Part 13 (1/2)
Once they finished the soup and sandwiches, Rod presented her with a dish of b.u.t.terscotch pudding. With the tray somewhat cleared, she noticed a set of keys with strings of curled ribbon hanging from them. ”What are these for?” she asked, looking up at him. ”You already gave me house keys.”
”They're not house keys. I got you something you really need.”
Lowering the dish back to the tray, she looked up at him again, afraid to know how much he'd spent on her this time.
”You said your favorite color for this is white on our first date,” he gave her a clue.
Though she didn't remember specifically what she'd said to him, she knew she loved white cars, and the keys were a pretty solid indication that her suspicion was correct. ”Rod, you didn't? I can't accept a car.” Why couldn't he understand she didn't need his money or anything his money could buy?
”You'll like it. I knew it was perfect for you the minute I saw it.”
She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. Even he'd said there was more to their relations.h.i.+p than s.e.x. All the gifts made her feel their relations.h.i.+p was... something tainted. ”I don't need it,” she said softly.
”I know you're used to walking, but you'll get used to driving in no time.
You've got your license, don't you?”
She nodded, feeling numb. He'd done this for other women. She knew he had.
The spoiling, the lavis.h.i.+ng, the moving in and playing house. This was the same pattern, and she had no idea how to escape it.
Bethany's apprehension grew over the next week with every gift Rod gave her. The decorating and furnis.h.i.+ng of their bedroom, the hot tub he had installed because she came home so exhausted every day, the jewelry, the clothing, the flowers.
She never quite accepted any of it, but she couldn't out-and-out reject him either. The last thing she wanted to do was give him the incentive to send her away with all her consolation prizes.
If anything, he grew more affectionate every day and more eager to please.
They talked about babies every night at bedtime, as they held each other in the dark. He really didn't seem to mind they couldn't make love.
At work, she'd hired three new stylists, though the whole process made her feel horribly guilty. Rod had put her in the position of closing up shop or doing everything to make it successful by giving her the money and the renovations. She loved her salon too much to walk away from it, and so she did everything to make it a success. That meant, based on the amount of appointments they'd been getting, she'd have to hire at least two more stylists and a receptionist.
Beauty by Bethany had become a circus. There was never a moment to be idle, to take a break or have lunch. Even in her first year, when things had been promising, Bethany and her employees took frequent breaks.
Friday, at five o'clock, she'd never been more happy to leave her salon before. Her feet ached from standing for nine hours. She wanted to go. . .to Rod's house (the temptation for her to call it ”home” was strong) and have a quiet, romantic evening with the man she loved. She was ready to resume ”relations”, despite how tired she was.
Today, for the first time, she'd driven the car Rod gifted her, out of necessity. He lived too far away to walk, and he'd been working a lot to cover for his friends while they were in The Keys.
On the way to Rod's house, she stopped to get the ingredients for a romantic dinner. He wasn't home yet, giving her time to get everything started in the kitchen and to feed Cameron before she went up to their bedroom and picked out a beautiful nightgown from the endless supply of lingerie Rod bought for her. Though she wanted to take a bath to get out all the aches, she settled for a quick shower and body oil.
Rod had said he'd be home by at least 5:30, but she knew he'd stop for flowers. At a few minutes before 5:30, she slipped into the gown and the matching robe. Then she went downstairs to set the table, light the candles and pour the wine.
It dawned on her, at the sound of the front door, that she was setting out to seduce him. Everything she'd done in preparation pointed to the one thing he couldn't fail to miss: She wanted to make love with him.
Too late to be so embarra.s.sed, but she knew her face was bright red when he came into the kitchen. As she'd predicted, he had pink roses for her tonight.
His gaze didn't move to the table she'd set or to the stove to see what was cooking. All he saw was her. Setting the box of flowers across the arms of a chair, he moved over to her. ”G.o.d, you're beautiful, Bethany. You're better than a fantasy.”
How easy to get lost in his eyes, to be spellbound. She was immediately glad she'd unconsciously set out to seduce him. He deserved this every night.
”Did you do all this for me, sweetness?” he asked, drawing her close.
Her nod was barely there, but he smiled. ”I'm some lucky guy.”
She found it hard to breathe. If she breathed at all, his cologne and his nearness made her dizzy with longing.
As he'd said, she felt she was lucky too. Most women never had a minute with the perfect man. Most women settled for second best, wanting what they couldn't have. Bethany had everything she wanted, even if it didn't last.
The front door slammed one second before Rod's lips would have touched hers. He turned toward the kitchen entryway and she followed his example. A woman Bethany recognized from Rod's descriptions appeared there. JoJo was dressed in raggedy jeans and a braless tanktop that was scandalous in light of how full-breasted the woman was. Her expression was. . .expressionless.
The dog was the first to run to her, but Rod got her attention first.
Pulling away from Bethany, he threw his arms around his sister seconds later, exclaiming ”Josie!” with the same excitement a child would at seeing Santa.
Feeling out of place, Bethany wrapped her robe tighter around herself, as if s.h.i.+elding herself from harm.
”What're you doing here?” Rod asked.
”I live here, remember? I own the house. Any of this ring a bell?”
JoJo knelt to greet her dog, and so didn't catch Bethany's humiliation.
She'd had no idea this house didn't belong to Rod. Of course she knew the two of them lived together, but why would Rod invite her to live with him if it wasn't even his place to extend such an offer? And JoJo Summers looked mean enough to toss her out without batting an eyelash.
If Bethany made herself at home without the owner's permission, it was only right that she invite her to dine with them. ”Would you like to join us for dinner? I could set another plate--”
Without glancing at Bethany, JoJo straightened and said to Rod, ”I'll be staying awhile if I can get Morris to do his job for once.”
Bethany's embarra.s.sment tripled at the barbarous cold-shoulder she'd been given. Even worse that Rod didn't seem to care. He wasn't even bothering to introduce her.
Brother and sister proceeded to get into a heated, yet icy cruel argument like nothing Bethany had ever experienced with her only sibling. All she wanted to do was escape, but they blocked the exit unless she wanted to go out the patio doors to the semi-indoor pool in her nightie.
Putting her arms around her chest, she tried to be inconspicuous. Not that it mattered. As far as JoJo was concerned, she didn't exist any more than support bras did.
JoJo turned and walked out of the room with a muttered expletive.
”Where you going?” Rod fell immediately back into his little-boy-watching-Santa-disappear mode.
”I'm getting my suitcase and then I'm gonna have a workout.”
JoJo left them alone with that, Cameron following her up the staircase, and Bethany was overcome at how rude the woman was but even more hurt by how Rod completely forgot her.
He turned to her after a minute, as alive and in-tune with her as before the interruption. ”I'm sorry I didn't introduce you, but Josie doesn't let me anymore. She figures it never lasts anyway, so why waste her time. Don't take it personally.”
That apology only made Bethany wonder if his sister was simply realistic or down-right crude.
The mood had been spoiled. All she wanted to do was go put her clothes back on and hide in the only place she felt safe in this house now--the bedroom Rod called ”ours.”
He wouldn't let her change though, insisting his sister would be locked into the gym for a couple hours. JoJo was an ace at minding her own business, he said.
”Does it bother her, having you live in her house?” Bethany asked while they ate the romantic meal she no longer had an appet.i.te for. What she meant was ”having you and your girlfriends live in her house.”