Vegas Heat (29 page)

“Sez who?”

“Sez me. Sunny will have a field day. How do you plan to explain your condition to her when you get back?”

“I hadn’t thought that far ahead. I’ll be leaving in the morning. Would you mind driving me up, Fanny? Bess or Neal can follow behind and bring you back. I’d chance it if it was just me, but Jake changes things. Wanna have dinner tonight?”

“Yes and yes. You should come up and see what I did with your place. You’ll hate it.”

“Okay, but I have to call downstairs to get someone to come up and sit here while Jake is asleep. You go ahead and I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

While she waited for Ash, Fanny washed her face and brushed her hair. She stared at herself in the mirror. “I look like I’m seventy years old,” she muttered to her reflection. She turned around so she wouldn’t have to view her reflection and sat down on the edge of the tub. She thought about all the things Ash had said. She wasn’t sure why, but she believed him implicitly. She couldn’t help but wonder why her heart wasn’t shattered, why she wasn’t wounded to her soul. At what point had she fallen out of love with her husband? “Maybe I’ll never know,” she muttered.

“You here?” Ash shouted.

“Coming. So, what do you think?”

“Jesus, Fanny, this place looks like a hunting cabin in the mountains. This is supposed to be glass and chrome, black and white. Modern . . .”

“Shitful.” Fanny giggled. “You know me. I’m a nester. I had to redo it because I smashed all your stuff. It felt great. Come on, I’ll show you the rest of the place. By the way, don’t let me forget to take Daisy’s kennel tomorrow. When you go back down you can take Daisy for Jake to play with if you want. She loves little kids.”

“I suppose you got rid of all my black and white towels, huh?” Ash said opening the closet door. “For God’s sake, Fanny, do you have some kind of shoe fetish? You never had this many shoes in your life.”

Fanny leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest. “You know that guy I told you about, the one who put me in the pool? Well, he sent them to me. He’s got good taste in shoes, I can tell you that. He sends me a dozen yellow roses every single day.”

“No shit!”

Fanny started to laugh and couldn’t stop. “You should see yourself, Ash. I know you want to raise your eyebrows but . . .”

“Don’t make me laugh, Fanny, it hurts too bad.”

Fanny slid to the floor, still laughing. “I think he has the hots for me,” she managed to gasp.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. He came here on Thanksgiving, and I was drunk as a skunk. He’s the one who finally cooked dinner for the kids when they showed up. He even did the dishes.”

“Snatch that sucker right up, Fanny.”

“Nah. You know what I think my problem is, Ash? I think I’m a one-man woman.”

“Don’t say that to me, Fanny.”

“Okay. Forget I said it.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I know, Ash.”

“You know what I want to do, Fanny? I want to sit in one of those red chairs. By the way, where is Daisy?”

“At the groomers getting gussied up for Jake. She’s getting her nails cut and her coat trimmed. She loves the blow dryer.”

“I’d love it too if somebody blew warm air all over my body”

“Really,” Fanny drawled.

“Yeah, really.”

“I’m fresh out of warm air.” Fanny giggled.

“Now how did I know you were going to say that?”

“That doesn’t mean I won’t have some later . . . say maybe around midnight when I take my break.”

“Wait a minute here. Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“What do you think I’m saying?”

“That you and me ... me and you . . . like . . . you know . . . when we had our good times?”

“Uh-huh.”

“What are the conditions?” Ash asked, his tongue thick in his mouth.

“No conditions. No strings.”

“I’d be a fool to turn that down.”

“I’d say so.”

“You sound pretty sure of yourself,” Ash said. Fanny loved the uncomfortable look on his face. “Is this going to be a performance kind of thing?”

“Whatever you want it to be. I think, Ash, I can sizzle the socks right off your feet. You think about that, okay? You have to put a towel over your head though; otherwise, I’ll laugh and it won’t be good.”

“Jesus, Fanny, what kind of talk is that?”

