Stone Cold Fox (19)

They continued to eat in silence, so I thought I might as well take a lap. The house was predictably very stuffy and not quite to my taste—I leaned Regency Moderne myself—but I could appreciate the overall aesthetic. I had seen homes with horrendous taste, despite tremendous wealth, but it appeared Haven had the good sense to lean on traditional home decor design principles, nothing overstimulating to the eye. Clean lines, no tchotchkes to speak of and a natural color palette in every room. Sure, she was a beige bore, but at least she wasn’t some Marie Antoinette maximalist with an offensive gallery wall complex. Could you imagine?

“Bea.” Haven appeared at the other end of the hall, her voice neither warm nor cold. “Come with me.” She was trying to intimidate me with commands in lieu of requests, but unlucky for her, I already had a mother from hell. What was one more?

“Where to?” I asked her, walking with purpose in her direction. She pursed her lips in return, performed an about-face and so I followed her into another room. The study. All books and banquette seating along the sides. An imposing desk in the center. And far too many lamps, but I kept my mouth shut about that.

“Let’s not keep Collin waiting. He clearly dotes on you.” Haven slithered behind me to slide the doors shut.

“He’s a wonderful man.”

“Mmm. A real catch. Especially for you.” Instead of sitting behind the desk, Haven perched on the banquette nearest to the window, one heel crossed behind the other just so, and firmly patted the open spot next to her. “Right here, dear.”

I did as she asked without breaking eye contact. I would be respectful, yes, but certainly not meek.

“None of us meant to offend,” Haven said. “It’s not personal. It’s just that you don’t quite fit, so cutting to the chase, Hayes and I are willing to make this all as painless as possible. Perhaps even a preferred outcome for you.”

I remained silent, not because I was shocked by her candor but because silence is an underrated power move during a negotiation, which is obviously what this was.

“So what would it take?”

I was still quiet, but kept up the eye contact.

“Hayes and I are willing to pay you to break it off with our son. For good.”

“I heard you. What would Collin have to say about that?”

“Nothing. Because as part of the deal, you wouldn’t tell him.”

“You’ve done this before.” I smirked.

“Well, Collin always seems to be lured in by . . . the unfamiliar, and we’re just keeping watch. So what do you want?”

“I want to be with Collin.”

“A million? Two million?” She would have raised her eyebrows like a movie villain if she could, but alas, she was beyond the baby-Botox years. Zero movement up there. Meanwhile, I pretended to be impressed by those figures.

“See?” She smiled smugly, prematurely satisfied with herself. “A preferred outcome.”

“I don’t—”

“FIVE million dollars,” Haven declared. “Best and final and you should take it.”

She really thought I would take it. It was a considerable amount of money. If I was anyone else, I’d have considered it, but I was my mother’s daughter.

I stood up to gaze down at her.

I didn’t want five million dollars.

I wanted all of it.

“No,” I said. A complete sentence now, per the Olsen twins, have you heard? I headed for the doors, my back to Haven, doubling down on disregard for her offer. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Collin. It’ll be our little secret.” I turned to look at Haven once more as I slid the doors open. “Free of charge— Oh!”

Well, if it wasn’t the little It girl herself, Calliope, listening to what I can presume was the entire conversation. Haven scurried between us, fleeing the scene without another word, but Calliope lingered with me for a moment, not at all guilty about being caught.

“Good for you,” she said, sincerely amused and impressed. I just cleared my throat.

“Collin will be wondering where I am.”

“He’s not the only one,” Calliope replied, whistling softly and walking next to me as we made our way back to brunch.



* * *



? ? ?

    THE MAIN TAKEAWAY from the day was that Collin seemed very enthralled by the whole “girl from the wrong side of the tracks” perception of me, clearly aiding in his efforts to establish independence from the family he’d always hopelessly be dependent on, for better or worse. It wasn’t an ideal scenario, but it was perhaps the most realistic. I had known the Cases were unlikely to receive me with open arms, the payout offer from Haven all but confirming the uphill battle, but perhaps I didn’t have to try so hard at all. The more they openly disapproved of me, the more Collin wanted to push back, even if it was discreet. He liked the way it made him feel. The way I made him feel. Now this was a dynamic I could brandish in my favor. I had to keep pushing the Cases, but just enough to ensure Collin’s continued loyalty to me. Make his family the bad guy, the bully, and I was their undeserving victim. So Collin could be my hero.

I returned to my seat in good spirits, with a quick readjustment of the décolletage for the men to appreciate and to add further fuel to the fiery feminine energy in the room. They all noticed, but Calliope was the only one who smiled at me devilishly.