9781631054631ChoiceAffairsSalisbury (12 page)

Instead, I moved back
three steps and gestured with my head.
“Kitchen’s
inside that door. But I imagine you already know that.”

I watched her suck in
a breath in disbelief. Yet, she headed where instructed. “Where’s Caitlyn?
She’s okay, isn’t she?”

“Of course, she’s
fine. Why wouldn’t she be?”

“Why, be a love, Apolo
, and pour me a drink. A martini, if you don’t mind.
Absolut Vodka, if you have it. If not, whatever will have to
do.
” She turned and proceeded into the
kitchen.

I walked over to the
bar and began preparing a martini for the bitch-in-law when Caitlyn appea
red from the bedroom.

“My mother’s here, I
take it.”

“You heard?”

“Who couldn’t? She
brought dinner?”

“Oh yes, but stay
here. She’ll just corner you if you go in there.”

She grinned and
watched as I went through the process. Susan reappeared just as I was
pouring her drink into a glass.

“I hope you didn’t
shake it. I can tell if you did, you know. It ruins a good martini.”

“Susan…” I passed her
the drink I had indeed just
shook
.
“Caitlyn, what would you like, darling?
A glass of wine?”

“Yes. As a matter of
fact, I have a bottle open in the kitchen I’d set aside for
dinner.” She made to leave the room, I assumed to retrieve it.

Susan was sipping her
martini. “You’re really not intending to drink alcohol are you, Caitlyn?”

Caitlyn stared at her,
shook her head
, and went in search of her wine. In
the meantime, I poured myself another glass of whiskey.
A full one this time.
I had the feeling I would need it
before our evening with Susan was over.

“You know she
shouldn’t be drinking alcohol, Apolo. It’s not good f
or
her. If you’re any kind of man, you’ll tell her to stop.”

“Susan, your daughter,
my wife now, is perfectly capable of making her own decisions. If she wants a
glass of wine, she can have as many as she wants. You make her sound like she’s
a lush or some
thing. I’m telling
you
to stop now.”

“Stop what?” she
asked, batting her false eyelashes my way. “I’m merely a concerned mother,
worried about her daughter, who has no experience in these matters.”

“Trust me,
Susan,
Caitlyn is far more experienced than
you give her credit for.”

“Credit for what?” my
darling wife inquired as she entered the room, drink in hand.

“Oh,
nothing, Caiti.
Your mother and I were discussing the dinner she brought.”

“Yes, I saw all of
that. How
many people were you expecting to feed,
Mother? There’s more food than the three of us could possibly eat in one
sitting.”

“Well, I figured what
we didn’t eat now, you two could reheat. I know how hectic things are for you,
sweetie. You shouldn’t have to
cook if you’re not
feeling well.”

“I feel just fine,
Mother. Honestly, I don’t know what’s up with you.” Caitlyn glanced over in my
direction. “You might as well tell Apolo the news Mother, if you haven’t
already.”

“News,
what news?”
I took a long drink of
f my whiskey.

“I’ve moved to
Washington,” Susan replied, like a chess player who’s just tried to unseat the
reigning champion. “I’ve got a suite at the Watergate. Caitlyn didn’t tell
you?”

I had to turn around.
It was all I could manage not to spew whiskey all over her.
What
the hell?
How had Jacob not picked up on this bit of information?

“I hadn’t had the
chance, Mother. Apolo just got home when you came blasting on our buzzer.”

“Well, you
should have had me on your visitor’s list. In fact, I
should be given a key. You never know when you might need me to come over and
check things out sometime.”

My mouth was about to
go into overdrive, but at this precise second, I didn’t care. Caitlyn how
ever, saw this and stepped in.

“Mother, why don’t you
and I go
see
about dinner? I’m sure Apolo would
appreciate a few minutes to change his clothes before we discuss your unplanned
move.”

“There’s nothing about
it being unplanned. I knew the moment you tw
o were
married that I needed to be closer.”

“Come. Did you bring
some appetizers?” Caitlyn guided the beast out of the room and from my sight
before I went nuclear.

I turned and headed
into the bedroom, refilling my glass before I left. Changing was a good
idea. Calling Jacob was even better. I shut the door
behind me while I got him on the line.

“Yeah,
Apolo.
What can I do for you this gorgeous, Friday evening?”

“You can start with
telling me who is paying for Caitlyn’s mother to stay at the Watergate.
In
a suite, no
less.
Because it
certainly isn’t her.”

“She showed up?
In Washington?”

“Yes, damn it! She’s
moved here.
Some nonsense about
being closer to Caitlyn in case her daughter needs her.
A bunch of horseshit, if I ever heard it.
Find out and get back
with me tonight!”

“Yes,
sir.”

“I’ll work on her this
evening. See if I can find out where she’s been hiding. Not that I expect her
to tell me.”

“The answer lies with
whoever is paying her way. I’m on it.
Shouldn’t be too hard to figure out.
I’ll text you w
hen I know something.”