Fanny giggled. “Do you remember how you used to want me to talk dirty to you? Well, guess what, I learned a whole new language.”

“Goddamn it, Fanny,” Ash blustered.

“Your face is red, Ash. I think Daisy’s home.”

“Thank God,” Ash muttered. He needed time to think about this conversation.

Fanny laughed as she sashayed her way to the front door, her buttocks jiggling.

Daisy raced into the room and leaped onto Ash’s lap, licking his face and neck and woofing softly.

“You can take her down with you if you want. You won’t let Jake squeeze her or anything like that, will you?”

“He’s good with animals. He’s a gentle little boy, Fanny.”

“Okay. Call me when you want me to pick her up. What time do you want to have dinner?”

“How does eight sound?”

“It sounds good.”

“The place looks homey, Fanny. You’re comfortable here, aren’t you?”

“Yes and no. I miss the yard and the flowers. When that happens I go down to the hanging gardens and walk around. It’s okay for now.”

“And later?”

“We’ll deal with later when later comes. We can have dinner here in the penthouse if you’re uncomfortable with people seeing you. Or we could do the private dining room. You decide and let me know when I pick Daisy up. Ash Thornton, you’re afraid of me, aren’t you?”

“Where’d you get a cockamamie idea like that?” Ash said, his face reddening again.

“I just have to look at you to know.” A devil perched itself on Fanny’s shoulder. “I’ll go easy on you.”

“That’ll be the day,” Ash snorted, his neck as red as his face.

“Uh-huh,” Fanny grinned.

The intercom in the foyer buzzed. Fanny raced from the bathroom, spritzing perfume as she went along. “Yes?”

“Mrs. Thornton, we have a delivery for you.”

“Send it up, Martin.”

Fanny’s jaw dropped minutes later when a parade of young men carrying poinsettias marched into the room. “Good lord, how many are there?” she gasped.

“One hundred. They were sent in their own delivery truck from San Diego. They have a large poinsettia farm there,” one of the young men said.

“Is there a card or message?”

“Not that I know of, Mrs. Thornton. I signed for them. It sure looks like Christmas.”

“Yes, it does. Who in the world is going to water them?”

“Call down to the florist. I’m sure they’ll be glad to oblige.”

“Hey, anybody home?” Bess called out from the doorway. “Oohhh, are they from you know who? I like his style. I love multiples of anything. John’s romantic leanings are one rose, one donut, one of whatever. Although, sometimes less is more if you know what I mean. I heard some stories on the floor. Want to talk about it?”

“I’m so sorry, Fanny. Are you okay with all of this?” Bess asked when Fanny wound down. “You look kind of peculiar.”

“That’s because I propositioned my ex-husband. For the first time in his life he was flabbergasted. I can’t believe I did it. I don’t even know why I did it. It seemed like the thing to do at the moment.”

“The question is, are you going to follow through?”

“What would you do if you were in my place?”

“Oh, sweetie, I’d go for it. All the way This is a whole new ball game, and the playing field is yours. It is what it is.”

“I’m actually tingling at the thought. Just at the thought. I must be out of my mind. Stop and think about it, Bess. I’m divorced from Ash, I married his brother who turns out to be some . . . someone I didn’t know . . . and I’m just walking away from that person and hitting on my ex. What does that make me?”

“Horny?”

“It’s been a while.” Fanny grinned.

“Probably longer for Ash.” Bess’s face was so blank, Fanny poked her on the arm. She burst into laughter.

“He’s worried. He used the word performance. I don’t think he ever used that word in his entire life, much less thought about it. He’s thinking about it now though.”

“Marcus Reed?”

“A friend. For now.”

“Later?”

“I try not to think about later. I’ve been hearing that question too much of late. Sallie told me once that later never comes.” Fanny paused. “Do you believe that, Bess?”

“Yes. When later comes it’s the here and now. You never really get to later if you know what I mean.”

