Whisper Privileges (5 page)

“So Diego tells me you and Alana were
fantastic this weekend.”

Grateful for the easier terrain, Sydney
replied, “Placed first, though Alana has a souvenir for her
troubles. Sprained her ankle during the last game.”

“That’s what he said. Is she okay?”

“She will be. Carlos is waiting on her hand
and foot.”

Sam returned a sly smile. “Vic would wait on
me hand and foot if I asked him.”

“I’m sure he would,” Sydney replied with more
than a pinch of longing. Victor Marin was head over heels in love
with Sam, the two meeting in the wake of personal tragedy for him.
It was a heartache she couldn’t imagine living through let alone
surviving with the ability to love again. What he had to endure was
yet another reason not to have children. But Vic had survived and,
with Sam’s help, found justice. And Sam was right. Vic would do
most anything she asked, his devotion deep and strong. Which gave
her pause. If only she could find a man like him. A man who meant
what he said, remained committed to a fault. She gazed at her
brightly-colored drink. In her life men didn’t have a great track
record when it came to fidelity or long-term commitment. They moved
in and moved on.

“Well look who’s here,” Sam announced.

Sydney heard the distinct drop in tempo. She
looked up and stiffened.
Charlie
.

“And what to my wondering eyes should
appear?” Sam swiveled in her seat to face Sydney, pleasure
glittering within the rounds of her eyes. “But there’s a handsome
young thing with him.”

“It’s his friend from South Carolina. I met
him during the tournament.”

Sam perked at the mention. “Oh,
really
... Then why is this the first I’ve heard of him?”

Sydney cocked her head to one side and said,
“He’s a friend of
Charlie’s
—or did you miss that part?”

“So what? Doesn’t make them identical twins,”
she said, her head turning back in the guys’ direction.

“Close enough for me.” Sydney pulled her
drink close. Wrapping fingers around the base of her glass, she was
content on ignoring the duo. Charlie was a user, a womanizer. It
wasn’t a stretch to assume the two had things in common. Otherwise,
why would they be hanging around together?

“They’re headed our way,” Sam informed her as
the bartender wiped the counter around them, openly ogling Sam.

Sydney groaned and sought refuge in another
sip of fruity martini. “Great.” She looked over her shoulder. Sure
enough, Charlie and Clay were headed straight for them. As usual,
Charlie’s gaze was filled with conceit, as though she and Sam were
begging for his company. Clay on the other hand, wore an expression
of unguarded interest.

Charlie strolled up to within feet and said,
“Hey Sydney.” He touched upon her friend. “Sam.”

“Hello,” Sydney returned, purposely draining
her voice of cheer.

“Who do we have here?” Sam asked, eyeballing
Clay like a bird on a worm.

Always the direct one, Sydney mused, but had
to admit, she did enjoy seeing Clay again. The man was certainly
easy on the eyes and after putting Charlie in his place the other
day, had already scored a point with her in positive territory.
Dressed in jeans and white button-down, sleeves rolled up to his
forearms, his collar lifted ever so slightly, he appeared sporty
and fresh. Her gaze wandered down to his chest. And sexy. Recently
tanned by the Miami sun, she thought his skin set off the Puka
shell necklace within his open shirt rather well. Sydney lifted her
gaze and bumped into his smile. As though caught red-handed, she
gulped. Definitely sexy.

Clay extended a hand toward Sam. “Clay
Rutledge.”

“Sam Rawlings.” With an approving nod to
Sydney she took his hand and shook. “I understand you’ve already
met my friend here.”

His smiled broadened. “I have. Good to see
you again, Sydney.”

“Nice to see you, Clay,” she returned, as
casually as she could.

“So what are you girls up to tonight?”
Charlie asked. “Any hot plans we should know about?” He waggled his
brow in what Sydney found to be a grotesque gesture.

“Hot is my middle name, Charlie. You know
that.”

He laughed. The way Sam stated it as a
matter-of-fact, there wasn’t much Charlie could do. With a light
clap to Clay’s shoulder, he said, “I’m trying to show my friend
here a good time while he’s in town. Any ideas?”

“Why not start right here?” Sam slanted an
eye toward Sydney. “Couple of attractive women, expert bartender on
hand...”

Charlie looked at Sydney and she iced him
with a “don’t even think about it” look.

“Sounds good to me,” Clay said and stepped
over next to Sydney. He placed his hands on the back of her chair
in what she found to be a presumptive move. Her insides shifted.
She wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

Visibly uncomfortable, Charlie glanced
between the two.

“Why don’t you wander around a bit, Charlie?”
Sam suggested. “See what you can rustle up in the way of prospects.
Don’t worry.” She patted the top of Clay’s hand. “We’ll look after
your friend here while you’re gone.”

He looked at her, then Clay, and finally to
Sydney who continued her freezing glare.

“Trust me,” Sam said and moved her hand to
squeeze Charlie’s shoulder. “He’s in good hands.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” He
nodded, as if it were exactly what he intended. “Clay? You okay
here for a while?”

He signaled for the bartender’s attention.
“I’ll wait for you right here, brother.”

