Chapter Seven

Norah had the lowering feeling that Lance’s brief ‘I see’ wasn’t merely a figure of speech, and that he really did see, with uncanny perception, all the shades of meaning behind her comments about Perry. He analyzed people and situations for a living. Doing the same to her wouldn’t be difficult.

After putting away the slice of pie he brought her, she went down the hall to her bedroom and opened the door of her closet. The years fell away as she looked through her clothes trying to find something suitable to wear. Memories of other evenings spent with Perry, before the pain and disillusionment of his rejection, made their way through her mind. She’d believed he was the love she’d been waiting for.

Later when she walked into the bathroom, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. There was a hint of color in her cheeks and a glow of excitement in her eyes that hadn’t been there earlier. This was the danger in getting caught up in nostalgia. It blinded you to reality. She had to be careful not to mix the two. She wasn’t that young, unawakened girl who’d hung on his every word, and tonight wasn’t a date. It was a business dinner, pure and simple. As long as she remembered that, she’d be fine.

Perry was leaning against the porch railing when she walked outside a few minutes before seven. His sports coat, dress shirt and pants appeared to be molded to his wide shoulders, narrow hips and long legs. Dark curls fell across his forehead, bringing attention to his light brown eyes. The infectious smile that used to make her weak in the knees sat on his lips.

He came forward immediately, taking hold of her hands and kissing her lightly on the cheek. In duration, it lasted only a few seconds, but that didn’t stop the most delightful rush of warmth from spreading through her body.

“I’d forgotten how beautiful you are. Forgive me, Norah, for managing my time so badly. I should have been in touch with you sooner.”

She hurried into speech, not wanting to be reminded of how easily she’d been forgotten. Resentment and disappointment would only spoil the moment. “Don’t worry about it. That’s all behind us.”

Her answer seemed to please him. Keeping one of her hands in his, he led her to a silver-blue Range Rover.

“Isn’t this better than riding behind me on that old Yamaha?” he asked as he opened the door and helped her climb inside.

She was unaccountably touched that he not only remembered, but was willing to talk about those early days when she was a student and he was an underpaid grad assistant. “I don’t know. The motorcycle was pretty nice, too.”

He laughed with an odd note of regret. “You’re as sweet as ever.” As he maneuvered through the crowded streets, he said, “I was thinking we could go to Rico’s. I remember it was one of your favorite places. Do you still go there?”

“No,” she said simply, remembering all the times she drove by the restaurant, unable to go in without him.

The icy chill of those memories didn’t last long. A smile touched her lips as she recalled how accurately she’d predicted to Lance where Perry might take her for dinner. It would be something fun to share with him later.

When Perry parked the car in the familiar street and they walked together into the dimly lit restaurant with its indefinably Latin air, the past came rushing back once more. If she closed her eyes, Norah could almost believe there were no years in between to bridge or explain away. The feeling of having turned back the clock persisted throughout the meal that followed, aided in large part by the ease with which they conversed. The illusion of timelessness was nearly complete. It really did seem as if it was only yesterday since they last saw each other.

Perry looked around with obvious pleasure. “I’m glad this place hasn’t changed.”

“Me, too,” she said over the lump in her throat.

“Even the food is as good as I remember. We’ll have to come here again.”

Norah tried not to read any particular meaning into those words. Rico’s might not have altered, but she couldn’t forget that she and Perry had. They no longer inhabited the same world.

He leaned his elbow on the table, his eyes looking directly into hers. “Tell me about this job that keeps you working so late.”

“I’m a tour guide at one of the houses in the historic district.”

Surprise flared briefly in his eyes. “I figured you’d be a curator for a museum or art gallery by now.”

“That’s a goal I’m still working toward. I had to drop out of the master’s program a few years ago to take care of things at home.”

“You mean your grandparents? How are they doing?”

“I lost them last year.”

He looked as if he wanted to kick himself. “I’m sorry, Norah. I should have known that.”

And she could have used a shoulder to cry on or just someone to talk to. “You had no way of knowing. Anyway, I’m hoping to start taking classes again next fall.”

“If they give you any trouble, let me know. I made a sizable donation to their legacy campaign a few months ago.”

Norah couldn’t help smiling. “Does that mean there’ll soon be a Perry Cabot Hall on campus?”

He laughed. “I guess it’s been a while since you’ve been there. They named the computer and technology building after me last year.”

“Something that’s good for you and them. Not that you need any help. Your business appears to be doing very well.”

“It is, and I’m very grateful. The challenge now is staying on top of an ever-changing marketplace. You mentioned on the phone that you were calling on behalf of your boss. Why would someone who organizes house tours want to talk to me?”

Norah smiled at this completely inaccurate description of one of Charleston’s most prominent young attorneys. “Lance doesn’t have anything to do with the tours. He owns Wilson-Dawes House where I work. Along with being an attorney, he’s involved in Fallen Heroes, a charity that supports military families. To raise awareness in the community, we’re organizing a bachelor auction. We were hoping you might be persuaded to participate.”

“Does that ‘we’ include you?”