“Good man. Thank you.”
I disconnected, took a long swallow of whiskey, and headed for the closet. I
looked around and saw Caitlyn’s clothes that she had obviously ditched for her
more appealing attire when I arrived.
Naked.
Damn rela
tives!

I rejoined the ladies,
who were sitting on the couch in front of various dishes of appetizers. I
nodded in Caitlyn’s direction, letting her know I’d contacted Jacob. I poured
myself yet another glass of whiskey, this time adding a splash of soda. I
needed to have my wits around me when Jacob called back.
Which, knowing Jacob, wouldn’t be long.

“Feel better, dear?”
Susan asked without glancing up. She was fixing herself a plate.

Suddenly, I realized
that what little lunch I’d shared with Caitlyn was l
ong
gone. “Much, thank you.” I took a sip off my drink and sat down across from
them. I proceeded to get myself some food while Caiti and her mother chit
chatted about whatever self-absorbed thing Susan could conjure up. Then, I
placed my phone on the tabl
e next to me and waited.
“So enlighten me, Susan, just how did you manage to sneak past Jacob’s men? Of
course, if you don’t want to, don’t worry. Jacob will come up with the answer.”

“But he hasn’t, has
he?” she quipped, a catty smile crossing her lips.

“
Not on this particular incident, no.”
I eyed Caitlyn over a meatball I had
forked off my plate and winked.

“No hard feelings, I
hope?”

“For
what, Susan?
Eluding my men? Or the part where you deliberately tried to trump everyone up
at your own daughter’s we
dding by wearing a dress
that was not meant, by any stretch of the imagination, for a mother of the
bride? Or where you cleverly went behind everyone’s back and helped my very,
very former girlfriend obtain entrance to the reception? Whom, by the way, you
seemed to be quite chummy with, if I recall.

“Or—and I love this
one—your need to be the center of attention by selling out private photos of
not only our wedding ceremony itself, but of the reception? Come on, Susan,
which is it?”

She knew she was
caught
and about to be roasted, so, rather than
answer me, she turned to her daughter for sympathy. “Does he talk to all his
female relations like this, Caitlyn? I pray he doesn’t speak so to you.”

“Oh, Mother, give it a
rest, will you?
Enough with the
theatrics.
It’s true, and you know it. You made sure you disobeyed
everything we asked of you. Just like a spoiled child. And to top it all off,
you just had to sell that photo of our ceremony, the one thing we wanted
private, to the highest bidder.
Shame
on you.
An
d yes, Apolo can speak to you in whatever manner he
wishes, because I back him up all the way.”

I heard a “well I
never!” just as Jacob texted me with the name of a certain senator who was
paying Susan’s bills in Washington. A man I knew by reputation, one
whom I wasn’t a fan of. He had an unknown grudge against
me, or rather, my company.
Interesting
stuff.
It showed up as a shell company, but it took Jacob mere
minutes to dig out who it really was. “So, tell me, Susan, who’s this senator
who’s paying for y
our stay here in Washington? Is he
your sugar daddy, or is it something more?”

“My private affairs
are none of your business, Apolo Choice, and don’t you dare forget that.”

“Apolo?”
Caitlyn had an eyebrow cocked in
curiosity.

“Yes, it seems this
high-powered senator is paying her bills.
To get to me.
Of that, I’m sure.”

“Why?”

“He and I go back a
number of years. Let’s just say he doesn’t like self-made billionaires, who had
no help from anyone.
Unlike him.
He’s tried to preven
t Choice Enterprises from obtaining numerous ventures, but
has yet to be successful.”

“Mother, how could
you?”

“I won’t sit here and
have your husband talk to me like this. Furthermore, Caitlyn, I can’t believe
you’d allow it.”

“Oh, Mother…”

I sat forward
in my chair and stared at her. “This is the way things are
going to run while we live here, Susan. You brought this on yourself, so don’t
try crying to Caitlyn because she backs whatever I say. You will not be on our
visitor’s list. If you want to come ove
r, you will
call and arrange it with us in advance. If you continue going to the press, I
will have my attorneys get a gag order. Our private life is off limits to you.
Do I make myself clear?”

“You can’t do that,
Apolo. Caitlyn’s my daughter first.”

“She’
s my wife now. This is a politically charged town, Susan.
Choose who you sleep around with very carefully. The outcome you thought you
were going to get might not be the one you sought. Do you understand what I’m
saying?”

“Oh, I understand all
right. You’r
e trying to keep my daughter from me.”

“Mother, I’m warning
you…give it a rest. You know damn good and well that’s not what Apolo is trying
to do. What he’s telling you is—if you’re going to play ball with the big boys,
in the big league here in Washington
, make sure
you’ve chosen your partners carefully.
Because if you haven’t, it might come back to bite you in
the butt.”

Susan stood up. Her
eyes were filled with hatred. Something I can’t say I’ve ever seen before. “I’m
not going to sit here and listen to
this. Enjoy your
supper.”