The Marriage Game, page 17
The Omega Three building buzzed with sound and music. Christmas carols blasted forth from Hawkins’s new Bose radio and CD combo. Because the women needed hours of time in the bathroom, Hawkins had gone first.
Hawkins stood by the window, watching the snow fall outside. He felt melancholy, as he always did during the holidays, with no immediate family at his side. He hoped that would change soon. He sighed when he remembered the five days in New York. He knew in his heart they had been every bit as good for Slick as they had for been him. But he and Slick would both have to shelve their feelings until July, when their lives would begin anew. Would they go their separate ways or would they honor their contract and give Pappy the three years he was expecting? If they honored the contract they would be separated, seeing each other once a year if they were lucky. What the hell kind of life was that? His gut churned as he struggled with his feelings. He loved Slick. He knew that now, and he was certain she loved him as well. And yet they had shied away from discussing this very thing. Where was it all going to end? Would he be able to handle it? “I hope to God, I can,” he muttered to himself. He looked up to realize what was going on around him. He had to get with the program. He forced a smile to his lips.
He listened as the women laughed and spoke a language only another female would understand. What he was getting out of the whole thing was each was jealous of the other’s outfit and yet happy that their teammate looked ravishing, darling. He grinned to himself. They were lookers, that was for sure. They were also nice, warm, compassionate, and, at the same time, competitive, as well as being know-it-alls. He continued to grin as he listened to whose socks were going to blow off. Then he heard the whispered name that was as shrill as a whistle—Pappy. They all knew Sam had a thing for Pappy even though she wouldn’t admit it. Hawkins thought Pappy had a thing for her, too, going back to that infamous episode at the wall, when Sam gave him her single-digit salute.
Perfume wafted out of the bedroom, delicious and intoxicating. Hawkins’s eyes glazed over as he studied his reflection in the front window. He thought he looked pretty decent in the Brooks Brothers suit that Slick had helped him pick out. She said he could have posed as a male model. He’d preened like a peacock at her flattering words. He even smelled good. Slick had helped him pick out a new aftershave that she said smelled like a woody glen and did wonderful things to her senses. He could feel his body heat ratchet up a notch. He’d probably have to take a cold shower later that night. Probably from there on in he’d be taking cold showers on a daily basis. Come July, if he wasn’t dead from being waterlogged, things would be different. The word marriage suddenly popped into his mind. If he didn’t cut it out, he was going to have a brain freeze that very minute.
“Yoo-hoo, Hawkins, what do you think?” Olivia trilled, as the five women whirled and twirled for his benefit.
He was speechless as well as thunderstruck at what he was seeing. Now, he really did feel proud as a peacock as he gazed at all of them, his eyes coming to rest, finally, on Slick, who wore a long, skintight sheath made out of some kind of clingy material. She wore a single strand of pearls and no other jewelry. Her hair was smoothed back, accentuating her sharply chiseled features. She looked like the model she was, and she smelled like a flower garden.
He knew the women were expecting him to say something. He whistled approvingly. His teammates looked ravishing. Olivia was draped in something silver that hugged every curve and sparkled when she moved. Zoe wore a vivid scarlet sheath. Then there was Sam, who looked mouthwateringly delicious in a high-necked white blouse and a long black skirt, slit to midthigh. She was so covered up, except for when she moved a certain way, and her skirt parted that it made her look even sexier. Everyone at the dinner would remember what she looked like in her bikini. All the more tantalizing, which proved what Slick always told him, less is sometimes more. He couldn’t help but notice the diamond earrings in Sam’s ears, her only jewelry.
No doubt about it, his teammates were going to blow off a lot of socks this night. They all laughed as they returned the compliment. Kayla said, “You look good enough to eat, honey.” Slick blushed furiously.
More laughter ensued as everyone donned their coats and scarves before slipping out of their spike-heeled shoes and into their combat boots. They all carried shopping bags full of presents. When they reached the center of the compound, they could hear the Christmas carols.
Sam felt tears gather in her eyes when she heard Bing Crosby singing, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Was this home? For the next six months it was.