“I want to feel something where Simon is concerned. A sense of loss. Grief, something. I shouldn’t be feeling anger and relief.”

“Why not?” Bess asked. “They’re both honest emotions. You always say it is what it is. One day at a time.”

“I loved him, Bess. I never saw what Ash saw. There were little things at times that didn’t compute, but I negated them. Then there were bigger things I pretended not to see. It was easier that way. It all died in me when he refused to understand my feelings where Sunny and Jake were concerned, but even then I didn’t see what I’d been blind to. Listen, let’s talk about something else. Can you follow me in your car to Sunrise tomorrow? Ash is nervous about driving with Jake after . . . the beating Simon gave him.”

“Sunny?”

Fanny shook her head. “I won’t even go in. We’ll just drop them off and turn around and come back. She’ll understand my presence on the mountain when she sees her father.”

“Maybe the holidays . . .”

Fanny shook her head. “No one has heard from Birch. I’m hoping he comes home or calls. I keep getting this sick feeling in my stomach when I think about my children. I want so badly for things to go right for them, but I realize I can’t live their lives for them. We learn from our mistakes. Strange coming from me, eh?”

Bess hugged her friend. “C’mon, it’s time to go downstairs and do what you do best, charm the customers.”

“That’s what Sallie used to do.”

“You aren’t Sallie. You don’t sing. You socialize. Remember that lady from Edison, New Jersey? I rest my case.”

“Ash, is it my imagination or are you just picking at your food? You love prime rib, and this is done to perfection. The baked potato has everything you like, cheese, butter, sour cream, chives, bacon bits.”

“It’s hard to chew, Fanny It’s even harder to open my mouth to get the food in.”

“Ash, I’m sorry. I didn’t think. Would you like some coffee or a milkshake?”

“No thanks. Fanny . . .”

“You’re having second thoughts about . . . later?” It was a question more than a statement.

“If you were in my place, wouldn’t you?”

“I don’t think so. Are you trying to let me down easy?”

“Of course not. Why would you say something like that, Fanny?”

“You seem so jittery. It has been a long time for us.”

“I have a good memory.”

“So do I, Ash. Let’s do this. Have Mrs. Gonzales baby-sit in your suite. I’ll leave the door of the penthouse open. Go up and wait for me. We can have a drink and talk or we can . . . do other things. And, Ash, take the word performance out of your vocabulary Think in terms of an old shoe and an old sock.”

“Jesus, Fanny, that’s not very romantic.”

Fanny laughed. “Here sits a man who has been called a legend in his own time, a man whose sexual prowess is legendary. And then there’s me, the ex-wife who never quite had it all together where you were concerned, intimidating you. Gotta go, Ash, duty calls. If you change your mind, leave a note on my door.”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you, Fanny?”

“Uh-huh.” Fanny tweaked Ash’s ear. She laughed when she heard him groan.

She was still laughing when she walked out onto the casino floor.

Heading straight for her was Marcus Reed.

Fanny felt a head rush. Her step faltered. “Marcus!”

“Good evening, Fanny. You look lovely. Was your opening last night everything you wanted it to be?”

“And more. My grandson loved everything. He fell asleep on his feet twice. Did I misunderstand you? I thought you said you were leaving?”

“I was supposed to, but there were some loose ends to tie up. I did manage to get close to the front windows. I’m not much for crowds, so I contented myself by pressing my nose to the glass and staring. I’m glad things worked out. You can’t buy the kind of media coverage you received last night. It will continue for the rest of the month.”

“You worked like a Trojan, Marcus. It’s a shame you didn’t get your share of billing.”

Marcus shrugged. “That’s not important to me. I did it because I wanted to do it. I was wondering if you’d like to have a drink with me.”

“I’d love to have a drink with you. Your poinsettias arrived a little while ago. My goodness, Marcus, they must have cost a fortune. You shouldn’t do things like that.”

“Why?”

