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Chapter 9
“Mason is not in the habit of dancing with his clients,” Julia said.
The vulnerable woman in her got frozen with terror; the lawyer took the upper
hand. “And if he did, why should you get so upset about it? And why did you
say it was about Cruz?”
Eden sighed. “I know the woman. She works together with Cruz, and believe
me, I’ve had many unpleasant encounters with her. She gave it to me to
understand that she wanted Cruz and that I was in her way.”
“You doubt Cruz?” Julia asked incredulously. “I’ve never heard anything as
preposterous in my life! You belong together, you’re Eden-and-Cruz, spelt in
one word; and if you’d forgive me – you’re just being silly, Eden.”
Eden blew her nose. “Maybe. I don’t know. Cruz spends so much time with
her, and he would not give her up even if I ask him to. I just do not know what
to think.”
“Remember, last year there was this actress you were worried about; what
was her name? Victoria something. You almost pushed Cruz away then; and
where’s Victoria now? Away and forgotten,” said Julia reasonably. “The threat
was not in Cruz’s alleged infidelity, but your own ungrounded jealousy. So
relax and tell me what Mason’s got to do with it.”
Eden looked at Julia; she would have liked to be reassured a bit longer, but
she felt she had to explain her reaction. “When I saw Mason with her, all
smiles, I just felt – cheated and – disgusted and – betrayed. My own brother!
The woman’s really beautiful and sexy, Julia, and I thought, were all men like
this, and Mason’s getting married in a week or so--”
“I know,” Julia said.
She gave it some thought. “You said the woman works with Cruz; that is in his
detective agency? So, Mason could have a professional interest in her; if she’
s a detective he can be using her services.”
“Not the way he was treating her,” Eden said with conviction. “And talking,
talking – oh my, I know my brother is quite a phrase-monger; women would
just gape and melt if he wants to impress--”
“Talking is okay,” Julia said. “They were talking over a case, I’m sure.”
“I did not like the way he was looking at her,” Eden argued. “He was doing his
best to IMPRESS.”
“It means he needs her,” said Julia shrugging her shoulders. “Eden, I hate to
say it but the way I see it now, you only want to be convinced the woman is
not after Cruz any longer.”
Eden shook her head. “I don’t like her with Mason any more than I like her with
Cruz. One could think you almost like it?”
“I’m not too thrilled,” Julia admitted, “but dancing is not a crime. I remember
once Mason even had me dancing with him, and we hated each other then. His
Mary was alive, and I – it was when your cousin got killed.”
“You did NOT hate each other then. Look at yourselves, you’re getting
married.” Eden hesitated. “I thought – I – you told me you were not to have
sex, and I thought maybe Mason was not happy with it and--”
Julia’s heart was throbbing painfully. Still, she tried to stand by her fiance.
“You did not see them have sex, or kiss, or anything,” she pointed out. “Stop
borrowing trouble, Eden; there’s nothing to prove Mason and this – what’s her
name?”
“—Elena--”
“—and this Elena were having anything other than a talk on professional
topics. And if Mason WERE having an affair, don’t you think he’s smart enough
to have it well concealed?” Eden was undecided. Julia looked closer. “Either
there’s nothing in it whatsoever,” she said, vexed, “or you’re keeping
something else from me, Eden. Which is it?”
Mason’s sister sighed and absent-mindedly patted little Matt’s head. Matt
crawled away from under her hand; he did not appreciate such caresses.
“If you’re afraid to hurt my feelings, don’t be; you already have,” Julia
cheered her up.
“I was so angry and frustrated when I saw them together,” Eden said softly, “I
could hardly control myself. I thought maybe they were having a professional
talk, Julia, but when they got to dancing… They were sitting at the table
closest to the bar, you know?”
“Next to the curtain--”
“Exactly. This is my restaurant, Julia, and I got behind the curtain--” She
caught Julia’s eye. “I know I should be ashamed; I am; I just wanted to be
sure.”
“So, what did you hear?”
“Mason was telling her things – intimate things.”
“Like what?” Julia was losing her patience. “Like what positions he prefers in
sex? Like an oath of love? Like quoting Shakespeare? WHAT KIND OF
INTIMATE?”
“He was telling her stories of his childhood, Julia,” said Eden gravely. “How
father mistreated him. How unhappy he was when Pamela left.”
Julia understood. This was serious; a million times worse than if he’d been
telling Elena about sex positions.
Eden did know her buttoned-up brother. “I’m sorry Julia,” she added almost
inaudibly.
