Atonement (The Atonement Series) (10 page)

“Do you think that is wise? I wouldn’t want you to go back to the office drunk,” I murmured as soon as the waiter collected our menus and left.

“Don’t worry about me. After all the bread I have consumed, it will soak up the alcohol and believe me I will be nicely buzzed but hardly drunk by the time I get back to the office.” His sky blue eyes met mine and he stared intently at me. “However, I should tell you I have ulterior motives. I have heard a fascinating rumor that Caitlyn is your sister.”

“You know she is as I have confirmed it for you previous times—or were you too drunk to remember?—so it’s hardly a rumor,” I snapped.

“Well, you two don’t look a damn thing alike.”

“Neither do you and Colin—not really, unless matching complexions and builds are tangible proof you’re siblings.”

“You know what I mean.” He rolled his eyes. “You’re very exotic looking and very unique looking. Caitlyn is blonde, blue-eyed, porcelain-skinned and untouchable.”

“Well, that comes down to genetics. We share the same father but her mother is English. Mine was a southerner from Louisiana. However, I never knew her as she died when I was young and Jeanette is my legal mother as she adopted me. However, Caitlyn is her biological daughter with my father.”

That look of sympathy etched into his expressive eyes again. “It must have been devastating to lose your father. I mean, not so much because he was your only surviving biological parent but because of the way he was taken from you. Do you want to talk about it?”

I grabbed a slice of salami and set it on top of a succulent piece of bread. “Not really—that’s what I pay your father for—and besides, it’s been a subject that has been talked about ad nauseum. I really do appreciate you wanting to know more about what happened but I would rather not. That’s what the trip is about. Losing myself and actually exploring and visiting other places. I suppose different places and restaurants that don’t remind me of him.”

I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment. “Like this place. It was a family tradition to come here. I have tried almost every dish on the menu and I always remember my dad when I am here. I can still see us laugh and joke here with Jeanette looking on in an amused fashion while Caitlyn sneakily devoured most of the bread.”

“Should I have chosen a different restaurant?”

I shook my head. “No, I like it here.” I finally met his eyes. “We are having a small get together to celebrate our trip. Why don’t you come along and meet her for yourself. I can’t guarantee you she will be receptive to your charms but you never know, do you?”

“Oh, she’ll be receptive to my charms all right,” he responded arrogantly.

“Must be nice to be so sure of yourself,” I murmured in a snarky voice.

“How do you think I got my reputation in the first place?” he inquired before he winked at me.

I smiled before we both stared at each other and burst into laughter.

“
THE COCKY ASSHOLE.
He’s pretty sure of himself, isn’t he? Just because I like to flirt with men doesn’t mean I snog and shag every man who looks in my direction.”

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud and realized I hadn’t laughed this much in a single day in a very long time.

I’d stopped by my sister’s condo after putting in my notice at the half-way house and woman’s shelter. She lived downtown as well not far from Pike Place Market except she’d inherited her two-bedroom Cristalla condo from our parents’. They’d owned it since the building had first opened as it was supposed to be an investment property. Later, it was supposed to be a home Caitlyn and I could share until we got married or bought one another out.

Caitlyn had officially “bought” me out after our father’s death and the insurance policy came through. She’d paid me fair market value and it was with that money I later purchased the townhouse I co-owned with Drew.

My sister had always been a private person and preferred to live on her own. The second bedroom was her office and as she did not entertain very often, the space was utilized quite well with sparse elegant furniture but nothing flashy except for a very expensive yet ugly Jackson Pollock painting she’d inherited from our father. He’d offered it to me first but I wasn’t a fan of the work—Caitlyn found something hauntingly beautiful in the chaotic bush strokes that looked like they’d been designed by an overzealous three year old but I was happy she adored the painting and it was a constant reminder to her of our dearly departed father.

“He just wants to meet you,” I began softly as she handed me a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

“Yeah, they always do and then they have one too many drinks and think just because I am blonde, my legs are going to miraculously open up for them. One bloke had the nerve to tell me he heard English girls were easy so what did I expect? ‘First off, I’m American and second off, my other half is French so if you think you are getting anywhere past first base, it’s going to take a bit more than a dinner at Crush and a ninety-nine vintage bottle of Ristow to get me into bed’.”

“I suppose you got out of there as soon as possible?”

“Of course. I told him I had to go powder my nose and just walked out the front door. No way will I have a man treating me like dirt. And that goes for Liam van der Meer as well. I know he’s your friend’s brother but I am not going to take shit off him because he happens to be your new boss,” Caitlyn expressed before she sat beside me.

“How’s work going?”

She scrunched up her face. “Work is work, Deirdre. Seriously, did you really come over to ask me about my day or are there other issues that brought you by?”