“Why ... because it’s so extravagant.”

“Do they make your apartment festive? Do you like the colors? Does it make everything very Christmasy?”

Fanny laughed. “Yes. Yes. Yes. I adore the holidays. Everyone seems so real at this time of the year. They’re kinder, nicer, that kind of thing. Are you fond of the holidays?”

“Very much so.”

“How long are you staying, Marcus?”

“Another hour or so. I wanted to say good-bye. I left rather abruptly the other day. If your invitation is still open, I’ll be back for Christmas.”

“Of course. I’ll just have coffee. I have a long night ahead of me. My friend Billie and her husband are here, and I want to spend some time with them before they leave tomorrow.”

“Coffee it is. Fanny, there’s a rumor on the street. I heard it this afternoon. Are you aware of it?”

“If it’s what I think it is, yes. I try never to discuss my family with ... other people. I don’t mean to offend you.”

“Not at all. Is Mr. Thornton all right?”

“The elder Mr. Thornton is ... okay. The younger Mr. Thornton ... the best answer I can give you is I don’t know. Where are you headed this time, Marcus?”

“Back to Chicago.”

“What do you do, Marcus? You never said.”

“In some circles I’m referred to as a hired gun. In other circles they call me an advance man or a troubleshooter. My services are for hire. People call on me when things go wrong with their businesses. I assess the situation, make suggestions, offer remedies that I feel will work. It’s interesting, but I never know where I’ll be from one day to the next. It doesn’t make for a very stable lifestyle. I get tired of hotel rooms, living out of suitcases and eating in restaurants. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a tall glass of cold milk. Sometimes I yearn to cook a hot dog and load it with everything. One of these days I might retire and do all those things.”

Fanny smiled. “Somehow I can’t see you in slippers reading the evening paper while a dog poops on the carpet. You are so ... bankerish. Is there such a word?”

Marcus threw his head back and laughed till tears gathered in his eyes. “You could be right. You’ve given me food for thought. Tell me, have you heard from your son?”

“No. I’m hoping he calls or writes soon. If we’re lucky, he might come home for Christmas. The boys always loved the holidays. I say a prayer every night.”

“How are the rest of your children?”

“If you mean Sunny, I can’t answer that. I hope she’s well. Sage and Billie are fine.”

“And how are you, Fanny? I’m asking because I am genuinely concerned about you. You can’t be all things to all people. You need to be your own person.”

“I tried that, Marcus. I wasn’t very successful. Sometimes I don’t think there is a Fanny Thornton. I’m somebody’s mother, somebody’s ex-wife, somebody’s wife, somebody’s friend. My husband is divorcing me. That makes two bad marriages. It doesn’t say much for me. I have to think about that.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Fanny. Maybe it wasn’t you, maybe it was the two men you were married to. Don’t be so quick to shoulder all the blame, and don’t listen to other people when they feel compelled to blame you. Until they walk in your shoes, they have no right to pass judgment.”

“Thank you for saying that, Marcus. Life is never easy, is it?”

“Life finds a way of interfering in everyone’s life. That’s why it’s called life, I guess. We are philosophical this evening. Whatever it is that’s troubling you, Fanny, will pass. Time is a wondrous healer in all things.”

“I’ll remember that.”

“I enjoyed the coffee, Fanny, and your company.” Marcus smiled as he brought Fanny’s hand to his lips. She flushed. “Fanny, are you going to have a Christmas tree?”

“Of course.”

“A real one or a plastic one?”

“Bite your tongue. Real of course.”

“Would you be amenable to going with me to the mountains to pick one out? I haven’t done that in years. My childhood must be catching up with me. I could come early unless you want to decorate ahead of time.”

“I’d like that. Let’s say the day before Christmas Eve.”

“It’s a date.”

Fanny felt flustered. “Do you mean it’s the date, meaning the day on the calendar, or it’s a date as in ... date?”

“Both.”

