Better Homes and Hauntings (26 page)

“What’s this?”

“It’s a floral scheme. Mr. Whitney has requested that we ‘bring a little life’ into the house with some live plants.”

Nina’s lips twitched, but she managed to hide the smile brewing there. Perhaps she was having more of an effect on Deacon than she’d believed.

“Why would you give her this now?” Dotty asked,
eyes narrowed. “It’s not as if the party counts as Nina’s office hours.”

“Well, it’s not as if she thinks she’s a guest.”

Aaaaand . . . there it was.

At Regina’s tinkling laugh, Dotty’s hand bunched into a fist. Nina attempted to calm Dotty with a hand on her arm.

“She’s here as Deacon’s employee, just like the blond cleaning lady,” Regina said.

Nina let go of Dotty’s arm, because, honestly, Regina had it coming. But Dotty simply ground her teeth and gave Regina the death glare.

Unfortunately, Dotty’s restraint meant that Regina was still talking. “I’ve added several banks of potted plants within the space. Don’t bother repotting. I’ll choose the containers.”

Nina tried to imagine Regina repotting anything except maybe to pass off carryout pasta as her own cooking. Nope. It would endanger innocent plants. She would have to find some way around that. And that wasn’t the only problem. Some of the items on Regina’s list were downright ridiculous.

The incredulous expression on Nina’s face made Regina snap, “What?”

“Well, there are a couple of issues. One, you’ve got lily and dieffenbachia plants on your list, both of which are poisonous to dogs and small children.”

Regina looked completely unimpressed. “So what’s point two?”

“The orchids you’ve selected are problematic,” Nina told her. “It’s not that bifrenaria aren’t perfectly lovely flowers—”

“Yes, I picked them because they’re
lovely
. I needed the mix of reds to contrast with the color scheme I selected.”

“Well, unless you’re planning to display them in Mr. Whitney’s shower, you’re going to have some very dead, very expensive Portuguese orchids on your hands. Bifrenaria need a constantly circulating humidity cycle.”

“Oh, I’m sure it won’t be that important.”

“They’re very delicate flowers,” Nina insisted.

“So we’ll get silk versions. They’re almost more lifelike than the real thing these days.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

Regina sneered. “Silk flowers. Surely you’ve heard of them. They do have silk flowers in the sticks, right?”

“Yes, but asking that I endorse your decorating with faux flowers is a bit of an insult. It would be like me sending you down to IKEA and telling you to use your professional training to pick out a bed-in-a-bag.”

Regina smiled sweetly, giving an airy wave to someone across the rooftop. “Oh, don’t take it so personally. You’re never going to make it as a businesswoman if you’re going to be so sensitive.”

The dismissive tone, combined with the fact that the woman couldn’t even be bothered to look at her, set Nina’s teeth on edge.

But Dotty smiled. “And how was it, exactly, that you got the investment capital to open your own firm just after you graduated from a second-tier design school?”

Regina’s smile disappeared.

“It was a graduation gift from your parents, as I recall,” Dotty added. “And I think my mother mentioned
something about your parents claiming your business as a recurring loss on their taxes?”

“I’m sure your mother misunderstood,” Regina snapped. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think Deacon could use a drink.”

Before Nina could respond, Regina snatched the double vodka from the bar and slithered across the rooftop. Nina’s lip curled back from her teeth in a snarl she didn’t know she was capable of. And when Regina pressed the glass into Deacon’s hand and ran her fingers along the sleeve of his jacket, she growled, “I think I want to shave her head.”

“I thought you weren’t interested in Deacon in that way.” Dotty kept her eyes wide and innocent.

“The situation changed.” Nina’s eyes narrowed. “That was then. This is now. And now I kind of want to shave her head.”

“That’s my girl.” Dotty giggled, slipping her arm through Nina’s and leading her toward the social train wreck that was Deacon trying to dislodge Regina.

“Nina, it’s nice to see you.”

Nina froze. The voice made her insides turn to water.

She turned to see Rick Douglas—tall, dark, and sociopathic—standing behind her. He was in his element at this kind of affair, wearing a well-cut black suit and a tailored shirt. If not for the cold cruelty radiating from his dark brown eyes, he might have looked the dashing storybook hero. At one point, she had seen him that way, which may have been the reason she’d let him get away with so much before finally accepting that he was not only a bad business partner but a bad person.