Team Five was already at the party. Lukash opened the door, dressed quite nattily, Sam thought. They lined up their boots next to the others by the front door and slipped on their dress shoes.
Sam looked around. The room Lukash led them to was unbelievably festive, a long room that ran the entire width of the house. A fragrant balsam tree twinkled merrily in the corner. Pots and pots of bright red poinsettias, hundreds, Sam thought, were placed all over the room, adding to the Christmas decor. As one, Team Three gasped as they handed over their shopping bags to Vandameer to place under the tree. Seconds later, flutes of champagne were offered.
Where is our host? Sam wondered as she looked around. Then she saw him, and her legs turned to jelly. The last time a man turned her legs to jelly was…was…never. Even Douglas, with whom she’d thought she was in love, had never turned her legs to jelly. She felt jumpy at the realization.
Pappy’s gaze found hers, and he smiled. Sam smiled back as she made her way across the room behind the others. All of a sudden she felt like singing. When it was her turn, she thanked him for the trip, complimented him on the tree, and started to apologize about Alpha. Pappy held up his hand to stop her apology. “Alpha has a mind of his own.” He smiled before he moved off. At least Sam thought it was a smile. Maybe it was more like a grimace. She was left standing alone, feeling foolish. She turned around and bumped into Vandameer. She started to flirt outrageously with him. He ate it up and wanted more. Sam obliged.
Kyros was walking around with a tray of canapés and making small talk. When he reached his son, he hissed in his ear, “If they were giving a prize for jackass this Christmas, you’d win it, son. Do you think that young woman got dressed up like that for these people? You are a fool if you do. It’s obvious you’ve been out of the game too long,” he added.
Pappy felt a ring of warmth start to build around his neck, and he suddenly felt like he was going to suffocate in his own body heat. He’d probably be the only man who lived on a mountain who died of heatstroke while having a hard-on at the same time. Obviously, he was supposed to do something. Or, at the very least, say something to Sam. Something meaningful, according to the look on his father’s face. Kyros was right, Pappy had been out of the game too long. His life for so long had been full of one-night stands, no commitments, no promises. Just plain old sex. Until Adrian. Even with Adrian there had been no promises, no commitments. His gaze swept the room as he searched for Sam. She was in profile, talking animatedly to Vandameer. Vandameer was ten years his junior. Shit. He was definitely the kind to make promises and commitments.
“So, what do you think, Pappy?”
Shit all over again. Hawkins had just asked him a question. For the life of him he had no clue what it was. He tried to look interested. “Say again.”
“The new GPS. What do you think of it?”
“We couldn’t operate without global positioning systems. I like it. How about you?” His erection was shriveling fast. He wondered if he looked as miserable as he felt.
Apparently, he was fooling no one. “She looks pretty hot, doesn’t she?” Hawkins said.
Son of a bitch! Does everyone in the room know my business? Am I wearing some kind of invisible sign or something? Well, he was in charge. He could do a number of things. Pretend to be confused. Pretend Hawkins meant someone else. He could ignore the comment and squelch him with one look, or he could ignore the comment entirely. Yes, sirree, he could do all those things. “Yes, she does. Everyone looks beautiful. You guys surprised me. You all look great.”
Hawkins laughed knowingly and moved off. Now Pappy was the one standing alone. He didn’t like the feeling. Not one little bit because he felt exposed, vulnerable. Sam was still laughing at something Vandameer was saying. Suddenly, she linked her arm in Vandameer’s and led him to the bar. When she turned around, Pappy got an eyeful of one long slender leg, which seemed to go all the way up to…The hard-on was back. He turned on his heel and went in search of his father. Surely it was time to eat.
Pappy felt desperate. The last time he felt like this he was in deep cover in Afghanistan, and his exit route had been cut off. The only way to the kitchen was past the bar, where Sam and Vandameer were standing, laughing and touching one another’s arms. He pasted something that could have passed for a sickly smile on his face and shouldered his way to the kitchen, apologizing as he went along.
