“ Isn’t she beautiful,” Stormy said.
“ She is,” Broxton said back, “but she can’t light a candle next to you.”
“ That’s nice of you to say, but she’s an international star. She sings all over the world. Everybody knows who she is. I’m barely noticed outside of Port of Spain.”
“ Let’s find a table,” he said.
“ No, let’s dance first.” She lead him onto the dance floor, where they spent the next forty-five minutes slow dancing to a string of ballads. Every dance brought her a little closer until they moved as one. Tammy’s voice and Stormy’s lithe body pressing against his combined to make Broxton feel like they were alone on the dance floor. He was a teenager again, biting his lip to control an erection. He wanted her badly and he sensed that she wanted him.
Then the last ballad was over and the lights went on. People started returning to their tables. He was fantasizing about what he could be doing with Stormy afterwards when he was shocked out of his reverie by Dani’s glaring stare.
“ How could you?” she said, through tight lips.
“ What?” he said.
“ Her,” Dani said. Her face was red and her nostrils were flaring. For a second he thought she was going to slap him, but she turned on her heels and started for the door. He looked around the room to see if anyone had noticed and he locked eyes with Kevin Underfield. The man smiled, then saluted him with a loose hand, before turning and following his fiance out the door and Broxton knew he’d been set up.
He turned toward Stormy, “Why?” he said.
“ She hates me. Kevin wanted to make sure you were no threat.”
“ I could tell her.”
“ Tell her what? You’re the one that invited me tonight, remember?” she said, then she stood on her toes and pecked him on the cheek. “I guess I’ll go too. Don’t worry about getting me home, my car’s in the lot.”
Chapter Twelve
Broxton woke with a hangover and a picture of the fire in Dani’s eyes burning through the pain in his head. He’d lost her again, and again he blamed himself. He ran his hand over his scalp and down the back of his neck, wiping the sweat off. It had been a hot night and the fan overhead did little more than stir the hot air.
He stumbled out of a hard bed, regretting the bottle of Scotch he’d bought, before checking into the hotel. He’d drunk himself into a stupor and now a hangover kept his broken heart company.
He studied the bags under his eyes in the bathroom mirror, splashed some water on his stubble covered face. He wished he had something to shave with. He wished he hadn’t slept in his clothes, and he wished he had gone back to Warren’s mansion, instead of spending the night with a bottle of Scotch.
He sighed, dropped his clothes on the floor and stepped into the shower with his mouth turned into the spray, soaking up the water into his dehydrated system. After he’d satisfied his thirst, he turned the heat up and let the hot water cascade down his back, soothing the aches and pains caused by his trek along the river and through the drain pipe. If he could have his way he’d stay forever under the spray, but sometimes you just have to face the music. He shut off the water, toweled off and got back into his rumpled clothes. Then he went to the phone and called Warren’s. Dani answered on the first ring.
“ It’s me,” Broxton said.
“ It’s amazing,” she said. “You’re the only man in the world who could ever get me to act like that. How come that is?”
“ Just my lovable good nature,” he said, relieved that she wasn’t still angry. Maybe there was hope yet.
“ How come you brought that slut to the concert?” Dani asked.
“ Slut’s a little strong.”
“ You’re right. I’m sorry. She used to date Kevin. We don’t get along.”
“ No kidding, you could have fooled me.”
“ How’d you meet her?”
For a second he debated not telling her, but he’d never lied to her before and he wasn’t going to start now. He also wasn’t about to tell her that her fiance was sleeping with his old flame. He decided to hedge. “I saw her poster up at the Hilton, just before I saw her. The restaurant was full. I asked her to join me. Then I asked her out. She said yes, no big deal.”
“ So you brought a date to a function you knew I was going to be at?”
“ Why not? You brought one.”
“ Oh shit, you’re right,” she said. “It’s none of my business. Did you have a good time after I left?”
“ Ask my hangover,” he said. Let her think what she wanted.
“ Where are you?”
“ The Normandy.” Now she definitely was going to assume he spent the night with her.
“ Is she there now?” Did he detect a note of jealousy in her voice? Maybe, he couldn’t tell.
“ No.”
“ Good, you wanna go sailing on Daddy’s boat this afternoon?”
“ I’d love it, but my hangover wouldn’t. I’ll have to pass.”
“ It’ll be your last chance to see me for awhile.”
“ What are you talking about?”
“ The sail this afternoon. It’s a sea trial. I’m sailing up island Saturday morning with some friends. I’ll be gone for four or five months. It’s a long vacation.”
“ I’m sorry, I’m really in horrible shape. If I’d only known.” He wondered if Kevin Underfield was going along.
“ Think you might be better by five or six?” she asked.
“ Probably.”
“ Then you wanna go to Margarita tonight?”
“ As in Venezuela?”
“ Just for one night. I need to go shopping. I need some new clothes for the trip and there’s a few things I’d like to have on board that you can’t get here.”
“ I can’t. I’ve got to work, sorry,” he said.
“ Daddy said to tell you that Prime Minister Ramsingh is going to be on the same flight. He made me promise to introduce you.”
“ Then I’d love to go,” he said, thrilled at the prospect of spending a night with her. Maybe he really did have a chance after all.
“ I’ll think of your hurting head as we tack and jibe the day away.”
“ Kevin going?” he hated asking, but he had to know.
“ Nope just me, Daddy and Sea King.”
“ A new boat?”
“ Yes, Wind Dancer was just too small. Sea King’s sixty feet and fast.”
“ The two of you can handle it?”
“ Electric winches, roller furling sails, even the main, sure no problem.”
Broxton didn’t know what she was talking about and didn’t care. All he wanted to do was drink a gallon of water and go back to sleep. “What time’s the flight?” he asked.
“ Seven-thirty, but it’s a Venezuelan airline leaving from Trinidad, so plan at leaving around eight or nine.” She laughed. “I’m already packed and I’ll have my bag with me, so I’ll go straight from the dock to the airport. Why don’t I meet you there at six, then we’ll drink till takeoff.”
“ I’ll be there, but don’t expect me to be drinking much. I’ll probably never drink again.”
“ That’s my Bill. See you tonight.”
“ See ya,” he said. His hat was definitely still in the ring. Kevin Underfield watch out, because Bill Broxton is back in the game, he thought. Then he lay back, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
