owners, and he told me if I ever went back to a hotel he'd love to work with me. And Washington sounds interesting."

They smiled at each other with the excitement of new beginnings and everything falling into place. "Lunch tomorrow," Laura said. "We'll talk about it. I'd need you right away."

"I'm ready right away."

Laura kissed her cheek. "We'll see each other more often. We'll almost be neighbors."

"And working together again. I like that."

Clay came up and gave Kelly a hug. "Great to see you. Where's John?"

"He couldn't make it. You look very successful: tall, blond, and handsome; pretty girl clinging to your arm; distinguished mustache; classy suit. Is this the wide-eyed boy who wanted to spend his days driving vintage cars around our island?"

Clay winked. "Same kid; he just grew up and learned to use his own motor instead of somebody else's. Kelly, would you mind if I took Laura away for a minute?"

"Be my guest. But you wouldn't be talking business at a party, would you?"

"Never." He gave her a kiss and then took Laura's arm. "I'm sorry; I just thought I'd tell you . . ." They took a few steps, finding a clear spot in a comer. "I found out this afternoon that the security guy I fired a couple of months ago is working for the Salingers."

"WeU?"

"Well, it doesn't sound good, does it? I mean, he knows all

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about the kind of card locks we use on our doors, the television monitors in the corridors, the safes in the rooms— "

"I don't understand. You think he'll break into our hotels?"

**Who knows? He knows an awful lot about us."

**Clay, this isn't a war. We don't have armies and spies; we're not out to destroy each other."

"Felix might be. Or Ben. What about Ben?'

"Ben? He's got his own family and his own life. I'm sure he's very happy, and I don't believe he'd do anything to hurt us. Anyway, I'm sure he's not doing robberies anymore; he's part of a wealthy family; why would he risk it?"

"Maybe he needs money."

"I'm sure he has all the money he needs. Anyway, even if he was still stealing, he wouldn't choose us out of the whole world—"

"He would if he had information that macte it easier."

*That's enough! I don't want to talk about it! Ben isn't stealing, I just know he's not, and we haven't had a single report^ theft, and that's all! What a crazy tiling for you to worry about. Who's the girl you brought tonight?**

"Rosemary. She thinks I need taking care of."

"Well, maybe you do."

^That's what Myma always said. I liked it for a while but then it was sort of smothering, like a prison. No freedom, no risks, no excitement—"

"Just love and belonging and somebody to care what the hell happens to you. Awftil."

He gave her a sharp look. "How come you don't marry Wes, if you think it's such a good deal?"

"Because I don't love Wes. If I did, I would. I do tiiink marriage is a good deal. It might help you—^" She stopped.

"Grow up. Right? You tiiink I need to grow up."

"Sometimes."

Currier was beside her, his hand on her arm. **You'rc ignoring your guests."

She felt a moment of resentment, then squelched it. "You're right. I'll see you later. Clay; have a good time."

"I will." He gave her a wide smile. "You give a hell of a party and I love you, and if you think I should call Myma, I will."

Judith Michael

Laura kissed his cheek. "I love you, too, and I think you should do what makes you happy."

On the stairway to the roof garden, Currier said, "You spoil him."

She frowned. "How?"

"You don't tell him what to do. You could make him toe the line, work harder, settle down."

"You mean treat him even more like a child?" They stood at the top of the stairs. "You don't understand Clay, Wes. He's been looking for someone to take care of him ever since our parents died. He turned to Ben and Ben let him down, so he turned to me. Of course I could tell him what to do. He might do it. But that wouldn't help him grow up and take responsibility for his own life. Anyway, I don't want to run his life. I have my hands full with my own."

"I've offered to help you with that."

Without replying, she pushed open the door to the roof garden and immediately was surrounded by her guests, and it was five hours before the last guest had gone and they were alone again. The caterer and his staff were still in the kitchen, washing the liqueur glasses and dessert plates they had retrieved from unlikely comers throughout the house, but Laura and Currier were alone, sitting in the two armchairs in the bay window of her living room. All the lamps had been turned off but one. "Wonderful party," he said. "You have a way of making everyone feel special."

*Thank you." Her voice was almost inaudible.

After a moment, he said, "Something's been bothering you ever since I got back this aiftemoon. Are you going to tell me what it is?"

She sat back, her face in the shadows. "I don't want us to be together anymore, Wes."

He watched her steadily, his body controlled and very still. "I thought we agreed to be friends as long as we hved apart."

Laura made a gesture of frustration. "Friends. That's a code word. It means we go out together and sometimes we sleep together, and now all of a sudden it means you act the host at my parties. It means you don't expect to marry me, but in every other way you'd still be my husband. We'd share everything except an address." She gave a small laugh. "I can un-

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derstand why you're so successful in business, Wss. You don't give up; you keep the pressure on until others bend just enough to fit most of what you originally wanted/*

He smiled. "But you've known that for a long time, and all that time you've enjoyed sharing your life with me. If you've met someone else, I can understand that, but it doesn't mean everytiiing has to be broken off completely."

'1 haven't met anyone. Not anyone new." She hesitated. *1 saw Paul a few weeks ago, while you were gone."

At that. Currier's face underwent a subde change. He was supremely confident of his ability to contend with opponents he could see and evaluate, but his skills were weak, and perhaps useless, with a shadowy figure from Laura's past whom he had never met. "You're going back to him?"

**No. Of course not. For one thing, he's married—^

"Married? You never told me that."

