Diamond (13 page)

“You’re beautiful,” he said softly.

“So are you,” she said, unable to take her eyes from this man.

“Men aren’t beautiful,” he said. “Maybe good-lookin’, but not pretty, darlin’. Around here, calling a man pretty can get you in a whole lot of trouble.”

“So you’re good-looking, then?”

“Please, Miss Diamond. The last thing his ego needs is bolstering.”

Jesse grinned at Henley’s teasing remark and winked at Diamond.

“He’s just jealous because I’ve got you and he doesn’t.”

“No sir,” Henley said. “I would say it’s more of a…relieved state of mind. Remember, I’ve already experienced Miss Diamond in a way in which I’d never imagined. Personally, it gave me nightmares, but I have recovered.”

Diamond smiled, remembering their driving lessons.

“But I corner better than most, don’t you think, Henley?”

“I reserve judgment for the day when you receive your driver’s license, Miss Diamond,” he said. “And do have a good evening, the both of you.” He gave them a rare smile as he took his leave with a witty remark: “I won’t wait up.”

Jesse laughed and Diamond blushed. She felt like Cinderella.

When Henley was gone, Diamond turned and looked again at her Prince Charming.

He’d abandoned his cowboy attire for a black tuxedo, white pleated shirt, and silver-gray cummerbund. But he had retained a bit of his old self. She smiled as she looked down at his shoes. They were black, and shiny, but they were boots. And when he held out his arm and ushered her through the door, he grabbed his trademark black Stetson. Jesse would compromise, but only so far.

“Come on, darlin’,” he said. “Let’s party.”

Jesse escorted her outside, eager to see her reaction to the surprise he had waiting.

“Jesse! A limousine? We’re going in a limousine?”

“Yes ma’am,” he said, grinning. “And you know what?”

Diamond shook her head. She was past surprises.

“The back seat of this baby has a whole lot of leg room.”

Even in the dark, he could see her blush.

Their arrival was marked by a long line of fans standing on either side of the walkway that led into the opulent hotel. Flashbulbs were going off in constant succession as the passengers in the cars ahead of them made their entrance into the face of media, minicams, and adoring fans.

“Oh, my God!”

Diamond’s low moan of disbelief made Jesse grab her hand and hold on tight to reassure her.

“It’s okay, darlin’,” he said. “Just stick with me. It’ll be over before you know it. Besides, it won’t be like this once we get inside.”

And then the driver stopped, and their door opened. Jesse took a deep breath, leaned over and pressed one quick kiss on her lips. “You look fantastic. Give them that million-dollar smile, and don’t stop walking.”

She nodded, slipped her hand in his, and slid out of the seat.

Flashbulbs went off in their faces, but Jesse just kept on moving and waving, smiling broadly to the huge crowd of people behind the roped-off area who were shouting his name. And then a man carrying a hand mike stepped in front of them and smiled broadly as he interrupted their progress.

“Jesse Eagle! It’s the first time I’ve seen you at an event like this without your famous—or should we say infamous—manager, Tommy Thomas, at your heels. What’s the scoop?”

“Hey there, Charlie,” Jesse said, trying not to swallow the microphone that the television personality shoved into his face.

Charlie persisted “So, is there a reason why Tommy Thomas is so obviously missing?”

Jesse grinned. “Well now, Charlie, I never did take you for a fool, so why are you asking me such a stupid question? Take a look at her, would you? Don’t you think this lady is prettier than old Tommy? I sure do. And I can tell you one thing, she smells better, too.”

Charlie laughed. And Jesse escaped simply because another limo had pulled up and unloaded a new set of celebrities.

“Jesse Eagle and guest,” Jesse said, handing over the invitations as they entered the doorway leading into the main ballroom. The two envelopes had arrived at the house earlier by special messenger, but without a word of explanation or apology.

Damn him to hell and back anyway, Jesse thought. Tonight was Diamond’s night. She was as beautiful as her namesake and a whole lot softer. He didn’t know what he wanted more—to show her off, or to take her to bed. Either way, he couldn’t lose.

8

It was near the
witching hour. The ball was a rousing success, and everyone who was anyone in Nashville was in attendance. Diamond kept imagining she was dreaming, that any minute she’d wake up and see Queenie hovering over her bed, telling her it was time to get up and go to work at Whitelaw’s Bar.