The matter was taken out of his hands when the tall blonde named Kate whirled around, jostling his arm so that he did a pirouette and in doing so bumped Sam’s arm, spilling her drink down the front of her blouse. He started to apologize when Sam rendered him mute. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” she whispered in a choked voice. He was shocked at her words, more shocked at the tears glistening in her eyes. “Stop making this personal. I don’t give a good rat’s ass if you like me or not. Let’s be professional. This is Christmas after all,” she hissed, the words sounding dangerous in his ears.
Pappy imagined that everyone in the room heard Sam’s whispered words while in truth no one but Vandameer and Pappy heard what she’d said. All he could do was shrug, but it was an arrogant shrug, one that brought sparks to Sam’s eyes to match the shooting sparks wafting off the diamonds in her ears.
In the kitchen, Kyros threw his hands in the air in disgust. He opened the refrigerator and withdrew a bottle of club soda. He grabbed a white linen napkin at the last second. He headed toward Sam, passing his son on the way. “Buffoon. Do I have to write you out a script?” he said sourly.
Thirty minutes later, dinner was served while Christmas music played in the background. The meal itself was perfection. Kyros and the kitchen staff served the traditional Christmas goose with all the trimmings. Plum pudding, fine wine, and coffee finished off the meal. The conversation was cheerful, with all the recruits recounting their days in New York.
Pappy listened to the tales, thinking back to the last time he’d been in New York. It sounded to him like nothing had changed except maybe the merchandise in the stores. When the staff started to clear the tables, he stood and led the way back to the lovely room he’d decorated with such enthusiasm. It was almost nine o’clock and time to gather around the tree to sing “Silent Night” before opening the Christmas presents.
“Silent Night” segued into “White Christmas,” then to a rousing rendition of “Jingle Bells.” Surprisingly, the loudest, most off-key voice was Pappy’s. Everyone, including Sam, applauded long and loud. Pappy bowed.
Kyros looked at his son. It had to be the triple shot of ouzo he’d given Pappy. Anything to loosen him up. Well, his son was suddenly as loose as the goose Kyros had cooked for dinner. Maybe I’ve created a monster, Kyros thought as he started to arrange the chairs around the tree with Hawkins’s help.
Fresh flutes of champagne were passed around by the kitchen staff as Kyros acted like Santa and handed out the gifts from under the tree. When everyone had their designated pile of gifts, Kyros started to take pictures. “Smile everyone.” Everyone smiled. “For posterity,” Kyros said.
Ribbon and brightly colored paper formed mini-mountains in the huge family room. Sam wondered who was going to clean it all up. She felt woozy with all the wine she’d consumed. Before she left she was going to need several cups of black coffee.
Whether it was deliberate or not, the last presents to be opened were from Pappy. They weren’t ritzy presents, nor were they expensive, but they were thoughtful gifts. Each of them ooohed and aaahed over his or her gift, appreciating the originality, especially the three Rainford wives who got toy guns painted in their favorite colors. Sam looked down at her Bon Jovi CD and smiled at Pappy. “Thank you. I don’t have this one.”
Damn, did that mean he’d finally done something right? “My pleasure,” he said gallantly. “Thank you for the Sinatra CD. It’s a reissue, and I don’t have it.”
Alpha plowed his way through the debris to where his pile of gifts were. The group started to help him until he growled. They backed off. The dog looked at Sam, who dropped to her knees and started to undo the ribbons. One by one, Alpha carted off his gifts.
Pappy watched, feeling like a benevolent grandfather when he realized the big dog was taking his gifts to the bedroom, which had to mean he was still his dog. When Sam opened the biggest and last package, which was the down bed, Alpha looked at it, then at Sam, then back to Pappy. He dragged it to the door. His meaning obvious. He wanted to take it to where Sam slept.
Sam, a stricken look on her face, stared at Pappy. “It’s all right, don’t worry about it,” was all Pappy could think of to say.
Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was Christmas, maybe it was a lot of things. “I’m not trying to steal your dog’s affections,” Sam said, a break in her voice. “I don’t know why he’s taken such a fancy to me.”
Pappy’s intention was to shrug and remain mute. “Maybe it’s because you’re easy to like, and he senses that.”
