VINA IN VENICE (THE 5 SISTERS) (12 page)

Determined to prove
their relationship was the same as it had always been, Vina launched into a conversation about their joint real estate ventures.
  And if she seemed to be talking faster than normal or rattling on about things they’d discussed before, Travis didn’t mention it.  She was relieved when they finally reached the stadium
, and even managed to keep a smile on her face when she slipped Travis’ jacket on and held out her arms so he could roll the sleeves
up
.

“It looks good on you,” he sai
d with a grin.

“Oh yes,” Vina did a little pirouette, “it’s a total fashion statement.”

Travis grabbed the blanket and closed the trunk.  “Maybe you should consider modeling men’s sportswear.  I
bet you’d sell millions.”

“I’ll take that into consideration if the real estate thing doesn’t work out.”

“That real estate thing had
better
work out.  I’ve entrusted half my savings to you and don’t relish going back to bartending to subsidize my income.”

“You could always sell your Ferrari.”

Travis casually dropped his arm across her shoulders as they began to walk.  “
And I suppose you would feel obligated to buy it?”

“Of course,” she quipped, “that’s what friends are for.  I might even let you drive it once in awhile.”

“That’s one of the things I love you
,” he said dryly
.
  “
You’re all heart, baby.”

***

By the end of the second quarter, Vina
began
to relax and was acting more like her old self.
 
Travis had been extremely cautious about doing anything that would put her on edge again, biding his time until h
alfway into the
third quarter.  Their team had just scored a touchdown and was leading by three points, and the crowd was beginning to settle down as the other team took possession of the ball.

It had gotten progressively colder as the afternoon wore on, and he’d noticed with amusement that although Vina was shivering, she stubbornly refused to ask for the
blanket. 
Her jaws were clenched to keep her teeth from
chattering, and she’d buried her hands between her knees for warmth.  It was time to throw his sweet, little Vina off balance again.

“Give me your hand,” he said.

“Wh-what?” Vina looked startled
.

“You heard me.  And don’t argue.  Just as I thought,” his tone was reproachful as she hesitantly slipped her icy fingers into his outstretched palm. 
Travis enveloped her hand between his own, gently rubbing warmt
h back into it before taking her other hand and doing the same. 
“You should have said something.
  You don’t want to fly off to Venice with a bad cold, do you?
”

“N-no.  I
g-guess I
didn’t realize it w-was getting so ch-chilly.”

“Here, let’s get you warmed up.”  He spread the blanket over their laps then slipped his arm around Vina and pulled her snugly to his side.  “Better?”

“Uh
,
huh
.”

Travis fought to keep the smile off his face.  Beside him, Vina was stiff as a board,
al
though her body temperature was steadily creeping higher
.  A sidelong glance at her stony
expression
convinced Travis she was floundering for control of her emotions, despite the
impassive
façade.  Her cheeks were flushed
, though her complexion was pale, and
she was gnawing on her bottom lip.

He wasn’t entirely unaffected by her nearness either.  The citrusy scent of Vina’s hair, the fire that burned all along his thigh where their
legs
touched, the feel of her head
lightly resting on his shoulder
; combined, they were as heady as wine
.  His senses were on serious overload
, and if he wasn’t so sure Vina would jump out of her skin, he would have given in to the overwhelming urge to kiss her. 

Travis suddenly had the sinking feeling that the game he was playing was going to be far more torturous for him than it was for her.
 
Even so, the pleasure of having her tucked so close to his body outweighed the agony of not being able to possess her lips.  Well, almost anyway. 

Eventually, Vina’s tension began to ease and they were once again caught up in the excitement of the football game.  With less than three minutes left of the last quarter and their team now trailing by four points, he and Vina were huddled together, anxiously watching
the ball bein
g driven closer and closer to the end
zone.
 
With thirty seconds left on the clock,
everyone in the stadium jumped to their feet when
the Quarterback faked the pass
and ran the ball up the middle for a touchdown. 

Travis had always admired Vina’s enthusiasm for the game.  It was the only time she truly cut loose, whooping and cheering along with the crowd whenever their team scored.  It was no different now.  Her eyes were bright and shinning, her smile simply radiant as she threw her arms around his neck and let out a jubilant, carefree laugh.

“We won!  Oh, my God, that was amazing.  Did you see that fake…oh, how stupid.  Of course, you saw it.  What a fantastic game!  I’m so glad you didn’t let me…well, you know.”

“Chicken out?”
Travis supplied with a grin.

“It was childish, I know
.
” She extracted herself from his arms and picked up the blanket that had fallen to the ground when they’d jumped up.  “
Can’t we just put it behind us and forget it ever happened?”

“I don’t know,” he
drawled
.  “I went through some pretty stressful mental anguish when you wouldn’t take my calls.”

Vina grimaced.  “I really am sorry for doing that to you…”

The noise from the fans
was deafening as the kicker scored the extra point.  There was no opportunity to continue their conversation as the game ended and they were swept along with the other people who were filing out of the stadium.
  Once they were back in his car, however, Travis turned to Vina.

“
I know how you can repay me for all the pain and suffering you caused.”

