Part 9 (1/2)
Lauren nodded. ”I imagine it's strenuous at that alt.i.tude.”
”Exactly.”
He was toying with her. She'd tried not to judge his lax lifestyle, but calling him a ski b.u.m had probably given her away. If she was that easy to read, she was in big trouble.
”Actually, I was thinking about you.”
For one second her spoon froze over the cereal bowl before she willed it to scoop up a strawberry, as casually as if her heart hadn't just tripped over itself. ”How nice for you.”
He grinned, and she wondered if sarcastic defiance had been the wrong move. He seemed to love it every time she rose to his challenge.
Gerald stopped eating, looking between them with a puzzled expression. ”Did you two have a fight after I left last night?”
Drew's eyes never left hers. ”Of course not,” he a.s.sured Gerald. ”I adore my aunt Lauren.”
She gave him a tight smile. She wasn't going to touch that one. Instead, she answered Gerald. ”I spent several productive hours in my room last night, catching up on my work.” It was a blatant lie. She'd barely been able to concentrate on the fas.h.i.+on magazine she'd bought at the airport, much less the weighty budget reports in her briefcase. ”But I'm curious to hear what thoughts my nephew has labored over.”
Drew tilted his chair onto the back legs, and c.o.c.ked his head thoughtfully, as if he'd given his idea long and careful consideration. ”We need to cut your hair,” he said.
She didn't deliberate nearly as long over her response. ”I hope you didn't waste too much time thinking about my hair, because I like it the way it is.” Actually, Jeff liked it that way, long enough to wear down during the day, in a pony tail for playing tennis, or in a twist for dining out. Three different looks from one cut-a practical hairstyle.
”The way you like it isn't important. It has to look exactly like your sister's. Gerald said hers is now shorter than yours.”
”And layered,” Gerald reminded him. ”With wispy bangs.”
Drew nodded. ”Can't forget the wispy bangs.”
She chewed longer than necessary, stalling. ”And why would I want my hair to look exactly like Meg's?” she finally asked, feigning disinterest, even though she was afraid she was not going to like the answer.
”So you can pretend to be her tonight when we attend the party at the Watergate Hotel.”
She lowered her spoon and gave him a suspicious look. ”When we what?”
”It's a fundraiser. There's an invitation on my dad's desk, and he never misses an opportunity to work his contacts. Does he?” Drew turned to Gerald for confirmation.
”That's true. He planned to go.”
”And since he was unexpectedly called out of town, his son is filling in for him, and escorting his father's new wife.”
”He wasn't called out of town. He just told all of Was.h.i.+ngton he's on his honeymoon.”
”He came back,” Drew told her, apparently inventing a new scenario. ”Because of an important issue that just came up. Now he's tied up in meetings with the big money men back in Texas, and Meg-that's you-is stranded in Was.h.i.+ngton, with no escort to the party. Fortunately, her considerate new stepson is visiting and would love to accompany her.”
Lauren didn't like it. There would be too many questions. Besides, she wouldn't recognize anyone, and wouldn't know what was expected of her. ”Why?”
”Why not? To see what happens.” Drew reached for his coffee cup, cradling it on his flat stomach. ”To see how people react to this marriage, or whether someone tries to get you alone and steer you away from the party. We might learn something. More than we would sitting here, anyway.”
She frowned. ”You mean you want to use me as bait.”
”You'd be perfectly safe. As your escort, I'll be close by you all night.”
She refused to indulge the appealing mental image of Drew dancing her across a crowded ballroom and ignored the flush that crept to her cheeks. ”No.”
Gerald's mouth turned up in a smug, I-told-you-so smile. Drew must have run this idea by him earlier with the same result.
Drew seemed mildly irritated, but she couldn't tell if it was with her or Gerald. ”Why not?”
”Because it's stupid,” she told him. Gerald bit his lip and raised his coffee cup in front of his spreading grin. ”Did you forget someone tried to kidnap me?”
”We were taken by surprise. They've lost that advantage now.”
”Not good enough. Besides, a prominent senator doesn't suddenly disappear on his honeymoon, then rush back to town a day later without causing a lot of questions. And we don't know how to answer them. We'll cause so much of a stir we won't know what's gossip and what's important.” She met his frown and tilted her chin up stubbornly. ”And I think Jeff is right. We need to be sensible and let the authorities deal with whatever is going on.”
Gerald lowered his coffee. ”Okay, tell. Who is this Jeff?”
”Some guy she knows,” Drew said with a dismissive wave.
”My fiance!” Lauren held her left hand up and wiggled her ring finger significantly to display the modest diamond.
Gerald rolled his eyes. ”Oh, him.”
She narrowed her eyes. ”You don't even know him.”
”Meg told me about him. Mr. Perfect with a stick up his a.s.s. Sounds dull to me. But whatever works for you, honey.”
Drew choked on a laugh and she turned her glare on him. ”Jeff is a responsible person who wants what's best for me. Maybe you two find common sense funny, but I intend to follow his sound advice. Meg and Harlan asked us to stay out of whatever is going on. That's what I'm going to do.”
”You're going to sit here and wait while your sister has armed kidnappers looking for her and G.o.d knows what else?”
Lauren pressed her lips into a firm line. ”Yes. Or maybe I'll fly home and wait there. With Jeff. Jeff.”
Drew a.s.sessed her as he sipped his coffee. ”I thought you might be a little more... adventurous. My mistake.”
His disappointment in her cut deeply. She wanted to object that there was nothing wrong with being sensible and that she could be every bit as adventurous as the next girl, when adventure was called for. The words actually formed in her mind, but it was Jeff's voice saying them.
In the disgruntled silence the phone sounded louder than usual. Lauren stiffened, remembering the last call from Meg and Harlan, and slid an expectant look at Gerald.
He shrugged and dug into his cereal. ”I'm the senator's personal a.s.sistant, not his butler. That's the house line. Besides, it's Sat.u.r.day. I'm off.”
Her gaze s.h.i.+fted to Drew. He had tensed, also.
”I'll get it,” she volunteered. Lauren rushed across the kitchen. If it was Meg, she intended to get a lot more information from her sister than their four-way conversation had imparted last time.
”Senator Creighton's residence.”
A relieved gasp sounded on the other end and a male voice with an eastern European accent said, ”Meg! I am so glad I found you! I've been calling everywhere!”
”I'm sorry, but you didn't. I-”
He cut her off. ”There's no time for old arguments, darling. We are both being watched. Meg, you are in grave danger. More than you realize. I must talk to you.”