June (Calendar Girl #6) (4 page)

I had a strong suspicion that feeling out young Shipley was going to be a tough job, but someone had to do it. I snickered at my own lame joke and headed for the maze of hallways leading back to my room. Tomorrow was a new day.

Chapter 3

Half asleep, I walked through the doors of what I assumed was the dining room. Eureka! I’d found it. As soon as I entered and took in the space, a groan spilled from my lips. Kathleen approached, fully dressed in her pencil skirt, silk blouse, and heels, looking freshly pressed and pristine. Her graying blonde hair was pulled into a tight twist, not a strand out of place. It was seven in the morning and her face revealed a light dusting of makeup. Tasteful and suited her age and grace just right, but it was seven in the morning. Who looked that put together so early?

Kathleen showed me to a place setting at Warren’s left. I sat like an elephant and blew the layers of loose hair off my forehead. Warren tipped the corner of the newspaper down and smiled.

“Morning, Mia. I trust you slept well?” His eyes took in my camisole and cotton pajama pants. Of course, I’d brought the bubble gum pink tank and multi-colored striped pants looking every day of my twenty-four years. I could be this man’s grandchild, and here I was, serving as his date.

I huffed. “I know
you
did,” I said, knowingly. He set his paper down into his lap and rested his elbows on the solid oak surface.

“It seems you have become aware of some very private information. Would you care to discuss it?” His tone was straightforward with absolutely no hint of concern.

Kathleen’s eyes looked away as she poured me a cup of coffee and refilled Warren’s.

“Not especially. Would you like to discuss why you hired an escort while your girlfriend serves your breakfast?” I answered boldly, knowing I was stepping
way
over what would be considered appropriate for a woman in my position. The last thing I needed was to lose my bundle of cash before I could ship it off to Blaine, the dirty rat bastard ex of mine.

Warren grimaced and his mouth tightened, so much so, that his lips turned white. “You’d do well to remember your place. Personal matters are none of your business.”

He had a serious point. “I apologize; you’re right.” I wanted to ask Kathleen for a slice of humble pie for breakfast instead of the eggs and bacon she set in front of me. Instead, I cast my head down and picked up the fork. It was heavy and solid. Probably cost more than a month’s rent.

Shoveling in the food, I sat and tried to mind my manners. The second Kathleen left the room, I set down my fork and turned to Warren.

“Look, I’m sorry.” Warren folded up the
Washington Post
and set it on the table. “I guess it’s hard for me to understand why I’m here when you have a perfectly beautiful woman ready to do as you bid.”

His gaze held mine as he seemed to think about my statement. “Kathleen has been with this family since Aaron was a young boy. She helped raise him when we lost his mother. Only recently have we begun something more.” Warren inhaled then sighed. “Honestly, I’m not even sure how to broach this. Having an affair with the help wouldn’t look good for me—or the business. I’m uncertain whether Aaron would accept it or not. He loved his mother deeply. Her passing hit this family hard.”

“But it was Kathleen that helped hold it together right?”

“Yes, absolutely. Things would have been much worse without her here to pick up the pieces.”

“So then you owe her in a way.” His eyes burned at that comment, but I continued. “When I chatted with her last night, I figured it out; she didn’t tell me, by the way.”

“I’ve been with Kathleen for over a year and she’s not mentioned anything to a single soul. I know she’s trustworthy.”

“Then why don’t you trust her with your heart? Bring her out into the light. Has she not earned that?” He ran a hand over his chin as his jaw tightened. “Maybe you don’t love her like she does you? Is she just someone you use to get your dick wet?”

Warren stood up abruptly and tossed his napkin on the table. “I will
not
have you address me with such crude language or accuse me of something so heinous. My time with Kathy is special and…and wait... Did you just say she loved me?” I nodded, and he put his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. “Really? Did she actually say the words?” From angry to pensive in twenty seconds flat. That may be a record for my matchmaking skills.

“Yeah, last night. Said she wouldn’t stay with you in a hidden arrangement if she wasn’t madly in love with you.”

This time Warren sat down in a heavy heap. “I’ll be damned.”