“Oh. I haven’t had a date in years,” Fanny confessed.

“Me either. I’m sure there’s a book on it somewhere.”

“I’m sure.”

“Good-bye, Fanny ”

“Good-bye, Marcus. Have a safe trip.”

“Tell me, how much did you win?” Fanny asked, a lilt in her voice.

“Two bucks,” Thad said. “Billie won eighty dollars about an hour ago, and she has five dollars left.”

“I love it when a customer loses money It’s going to be a long month. We’re jammed to capacity. The hotel is booked solid through January 3. We’re taking in a record amount of money.”

“Fanny, what’s wrong? Don’t tell me nothing. I know you too well, and I can see that all is not right with your world.” Billie’s voice was gentle as she led Fanny away from the crowds.

“Here, Thad, play my last five dollars, and if you lose it, we’re going home.”

Fanny rattled off the day’s happenings. “How is it possible I didn’t see, didn’t hear, didn’t know or even suspect, Billie? I blocked it out, didn’t I?”

“You were in love in the beginning. Yes, Fanny, you blocked it out. You didn’t want to believe what was going on. How much longer do you think you would have let things go on before you woke up and did something?”

“I think I had already made my decision on our anniversary Yes, I loved Simon, but that sick love, and it was sick love, cost me my daughter. I’ve had it with love and marriage. I’m going to grow old by myself.”

“Fanny, you said you had one good year. Some people never even get that. It happened, it didn’t work and you don’t look back.”

“I feel like such a fool.”

“We’ve all been down that road. I don’t know a single woman who hasn’t felt that way at one time in her life. It’s behind you. Are you sure Ash is okay?”

“He said he was. He looks awful. He’s concerned about Jake. I’ll be driving them home in the morning. When are you leaving?”

“Around noon. We could delay takeoff and have lunch. That’s so I can brag about my wonderful Japanese-American grandson.”

“Okay, sounds good to me.”

“Didn’t you leave something out of our conversation, Fanny?”

“You mean Marcus?”

“Yes, Marcus.”

“I don’t know how to talk about him. I know that must sound strange to you. He’s a very nice person. He sent me a hundred poinsettias earlier. He does everything in such high numbers. I think he overwhelms me. He’s a friend.”

“Relationships are always best when they start out with friendships. Thad and I are the living proof. I didn’t know love could be like this. It’s what I wish for you, my friend.”

“I think, Billie, my life is destined to turn out like Sallie’s. Don’t pooh-pooh this away. I’ll live with that, too. I’m tired of fighting the tide. If something is meant to happen, it’s going to happen. Ahhh, see that crowd! I think your husband just won one of our jackpots!”

“Are you kidding? Where! Do you do those bells and whistles every time someone wins?”

“Yep. That’s to give the other customers hope that they, too, can win. Let’s see how much he took the house for.”

“Five thousand dollars!” Thad said hoarsely.

“Darling, that’s wonderful! Now you can buy me a present from one of these exquisite shops.”

Fanny posed for the obligatory pictures before she walked away to meet Bess.

“Fanny, wait a minute. I need to ask you something. I must be getting senile because each time I see you, it’s on my mind, then I lose my train of thought. I want to close the books, and we never did reconcile that money Ash paid out once a month under cash. Five thousand a month is sixty thousand a year. That’s a large sum of money. What should I charge it against? Did you ever ask him?”

“No, I never asked him. I will tonight.”

“He’s still writing the checks.”

“Still?”

“Yes. He doesn’t fill out the memo part. The signature on the back is just a scrawl. I suppose I could call the bank, but I didn’t want to do that without talking to you first.”

“I’m seeing Ash later, and I’ll ask him. He shouldn’t be writing checks on the business account. We’ll talk about it in the morning. I’m off at twelve.”

“Why don’t you go up now? I can handle things down here. Jake might still be awake, and you can tuck him in.”

