Page 22 of See You There
“Not an accident then.”
Luke’s mouth twisted. “They are doing an autopsy, but that could take a few days. I thought I was going to have to be heavy-handed and drop hints, but their arson investigator picked up on some anomalies right away.”
James grunted. “When are you meeting Cara’s friend?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Luke’s mouth stretched in an easy grin, and James groaned. “I don’t want to say you have to, but I already cleared my schedule for—”
“Your vacation.” James ran a hand over his face. “Okay. Fine. What’s her info?”
“I don’t have it yet. She may not call, in which case, we are both off the hook. I’ll send Cara a text so she makes sure this woman calls your number.”
“So generous,” James muttered, his eyes already back on the file in front of him.
“I’ve got a lunch, but I’ll check in later.” Luke shot his twin a cocky grin.
“Are you coming back to the office this afternoon?”
Luke laughed. “Depends on how well lunch goes.”
“This is definitely not like working for the government.” James shook his head and waved a hand at his brother. “I can’t wait to meet the woman who reins you in.”
“Me, too, brother, but…” Luke straightened and held his palms wide as he walked backward out of the office. “Until then…”
Luke tapped out a quick text to his sister in the elevator. He checked his watch and frowned. He was running late for his lunch date. Normally, he appreciated having an upscale, casual restaurant on the street level of the building where he worked and lived. It made it convenient if the date went well. Luke spotted his lunch date standing by the entrance.
He might joke with his brother, but lately his life felt stale. As much as Luke wanted to find someone, he had deep reservations when it came to dating. He was young, good-looking, with a somewhat high-profile job. It only took a google search for people to find out who his father had been and his connection tohis late father’s billion-dollar media empire. It made it very hard for Luke to trust a woman’s sincerity.
What people couldn’t see was, that for his entire childhood, he’d watched his father burn through women like they were commodities. David Bloom would lavish gifts and attention on them until they were planning for a future as Mrs. Bloom, and then the second he was bored, he dropped them. The number of women Luke had seen sob for a second chance had left its mark. It was why Luke had developed his two-week rule. James thought he was crazy, but then again… James didn’t date at all.
Luke had decided a long time ago that if he didn’t see a future with a woman in two weeks, he would break things off. He wouldn’t let a woman think there was a future when there wasn’t. Luke was open about his policy, and women knew what to expect going in. It was cleaner that way, and no one risked getting hurt.
But lately… Luke had grown tired of the constant getting to know each other lunches. Even the sex had become mundane. Luke shook his head to clear the uncharacteristic thoughts. His brothers would roast him if they thought he was complaining about fucking too much!
Luke’s phone buzzed, and he looked down to see that his younger sister had sent him a kissy face emoji. He chuckled, tucking his phone away and lifted a hand in greeting to Tara… Sara? Fuck. A sudden loneliness speared through him, and he rubbed at his chest absently.
Over the last few months, watching his sister fall head over heels for her new husband had only highlighted what was missing from his life. Not that he didn’t enjoy his time in the company of beautiful, interesting women. He wasn’t a monk by any stretch of the imagination, but he wanted the devotion he saw in Wes and Cara’s eyes when they looked at each other.
Tara’s—it was definitely Tara—eyes lit as she double kissed his cheeks, and he banished his bad mood. Who knew? Maybe Tara would be the one to change it all. But as Luke placed his hand on the small of her back and the hostess led them to the table, he felt… nothing.
CHAPTER SIX
James Bloom soundednice over the phone. His precise, careful language made her feel better about the decision to hire her own lawyer.
After talking to Skye, Dahlia realized the makeup artist was right. She’d done some online research, and while you couldn’t rely on the internet for legal advice, it was enough to let Dahlia know that if the police made an issue about her being at the illegal casino, she could face charges. Having someone she paid independently meant they were answerable only to her. Dahlia would make that clear when she met with him.
He worked for her. Not Victor. And especially not the studio. Dahlia had to use her credit card for the hefty retainer, but when the contract with Victor ended, her money would be hers again.
Speaking of which, Dahlia thought, she needed to make a list of potential agents and managers. She wouldn’t contact them yet, but she wasn’t worried about a lapse in representation. It would be better than what her life was now.
She peeked out the blinds of her front window and saw there was still a handful of reporters and paparazzi lingering in the parking lot. Dahlia had been relieved when Victor calledearlier to tell her it looked like Chandler would be okay, but he suggested she wait until the evening to visit the hospital.
As his ‘girlfriend,’ it was necessary, Victor explained before drawing the parallel between Chandler’s injury and the injury his character inLove in Armshad suffered. “You’ll be standing by Chandler the same way Helen stood by Bob!” Victor was gleeful. “It’s perfect publicity for the movie!”
Sometimes, Dahlia wondered if Victor even saw her as a person anymore.
The hospital had given her special visiting hours in the evening to see Chandler, in order not to disturb the other patients. But before she left, she had an appointment with her new lawyer. Dahlia dressed carefully. She wanted him to take her seriously.
Dahlia chose a tailored, beige pantsuit with a white top before pulling her thick hair into a low bun. I look like a librarian, she thought, when she stood in front of the floor-length mirror. She wrinkled her nose. Dahlia had just shrugged off the hot jacket when there was a knock on the door.
