An Uncertain Affair (The Affair Series Book 2) (12 page)

“Wow,
that’s a pretty big coup.”

“No
kidding. It wasn’t long after that when Adele began pushing for the book. I was
still trying to keep Buena Comida and the other restaurants afloat, so she began
culling the recipes and formulating the book. That’s part of the reason I felt
I had to give in when she requested Nicole. She’s Adele’s comfort factor, as
much as I feel Dane is mine. She knows it’s the right decision to work with Dane,
but she wanted Nicole there to be sure she gets what she wants out of this book.
I just hope we can get past this other disagreement.” Sergio was obviously still
upset about the situation.

I
put my arms around his neck. “You’ll find a balance and get through it. You’ve
been through so much already and have persevered. I know this’ll be the same.”

I
kissed him on the cheek and untied my robe, inviting his warm hands to roam
freely over my curves. His caress tantalized every inch of bare skin he
touched. A tender smile came over his face, and he pulled me close for a
passionate kiss. He parted my thighs and ran his fingers through my folds, once
again discovering his effect on me. His eyes filled with desire. He took my
hand and led me back to the bedroom. We slid under the covers, skin to skin, and
became one, making love more tenderly, with more intimacy between us than ever
before. It felt incredible.

**

It
was after noon on New Year’s Eve. We popped a bottle of champagne, and Sergio proceeded
to fix brunch. The provisions at the Ramirez compound were plentiful. There was
a substantial inventory in a deep freezer, as well as the fresh items Sergio
had grabbed from his kitchen before leaving town. He had all the makings of a
beautiful smoked salmon Benedict with dill hollandaise. His culinary diversity
astounded me.

We
sipped champagne and relished the meal. After brunch, we left the dishes and took
a long walk on the beach in the warm afternoon sun. As we walked, I could tell
Sergio was deep in thought again. “This situation with Adele is really getting
to you, isn’t it? I want to help you find a resolution.”

“I’m
not sure how to approach it myself. I know she wants to be known for creating
the preeminent tome on fine Latin cuisine, but I think it would have much more
impact if we do it in multiple parts, even a trilogy, and let Dane work his
magic. People are much more visual these days, and I think it would make a much
stronger statement to publish it as multiple volumes with gorgeous photos rather
than one thick book of text.”

“I
know Dane would be all over that.”

“It
was his suggestion, even though I think he was joking. I hadn’t really thought
about it until he brought it up, but as soon as he said it, I knew it was the
right way to go.”

“Maybe
you should appeal to Adele’s affinity for Nicole and make her realize how much
it would help her, too. Not to mention, Adele would be the culinary contributor
on three Sergio Ramirez Buena Comida books, not just one. I don’t know, maybe
I’m reaching….”

“No,
I think that is the perfect approach. I think if I can get Cy and Nicole on my
side, Adele may be persuaded. My sweet Bridget, you’re brilliant!” he said,
stopping in his tracks to hug me.

We
went back to the house, and Sergio got Cy on the phone. I kept my distance to
give him some privacy for the conversation. The buildings surrounding the courtyard
blocked the winter wind and allowed the afternoon sun to heat the space nicely.
I stretched out on a lounge chair and read while Sergio talked to Cy. Although
his words were muffled, the tone of his voice implied Cy was on board. When he
finished the call, Sergio joined me outside with the last of the champagne.

“A
toast to my ingenious companion,” he said. “Cy loves the idea, particularly
since it ensures ongoing work and more recognition for Nicole.”

My
stomach did a little flip, since I knew that it also meant Valerie would have
to take second seat to Nicole throughout the process, but hopefully she would
still benefit by being associated with the books. And with Dane as the
photographer, that would mean good work for everyone for a while.

“That’s
fantastic. I really hope Adele will come around now that you have Cy’s
support.”

“She
has a soft spot for Cy because of Nicole. He’ll most certainly sway her. Now, with
that under control, I can completely relax and focus on you.”

It
was late afternoon on New Year’s Eve. Fireworks were popping all around us. We
took chairs, blankets, and champagne to the beach to watch the sunset and
fireworks. The sky changed from orange to pink to lavender and deep purple as
the stars populated the night sky, and were more of a show than the bottle
rockets and small bursts of sparkling embers popping in the distance. We held
hands and sipped champagne.

“Do
you have any New Year’s resolutions?” I asked.

He
thought for a moment, and then kissed my hand. “Only one - to make you happy.”

I
leaned over and kissed him. “You make me very happy, but you realize our
meeting out here was pure chance.”