“Of course. Lance and I both think you’d be the perfect person to promote the auction.”

“You and Lance, huh?” he asked softly. “That explains it.”

“Explains what?”

He looked at her reflectively for a minute. Then he smiled charmingly, but not at all reassuringly. “Why you looked so happy when I picked you up. There was something about you; something unmistakable. I told myself that a girl only looks like that when she’s coming from, or going to, the guy she’s into.”

He paused as if waiting for her to say something, but for the second time that day, Norah was incapable of speech. They’d been together less than twenty minutes and already he’d more than half guessed her secret.

His steady glance released hers at last. “I was conceited enough to think it was because of me, but I was wrong. It’s Lance, isn’t it?”

Words of denial trembled on her lips, and yet she couldn’t force herself to say them. Was it shock at how easily he’d picked up on something she hadn’t known herself, or was it some last bit of self-preservation that held her silent? She’d thought she was over Perry, but she was wrong. What he’d seen in her expression had nothing to do with Lance and everything to do with him. He was her first love, her first kiss, her first everything. And in spite of how they parted, she still had feelings for him. Feelings she hadn’t been able to hide.

Humiliation welled up inside her. How could she still be susceptible to someone who’d so clearly indicated his indifference? Having a woman fall in love with him wasn’t anything new for Perry. It probably happened every day. One more wouldn’t mean much, but for Norah, it would turn an already uncomfortable situation into an impossible one. If she corrected his assumption about her and Lance, it wouldn’t take long for Perry to figure out which guy she was into. That simply couldn’t happen. He had to believe she was interested in someone else, and she was halfway there because he’d already suggested a candidate.

The beginnings of doubt and speculation appeared on his face. She had to end it now. In a surprisingly steady voice, she said, “You’re right, Perry. It’s Lance.”

His heavy lids dropped over his eyes. “That’s…disappointing. For me, that is. I was kinda hoping that…well, no use talking about it now.”

Norah nearly sagged with relief. She’d dodged a bullet. “It’s…all very recent. No one knows about it, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“I can see why. Boss and employee. There’ll definitely be talk.”

At the moment that was the least of her worries. “Yes, well, let’s get back to discussing why we’re here tonight.”

“You mean the bachelor auction,” he said with a marked lack of enthusiasm. “I’m not sure I’ll have time to take on anything else at the moment. I’ve got several business trips scheduled between now and Christmas. That means flying back and forth to New York as well as L.A.”

She felt like an angler watching her prize-winning fish slip off the line. “I hope you’ll reconsider, Perry. As someone whose father served and whose brother is still serving, this should really touch home with you.”

“Why don’t you ask Carson to do it? He’s on leave right now.”

“I’d love for Carson to participate, but we need you. A mention on social media of you being one of the bachelors would be a game changer, and you know it. You also can’t deny it’s for a good cause.”

“Laying it on thick, aren’t you?” He looked beyond her, and then he smiled somewhat fixedly. “I detect an ambush. Does your boss-turned-much-more have dark hair and a beard?”

A shiver slid down Norah’s spine as though an icy wind had blown through the restaurant. With a feeling of impending doom, she glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough, the man following behind the hostess was none other than Lance.

The evening had officially turned into a nightmare.

* * * * *

Lance had wrestled with his conscience and lost. Cutting in on another man’s date, especially a man whose cooperation he wanted, wasn’t a smart move. And yet, here he was, attempting to rescue a princess who probably didn’t need it and might even resent him for doing it. As to why he was assuming this role of protector, he was simply following the same instinct that had served him so well with his sisters.

He acknowledged that his actions were contradictory. After all, he was the one who asked Norah to meet with Perry. But that had been before he found out they had a history, and before he realized she still had feelings for Perry. Those two things set off warning bells in his head. She wasn’t his sister which meant he had no right to poke his nose into her affairs. And yet here he was, doing just that. It just went to prove that even a semi-intelligent person will do foolish things in the name of friendship.

Norah’s shocked expression was no surprise, but what happened next was. She smiled at him. As if she’d been expecting him. He wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“There you are!” she said, surprising him still further. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away. You had to show up and see for yourself how things were going.”

Lance wasn’t an attorney for nothing. He made his living in a courtroom where sudden changes and unforeseen events were a daily occurrence. Returning her smile, he accepted the opening she offered.

“I hope my appearance isn’t bringing an unwelcome element of business into an evening of pleasure.”

“Not at all,” Norah assured him, waving him to a chair. “Perry and I have finished our trip down memory lane. I was just telling him about the bachelor auction. You couldn’t have timed your appearance any better.”

“I second that,” Perry said, a mocking smile on his face Lance had no trouble interpreting. “How did you know where to find us?”

“Norah mentioned earlier that the two of you used to come here a lot. Since we all know how strong the sentimental urge can be, I wasn’t taking much of a chance.”

“All in the interests of…a charity?” Perry asked, his ironic glance sliding to Norah.

“It’s a charity that means a lot to me,” Lance countered.

“So I’ve been told. Didn’t you think Norah could manage this alone?”

