Burned by Passion(7)

Blake would go along with the evening’s plans but that would be it. He was done playing happy reunion    . He’d only wanted to see his father this one time and let the man see how well Blake had done without him. Then they could keep going along just fine apart from each other like they’d been doing all these years. Case closed.






***

“Damn! What a slammin’ joint!” Terry whistled as he pulled up in front of the Carter villa that evening.

Kira had to agree. The palatial, all-white three-story villa was a sight to behold. It was floodlit and stood in the backdrop of well-tended greenery plus enough real estate to make it look like a movie set.

They soon began to make their way up the lengthy driveway to the main house from where the sound of soft music reached them. They walked past the rows and rows of state-of-the-art cars parked there by the other guests who’d obviously arrived earlier. Kira couldn’t help thinking that Terry’s respectable Kia coupe looked dwarfed in the presence of all those six-figure Benzes, Lamborghinis and Audis. The thought almost brought a smile to her lips.

Her sense of excitement increased ten-fold as they were let into the house and she viewed the palatial interior. Just before she started to get overawed, her boss Bretton Carter appeared, a warm smile on his face.

“Welcome to my home, Kira...Terry.” Bretton’s smile cooled somewhat when it landed on the other man and Kira squirmed slightly, half-sure she imagined it. She always had a vague impression her boss didn’t like Terry but couldn’t tell why for sure. Terry was the type to act aloof in the face of what he considered ‘uppityness’ of any sort and he looked just as unimpressed even as he politely returned the older man’s greeting.

“Thank you, Mr. Carter,” Kira breathed; glancing into the brightly lit ballroom-type hall beyond, where she caught a glimpse of several expensively dressed guests. She turned back to her boss who looked even more distinguished and handsome than ever in his black tux. Her brow wrinkled slightly with worry. “I hope we aren’t too late?”

It was her first time in her boss’s home and she hadn’t expected such grandeur even knowing how rich he was. Mr. Carter had never remarried and had no family living with him that she knew of. The place looked big enough to comfortably house as many as fifty people without a stretch. Every piece of décor seemed chosen with ultimate class and style. She felt overwhelmed and impressed at the same time.

“Not at all, my dear; you’re right on time. In fact I was hoping to have a little word with you before we go in. I’m afraid there’s a small favor I’d like to ask you. Well, maybe not so small.” Mr. Carter smiled engagingly.

Kira raised her eyebrows, ready to help. “I’ll do what I can sir.”

Bretton Carter sighed. “The thing is, Gina was meant to play hostess tonight, but she just called to say she’s down with a sudden bug and wouldn’t be able to make it. And I was wondering...”

“I know,” Kira said with a smile, “You were wondering if I could step in and take her place.”

Her boss grinned; seemingly glad at her willing response. “Just this once, Kira. It can’t be too difficult especially for a young woman with your poise. Easy as pie in fact. You already know most of the people in there and I’m positive I can trust you to catch any important details I’d miss.”

Kira looked to him and then back at the imposing room with all those prominent guests surrounded by the music and the caterers serving cocktails and wine. It was a big task, taking on such a duty even if just for a few hours. She’d attended very few dinner parties and certainly had never been the hostess at one. But Kira was the type to rise to any challenge in her path. It was the same way she tackled her job as secretary to one of the richest men in the city. Just this once she was sure she could handle the pressure of whatever lay in store.

“I think I can manage quite well, Mr. Carter,” Kira said finally, her smile fading slightly as she quickly turned to the hovering Terry. “That is if you wouldn’t mind being left on your own for a while?” Her eyes beseeched him to understand even as she felt sure he certainly couldn’t expect her to disregard her boss’s predicament, so to speak.

Terry’s smile was somewhat twisted as he shrugged. “Don’t worry about me. You do your thing and help your good old boss out.” He gave her a wink. “I’ll go in and...mingle.”

Kira turned to Mr. Carter while hiding her helpless feeling beneath a ready smile. Terry excused himself and made his way into the adjoining room where the party was in full swing. She felt her boss’s hand rest on her shoulder and she looked up.

“Good thing we’ve gotten rid of him – for now anyway,” he teased. “He’d have totally cramped your style. Seriously though, I appreciate you doing this for me. And you look exceptionally pretty tonight. I’m glad you took my advice and bought something extra nice to wear. I definitely have to introduce you to my son – but later. I see some more guests have arrived. We’ll have to receive them.”


Kira took a steadying inner breath and then drew on an easy, welcoming smile as she turned to the newly arrived guests walking into the hallway.





***

Blake fought to keep his expression attentive as one of his father’s old friends, an eccentric and aged widow who lived next door, Mrs. Wilkins began to tell him about her eldest daughter. About how she was beautiful, an accomplished lawyer and so on. He had to smile though as the old woman who was dripping with enough costly diamonds to feed a third world village for a year, added confidentially, “And she’s a fantastic cook too. Knows the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and she’s not afraid to show off her many skills in and out of the kitchen.”