Vina eyed him suspiciously.  “I thought we agreed to forget it ever happened.”

“No, you suggested it, but I never agreed.  At any rate, how can I forget it unless you replace
memories of
that
dark period in my life with something better?”

“Oh, my God,” Vina rolled her eyes, “you are completely shameless, Travis Malone.  Emotional blackmail, that’s what this is.  Go ahead then, what’s
the price for tainting your life with painful memories?”

“Keep our date tonight.”

“Travis, I…I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“Because…it’s just not.”

“That’s not an answer. 
Are you scared?”

“Honestly?  Yes.  I’m scared I’ll make a complete fool of myself again.”

Travis nodded solemnly.  “I understand.  It’s a curse I’ve had to live with all my life – women throwing themselves at me, calling me all hours of the day and night just to hear my voice, begging me to kiss them senseless. 
They just can’t help themselves. 
It’s not easy being the object of every woman’s fantasy
, you know.”

Vina didn’t say anything.  Her mouth opened then closed again, as if she didn’t have a clue how to respond. 
She turned her head away
,
and
for a moment Travis thought she was crying.  Her slender shoulders began to shake and
the muffled noise she made sounded disturbingly like a sob.
 
But when she made the sound again, he realized Vina was valiantly trying to hold back her laughter.

Travis reached over and lightly touched her arm.  “Vina?  Did…did you just
snort
?”

Vina
clamped her hand over her mouth
, vigorously shaking
her head.  Then she made the mistake of glancing at his face and saw the lopsided grin he was sporting. 
She choked out something that might have been an apology,
and then
promptly lost it.  Her
laughter was
infectious
, the melodious lilt
wrapping around him like a warm blanket on a cold winter night.

“So, tell me,” he said, when she finally got control of herself, “was that snort a yes or a no?”

Vina dabbed at her eyes, quite obviously on the verge of another laughing fit.  “
I did
not
s
nort
.” 

“
If you insist, sweetheart.”  Travis started the car
and eased into the slow procession of departing vehicles
.  “If I pick you up at seven-thirty, that should give you plenty of time to get ready.”

“You’re being very pushy, Mr. Malone.”

“Persistent.  There’s a difference.”

“Uh, huh. 
Being such a…
persistent
man, you’ve probably never been turned down for a date in your life.”

“That’s not true.  Erma Hieronymus not only turned me down flat, she threw me over for one of my brothers.”

“Ah, yes, I remember you telling me about Erma.  She was your first love.”

“
She broke my heart.”

“Travis, you were in third grade.  It was a skating party,” she laughed.  “It’s time to stop lamenting the one that got away.”

Affecting a pathetically tragic
expression
, Travis shook his head. 
“I can’t believe you’re mocking my pain.  Don’t you know the first cut is always the deepest?”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I bet Erma deeply regrets it now.”

“You really think so?”

“Oh, yes,” Vina said, “she must feel
just
awful about it.
  For the rest of her life, Erma has to live with the stigma of being the only
female
to turn down
every woman’s fantasy man
.”

***

Vina stared at herself in the mirror.  “What are you doing?” she whispered.  “You’ve lost your mind, and if you’re not careful…”

“You’d better hurry up,” Kelsey called out from her bedroom.  “Travis is going to be here in twenty minutes and you haven’t even gotten dressed yet.”

“
I know, I know,” Vina
muttered as she hurried out of the bathroom wearing nothing but her bra and panties.  “Help me pick something out, Kels.”

Kelsey followed her into the walk-in closet.  “What look are you going for, sexy…seductive…?” 

“God, no!  Honestly, you guys have no idea how embarrassingly stupid I feel for kissing Travis.  I just want things to go back the way they were before, so nothing…” she grabbed the slinky
black
dress Kelsey was holding up and shoved it back
on the rack, “nothing provocative or even remotely suggestive,” Vina finished.

“I don’t see why you’re getting so worked up over one little kiss.  If Travis ever tried to kiss me, I’d be all over him like a cheap suit.”

Vina whirled on her sister.  “
Don’t even
think
about it!  Travis is
not
up for grabs, and don’t you forget it,” she shocked them both with her venomous tone.

“I
knew
it,” Kelsey said with a sly grin.  “You have the hots for him, don’t you?”

“I most certainly do not,” she denied, turning back to riffle through her dresses.  And to hide the furious blush that was inching up her neck and into her cheeks.  “
Why he practically had to blackmail me into going out with him tonight.  I just know what a womanizer he is, and…and I
wouldn’t
want to see you get hurt.”

“Such a magnanimous gesture; protecting your little sister’s heart.  How sweet,” Kelsey’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

“Are you just going to stand there irritating me, or help me find a dress?”

“What about the pink one with the crisscross bodice?”

“
Not even.  It draws attention to my chest.”

“Exactly!”

“Kelsey…”

“Fine.  This one is nice,” she held up the emerald green cocktail dress Vina had bought for the company Christmas party.

“Travis was with me at the party, remember?”

“It seems to me if you’re
just friends
, it wouldn’t matter that he’d seen you in it before.”