“You mean, you didn’t know?” I’m certain my tone was quite shocked because I was. I’d been there two days and I figured out the woman was head over heels. How could he have been bedding her for the last year and not know? Maybe it was that politician side to him. Always thinking someone had an agenda of their own. The world would be a lot better off if everyone said what they thought and believed in living the Golden Rule.

Warren shook his head and placed a hand over his mouth. “This whole time…”

“Yep. You could have been hitting that for a lot longer.”

With that, he let out a huge chuckle. “Mia sweetheart, you are definitely a handful all wrapped up in a pretty package aren’t you.”

“A handful?” I shrugged. “I’ve been called a lot worse.” I grinned and he placed his hand over mine.

“Thank you. I’m not yet sure what to do with this information but I do know that I need to proceed with my plan. The project will suffer, and after last night’s win, we need to strike while the iron is hot. You understand? I need you to do what I’ve hired you to do.”

“You got it. Whatever you need.”

“Good. Review this list and plan for the next few week’s events. The rest of the time will be your own. I believe Aaron has offered to show you around DC proper if you’re interested.”

I nodded vigorously. There was no telling when I’d be in our nation’s capital again. I wanted to soak up all the sites I could.

Again, he patted my hand. “I’ll be busy until Friday. We have a dinner to attend hosted by local United Nations ambassadors for different non-profit organizations. Saturday, you’re attending a tea held by Arthur’s current lady friend. There will be at least ten other women I need you to make friends with. If you’re in with them, I’ll be invited to events that their men are hosting. Access to these men within their inner circle is crucial to the next phase. Are you up for the challenge?”

I placed my hand at my forehead and saluted him. “Aye aye, sir!”

“Definitely a handful. In the meantime, enjoy spending time with my son. Seems he’s rarely around anymore, but with you here, I’ve already seen him twice in two days. Interesting to say the least.”

“Mmm, interesting.” I concluded and finished up my coffee. “See you Friday, Warren.”

“Until then, Mia.”

***

To: Mia Saunders

From: Sexy Samoan

To remember you always.

The text message from Tai was cryptic until another text came through with an image. It was his right shoulder. A shiny brand new black tattoo shone through the image. It was placed on what used to be his bare right shoulder. The Samoan symbol for friendship. The same symbol I left for him in the picture I had done by a local artist. Tai had tattooed it on his body. For me. On the side that he said was just for him. It was large, tribal and one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.

I pressed my contacts and clicked the send button. It rang a few times before a female answered.

“Hello, Tai’s phone,” the female giggled sweetly.

“Um, hi. This is Mia. Tai available?”

“Mia!” the woman responded with a heaping dose of enthusiasm. “Babe, it’s Mia!”

Babe.
This woman called him Babe in a way that could only be interpreted as proprietary. I crossed my fingers and waited.

“Who’s this?” I asked, hoping I was guessing correctly.

“It’s Amy. Remember, you set Tai and me up at the restaurant last week?”

The desire to fist pump couldn’t be stopped. Silently, I jumped in the air and did a solid touchdown dance, air fist pump included. Once I’d shimmied enough, I focused on the phone. “Yes, of course. How are things going?” I asked conspiratorially. Never once did I claim I wasn’t a typical girl. At least in some aspects, like when we wanted to get the goods.

“Oh Mia, just amazing.” Her voice got very low. “I’m totally…” she inhaled. “Just...you know…he is so…” she hesitated again.

“Perfect?” I offered the word-challenged, lovesick girl.

“Yeah. Mia…this last week...it’s been unreal. Thank you.” Her voice turned breathy, as if she was choked up.

I smiled and swung my arm out and looked out the window onto the rolling landscapes of the mansion. “Don’t thank me. It was fate. I’m glad you’re hitting it off.”

“Tai wants to talk. Bye,” she said, but it sounded as if it was yelled down a tunnel, the voice fading out until I heard the most welcome growl.

“Girlie, I see you got my message.”

“The tattoo…Tai, that is beautiful.”

“As are you and what we had.” That hit me hard, right in the chest where I could practically feel his arms holding me close, bringing me comfort. “Just because what we shared has changed, it doesn’t mean I want to ever forget it, or you. You’ll always be welcome here in Oahu as part of my family. Mia, we are friends. Friends to the end. It is the Samoan way. It is my way. Understand?”