“Are you having a good time?” Jesse asked. He’d been watching her face ever since they’d entered the grand ballroom. Her eyes had never been still, and he didn’t think he’d ever seen her so animated.

“I feel like Cinderella,” she said.

“Much better than that,” he teased. “I don’t have to go running all over Tennessee hunting for a woman to fit a glass shoe, and you don’t have any wicked stepmother hovering in the background, ready to ruin your chances for happiness.”

She tried to smile, but instead his teasing comment sent a thread of apprehension through her. She may not have a wicked stepmother, but there
was
Tommy.

“Okay, Prince Charming,” she said. “Since I’m not going to turn into a scullery maid at midnight and the limo won’t turn into a pumpkin, will you get me something to drink?”

“It will be my pleasure, m’lady,” he said, and in front of everyone around them managed a sweeping bow, kissed her hand, and then walked off, laughing good-naturedly at the teasing he took because of it.

Shock, pleasure, and a faint flush swept across her face as Jesse went to fill her order.

A woman wearing gold lamé and what seemed like a ton of diamonds watched from across the room. Her eyes glittered like the dress she was wearing as Jesse Eagle turned and walked away from Diamond. A small, feral smile slid across her lips as she remembered the phone call earlier at her home and the promise that she’d willingly made. She handed her drink to a passing waiter and made her excuses to the people beside her.

“We haven’t had the pleasure,” she said, digging her long nails into Diamond’s arm before sliding them down to grasp her hand in a limp handshake. “I’m Selma Bennett.”

Diamond smiled and shook the woman’s hand. Before she had a chance to introduce herself, the woman continued.

“And who might you be, my dear? I couldn’t help seeing you with Jesse Eagle.”

“My name’s Diamond—Diamond Houston.”

Selma’s smile was just above a sneer. “Diamond! How…unique! With a name like that, you’ve got to be an…entertainer.”

Diamond knew this woman had not walked across the crowded room to make friends. She’d lingered on the word
entertainer
too long to make it anything but a slur.

“My name is Diamond,” she said. “My father had a vivid imagination.” She didn’t feel obligated to add anything else to the explanation.

Selma’s mouth thinned. She didn’t like people who were born with such obvious assets. And this woman had assets. A beautiful face and body, and a name that matched. She fumed silently as her pale blue eyes swept across Diamond’s face. To Selma, it seemed there was no justice in this world.

It had taken Selma over thirty thousand dollars in plastic surgeons’ fees and numerous trips to fat farms to get herself to the point she was at now, and God only knew what would happen in the next five years as she aged. Her envy prompted another dig.

“So…Diamond…what do you do? Besides hang out with Jesse Eagle?”

Diamond wished heartily that Jesse would come back so she could make her excuses without being obviously rude. She had no way of knowing who or what Selma Bennett was, or if she could hurt Jesse’s career. Diamond could do nothing other than answer.

“I’m a singer,” Diamond said.

Selma’s mouth stretched into a wide smile, and then she laughed aloud, causing several people to turn and watch their conversation. Selma was well known in Nashville, but only for her vicious tongue and the amount of her third ex-husband’s alimony payments.

“Oh, my God,” Selma said. “Another one. Hell, honey,” she said. “This is Nashville. Everyone here’s a singer—or sleeping with one.”

Her eyes glittered as she watched for Diamond’s reaction, hoping her barb had hit home.

“Really? Which one are you?” Diamond asked.

Selma gasped.

Several people around them smiled and turned away so that Selma would not see them laugh. They loved it. Selma Bennett was not a popular person, but she was too rich to ignore and consequently turned up at events such as these.

“Just who do you think you are?” Selma whispered angrily.

“I know who I am and why I’m here,” Diamond said quietly, tapping a finger against Selma’s gold-covered shoulder. “And don’t think that just because you know the names of the people in this room and I don’t, that I’m going to be intimidated by the likes of you. Where I come from, someone like you wouldn’t last five minutes.”

With that, Diamond turned and walked away, moving through the crowd in search of Jesse while her stomach tied itself in knots. She couldn’t believe she’d just done that. And to a woman who was wearing more money than Diamond had ever seen in her entire life.