“Mason is not in the habit of dancing with his clients,” Julia said.
The vulnerable woman in her got frozen with terror; the lawyer took the upper
hand. “And if he did, why should you get so upset about it? And why did you
say it was about Cruz?”
Eden sighed. “I know the woman. She works together with Cruz, and believe
me, I’ve had many unpleasant encounters with her. She gave it to me to
understand that she wanted Cruz and that I was in her way.”
“You doubt Cruz?” Julia asked incredulously. “I’ve never heard anything as
preposterous in my life! You belong together, you’re Eden-and-Cruz, spelt in
one word; and if you’d forgive me – you’re just being silly, Eden.”
Eden blew her nose. “Maybe. I don’t know. Cruz spends so much time with
her, and he would not give her up even if I ask him to. I just do not know what
to think.”
“Remember, last year there was this actress you were worried about; what
was her name? Victoria something. You almost pushed Cruz away then; and
where’s Victoria now? Away and forgotten,” said Julia reasonably. “The threat
was not in Cruz’s alleged infidelity, but your own ungrounded jealousy. So
relax and tell me what Mason’s got to do with it.”
Eden looked at Julia; she would have liked to be reassured a bit longer, but
she felt she had to explain her reaction. “When I saw Mason with her, all
smiles, I just felt – cheated and – disgusted and – betrayed. My own brother!
The woman’s really beautiful and sexy, Julia, and I thought, were all men like
this, and Mason’s getting married in a week or so--”
“I know,” Julia said.
She gave it some thought. “You said the woman works with Cruz; that is in his
detective agency? So, Mason could have a professional interest in her; if she’
s a detective he can be using her services.”
“Not the way he was treating her,” Eden said with conviction. “And talking,
talking – oh my, I know my brother is quite a phrase-monger; women would
just gape and melt if he wants to impress--”
“Talking is okay,” Julia said. “They were talking over a case, I’m sure.”
“I did not like the way he was looking at her,” Eden argued. “He was doing his
best to IMPRESS.”
“It means he needs her,” said Julia shrugging her shoulders. “Eden, I hate to
say it but the way I see it now, you only want to be convinced the woman is
not after Cruz any longer.”
Eden shook her head. “I don’t like her with Mason any more than I like her with
Cruz. One could think you almost like it?”
“I’m not too thrilled,” Julia admitted, “but dancing is not a crime. I remember
once Mason even had me dancing with him, and we hated each other then. His
Mary was alive, and I – it was when your cousin got killed.”
“You did NOT hate each other then. Look at yourselves, you’re getting
married.” Eden hesitated. “I thought – I – you told me you were not to have
sex, and I thought maybe Mason was not happy with it and--”
Julia’s heart was throbbing painfully. Still, she tried to stand by her fiance.
“You did not see them have sex, or kiss, or anything,” she pointed out. “Stop
borrowing trouble, Eden; there’s nothing to prove Mason and this – what’s her
name?”
“—Elena--”
“—and this Elena were having anything other than a talk on professional
topics. And if Mason WERE having an affair, don’t you think he’s smart enough
to have it well concealed?” Eden was undecided. Julia looked closer. “Either
there’s nothing in it whatsoever,” she said, vexed, “or you’re keeping
something else from me, Eden. Which is it?”
Mason’s sister sighed and absent-mindedly patted little Matt’s head. Matt
crawled away from under her hand; he did not appreciate such caresses.
“If you’re afraid to hurt my feelings, don’t be; you already have,” Julia
cheered her up.
“I was so angry and frustrated when I saw them together,” Eden said softly, “I
could hardly control myself. I thought maybe they were having a professional
talk, Julia, but when they got to dancing… They were sitting at the table
closest to the bar, you know?”
“Next to the curtain--”
“Exactly. This is my restaurant, Julia, and I got behind the curtain--” She
caught Julia’s eye. “I know I should be ashamed; I am; I just wanted to be
sure.”
“So, what did you hear?”
“Mason was telling her things – intimate things.”
“Like what?” Julia was losing her patience. “Like what positions he prefers in
sex? Like an oath of love? Like quoting Shakespeare? WHAT KIND OF
INTIMATE?”
“He was telling her stories of his childhood, Julia,” said Eden gravely. “How
father mistreated him. How unhappy he was when Pamela left.”
Julia understood. This was serious; a million times worse than if he’d been
telling Elena about sex positions.
Eden did know her buttoned-up brother. “I’m sorry Julia,” she added almost
inaudibly.
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