PHENOMENAL GIRL 5 (13 page)

Robert turned to him, hands behind his back, and once again, the moment had passed. “Not at all, Mayhew. I will take it in the library.”

“Very good, sir.” Mayhew turned and exited.

“She is one of the heroes on our list,” Robert said to me, as if I didn’t know. “She may know something about Syn.”

“What would you like me to do?” I asked.

He smiled. “Start studying the CDs,
cara
.”

“
Cara
? What does that mean?”

“Study the CDs and you will find out.”

I hurried around the room, putting the finishing touches on my look for the evening. As busy as we had been in the past few weeks, I’d barely had the time to eat, let alone to prep for the social event of the season. I could hear noise downstairs; the guests had begun to arrive, but Robert didn’t seem to mind. Apparently even though he was hosting the big party, he didn’t have to be there to greet the guests. According to Mayhew, my boss would show up at some point during the festivities, thank everyone for attending, and tell them to have a good night. Then he’d disappear back into his lair before being forced to be too social.

It was going to be my job to mingle, though I was supposed to be going with him as his “date.” I tried to ignore the fluttery feelings I got from the wording, as he’d made it clear when he asked that I was simply saving him from having to put up with someone else’s company.

I was wearing a dress created by a heroes-only designer that cost more than three months’ rent at my former apartment, shoes that weren’t much cheaper, and I’d had my hair and makeup done like I was going to the Oscars instead of a benefit party. I nearly had a heart attack from hearing how much this evening was costing me, but as Robert had said, what else was I spending my money on? He was footing the bills for my basic necessities, and the EHJ paid very well, so I could afford to splurge.

It was nice to be able to take a night off from the usual routine of patrolling, helping the police when needed, and all the while still searching for a still-nameless villain. Not to mention cramming in magic training, like making books float, while still maintaining my daily workout of obstacle course running and swimming laps in the pool. Maybe seeing me looking the hottest I ever had would finally inspire Robert romantically. Doubtful, but hey, I could dream. I enjoyed just being around him. I had learned a lot in the month that we had worked together, and we were now good friends. Granted, I wished for more, but I was used to loving guys from afar.

Still, for the amount of money this evening was adding up to, I’d better get at least a dance with a hot guy instead of being ditched twenty minutes into it. No, for that amount, I should get a hot and heavy kiss in the coat-check room, and possibly felt up—but the likelihood of that happening was slim to none, so I’d settle for a dance.

I was checking my hair one last time and wondering how movie stars did this on a daily basis when I heard a knock on the door.

“Yeah, come in,” I said, reaching for a blue velvet box sitting on my dresser. Inside was the most gorgeous piece of jewelry I had ever seen: a sapphire necklace surrounded by diamonds. Robert had a deal worked out with a jeweler to rent pieces for just such an occasion. I just had to return it in the morning.

I took out the necklace and started to fasten it around my neck when Robert appeared in the mirror behind me.

“Do you need some assistance?”

I jumped. “Yes, please. Make some noise when you walk, man! You scared me.”

“It is the carpeting.” He took the necklace from me and fastened it around my neck. “You look lovely,
cara
.”

“Th-thank you.” I was thrown by both the compliment and the Italian endearment. Thanks to my studies, I had
learned that
cara
meant “beloved” in Italian. I tried not to read too much into that; I had once worked with a hero who called all the women “darlin’,” and it definitely didn’t mean anything other than he couldn’t be bothered to learn our names. But the times I found Robert looking at me with a warm gaze he didn’t even bother to conceal anymore gave me hope for some meaning behind the word.

“See how well color suits you?” he teased. “Get you out of costume and you are really quite stunning.”

I couldn’t resist. “So you’re saying you want to get me out of my clothes?”

Heat flickered in his eyes. “Lainey Livingston, that would be a very inappropriate thing for me to say, being your boss.” His wry grin said he knew I was teasing. But I noticed he didn’t deny it, either. Interesting.

“You clean up very well in non-work-related clothing, too,” I said, returning the compliment. Armani made a nice tuxedo, and Robert filled it out even better.