“I just love that little boy. He reminds me so much of Birch and Sage when they were little. He asks a million questions and expects an answer. If the answer isn’t something he likes, he asks again and expects a different response. Ash is so good with him, and Jake adores him. Okay, Bess, it’s all yours.”

Fanny stepped from the elevator, her eyes squeezed shut. She opened them expecting to see a note stuck to her door. Her breath exploded in a loud sigh when she saw that her door was bare. “This is good.”

The blaze of red that greeted her made her blink. She really needed to disperse the plants, position them better so they weren’t such an eye-blinder. She shed the red velvet gown and pulled on a silky hostess gown. Her high heels were replaced with feathery slippers that matched the gown. The word assignation rippled through her mind. She smiled.

It took her all of thirty minutes to arrange the poinsettias in every room of the penthouse. “Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous,” she trilled. She looked at her watch; 11:15. Time to sit down and go through the contents of the manila folder. She read the nine-page report slowly as she tried to digest the contents. Now, after all these years, the agency had finally located Josh Coleman, Sallie’s older brother.

Fanny read and reread the report. Josh was a widower with three children, two daughters and a son. He had three grandchildren, a boy and two girls. He lived on a five-hundred-acre farm in Mc Lean, Virginia, and raised Thoroughbred horses. The report said he was seventy-nine years old and in robust health. The summary at the end of the report read: Subject appears to be an upstanding citizen. His colleagues and friends have honored him many times for his contributions to the equestrian world. The Coleman farm is prime real estate. Subject’s bank balance is not robust. His children are hardworking, upstanding citizens. Grandchildren are also hardworking. One grandchild (a boy) is mentally retarded. The elder Mr. Coleman is said to be devastated that the Coleman name is lost to the family. End of report. Attached to the last page was the bill for the agency’s services.

Tomorrow morning she would make a copy of the report and give it to Billie to take back to Washington. Why was it that sometimes the important things in life only came to light when it was too late? Sallie would have given up her entire fortune to find this brother.

Fanny looked at her watch. Ten minutes to twelve. Almost the witching hour. She felt her heart take on an extra beat when the doorbell rang five minutes later. She swore her blood was singing in her veins as she ran to the door. She took a deep breath and thrust it open.

“Daisy’s sleeping with Jake. Is that okay?”

“Sure.”
He’s nervous and jittery
. “Would you like a drink, Ash?”

“Well sure. Scotch on the rocks. Make it a double.”

Fanny’s eyebrows shot upward. Her smile was lazy when she walked over to the bar.
He’s afraid of me. He needs the scotch to go through with this.

“I’m not wearing anything under this gown, Ash. It looks to me like you’re
... bundled up
. How long do you think it will take you to get out of all those clothes?”

“For God’s sake, Fanny, I just got here. I need to finish my drink.” Scotch dribbled down Ash’s chin. Fanny tried not to smile.

“Why don’t I help you so we can move things right along here.”

“You’re taking all the ... fun out of this,” Ash sputtered.

“Do you want me to start talking dirty to you now or as you undress?” Fanny leaned over his chair and whispered in his ear. She felt the hot flush that stained his neck and his ears.

“Where’d you learn ... stuff like that?” Ash sputtered.

“Just you never mind where I learned it,” Fanny drawled. She whispered in his ear again. She swiveled his chair until he was facing the couch. With both hands on his shoulders she propelled him forward. He landed in an undignified heap.

“I’m waiting,” Fanny singsonged.

“Stop rushing me.”

“Are you sure you can get it up, Ash? I’m going to be really upset if you’re leading me on.”

“It’s up! It’s up!” Ash squawked.

“But is it
hard?”

“Like a steel rod.”

“You always used to say that and you lied. I wanna see.”

“You’ll see it when I’m ready to show it to you.”

“You never used to be afraid to show it to me. You used to want me to take
pictures!”

“I’m not afraid!”

“Then why are you undressing under the afghan?”

“Because it’s goddamn cold in here.”