I drank from my wine. “Why do I get the feeling like I have disturbed something? Listen, I know how often you bring your work home so just go ahead and finish it. But I will see you tomorrow at the get together, right?”

Caitlyn smiled with devilish steel blue eyes. “Of course you will.” She chewed on her lip for a moment before she glared at me again. “Tell me you two haven’t slept together!”

“Who? Colin and I? Course not. It’s just strictly platonic…at the moment. Why? I’m not a whore either you know.”

“I certainly wasn’t suggesting you were one but…I see the heated looks exchanged between you two. He likes you a lot and you’re crazy about him. What ever happens in Europe, don’t fight him when you come back, okay? Stop letting Drew chase men away from you.”

“Okay…um, is everyone living in an alternate universe because there are absolutely, positively no heated looks between us. I like him, as a friend, and he came through when I needed him to be there for me. It’s been tough, you know. Usually I go weeks without hearing from Aubrey and this time it was a couple of months. I really thought she had her shit together and then she pulls that stunt with us picking her up at the club? That is so not cool.”

Caitlyn stood and walked to her floor to ceiling picture window. The curtains were open and the city spread out beneath us. The lighting was purposefully muted and felt romantic yet soothing at the same time.

“Maybe it’s time you start to…cut her out of your life?” She turned toward me and her blue eyes pleaded for understanding. “Don’t get me wrong, sis. I mean, I
know
she’s your uncle’s daughter and a part of the family life you missed because your real mother died but…that doesn’t give her the right to use you when ever she likes and that is exactly what I see her do to you on a regular basis. I don’t like it at all and you need to take a firmer stance when it comes to her.”

I immediately became defensive though I knew I should just calm down and take out a few strangled breaths. “How is she using me, Cait? She’s got nowhere to go, and her roommate was bangin’ her ex-boyfriend. What am I supposed to do? Leave her to her own devices on the street? You know she’s been clean for a while now and all I need is a druggie for a cousin because she is going to be an even bigger pain in the ass than she is now. At the moment, she’s tolerable. And hopefully by the time I get back from Europe, she will have found another place to stay.”

Caitlyn cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms underneath her breasts. “Do you
truly
believe that?”

I sipped from my Sauvignon Blanc before I set the glass on my sister’s coffee table. “No, not really.”

“Well then why don’t you really lay down the law tomorrow night when we have you and Colin’s going away celebration? Tell her you’re tired of being used and you will help her find a place or hell Drew can aid her with finding a roomie. He knows enough eccentric people. The whole point is to have your space back after the trip so you can settle back in and start your new job at uConnect. You know, officially join the world of the living and professional.”

I smiled at her and she returned it with enthusiasm. “It is kind of cool I will be working for uConnect, isn’t it?”

“Totally! You have a cooler job than I do and you know I love me some Amazon but to be part of a social network revolution. I mean…we’ve gone through Myspace, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and now uConnect is
the
hot property! I expect to hear all the gossip and the dirt because I know there is
tons
!” Caitlyn exclaimed as she walked over and sat next to me on the sofa again.

“Okay, you are way too excited for my tastes. I don’t think I will find out much ‘dirt’, seeing as I am just the manager for HR,” I replied in a non-committal voice. “Besides, I can’t just tell you anything you want to know because an employee’s file is confidential. I could get fired for blathering off at the mouth.”

My sister rolled her eyes. “I don’t expect names, you retard. Just some juicy details is all. I’ve heard some pretty interesting stories about some of the employees at uConnect—I’m sure you have too.”

“Actually, no, I haven’t. Liam took me out for lunch at S&S and all we did do was make small talk. We talked about the company in general but he didn’t get personal with me and I didn’t get personal with him either.”

This wasn’t exactly the whole truth but the way Caitlyn’s eyes lit up about knowing a few secrets wasn’t exactly endearing. It reminded me of university where everyone always was on the look out for trash on someone else. It felt backbiting, small and petty. I didn’t do well with any of them and I certainly took no joy in hearing about other people’s suffering or their problems. My job as a counselor at the halfway house and food shelter for battered women had taught me more than I needed to know about secrets and most of all, I found them tragic. There was nothing noble about rejoicing in another person’s misery to me.

“Fine, I’ll share but I don’t want you to call up Liam and resign before you’ve started. It’s all rumor anyway and although there might be a modicum of truth about it, I don’t know the complete circumstances.”

I stared at Caitlyn as she sipped from her wine and played with the stem of the glass. “That HR manager whose job you’re inheriting, she isn’t leaving because of her pregnancy. It’s a good excuse to use but it goes deeper than that.”

“Okay?” I began in a soft voice. “What’s it all about then?”

“Well, from what I heard, she was close to that woman, Stephanie McLaughlin.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Isn’t she the one who jumped from her condo after a night of indulging in Bath Salts?”