“Hey, honey!” a woman called out.

Diamond turned at the sound of the woman’s childlike voice, half expecting to see Selma with an axe in her hand, ready to finish her off. It was a woman. But this time, it was one she recognized.

“Aren’t you—?” Diamond never got to finish her question.

The voluptuous blonde with a mountain of curls and a big red smile patted her on the arm and leaned forward.

“Yep,” the blonde said. “It’s me. But never mind. That’s not why I stopped you. I couldn’t help overhearing what ol’ Selma said to you.”

She giggled, and Diamond grinned in spite of the fact that she was actually talking to—

“Don’t let people like her get to you,” the woman continued. “When I first came to Nashville I was as green as a gourd and twice as useless. Shoot! All I could do was sing and play guitar. People took one look at me—or I should say my body, since they hardly ever got to my face…. Anyway, they pretty much ignored me. It took me years to be taken seriously.” She gently tapped her fingernail on Diamond’s arm. “Don’t let what people say about you matter. It’s what’s inside your heart that counts. And you can take that to the bank, sugar.”

With that she winked and walked away on heels almost as high as her hair.

Diamond grinned. In the space of five minutes, she’d just met a real bitch and a real lady.

“There you are,” Jesse said as he walked up behind her. “I lost you, darlin’.”

“No you didn’t,” Diamond said as she turned and whispered softly so that no one except Jesse heard what she said. “You’ll never lose me.”

Jesse’s eyes darkened. His mouth slid into a sensuous smile as he set the glasses of champagne onto a table and grabbed her hand instead.

“Something tells me you’ve been busy while I was gone. Remind me to thank whoever it was that put that glitter in your eyes, honey.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “Are you ready to try out that limo’s big back seat?”

She nodded.

“Then I think it’s time to say goodnight, Diamond.”

“Goodnight, Diamond,” she repeated dutifully, and then grinned at the look of surprise on his face before he leaned his head back and laughed aloud.

The ride home was long and fruitful.

“You and your lady made the papers,” Tommy said as Henley showed him into Jesse’s living room the next day. He tossed a clipping into Jesse’s lap and looked around. “Where is she? Out spending some more of your money?”

Jesse picked up the clipping, a photo from the entertainment section of the local newspaper, and held it to the light. It had been taken just after their arrival, when they were talking to the talk-show host outside the hotel. Even the grainy, black-and-white snapshot couldn’t hide Diamond’s beauty or the excitement she’d been feeling. It was there for anyone to see.

Jesse smiled, ignoring Tommy’s barbed comment. He figured he’d overlook it, considering the fact that Tommy’s left eye was a rich shade of purple and green and his nose was still a bit swollen.

“She takes a real good picture,” Jesse said. “It will make album covers easier, I suppose.”

Tommy swallowed a curse and started to stuff a cigarette into his mouth when Henley entered the room and stared at him pointedly.

“Shit!” Tommy muttered, stuffing the cigarette back into the package. Henley didn’t allow smoking inside Jesse’s house, and it angered Tommy immensely that Jesse let him get away with it. He couldn’t understand the relationship that existed between Jesse and his houseman. Sometimes they even acted like friends instead of employer/employee.

Henley’s eyebrows rose, but he refrained from comment other than to deliver the message he’d just received from Diamond.

“Miss Diamond will be back within the hour,” Henley said. “She told you not to wait supper for her, that she’d eat when she got back.”

“I’ll wait,” Jesse said.

“Yes sir,” Henley said. “I’ll put the food in the oven to warm.” He walked away, giving Tommy one last warning look.

“What’s she doing?” Tommy asked.

“I don’t know,” Jesse said. “She’ll probably tell me when she gets back.”

“Aren’t you afraid that she’ll sell what’s been going on between you two to the first tabloid that offers her money?”

Jesse glared. Tommy’s mind ran on one track, and it had no beginning or end.

“Why should she?” Jesse argued. “She isn’t desperate for money. She’s got some in the bank. Besides, she’s going to have more than she can spend when you get her a recording contract. Have you considered her options?”

Tommy plastered a smile into place and lied through his teeth. “There are a couple of houses I think might be interested,” he said. “All we need to do is get her demo cut, and then I can make my pitch.”