Northern Rebel Daring in the Dark - By Jennifer Labrecque Page 0,134
he’d decided that last night was something special, that whatever it was between them was something special. Nope. Elliott’s number flashed on the display.
“Hi, Elliott.”
“Tawny, is Simon still there?”
“No. Try him on his cell,” she said. Why hadn’t he just called Simon in the first place? She didn’t have time to play operator. She was too busy being miserable.
“I don’t need to talk to him. I just wondered if he was there. I need to come over.” Excitement tinged his voice. She wasn’t up for any of Elliott’s drama.
“I don’t think so, Elliott. This is bad timing. I’m just not up to it.”
“I’ve got something you need to see.” He sounded practically aquiver.
She was too lethargic and generally miserable to argue with him. Elliott, the self-absorbed, probably wanted to show her a promise ring he’d designed for Richard or something equally inane. “Whatever. Come on over.”
“Can I bring Richard?”
At least he’d asked permission. “Are the two of you joined at the hip now?”
Elliott laughed. “Naughty, naughty, Tawny.”
Ugh. Poor choice of words. “Forget I said that. Come over whenever.”
She kept herself busy tidying up her apartment and tidying herself up until Elliott arrived with Richard in tow. She might be rejected and dejected, but she didn’t have to look like a hag or live like a slob.
Elliott and Richard arrived bearing iced Frappuccinos and half a dozen bagels with cream cheese and a side of lox from Abrusco’s. Caffeine was good. Food was better.
She took the proffered food and placed it on the chest between the sofa and chair.
“Abrusco’s was Richard’s idea,” Elliott said. Obviously he wanted her to like Richard. She wasn’t sure she’d ever like him, but she’d aim for civility. “Thanks.”
“There’s a raisin-and-cinnamon with your name on it in there,” Richard said.
“My favorite. Thanks again.” She dug out the bagel and smothered it with fattening cream cheese. The better to blimp up with. She bit into it. Even a day old and unheated it was delicious.
“Don’t you want to know what it is Richard and I have to show you?” Elliott asked, pulling out an onion bagel.
“Elliott, this better be really good because I’m just not much in the mood.” Bagels or not.
“Let me guess.” He smeared lox over an onion bagel—now Richard could endure onion-and-lox breath. “You told Simon how you felt, he rationalized everything for you and then he left.”
“How’d you know? Did you talk to him?”
She’d rather have this conversation without Richard, but really it didn’t matter. And he’d been quiet. Not nearly as offensive this morning as he had been last night. Of course, she hadn’t sniped at him either.
“I didn’t have to talk to him. We’ve been friends for a long time.” He gestured toward her with a plastic knife. “I told you you’d have to fight for him.”
She felt empty inside. “I can’t make him love me if he doesn’t.”
“If he loved you, would you fight for him?”
She winced. She’d known Elliott to be thoughtless often but never cruel. “If I thought he loved me, you know I’d fight.”
Elliott smirked like the cat who’d just swallowed the canary. “I found out this morning Simon’s kept a big secret from me.”
“Yes?”
“I knew Simon was in love with someone—I just didn’t know who. And he’s not the kind of guy you press for details like that. And, well, I can be a little caught up in my own life, so I really hadn’t pursued it very hard.”
Was that a glimmer of self-awareness on his part? “You know, there is hope that you’re not a total narcissist.”
Richard sniggered but Elliott ignored her comment.
“I found out this morning just who Simon’s mystery woman is.”
Her heart shattered. Knowing Simon loved someone else was one thing. But really knowing...
“I thought you hadn’t talked to him,” she said.
“I haven’t, darling. But a picture’s worth a thousand words. Remember our engagement party at the gallery?”
“Of course I remember it. It was only two months ago and I planned it.” Why did Elliott have to spin everything out? “Does everything have to be a drama with you? Can’t you just get on with it? Who is she?”
“All in good time, Tawny. Indulge me for a moment. Richard took photos that night at our engagement party. We were looking back through them this morning.”
Richard pulled a photo out of a padded envelope she hadn’t noticed before and handed it to Elliott. Elliott passed it on to her. “What do you think?”
Simon, obviously unaware he was being captured on film, stared at someone