Between the clothes and the meticulously styled
hair, no one would have guessed that this was a man who worked in the outdoors. Of course, technically, he didn’t. He left that to his crews. The deep, golden “workman’s” tan was accomplished by visiting one of those spray tanning places twice a week.

Over his shoulder, Nina could see Regina shooting her a triumphant smirk. And the mystery of how Rick had snagged an invitation to this party was solved.

As usual, Rick was staring down his nose at her as if Nina embarrassed him just by standing there in her borrowed dress. Dotty’s hand slipped away, and Nina was left without a tether. Suddenly, she couldn’t draw breath even to speak. There were so many things she wanted to say to Rick or, better yet, heavy objects that she wanted to throw at him. Who did he think he was? What gave him the right to follow her around, terrorizing her? Why couldn’t he just leave her alone and move on with his life?

But instead, she was staring at him, silent and practically shaking with rage, giving him the satisfaction of seeing how uncomfortable she was. At the first test of the bravery and peace she’d promised herself she would find on the island, she was failing. She felt so weak and stupid, just standing there clenching and unclenching her freezing-cold hands while the edges of her vision blurred hazy red.

Then Deacon’s arm was around her waist, pulling her to his side. Instantly, her nerves settled, and her stomach stopped rolling. Her vision cleared, and she found she could breathe deeply again. Deacon rubbed her arm gently while staring
through
Rick, as if he was a particularly annoying pane of glass.

Nina was finally able to focus on Rick’s stupid, smarmy face as he winked at her and said, “Oh, you know me, Nina, I love a good party. And when you run a
thriving
business, it’s important to make contacts wherever you go.”

Maybe her business would thrive if he would just leave her the hell alone, she thought, as rational thinking bubbled up through the dissipating haze of pissed-off panic. She arranged her lips into what resembled a blithe, pleasant smile, as if she were actually pleased to see Rick and didn’t have a care in the world other than sweet-talking the caterer out of more shrimp balls.

Even being a champion bullshitter, Rick couldn’t hide the flash of irritation in his eyes or the flexing of his fingers, as if he was itching to smack the smile off Nina’s face. With some effort, Rick schooled his features into a more acceptable social mask. He reached out to shake Deacon’s hand, but Deacon merely stared, as if he was being offered a dead fish. Rick cleared his throat, clearly caught off-guard by the snub.

“Deke, good to see you again.”

Nina felt Deacon bristle at the familiarity and the use of the dreaded high school nickname, and she couldn’t help but smirk at her former boss’s gaffe. Now it was her turn to give Deacon’s hand a comforting rub. Rick lacked the sense to pick up on the tension and continued with his
we’re just a couple of bros here
spiel.

“Mr. Douglas. I don’t remember seeing your name on the guest list.”

“Oh, I was lucky enough to be asked as a plus-one,” Rick said, glancing in Regina’s direction before quickly averting his eyes.

DEACON WOULD HAVE
to have a serious talk with his security team. Invitational charity event or not, they still needed to check IDs before letting people into the building. His sudden urge to place Nina in one of those hyperenforced, suspended Loki chambers for her own protection was overwhelming. Jake could put one together, he was sure of it. But he was sure that Nina would object to being imprisoned like a Marvel Universe supervillain. Also, Dotty and Cindy would just let her out the moment his back was turned.

And unfortunately, during his mental escapade, that douchebag Rick was still talking. “Wonderful place you have here, though the landscaping up here leaves much to be desired. I’d be happy to put together a bid for a rooftop garden. A few ornamental Japanese cherry trees here and there—”

Deacon’s smile was just as smarmy. “Actually, Nina has already presented me with a comprehensive plan for the rooftop. I couldn’t be more pleased with her ideas.”

Nina tried not to let her surprise show through her pleasant mask. She wasn’t aware that threatening silk trees was considered a comprehensive plan, but she wasn’t about to let Rick see her contradict her boss.

“Well, if that’s the way you want to go, that’s your choice. By the way, how is our little Nina doing out at your job site?” Rick asked as he sipped his Scotch.

Deacon directed a fond glance at Nina, making her cheeks go pink. “I’m very pleased with her work.”