“Let us go and get this over with,” he said, holding out an arm.

“Robert, we haven’t even got there yet and you’ve already used up your social skills for the day?”

I took his arm and we left my room and walked down the hallway. Mmm, he smelled good up close like this.
Don’t go there, Lainey
. “You remind me of those grumpy old men who are impatient at restaurants and complain loudly about how long it’s taking.”

“My dear, I
am
a grumpy old man.”

“You’re forty, that’s not old, so you can’t use age as an excuse.”

“Compared to you, I am old.”

“That’s only fourteen years difference. And in a weird way that makes my head hurt, since you start over at twenty every incarnation, and you’ve lived as Robert Elliot for only twenty years…that makes you six years younger than me. So there.”

“ ‘So there’?” His grin sent a shiver of desire down my spine. “That sounds like the height of maturity.”

“Hey, just because you can’t use your advanced age as an excuse for your antisocial behavior doesn’t mean you get to pick on my vernacular. I don’t mention your never using ‘don’t’ instead of ‘do not.’ ”

“A long time ago, that was how one spoke. Everyone did not dumb down their speech with slang.”

“I’ve heard you use slang!”

“Maybe I just talk that way to put people off.”

“It works.”

He stopped outside of the hall door. Inside, I could hear the party going full swing.

“Your lack of reverence is refreshing,” he said, and dropped a quick kiss on my forehead. “
Se soltanto fossi libero amarli
.” He opened the door and led me inside.

“Wait, I didn’t understand all of that.” I was still dazed from the forehead kiss. Why did he keep doing that? Did he think I was three or something? My skin wasn’t tingling, so it wasn’t a spell he was working. “Did you say something was free?”

He ignored my difficulty with the Italian language and pulled me along to a group of society members. “Good evening Mayor Thompson, Police Commissioner Dunn. May I introduce my assistant, Miss Lainey Livingston?”

The mayor of Covo City shook my hand like most men do, as if it would break if he gripped it too tight, not realizing it was quite the opposite. “Nice to meet you, Miss Livingston.”

“Nice to meet you too, Mayor Thompson.”

“Please, call me Doug,” he said in a booming voice. “How have you been enjoying working with our Mister Elliot?”

“Just fine, sir,” I said, mind still on the Italian thing. What was that about? I really needed to study the CDs more. “It has been a learning experience.”

“Nasty business with that Syn character,” the commissioner said. “I heard you were injured during the capture.”

“I’m fine now.”

“Well, we must mingle,” Robert interjected, antsy already. “Do enjoy the evening.” He dragged me off to the next bunch of people.

In the same whirlwind blur, I was introduced to almost every muckety-muck in town in the space of twenty minutes. Grabbing a glass of champagne off the tray of a passing waiter, I tried to figure out a way to get Robert to slow down or otherwise stay with me at the party instead of going to his underground lair or room to hide. Hearing the orchestra start up a dance number, I had an idea.

“What lovely music,” I said to Robert, who was trying to get away from talking to an extra-chatty society matron.

“Mmm…yes,” he said distractedly.

“And oh, look, people are starting to dance.”

“They generally do at these benefits,” he said, as the society matron waddled off. “I thought she would never leave.”

“You know, as the host, you should probably dance at least once,” I said. “Before you go.”
Come on, no one is this thick!

“That is an excellent idea,” a purring voice said, and Victoria strutted up to us. Well, she strutted up to Robert; she pretended I didn’t exist, sandwiching herself between us and leaning up to give him air kisses and rub her ampedup cleavage on his arm in the process. Her black dress was skintight, leaving hardly anything to the imagination, but still appropriate in the way only designer dresses can be. “Well, darling, how do you like the little party I threw together for you?”

“For the charity, you mean,” he said. “You know these kind of events are not my cup of tea, Victoria.”

Victoria? What happened to Miss Dupree?

“That’s why you need someone like me around, darling. I live for these things,” she said.

“See, Robert, Miss Dupree wore black,” I said, my irritation not well concealed. “I know you prefer color, but designers do make black dresses as well.”

