Topaz Heat (Christian Romance) (The Jewel Series) (4 page)

Years ago, Tony had told Derrick that he reminded him of a nineteen year old version of himself. Derrick didn’t know why, because by the time Tony was nineteen, he was well on his way to becoming the tycoon everyone knew today.

Like Tony, Derrick had wanted out. Out of the poverty, off the streets, away from the fast money he could make if only he could sell his soul. So, over his mother’s very vocal objections, he took the job Tony offered all those years ago, accepted the education Tony paid for, and replaced the faceless father in his dreams with Tony Viscolli. If his mother thought that made him wrong, then he could do nothing to change that – because nothing would ever make him go back to the life he’d fled.

While he had attended college, he worked as Tony’s assistant doing whatever needed doing -- from carrying his luggage to caddying for him on the golf course, from touring potential companies to offering his ground floor opinion on their merit should Tony wish to purchase them. In the process, Tony opened his home and his family, giving Derrick a place of welcome where he had never felt welcome before.

The first time he’d walked into the Viscolli hotel in downtown Boston and seen the grand luxury, seen the faces of the elite as they moved through the lobby, watched the competence of the staff as they served the clients, he knew what he wanted to do for a living. He chose to study hotel management in school, and graduated within three years.

He had worked in this very hotel, first as a bellboy, then as kitchen help, and finally on the front desk and concierge station. He agreed with Tony, believing that as a future manager, he should experience as many of the positions within the hotel as he could. In the process, he had watched Bill Matheson run the place, creating a well-oiled machine that gave the clientele what they had come to expect from a Viscolli company – sleek luxury without a bump in the ride.

“Tony, I’m still just an assistant manager. I’m not qualified to manage yet. And this is your flagship.”

“Nonsense. You’re fully qualified.”

“I don’t have the experience –”

“Enough.” He sat forward and put his elbows on his knees. “You learned the technical stuff in college. You learned all the jobs here. You learned management in New York. You’re a natural with people, and you’re ready. None of those are questions.”

Derrick tried to cut him off, but Tony held up a finger to forestall the protest. “You also love this hotel. I could hire hundreds of people with more experience, but none of them would genuinely love this place like you do.” He sat back again. “My mind’s made up. I only hope I can afford the extortionist salary you are shortly to command.”

Derrick let out a breath to keep from shouting his excitement. When he was sure his voice would be smooth, he nodded. “Few know better than I about trying to argue with you when your mind is made up.”

Tony grinned. “I always said you were smart.” He rose. “Arrangements have already been made. My apartment in town is free. You may live there as long as you like until you find a place of your own.”

He set the glass on the table next to him and stood. “That’s a rather large place for a bachelor.”

Tony laughed. “No one knows that more than I. It’s large and lonely. It may encourage you to find me a sister-in-law to love and provide you a means to fill those rooms.”

Derrick shook his head. “You sound like your wife.”

“Don’t tell her that.” He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. “You’ll need a car, here. Your Mustang is in the hotel garage.”

His Mustang – his 1967 Mustang GT fastback – his Shelby. A Christmas present from Tony and Robin. He’d spent two wonderful years restoring her. Leaving her behind when he left for New York had broken his heart. He plucked the keys from Tony’s hand, immediately recognizing their weight.

“I took the liberty of having her detailed. If you need to go back to New York and tie up any loose ends, I can spare you for the weekend, but I would need you to start not later than Monday morning.”

“I appreciate that. I’ll head back right now, since it’s Friday. Give me the rest of the day to do business. Then I’m going to take the weekend all the way off.” He looked at his watch. It was only eight in the morning. He had read the e-mail from Tony a short thirteen hours ago. “I’m nearing burnout, and need to get outside for a while.”

Tony nodded. “Absolutely. I need you clearheaded.”

The phone on his desk sounded a tone. “Mr. V, your wife is on your private line.”

He held his hand out, and Derrick shook it. “Hey, don’t let Robin know I’m here. I’ll head on out to Hank’s Place right now and surprise her. Give me an excuse to drive, too. I’ll go to the airport after seeing her.”

Tony grinned as he walked to his desk. “She’ll like that. I’ll let the pilot know to be on standby and I’ll see you Monday morning.” He picked up the telephone and accessed his line. As he walked out, Derrick heard, “Hello,
cara
, how is the menu planning going?”

Margaret spoke into the telephone while typing something on her computer, so Derrick just winked good-bye in her direction as he left the office.

“I
can’t believe my husband didn’t tell me you were coming back to town,” Robin said, leaning across the table to squeeze his hand again. Papers and notebooks and menus covered the table.

“I didn’t know until about nine last night.” He added some honey to his coffee. “So, big surprise for all of us.”

“How long are you here for?”