I shook my head, smiling wide even though he couldn’t see it. “Yeah, Tai. I understand, and I love that about you, your Samoan culture, and your traditional values. So now tell me, how is it with Amy?”

“Been gone less than a week and already diggin’ for dirt, eh girlie?” I loved how when he used my nickname; it was always a growled “girl” followed by a long “eeee.”

“Some things never change.” I laughed and he chuckled.

“So far so good. I think you were right; I may have found it.”

Prickles of excitement and that psychic chill one gets when they know something intense is about to be said shuddered through every pore.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I found my forever. And Mia, it’s so much more than I could have ever dreamed.”

My chest tightened and my heart pounded. “Oh Tai, I’m so, so happy for you. You deserve it.”

“So do you, girlie. When are you going to try and find it?”

“I don’t know, Tai. I don’t have a psychic mother telling me my future, now do I?”

We both laughed. “Tai, does Amy know?” I pulled at a strand of my hair, tugged it across my face and bit down on the thick chunk. Disgusting nervous habit and one I usually controlled. Not now though. Both of us knew that the only way we could ever stay friends was if Amy knew about our relationship the month I was there, and was okay with it.

“Relax girlie, she knows. After the third date, before things got you know…uh...heated.” I giggled but held my breath, wanting to hear it all. “Before we went there, I told her. Everything.”

“Everything? The Jeep, the ocean, the wall?” Mortification swam along my vision and I could feel the prickles of embarrassment chase their way up my neck and flush my skin.

“No. Christ. I’m not stupid. I was honest. Told her we’d had something very intense, life-changing even, but it was done, and in its place was a friend for life. Amy gets it. She’s not jealous. What she and I have already experienced in a week of being together is so right. Mia…I’m going to marry this girl. Soon. Probably next year you’ll be coming back out to the islands.”

“I’ll be there. Tai, I couldn’t be happier. This is well-deserved.”

“Thanks girlie. Do you like the tat?” His voice was a sultry grumble, fishing for compliments. It reminded me of when he’d fished for something else only a week ago, but that had to do with getting into my panties, and often.

“Very much.” So much so it gave me an idea, a crazy amazing one. Something I’d never done before that would stay with me the rest of my life.

“Thank you, Tai. Tell Amy I said congrats and let me know when you pop the question. But give it at least a month okay lady-killer?”

He laughed that big Samoan timbre, the one I missed terribly after not hearing it for a week.

“Will do. Take care of yourself and I want regular updates. Every week or two. Promise me.”

“Okay, okay. I promise.”

“Anything happens to you, Mia, I’m on the first plane out to kick serious ass. I’ll protect you, girlie. You need me, I’m there. Amy knows and agrees. What you’re doing, your job, it can be dangerous, but I get it. Family’s first.”

“Yes Tai. I don’t think anyone else gets it the way you do. Family’s first.”

“Take care of your
tama
, girle.” He used the Samoan word for father. “But until you get a man to be your forever, I’m there. The big Samoan brother you never had.”

“From lover to brother?”

He chuckled. “You get the drift. Promise me you’ll be safe.”

“I’ll be safe. Love you, Tai.”

“I love you, girlie. Friends for life.”

“Friends for life.”

I hung up and blew out a long breath. Everyone around me was moving forward, everyone but me. I had another six months to go to finish this with Blaine so Pops could be free. Even though it’s not what I would have picked for my life. Serving as an escort to rich men wasn’t really so bad. Thinking back to the very beginning, I’d actually been pretty lucky.

Weston Charles Channing, the Third. I snickered recalling how much crap I gave Wes about the numbers at the end of his name. Wes played the dutiful son card well. He was devastatingly attractive, laid back, hard-working, and took the time to enjoy the simple things in life. My time with him was so much more than I’d ever have believed it could be. He made a very scary situation a cake walk. I learned to surf, and was shown that not all men are cut from the same cloth.

The men I’d been with before him, the ones I’d devoted myself to, had completely hurt me, broke me, and made me cynical about love. Wes restored my faith in men, in the belief that I, too, could have something that every woman in the known universe dreamed of having. True love. Only I couldn’t have it now. But with Wes, I’d experienced being made love to for the very first time, and it’s something I’ll never forget or forsake. That night was the most beautiful moment of my life. I finally felt whole…loved. No matter what the future brought, I would always have that.