She smiled faintly. "There are probably thousands of things I've never told you, Wes." They were sUent; the only sounds were die rattling of dishes and muffled conversation frx)m the kitchen. "All that matters is that I'm in love with him, and it isn't fair to you, it's not honest, for me to live as if someday I might love you. Because I won't, Wes. If I haven't by now, I'm not going to. I can't believe you haven't accepted that for a long time; it's just that you've been comfortable with me, so you ignoied what you knew. I like you, I like being with you and woiking widi you, but that's all. And you shouldn't be spending your time with me when you could be finding someone else who will give you what you want."

**It's more than being comfortable," he said, his voice rough. ''Damn it, I've never stopped wanting you. I do a lot of running around in my life, and I like stability and affection at home, and you give me that, even if you don't love me. Is that irratiQiial? Then I'm irrational. And now that you have your own heme—■"

"^Are you paying part of the rent on dns place?" she asked abruptly.

"No." One of Wss Currier's greatest skills was the ability to move finom one thought to another without effoit **Of course not. I would have asked you first."

Laura bowed her head slightly. "Thank you. Then what part did you play in setting my rent?"

Judith Michael

He gave a short laugh. "I hoped you'd just chalk it up to good fortune. I convinced the owner to reduce it. It was a very small favor. But that's all I did; I made no promises on your behalf. Yes, I did; I made one. I promised him you wouldn't get emotional and wreck the place the night you chose to break off with your lover."

She heard the pain in his voice. '*It was more than a small favor, Wes, and I thank you. Isn't it amazing that I'm still thanldng you after all these years? You'd think I would have learned to stand on my own feet by now."

"You're miming a corporation that owns four hotels; you're standing very tall, my dear."

Laura winced, wishing she could love him; it would have made everything so much simpler. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. And you're still propping me up. That can't go on forever."

"Why not?" He leaned forward. "Laura, I love you. I've loved you for so many years I've come to count on it." He stopped for a moment, and Laura knew it was difticult for him to admit that. "When I come back from a trip I want to know I'll be coming back to you. I've counted on having you there, waiting for me, for so long that . . . damn it, I'm afraid to lose you! Can't you understand that?"

"Wes, don't, please don't. You don't mean that— **

**Goddam it, of course I mean it. How many people do you think have ever heard me say that? You've got to understand this: I've come to rely on you."

"No," Laura said quietiy. "You've come to rely on having me."

"It's the same thing. Don't shake your head; I'm telling you it's the same thing: I've had you for five years. You've been there when I wanted you, you've given me what I needed, you've taken from me when I wanted to give to you. I counted (m that, and you could count on me. You still can." He leaned forwaid and took her hand and held it, tiKMigh it was ume-^nsive. **Listen to me. What you feel for me is love of a land; you cou^'t have been to me what you have been if you didn't feel son^ediing very real. You know it; you can't deny it.** TbCTe was a silence. **Can you? You've felt scmietfaing!"

**Of course," she said quietly. "But it's not what you or I would csdl—^

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**Don*t tell me what Fd call it! If I want to call it love, that's what Fll call it! But whatever it is, you still feel it; those things don't die so quickly." He saw her face change. ''As you well know. And if you feel it and I still want to take care of you, we could go on together just as we have. We could— **

''Don't say £at!" She pulled her hand away, her eyes blazing. "You demean yourself. Why would you settle for that? You deserve better than me; you deserve a woman who'll love you and appreciate your taking care of her, even if that means making decisions for her . . . someone who'll give you her attention when you want it. Why do you stay with me? Because I'm an unfinished story? The woman who didn't bend to fit your scenario?"

"Because I love you," he said harshly. "And because even if you didn't love me and didn't always fit my scenario, as you call it, you gave me more than any woman I've loved."

"What did I give you, Wes? What was so special—?"

"My God, you don't know, even now. You gave me the con^)anionship of an independent woman who has her own goals and thinks for herself but still allows a man to help her. You even asked for my help; you weren't too arrogant to admit you could use it. And you acted lovingly, whatever you thought you felt. We were partners in every sense of the word. I still want that, and I think you do, too. I know you do; you don't want to make every major decision alone— **

"Why should I? I have a partaer."

Cau^t short, he laughed reluctantiy. "I deserved that. Of course we're still partoers."

"I hope we always will be," she said. "But for the rest—^I meant what I said. All of it. This is the only way I can be honest." She stood and walked to the door. "I want you to leave, Wes. Please."

He stayed where he was. "You'll live with memories. With a ghost. You call that honest?"

"I'll live with myself, and I won't be pretending. That's honest enough for me. And when I see you at the office and we work together and like each other and respect each other, that will be honest, too. I'm offering you a loving friendship. I wish you could be satisfied with that, Wes; it's more than a lot of people have."

Judith Michael

For a moment he felt ashamed. He had thought of himself as wiser and more persistent than Laura for so long that it embarrassed him to think that, somewhere along the way, she had overtaken and passed him. He stood and went to her. "I'll call you in a few days; we haven't gone over the quarterly statements yet."

"Oh." She was taken aback by his abrupt acceptance. Maybe I wanted him to try a little harder, she thought wryly. But she knew she didn't. She was satisfied—at least for tonight. In a week, two weeks, two months, in an empty bed or sitting alone in a restaurant, she might long for him. But she'd face that when the time came. For now, she was relieved. "Good night, dear Wes. And thank you for ... so much. For everything."

He kissed her hghtly on the lips. "I'll talk to you soon." And he went down the stairs to the front door and into the courtyard, then disappeared through the passageway into the street.