No Love Allowed(32)

“So I’ve heard. You’re an Expressionist?”

“More like a free spirit. I paint what inspiration dictates.” She patted Caleb’s chest. “In fact, your son agreed to sit for me.”

He held in his relief when she left out the naked part. Not sure how JJ would have taken that. He didn’t acknowledge the weight in his father’s stare, content to keep his eyes on Didi. The way she easily spoke with the cold bastard enthralled him.

“Is that right?” JJ asked. “And your family? What does your father do?”

Didi’s signature shrug made an appearance. “I don’t know. He left when I was eight.”

“And your mother?”

“She has several jobs.”

“And college? You do know Caleb is attending Yale.”

“Good for Caleb. As for me, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll attend, maybe I won’t. I haven’t really decided yet.”

“You don’t know? You should have made this decision before you graduated. I assume you graduated.”

“Unlike you, some of us don’t have the luxury of thinking about college.”

“Then good luck finding a job without a proper degree.”

“What’s wrong with making an average living? As long as I get by, I’m good.”

“Yes, but besides food, shelter, and basic necessities, you need insurance and money for retirement. Didn’t you consider these things when thinking about your future?”

“Well, good thing I can’t see the future.”

Her unwavering honesty against the disapproving scowl of his father ignited a protectiveness in Caleb he had never experienced before. He was done subjecting Didi to whatever else the lawyer wanted to ask her. She was none of his business. When the music changed to something slower, he interrupted what JJ was about to say by telling Didi, “I believe I still owe you a dance.”

The brilliance of Didi’s smile undid him completely. Taking his hand in hers, she turned toward the dance floor. He let her lead the way.

“We’re not done here, Caleb,” his father said, recovering from the blatant insult.

The crowd parted for them. When they reached the center, he placed one of her hands on his shoulder and held the other against his heart. She moved with him willingly, swaying to the pace he had set.

“This is nice,” she said. “I’ve never slow danced with anyone before.”

Her admission burned through him. “That’s a shame. You are really good at it.”

He twirled her around, then pulled her back in one smooth move. She giggled as she settled closer to him, hooking her free hand behind his shoulder. The skirt of her dress brushed against his legs. He nuzzled the top of her head, her hair smelling faintly of turpentine.

“So that’s your dad.”

“Yeah.”

“We didn’t talk long, but I get an * vibe from him.”

Caleb threw his head back and laughed.





Fourteen


EARLY THE NEXT morning, Caleb walked into his father’s office with coffee in hand. JJ liked his morning brew black, piping hot, and fresh from the pot. Not even half past eight and already the man was elbow deep in files and scribbling furiously on a yellow legal pad when Caleb placed the cup on the last corner of his desk left uncluttered.

Without looking up from the brief he was putting together, JJ picked up the cup and took a sip.

“Why are you staring at me?” he asked without lifting his gaze from the thick file. “Surely Michael has something better for you to do than stand there all day.”

Caleb shifted his weight from his heels to his toes then back again, hands in his pockets. “I guess . . . um . . . I was just . . .”

JJ sighed, dropping the pen on top of his notes. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned back in his seat. “I did not pay for private school only to have you eat your words when speaking. My time is precious. Either spit it out or leave.”

Swallowing, Caleb said, “About what happened with Didi yesterday . . .”

“Didi?” JJ intertwined his fingers, elbows on the armrests. “What about her?”

A kernel of relief sprouted in his gut. “If she overstepped her bounds—”

His father interrupted him by raising a hand. “If this is your attempt at apologizing for the girl, you are failing miserably.” Then he lowered his hand and regarded Caleb with that frigid gaze of his. It could have frozen the entire office. “I can’t say I approve of her rudeness, but that would make me a hypocrite. My job requires me to be direct when I need to be. She was merely answering my questions. I say that girl has backbone. Certainly more than you are showing me right now. If you think yesterday will affect our agreement, it doesn’t.”

He held in the breath he had been about to exhale at his father’s silent “but” and waited. It didn’t take JJ long to continue.

“I understand why you feel the need to bring her to the events. I even understand why you feel the need to flit from one girl to the next—”

“Let me stop you there,” Caleb said, finally regaining some of that backbone his father had been talking about. “Don’t ever presume to think you understand me. As far as I’m concerned, you checked out as soon as Mother was lowered into the ground. Now, if you don’t mind. Michael knows where I am if you need anything.”