“I hope forever, but we’ll see how it goes.” He took a long look at her. She hadn’t changed much in ten years. A small part of him would always carry the crush he’d had on her when he first met her. She wasn’t as thin as she had been then, but she’d needed the weight she’d gained. “You look really good, Robin. Life suits you.”

“That’s because I’m happy.” She stacked menus together and moved them to the table next to them to make room for the tray of pastries the waitress carried to them. “What about you? Are you bringing a girl home for my approval?”

A tug on his heart made him force a smile on his face, fearful she’d read the wistfulness he felt. “Not yet. One day, I hope.”

She nodded thanks to the waitress and selected something with raspberry and cream cheese. “Derrick, I have a feeling that when you fall, you’re going to fall hard.”

A face flittered through his mind. Wanting a different subject, Derrick said, “How’s Maxi?”

“She’s great. The twins keep her really busy, but she has someone come in a few times a week so she can get to her studio and paint.”

He leaned back where he sat, a look on his face that said he was accessing a decade worth of memories. “I saw them in New York when they were there for her show at the beginning of summer. How old are they now, four?”

“Yep. They just turned four.”

He shook his head, wanting to disbelieve the fact that four years had vanished in a breath. Then he asked the question he’d been waiting to ask, struggling to sound utterly disinterested in the potential answer. “What about Sarah? Married yet?”

“Don’t you think you would have gotten a wedding invitation?” Her cell phone vibrated next to a notebook. She pressed a series of buttons and returned her attention to him. “She’s okay. She moved out of her parents’ house when her mom put her dad in the home two years ago. I think she was really angry that her mom wouldn’t let her take care of him.”

“Why didn’t she?”

“His Alzheimer’s got worse, and Sarah was having to miss shifts at work. It was just a bad scene all around. Sarah’s had a hard time with it. So now she’s living with another nurse in a brownstone by the hospital. Nice girl.”

She fielded another text message so Derrick finished his coffee and stood. “You’re busy. I have a flight at noon back to New York anyway, and need to call ahead and have some things done and waiting on me.”

Robin waved her hand at her phone. “I’m sorry. Tony has me working on menus for about twenty restaurants right now.” She stood and hugged him. “Come by the house and have dinner.”

“I will. My return flight won’t get me home until after eleven tonight. But maybe tomorrow night.”

She started to speak, but her phone rang and interrupted her. As she answered it, she said, “I’m glad you’re back, Derrick.”

“Me, too.”

He squeezed her shoulder and turned to go.

SARAH
slowed the car as she came upon the sharp curve just before the entrance to Hank's Place. Just as she rounded the turn, she heard the squeal of tires and automatically cut her wheel to the right seconds before a silver car with black racing stripes flashed by heading in the other direction.

“Idiot,” she muttered, watching it disappear in her rearview mirror. Derrick DiNunzio had a car like that, and drove his car like that, and she always thought it was the dumbest thing in the world. Life was too precious to risk it with some hopped up car that went way too fast and was far too powerful for human reflexes to control. It wasn’t just the driver in the car who was at risk, but anyone else on the road.

She had her heart rate back under control by the time she pulled into the parking lot and shut off her engine. Dismissing the speeding car from her mind, she strode into Hank’s Place.

Memories of her first two years with Robin and Maxine assailed her as she walked through the front door and immersed herself in the familiar smells and decor. Robin quit working at Hank’s after the birth of her first son. Had Sarah really never come back to this place since then?

She entered the dining area and immediately saw her oldest sister surrounded by stacks of menus and notebooks. “Hey.”

Robin grinned and jumped up to offer Sarah a hug. “Hey yourself! What a treat!” She gestured at the opposite chair and sat down again. “You’ll never guess who was just in here.”

The anticipation on Robin’s face coupled with the car she’d seen gave her all the hints she needed. She crossed her arms and offered, “Derrick DiNunzio?”

Robin’s jaw dropped. “How did you know that?”

“He left some slime here on the table.”

Robin grinned, shaking her head. “That’s not nice. Shame on you. And Derrick isn’t slime. How did you really know he was here?”

“There aren’t many silver Shelby’s out on the road, nor are there many drivers quite like Double D. He nearly ran me off the road.”

Robin laughed. “He’s here for good, he says. It’s so exciting. Kind of like a child coming home.”

Derrick wasn’t her favorite topic of conversation, so she changed the subject. “What’s Casey’s special today? I just came off shift and could use something other than the banana I ate coming over here.”

“Mmm, beef stew. It’s really good. Want some?”

She suppressed the shudder at the thought of consuming meat. “No. Just a salad, with vinegar dressing and no cheese.”

Robin waved a waitress over. “Pitiful.” Directing her attention to the waitress, she said, “Ask Casey if he’ll make Sarah a salad. He’ll know how.” Looking back to her sister, she said, “So, what’s up?”

“They’re painting my apartment today. Do you think I could stay at your penthouse tonight?”

Robin shrugged. “Of course. You know you don’t have to ask.”