“I
know, my sweet Bridget, and it’s only confirmed for me how good we are
together. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes,
we’re very good together, but we can’t be together when we get back to
Portland,” I said letting go of his hand. “Remember, we were going to keep our
distance while we work on the book, and now with the likelihood of three, that
could be a long time.”

“Oh,
Bridget, why does it have to be that way? We’re professionals. We can manage
working together and having a relationship, I know it. Please don’t push me
away.”

“It
can’t start out that way, Sergio. Maybe things can change down the road, but
when we get back, you’ll be my client, not my lover. No one can know we spent
this time together. There’s too much at stake for both of us.”

Sergio
knew I was right, as much as he didn’t want to admit it. He slowly nodded in
agreement. “All right, I’ll honor that when we’re back, but for tonight we’re
worlds away. I want to enjoy you all night.”

I
smiled and said, “That my kind of resolution.”

We
packed up and started walking back to the house. When we got into the
courtyard, the heat from the afternoon sun had not dissipated, and it was
surprisingly warm. Sergio put down the things he was carrying and pulled two
lounge chairs together. The moon was just coming up; it was magical under the
stars.

“You
get comfortable here. I’ll be right back,” he said. A few minutes later, he
came back with the pillows from the couch. “These chairs aren’t very
comfortable, but these should help.” He propped a couple of pillows under my
head and at my side, then joined me. He rolled on his side and methodically
began unbuttoning my blouse. His warm hand slid under the fabric and unhooked
my bra. Then he helped me slide out of the layers. “Are you warm enough?” he
asked quietly as he wrapped his lips around a taut nipple while fondling the
other.

“You’re
turning up the heat quite nicely,” I teased him as my heartbeat quickened. His
smile was more relaxed and playful than I’d seen since we’d been there. I pulled
his shirt over his head, revealing his tight chest gleaming in the moonlight.

“Well,
then, let’s show the universe your exquisite beauty.” He slid my pants off and
leaned back so the moonlight could wash over my entire body. “You are as
magnificent in the moonlight as you are in the firelight, my sweet.”

As
he shed the rest of his clothes, the fireworks continued with more vigor in the
distance. He leaned over me, bracing himself on one arm, and ran his
tantalizing fingers up my thigh to my sweet spot and began his playful dance
through the velvety folds. The tip of his warm, thick shaft glistened in the
moonlight. I reached up to pull him toward me.

“Not
yet,” he said with a beaming smile. “I want to tantalize you and savor every
inch of you.” We teased each other under the stars, and when the peak of
pleasure came, it was as explosive as the fireworks around us. When the
temperature started dropping, we wrapped ourselves up in the blankets and
watched the stars for a while longer before we finally gave in to the chill and
fatigue, and went inside to crawl under the covers to sleep.

The
next morning when we were packing and getting ready to leave, Sergio came over
to me and held my face in his hands.

“You
know I love you, and if the tides turn and the time is right, I want to be with
you more than anything.”

“I
love you, too, and I’m grateful you understand that this is best, at least for
a while.”

“It’s
been a blessing to be here with you, though, and your support and perspective
in sorting through this thing with Adele has helped me so much. I think you’ve
come up with the perfect solution.” He kissed me and smiled.

“I’ll
be anxious to hear what Adele has to say about it.”

“I’ll
call you tonight and let you know how things went. Drive carefully.”

“Good
luck.” We hugged and each drove off by ourselves.

On
the route back, I thought about everything Sergio had told me about Cy and
Nicole, and how he and Adele had gotten Buena Comida off the ground. I knew
Nicole’s side of the story couldn’t have been the complete picture. Sergio was
too much a part of it for Cy to be the only mastermind.

I
looked at my watch and realized Nicole was supposed to be in the studio,
working with Valerie. I figured I’d better check in with them and see how
chilly the vibe was there.

“There’s
the beach bum,” Valerie said as her “hello.” “Did you have a good time? Are you
back?”

“It
was a very nice change of scenery, that’s for sure. I’m driving back now. How’re
things going there?” I asked.

“Nicole
and I are making progress. I think we’re set for the meeting tomorrow and to
start shooting Monday. Hey, she told me that the Ramirez family has a house on
the North Coast. I think it was somewhere near the cottage.”

“Really?
I had no idea,” I said, trying to seem surprised.

“From
Nicole’s description, it sounds like a pretty cool place. I hope we have a
chance to check it out sometime. Anyway, all is fine here.
Really,”
she
said with emphasis, to let me know she and Nicole were actually getting along.
“Drive safe, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks,
Valerie. Call me if you need anything – otherwise, I’ll see you in the morning.
” It was a relief to know that at least so far there had been no more catfights.

When
I got home, I turned on the news and began unpacking. I wasn’t paying much
attention until I heard a correspondent mention Clint Sinclair’s name. He was
standing outside the courthouse where the hearing was set to take place.

