I stepped outside the building and, before I got in the limo, I looked across the street and saw Cameron by his truck. He gave me a small wave and a smile. I returned the favor and climbed inside.
“Who’s that?” James asked with curiosity.
“His name is Cameron and he was nice enough to return my credit card that I left at Starbucks this morning.”
“Ah, leaving-the-credit-card-where-the-hot-guy-is-working-so-he’ll-bring-it-back-to-you-trick. Clever, Sierra.” He smiled.
“Very funny, James. I’m done talking to you right now,” I said as I put up the privacy window. I looked at him and he was laughing.
I dreaded dinner with my mother. Ava is my sister and she’s fifteen years old. Delia met Clive, her current husband and Ava’s father, sixteen years ago after her second divorce. She got pregnant three months after they started dating. I swear she did it on purpose to trap him. Clive is in real estate and finance and he’s worth millions. Which is good, because Delia wouldn’t accept anything less. He’s a womanizer. My mother either doesn’t see it or turns the other cheek. Personally, I think he’s a dog. But, Delia seems happy and my father always said she was nothing but a gold digger, so it is what it is.
I looked at the clock on my phone. It was six fifty. I had ten minutes to get in and get changed before Delia arrived. Just as we walked through the door, Kirsty pulled up. The aroma in the house was amazing.
“Rosa, what are you cooking?” I yelled from the foyer.
“Chicken cordon bleu with asparagus and red skin potatoes lightly tossed in lemon and oregano.”
Kirsty and James followed the smell to the kitchen, and I ran upstairs to change into more comfortable clothes, aka, yoga pants and a tank top. As I was coming down the stairs, the doorbell rang. Here we go, I thought to myself. I opened the door and the first thing Delia did was look me up and down.
“Hello, darling. That’s what you’re wearing for dinner?” she asked as she kissed both my cheeks.
“Hello, Mother, and yes. It’s my house and I’ll dress any way I want.” I smiled. “Hey, Ava,” I said as I hugged her. “No Clive tonight?”
“He’s on business trip in Monaco,” she replied.
I looked at Ava and she rolled her eyes. She made finger quotes and mouthed, “Business trip, my ass.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as I put my arm around her and we went into the kitchen. Ava was a very active fifteen-year-old. Delia tried to mold her into everything she always wanted to be. Since she claimed she failed with me, poor Ava was getting the brunt of it. She was in beauty pageants, multiple dance classes, tennis lessons, swim lessons, and private voice lessons. She was a beautiful girl. Tall, long legs, long, blonde hair, and big, beautiful blue eyes. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was crowned Miss America one day. Don’t get me wrong; Delia tried all those things with me, but my heart was in the business world, thanks to my dad. He kept me somewhat grounded and out of the limelight that my mother so badly wanted me in. Clive didn’t care what Delia did to Ava because he was too busy with other things. My thought was that he just let her do what she wanted to keep her quiet.
“Hello, Kirsty. Hello, James,” Delia said as she walked in the kitchen. “I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.”
“I invited them, Mother, since it’s my house and my housekeeper that cooked this meal.”
She shot me a look and then raised her eyebrow at me. “It’s fine, Sierra. Stop getting all defensive.”
“Dinner is ready. Everyone take your seats in the dining room,” Rosa said as she looked at me and rolled her eyes.
We did what Rosa asked and sat down. “I thought you were having some things redone in this house?” Delia asked.
“I just moved in three months ago and I haven’t had time to deal with that yet. I do work for a living.”
Ava laughed. I could tell that Kirsty and James were uncomfortable. Delia and I never saw eye to eye on things. She blamed my father for that. She claimed that he corrupted my mind with all things corporate. Her belief was to let the men handle the business world while we stood by their sides and looked pretty. She resented my father for taking me into the world of advertising and now I thought she resented me as well. Our relationship wasn’t exactly perfect. When Ryan left me and never came back to Los Angeles, I was torn to pieces and all she could say was, “You must have done something wrong or couldn’t be the woman he wanted you to be, or else he wouldn’t have left.” We didn’t speak for three months after those words flew out of her mouth. She did ultimately apologize for hurting and upsetting me. But she never apologized for what she said.
“Rosa, can you please get me a glass of water?”
She looked at me and smiled. “Of course, senorita.”
Rosa and I had a code. When I asked for water that meant to fill the glass with tequila.
“Rosa, this chicken cordon bleu is too die for. If you ever consider leaving Sierra, you can come work for me.”
“Rosa isn’t going anywhere, Mother. Stop trying to steal my help.”
She went to set the glass on the table, but before she could, I took it from her hands. “Thank you.” I smiled as I drank half the glass.
Once our eventful dinner was over, Rosa brought out a strawberry cake with buttercream icing and fresh strawberries on top.
“My favorite, Rosa! Thank you!” Ava exclaimed.
“None for Ava, Rosa. She has her swimsuit tryouts tomorrow and I can’t afford her putting on any weight.”
The look on Ava’s face was pure disappointment and I could see the fires of Hell in her eyes. I felt bad and I wish I had more time to spend with her. I pulled Kirsty and James aside and asked them to take Delia outside in the back and complain about my landscaping.
“I’ll be out in a minute. Ava, come here.” I smiled.
I cut a huge piece of strawberry cake and put it on a plate. I grabbed a fork from the drawer and I took Ava’s hand.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“You’ll see. Follow me.”
I took her to my bedroom and I set the plate on the desk. “Eat.” I smiled.
“But—” she said.
“No buts, Ava. Just eat the damn cake. Forget about Delia and your swimsuit tryouts for one night. Be a kid and scarf down that cake!”
She smiled at me as she looked at the cake. “You’re the best, Sierra,” she said as she threw her arms around me.
“So are you, Ava.”
I left Ava in the bedroom and went out on the patio to join the Nazi, Kirsty, and James.
“The yard looks good, Sierra. I think the only thing you need to do is add more lighting around the pool and hot tub.”
Did my ears just hear Delia compliment something of mine?
“I will definitely look into that,” I said as I sipped on my “water.”
We sat outside for a while and listened to Delia spew about Clive and how much money he made last week and how they were going on a family vacation to Belize next month. I’d put money on it that Clive would get the family down there and then take off on a “business trip” for a couple of days. He had a pattern and I wasn’t stupid.
“Come on, Ava. We have to be up early in the morning for your tryouts,” Delia spoke as Ava stepped outside.
I hugged them both goodbye and, when I shut the door, I let out a deep breath and lightly banged my head against it. Rosa looked at me and smiled.
“She may be a big pain in the ass, but she’s your mother and she endured a lot of pain to bring you into the world.”
“I know that, Rosa. She constantly reminds me of that. Good night. I’ll see you in the morning.” I smiled.
When I went to go back outside, I stopped in the doorway and watched as James and Kirsty were sitting down, talking and laughing. She was throwing her head back and he was all smiles as they seemed to be engaged in some heavy conversation. Maybe they would make a great couple, despite the age difference. I stuck my head out the sliding door wall.
“Hey, I’m heading up to bed. You two stay and talk. Lock up when you leave.”
“Night,” they both said and then turned to each other and continued their conversation.
I changed into my nightshirt and climbed into bed. I reached over and grabbed the Cosmo magazine from my nightstand and flipped through the pages. My mind went to Cameron standing in my office. His eyes had gotten to me and his smile was becoming an addiction.