“Certainly, but I also thought she wouldn’t mind some assistance.”

Perry laughed at that. “I can’t say that I blame you. I’d have the same devotion to my charity if the person helping me with it was as lovely as Norah.”

“No doubt,” Lance said dryly. “Does that mean she was able to talk you into joining forces with us?”

“She’s giving it her best shot. Like I told her, I have business commitments I can’t get out of.”

“I know it’s a busy time of year, but it’s also when people are more motivated to give their support.”

“What’s involved in this thing?”

“Mentions on your social media, permission to use your name and picture for promotional purposes, the auction itself which will be the second Saturday in December, and your date with the lucky winning bidder. We’d like that to take place no later than March 1.”

Perry peered into his coffee cup. “I could probably make it work,” his glance flicked up to Norah, “as long as I have her around to keep me on track.”

Lance had been expecting this. “Norah will be doing that for everyone involved.”

“I understand, but I’d like to know I have first call on her time.”

The conceit of this guy raised Lance’s hackles. He was on the point of denying such an absurdity when Norah spoke up.

“That goes without saying.”

“Then we have a deal,” Perry said, a smug smile forming on his lips.

“That’s great, Perry,” Norah said. “Thank you.”

Having supposedly got what he came for, Lance had no reason to stick around. “I’ll let you two get back to your evening. I’m sure you still have a lot to catch up on.”

“That we do,” Perry agreed. “It was nice to meet you.”

“Same here,” Lance said, not meaning it. He nodded at Norah. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye, Lance.”

As he walked away, Lance knew the success of the auction was more or less guaranteed, but he couldn’t escape the feeling that he’d just thrown the princess to the big bad wolf. The fact that he had absolutely no evidence to support that claim didn’t give him any comfort.

* * * * *

Perry watched Lance with a thoughtful glance until the door of the restaurant closed behind him. Then he looked at Norah. “I can see why a woman might go for him.”

“You can?” Norah had been so caught up in what transpired after Lance’s arrival that she temporarily forgot she was supposed to be that woman.

“It’s his confidence mixed with just a hint of ruthlessness. Women like that. He’s obviously intelligent and well-spoken, too, which doesn’t hurt. Are you very much in love with him?”

The question threw her for a moment. “Oh…well, I…” She realized she was stammering and stopped. “I’d rather not talk about it, if you don’t mind. Nothing has been openly spoken of between us. And that reminds me. You shouldn’t have said that remark about me in connection with Lance’s devotion to his charity. It sounded as though you were suggesting his reason for coming here tonight was personal rather than professional.”

“Of course it sounded like it. I was suggesting that, and Lance knew it. He reacted just as I thought he would, too. Did you see his face? He looked as if he wanted to ask me to step outside and settle things like men. Your boyfriend has a jealous streak.”

This was too much for Norah. She felt an urge to defend Lance, even if it potentially hurt her own position. “That’s ridiculous! He has no reason to be jealous.”

Perry chuckled. “On the contrary, he has every reason. No man likes to see his girl out with another guy. Still less does he like it when that guy is, if you’ll forgive me for pointing this out, something of a local celebrity.”

Like a bad dream, this night just kept getting worse and worse. Norah felt like a spider caught in her own web of deception. “It’s not…exactly like that.”

“How is it, exactly?”

What could she say? No matter what direction she went, she was heading further down a road she didn’t want to be on.

Perry reached across the table and took hold of her hand. “Don’t look so scared. Your secret is safe with me. But in return for doing this auction, I reserve the right to make Lance jealous. Put it down to my massive ego. All men have one, even your Lance.” He released her hand and sat back, looking pleased with himself. “There’s nothing like a little friendly competition to make life interesting, and in this case, it might be what’s needed to wake up your reluctant Prince Charming.”

Norah listened in horrified silence. This was the problem with lying. It was the equivalent of trying to catch a runaway train. There was no way to get in front of it without revealing the truth.

Later when they faced each other on Mrs. Worsley’s dimly lit porch, Perry kissed her on the cheek as he’d done earlier. The only problem was things had changed since then. Norah couldn’t let him do that so freely; not if she wanted to keep up the fiction she’d created.

“Um, Perry,” she started, hoping he couldn’t hear the tremor in her voice. “You can’t be doing that.”

“Why not?” he asked, his eyes wickedly amused. “What are a few kisses between old friends?”

She hesitated, an action that widened his smile. With the feeling of using her last get-out-of-jail-free card, she said, “Lance won’t like it.”

This remark didn’t get the reaction she hoped for.

Perry shrugged. “Then he’ll have to do the obvious thing. He can’t keep you hiding in plain sight, untouchable to everyone but him. If he won’t admit to anything openly, then he needs to realize that others will. You deserve better than that.”

What she deserved was to have her mouth washed out with soap for daring to use Lance as a shield against her feelings for Perry. Her actions tonight were completely illogical and indefensible, and discovering her Achilles’ heel wasn’t the worst part. It was knowing that at some point she had to tell Lance what she’d done. How was she going to explain her decision to drag him into her personal affairs?