“…the
key evidence against Clint Sinclair and some of the Mob participants had been
provided in video testimonies by Mr. Sinclair’s wife and a former employee. We
understand those testimonies will undoubtedly put some people away for a long
time,” he announced.

I
fell into a chair and felt numb. That former employee was me, and it made me
realize how vulnerable I was. Sally was right. I had to keep an extremely low
profile to be sure no connection could be made between Bridget Stone and “Mr.
Sinclair’s former employee.” I felt sick to my stomach all over again.

My
phone rang. It was Sergio. I muted the TV and answered. “How’d it go?” I asked.

“I
guess all things considered, it went pretty well. Cy came to the meeting, and
he was surprisingly helpful in persuading her. He came up with the idea of
creating a boxed set when the three books are complete. He also reminded her
that three books would mean a lot more days of work for Nicole. Adele’s all
about helping Nicole, so I’m sure that made a difference. Regardless of what
the turning point was, she seems to be on board.”

I
hesitated for a moment, watching the correspondent as they showed some of the
art that had been stolen by Clint. It still rattled me to the core that I’d
been in the middle of that and had been so clueless.

“Good,”
I responded blandly, totally distracted by what I was watching.

“Are
you okay?” Sergio asked. “You sound distant…pre-occupied.”

I
turned off the TV so I could focus on the conversation, “I’m okay -- I just
have a lot on my mind.”

“I
know you do, my sweet. I hope our time away together gave you a break to forget
about things for a little while. I know I did.”

“It
was wonderful, and I’m grateful for the time we had. It’s just amazing how
quickly we can get sucked back into the stress.”

“Please
try not to let it get to you. It’s going to be fine,” Sergio said in a calming
tone.

“I’m
sure you’re right.” I knew he was talking about the book, but I was referring
to the stress of my whole life. Sometimes I felt as if I might explode from having
to keep the first twenty-six years of my life a complete secret. Witness
protection was supposed to keep me safe, but I wasn’t sure I would survive the
anxiety.

“Try
to get some rest, and I’ll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams, my sweet,” Sergio
said, almost fading to a whisper.

“See
you tomorrow.” I was suddenly overwhelmed by exhaustion. All I could do was
crawl into bed and fall asleep to escape from life for a few hours.

As
I was about to drift off, I got a text from Valerie:
Adele stopped by &
told us about the 3 books…Coup 4 Dane, hell 4 me! I’ll survive :)

When
I got to the studio Friday morning, Dane was already there, but there was no
sign of Valerie. The prep kitchen looked organized and ready to go, so I was
sure she didn’t feel she had to be in much earlier than our scheduled ten
o’clock meeting. However, it wasn’t like Valerie to be in past eight o’clock
when
anything
was happening. I decided I’d better check on her and
dialed her cell.

“I’m
on the way,” she answered.

“Is
everything okay?” I asked.

“I’m
just feeling a little funky this morning. I’m sure it’ll pass, but I’m moving a
little slower than I might like.”

“Okay,
take it easy, and we’ll see you when you get here.”

I
rooted around in the kitchen and found some herbal tea. A hot cup of soothing
tea might make her feel better when she got in.

Dane
came over to the kitchen, and I gave him the update. He was as concerned as I
was about Valerie. She never got sick. She finally rolled in around nine-fifteen,
looking absolutely green. She fell onto a stool at the breakfast bar.

“Do
you think it was something you ate?” I asked, putting the tea down in front of
her.

“I
don’t think so,” she said, somewhat surprised herself. “I can’t figure out what
it could be, though. I’m always careful about what I eat. I haven’t been sick to
my stomach, but I feel really queasy.”

“Well,
just rest and sip that tea. We have a little time before everyone gets here.”

“I’m
going to lie down on the couch for a few minutes,” Valerie said.

“That’s
probably a good idea.”

Dane
and I went into the back to copy the schedule and shot lists for the first week
of shooting so we could go day by day and see what Nicole and Valerie had
prepped. We hashed out most of the schedule and general approach to the shoot
before the holiday, so this meeting would be more of a summary and a
show-and-tell of the food and props for each day.

When
I walked back into the studio, Valerie looked a little awkward. I went over to
be sure she was okay and realized she wasn’t breathing.

“Dane!
Call 911!” I screamed. He was still in the back and didn’t hear what I said.
When he came out into the studio, he saw my panic. “Call 911!” I said again as
I dug through Valerie’s purse, looking for her Epipyn. There was so much stuff
in her bag -- makeup, checkbook, note pad, pens, bottled water. No Epipyn.