“I’m sure you are,” Rick said with barely concealed nastiness. “I mean, you would have to be, to hire a total
unknown like her when there were so many other experienced firms bidding. I’m sure she pulled out all of the tricks in her bag to get the job.”

“Talent always shines through,” Deacon said, his voice glacial.

“Oh, I know all about Nina’s
talent
,” Rick assured him, his eyes raking down Nina’s body.

Nina’s jaw dropped, and she surprised even herself when she stepped forward to do some sort of swizzle-stick-related violence against him.

But Deacon pulled her closer to his side, then smiled just as smugly. “I doubt that very much,” he said smoothly. “Excuse us. There are some people we need to speak to.”

Deacon ignored Rick’s sputtering after them as he led Nina through the crowd. It was only then that Nina realized that Jake and Cindy had moved in behind her and Deacon during the conversation and were now preventing Rick from following them by pretending to be interested in his business. Deacon pulled his phone from his pocket, furiously texting with one hand while snagging two glasses of the champagne from a passing tray. He handed them both to Nina.

“Thanks for being the voice of reason,” she said between gulps of exquisitely delicate bubbly she barely even tasted. “I would have hated to break up your party when the cops were called. I’m pretty sure stabbing someone with a swizzle stick is a felony.”

“It was as much for me as for you. What an asshole!” Deacon exclaimed. “How did you stand working with that douche for two years?”

“He wasn’t always that bad,” she promised. “He’s just
not used to getting one-upped. It’s like dealing with a toddler. You don’t give him what he wants, and eventually the tantrum becomes less about the thing he wants and more about not wanting to be thwarted.”

“Regina invited him. I just texted my security chief. She was the only guest with an unnamed plus-one. I just don’t get why she would do it.”

“Really? You don’t know why Regina would want me to be uncomfortable and socially stressed, maybe make a scene at one of your events and embarrass you? Regina strikes me as the type who likes to sweep the field clear of competition, real or imagined. And if she thought there was a possibility that you would bring me here as your date, she would want to be prepared.” When Deacon’s eyes widened, she gave a tinkling laugh. “Women are complicated, terrifying creatures.”

“You’re not kidding.” Suddenly, he turned to her. “I can have him ejected from the party, you know. It’s one of the perks of hosting these things. I can have people thrown out. And Tasered. Maybe even cavity-searched.”

“As much as I appreciate it, that wouldn’t do any good.” She sighed, reaching out to squeeze his hands. “It would cause a scene, which might make the news, particularly the cavity search. It would make a poor impression on your guests. And Rick would know that he upset me, which I would like to avoid. Better to let him soak up all that free Scotch and make an ass out of himself in front of a bunch of potential clients.”

“Weapons of self-destruction, I like it. But seriously, I’ve waited my whole life to attain the power to kick assholes like that out of my parties. You’d be doing me a favor.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” she promised.

Behind him, a jazz trio started to play, having waited until after the cocktail hour to begin their set. “Wanna dance?”

“I can’t remember the last time I danced,” she said, nodding. “A cousin’s wedding, maybe, five years ago.”

“I can beat that,” he said. “Senior prom, sixteen years ago.”

“Ouch.”

“Dotty was my date.”

“Double ouch.”

He led her to the dance floor, holding her hand as gently as he would a mint-condition action figure. He slid his other hand around her waist and held her right hand at the proper angle while they swayed in small concentric circles. Dotty was dancing with an older man who was looping her around the floor in wide circles. Cindy had refused all requests for dances but had allowed Jake to get her a few more pastries, which they were planning to enjoy on the fire escape, far from the crowd.

When was that girl going to take pity on him?

Deacon snapped her out of her reverie. “You’re actually doing me a favor, you know.”

“I am?”

“If the whispering among my staff is any indication, this dance is probably serving as the office pool breaker for ‘Is Deacon Whitney asexual?’ ”

“That’s kind of insulting. How is that helping you?”

He shrugged. “I put fifty dollars down on ‘not asexual.’ ”

“They let you bet?”

“Well, I bet under Vi’s name.”

Nina’s laugh came out as more of a cackle, much louder than she intended. And the way she slapped her hand over her mouth to muffle the sound made Deacon guffaw.