That caught her attention. She half-turned to acknowledge my presence. “Some women just don’t have the coloring for black, dear,” she said in a sugar-sweet tone. “On blondes it makes you look like death. It’s too bad no one told you that before. But blue doesn’t make you look quite as sallow. And your dress is very…quaint.” She went back to ignoring me. “Well, Robert, I think your assistant is right, you do need to dance.” She took his arm. “Let’s go.”

He didn’t even protest, and she ushered him off, looking back to give me a catty little smirk.

“Who’s the skank?” a voice asked behind me.

I whirled in shock. “Oh my God, I don’t believe it! Selena!”

“In the flesh, girl! You look freaking amazing!” My old friend hugged me, and for a moment I was a teenager again. Selena had been my only friend at the School, and we had even joined the Red Knights together. We had tried to stay in contact over the years, but as we both moved up the hero ladder, it had become more difficult.

“Thanks! You look fabulous as usual.” Selena had never gone through the awkward stage, even as a teenager. She was always a tall, regal-looking woman with a perfect figure and curves to kill for. Acne never touched her light chocolate skin. Why the prettiest and one of the most pop u lar girls in School had chosen to ally herself with me, I’d never know; I just knew I was grateful. “So, what are you doing here?”

“The Fives are affiliated with the EHJ. We’ve all been asked to be preliminary members at one point or another but decided we liked freelancing instead of the corporate world. But I heard you’ve been named a preliminary member. Congratulations! I know it’s what you’ve been working toward since we were kids.”

“Yeah.” I glanced back to Robert, who was dancing with Victoria. I frowned. “It’s fabulous.”

“I can tell.” She followed my line of sight. “I’ve only seen
pictures of the Reincarnist, but I must say, they don’t do him justice. There’s just something so
grrr
about him, you know?”

I turned away. “I hadn’t noticed.”

She laughed. “Is that why you look like you want to rip that skinny chick apart with your bare hands?”

I shrugged. “Okay, so maybe I have noticed. A lot.”

She shook her head. “Same old Lainey, always rocking the crush on the hot, intellectual older guy.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Please! Once you started noticing boys, you always had a crush on a student teacher or some guy on one of the teams. I’ve never known you to date guys our age.”

“You’ve never known me to date, period. I was in college before I actually had a boyfriend.
He
was my own age. Although all he did was cheat on me, proving why I never liked my contemporaries.”

“And why was that?”

“They were immature. They never noticed Brainy Lainey. They went for the hot-but-no-personality girls. And the guys that think they’re God’s gift to women are cruel—like Brian Edwards, who locked me in the supply closet the day the EHJ came to visit the School.”

“Yeah, but Brian Edwards is nothing, Lainey. He never got recruited to any of the teams and is probably managing a car dealership right now, while you are a member of the most powerful team in the country.”

“Good to know all those dateless nights and Christmases spent at the School when the rest of you went home to your families were good for something.”

Selena frowned as she watched Robert out on the dance floor. “Wasn’t it that supply closet incident where you met the team talent scout who helped you out and got you all excited about becoming a hero? The
much older
talent scout?”

“I don’t know if he was there scouting for people to join teams; he could have also been a substitute teacher or something. I never got his name; I was too busy getting out of
that locked supply closet. But he was nice, and he said I could still be a hero, while those bullies could never be.”

“What ever, he was cute, he was older, and he came to your rescue. All I’m saying is, I’m not surprised you’ve got a thing for your cute-but-older partner—who, from what I’ve heard through the grapevine, came to your rescue during the Syn incident.”

I stared at the floor. “It’s not like it’s reciprocated.”

“I don’t know about that,” she said, nodding in his direction.

I gave a casual glance over my shoulder to see him looking at me while dancing with Victoria. I turned my attention back to Selena. “You see? He has the super-skinny debutante. I’m just a friend.”

“No, I’m not buying it,” she replied, still watching. “The chemistry between you two is a little too thick to be only friendly.”

“He’s with her, isn’t he?”

“I was watching. He didn’t exactly want to go with her. And trust me, babe, you don’t give your friends the ‘I want to throw you down on the table and screw your brains out’ look. He’s giving you that look right now.”