Dane
jumped on the phone, and I went back over to Valerie to see if I could revive
her, but she was unconscious. The ambulance arrived in a few minutes, but there
was no telling exactly how long it had been since she stopped breathing. It was
too late. Valerie was dead.

Dane
and I were in total shock. We held each other and cried as the paramedics took
Valerie to the ambulance. As they were driving away, Sergio, Adele, Cy, and
Nicole arrived.

“What’s
going on?” Adele asked, looking around at the confusion.

“We
think Valerie had an allergic reaction to something and didn’t survive it.
She’s dead,” Dane said, breaking down again.

They
all looked at each other in disbelief and shock. I hugged Dane. I couldn’t
speak.

Sergio
came over to me and tried to comfort me. “Bridget, are you all right? How did
this happen?”

I
just shook my head. I didn’t know how it had happened, and I couldn’t talk
about it. “You should go,” was all I could manage to get out.

The
four of them left quickly. Dane and I sat sobbing in silence for what seemed
like hours when the phone rang. I looked at the caller I.D. “City of Portland.”

“Pratt
Photography,” I answered.

“This
is the coroner’s office. We need to get in touch with Ms. Essex’s next of kin.
Do you have a contact name and number for a family member?”

I
didn’t want Valerie’s family to hear about this from the Coroner. “We’ll call
them and have someone get in touch with you.”

“That’ll
be fine. The number they should call is 503-555-2121. And what’s your name?”

“Bridget
Stone.”

“Thank
you, Ms. Stone.”

I
joined Dane at the kitchen counter.

“Do
you have Valerie’s parents’ information?” I asked. “We need to get in touch
with them and let them know what’s happened. The coroner’s office needs to talk
to them, too.”

“I’ll
call them,” Dane said solemnly. “I met them last year when they came for a
visit. I should be the one to tell them. I just can’t believe it,” Dane sobbed,
and went to his office to make the call.

I
went over to the couch where Valerie had been lying to clear the tea and
straighten up the mess the paramedics had left behind. When I picked up the mug
of tea, I noticed the distinct scent of almond. I knew she had severe nut allergies.
How on earth could anything almond get into this tea?

I
found the box of tea bags and read the ingredients. It was strictly herbs. There
were bottles of water that Valerie and Nicole had lined up on the counter, so
they were close by. I had used one of these bottles when I boiled the water for
tea. I smelled the water in the electric kettle and got the slightest hint of
the almond smell there, too.  I opened another bottle and didn’t smell
anything. I poured the water out of the kettle, rinsed it, and used the water
from the second bottle and boiled it again. There it was -- a hint of almond
after it came to a boil.

I
gathered up all of the bottles and put them in a box. They had to be analyzed.
I went back to Dane’s office just as he was hanging up with Valerie’s mother.
Tears were streaming down his face. “Bridget, how could this happen? Valerie
was
so
careful about what she ate or drank.”

“I
may have figured it out,” I said quietly.

I
explained the boiling test. He looked shocked. “How could almond get in the
bottled water?”

“I
don’t know, but if it is coming from the bottler that way, other people could
be in danger. If it’s not, it’s been tampered with. We’ve got to get it figured
out, fast.”

I
called Sally because I wasn’t sure where to start. I told her what had happened.

“That’s
crazy!” Sally exclaimed.

“I
know, but we have to make sure no one else could get sick from this. Who should
I call, or where can I take this stuff to be tested?”

“Hang
tight. I’ll get someone over there right away.”

About
ten minutes later, a detective arrived at the studio. “Mr. Pratt, Ms. Stone,
I’m Detective Roberts,” he said, holding up his badge and offering a hand to
shake. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Valerie
wasn’t feeling well this morning,” I told him. “She didn’t have any idea what
had made her feel nauseous. I fixed her some herbal tea, and she lay down on
the couch to try to calm her stomach. Dane and I went into the back office for
a few minutes, and when I came out, she wasn’t breathing. She never revived.
When I was cleaning up after the paramedics left, I smelled almonds in the teacup.
I couldn’t smell anything in the bottled water that was at room temperature,
but when I boiled it, it was there.”

“Do
you know where the water was purchased?” Detective Roberts asked.

“Nicole
brought four or five cases from Familia Cucina’s stock. They buy it in bulk and
get it cheaply.”

Detective
Roberts examined the bottles I had boxed and the cases that were stacked in the
corner. “They all seem to have the same batch number, so we should be able to
tell if it is consistent in all of them or only in a few. We can get that
figured out in the next couple of hours. I’ll let you know what we find. Ms.
Stone, since you handled the batch in the box, can I take your fingerprints so
we can sort out who touched the bottles?”