Sam blinked as she tried to absorb Pappy’s words. That was really personal.
Kyros almost stood on his head, his arms flapping every which way. At last, his son was getting it.
The others smiled slyly, some openly. Pappy gulped at the ouzo his father handed him.
He could feel it, he was on a roll.
Finally.
Chapter Thirteen
Christmas Day!
The recruits arrived at Pappy’s promptly at four o’clock, dressed in their Christmas outfits. Outside, the snow fell in big fat flakes. It was as near a perfect Christmas as anyone could wish for. Even Pappy was happy, as he stood at the door and greeted everyone. He thought they all looked like high-powered business executives attending their boss’s Christmas party. And they all appeared to be in a cheery mood. Even Sam, who smiled. She looked better than a million dollars, in a long red dress. At least in his eyes. And she was again wearing the diamond earrings. Then he wondered what kind of woman would spend a whole year’s salary on a pair of diamond earrings. His know-it-all father would probably know. He made a mental note to ask. What he didn’t like was the way Vandameer was at her side. Almost as though they’d partnered off, just the way Slick and Hawkins were partnered off even though they tried to pretend they weren’t. His father would have an opinion on that, too.
Sam accepted her flute of champagne as she listened with rapt attention to something Vandameer was saying. What they were actually discussing was how tidy the room was after the wild disarray of the night before. “Pappy probably just burned everything in the fireplace,” Sam said.
Pappy circulated, playing host, hoping to get close enough to the couple to hear what they were saying. He just knew they were talking about him. Eavesdroppers never heard anything good about themselves, but he didn’t care.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sam watched Pappy’s maneuvering. She moved, leaving Vandameer standing alone. She wasn’t going to give Pappy another chance to insult her or continue whatever game he was playing. She wished she knew what there was about Pappy that attracted her to him when obviously the feelings weren’t being returned.
“Ms. Rainford,” Kyros said, holding out a tray of delectable-looking shrimp, “I would like to thank you again for the pipe and the tobacco. I tried it out last night, and the pipe is exquisite. It draws perfectly. Thank you.”
“It was my pleasure. Everything looks so beautiful. I’ve always loved Christmas. When I was a child I always spent Christmas with my grandparents, my father’s mother and father. My parents were never big on holidays. They were usually out of the country, vacationing. They especially liked to go to the Greek Isles. Of course, they always had someone put presents under the tree at Grandma’s. I’m sorry, that sounds like I’m saying, oh, poor me.” Her voice was firm, even defensive-sounding, when she said, “I think I like grownup Christmases better. I so looked forward to this day.”
“And where is your family now?” Kyros asked.
“Who knows? My father is an ambassador to some foreign country. Paraguay, I think. My mother socializes. I haven’t seen them in a few years. They send cards once in a while. I guess you could say we aren’t a warm, cuddly family. Do you have family, Kyros?”
Kyros blinked. Didn’t she know Kollar was his son? “Yes.” He pointed to where Pappy was talking to Kayla and Olivia. “Pappy’s my son.”
Sam’s face went from white to red and back to white. She bit down on her lip. She knew she was supposed to say something. What? Why was it that in times of acute stress, and she was experiencing acute stress right now, one could never think of just the right cutting remark until later. “I didn’t know that. I don’t think any of…us knew that,” she stammered, caught off guard at the remark. “I think your son is an obnoxious…oaf. I’m sorry if that hurts your feelings, you being his father and all.” God, did I just say that?
“It’s no problem. Just last evening I myself called him a buffoon. I still love him because I have high hopes that he will turn into a warm, fuzzy person.” The old man chuckled at his own joke. Sam laughed, too, before she moved off to talk to Kate, the long-legged blonde from Team Five.
It’s like playing dodgeball, Sam thought as she watched Pappy out of the corner of her eye. As soon as he moved, she moved…in the other direction. It was all so silly, like something she would have done when she was in high school. At the same time, she couldn’t help herself. She’d been rebuffed once in college, then her husband dumped her. She had no intention of going for the charm the third time around. Plus, she hated herself for dressing up for him.