Like a wicked old matchmaker, Sam slipped a
smile to Sydney.

“Suit yourself.” Charlie perused the bar,
searching for direction. His features suddenly relaxed as he let
out a low whistle. “Well, look who just walked in.”

All eyes followed his gaze to the three women
entering the bar. Three attractive twenty-something blondes wearing
thigh high short skirts and four inch heels. The girls swaggered
past and met up with another group of women seated by the
floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Biscayne Bay. The dock beyond
was lined with a spattering of lights, a few low-rises and then a
sheet of black water was dotted with red and green markers. Like a
dog latching onto the scent, Charlie made a show of following his
nose toward the trio.

The man made Sydney ill.

“So what are we drinking?” Clay asked.

“Gin martini.”

“Mine’s mango,” Sydney said, suddenly
conscious of Clay’s close physical presence as he stood by her
side. So close, the blue of his eyes seemed to grab hold of her.
His cologne clung to the very air around her shoulders, the bare
skin of her arms. Subtle, rich, it was a mix of cedar and citrus
and one hundred percent appealing. She cleared her throat. “Um,
it’s good. You should try one.”

He looked at it and shook his head. “Looks a
bit frou-frou for me.”

“Hm...” Sydney turned her head away from
Clay, more a need to gather her senses than anything. The man was
definitely attractive, in an alluring, distracting kind of way.

The bartender appeared and with one eye still
firmly hooked on Sam, asked Clay, “What can I get you to
drink?”

“You have Kalik?”

“Coming right up.”

“What a nice surprise to run into you again,”
he said, his gaze warm and fluid, his smile electric as it coaxed
her focus back to him. “I’ve been wondering how your game
went.”

“Fine,” she said. The sharp reminder that
this man had seen her in her bathing suit was somewhat unnerving.
It made her fitted skirt feel almost conservative, despite the fact
it rose halfway up her thigh. She dropped a hand to rest over top
of her exposed leg.

“I wanted to come back and watch you play,
but Charlie wouldn’t go for it. And since I’m at his mercy...”

“I’m sorry for you.”

He raised a brow. “You don’t care much for
Charlie, do you?”

She looked up at him. “Is it that obvious?”
Sydney pitched over to Sam for a little reinforcement on the
subject but none was forthcoming. She merely smiled and sipped. And
watched.

The bartender slid the clear bottle across
the bar top in front of Clay, the shiny aqua label snagging her
attention. More a silvery aqua, it was crisp and pretty.

“Thanks,” he said to the man, then asked her,
“Is it personal or professional?”

Unfamiliar with the brand, she allowed her
mind to drift. “Both, actually.”

“Anything you care to share?”

Completely ignored in the conversation, Sam
seemed content to watch. Pulling an olive from its stick with her
teeth, she slowly chewed.

Briefly settling her gaze on Charlie talking
to the women, his patently obvious method of come-on revolting even
from this distance, Sydney wondered how the girls could stand
listening to him. “Charlie mistreated a friend of mine,” she said
at last, the din of conversation rising around her.

Clay frowned. “Sorry to hear it.”

“Yes, well, seems to be a habit of his,” she
said and looked at Clay, uninterested in masking her contempt,
“though it seems to me you should know that better than
anyone.”

“Because we’re friends?”

She wondered at his surprise.
Who better
if not you
, she thought, glancing askance at him.

“Charlie and I grew up together, but once he
left for college he didn’t look back. In fact, it’s been a few
years since I’ve seen him so we’ve been trying to catch up. I’m
actually staying at his place until my parents arrive for the
events.”

Sam popped back in. “Events?”

“Special Olympics.”

She drew a line between them with her gaze,
as though pulling the two closer together. “Do you work with the
Special Olympics?”

Chapter Four

“My son is one of the athletes,” Clay said to
Sam, but closed in on Sydney, as though her reaction to his
revelation was most important.

His son
?
In the Special
Olympics
?

Sam tapped Sydney with a rapt gaze and asked,
“What sport?”

“He’s a swimmer.”

“You his coach?”

Clay laughed. “Hardly. I’m more like the
support staff.”

“He pretty good?”

He beamed and raised his beer. “Stands a
chance to win the gold.”

“Sydney here is your liaison for the events,”
Sam said, tapping her on the arm. “She can get you whatever you
need.”

“That’s what I hear,” he said, then flipped
up his beer for a swig, a steady eye on Sydney.

“More like assistant to the Special Olympics
organization,” she clarified, embarrassed by Sam’s assertion. “Most
of the details have already been handled. My job is to
facilitate.”

“She’s too modest,” Sam said. “It’s her job
to make sure your events run smoothly and the athletes and their
families enjoy themselves while they’re here.” She thrust a
shit-eating grin behind the last statement.

He smiled, a tad too wide for casual
appreciation. “I like the sound of that.”

Sam simmered in a knowing grin, downed her
martini and stood. “It was nice to meet you, Clay.”

Sydney’s heart lurched. “
What
? Where
are you going?”

“I have a date with Vic.” She winked to Clay.
“And I don’t like to keep my man waiting.”

Sydney doubted she had any such date, but to
call her on it in front of Clay would only reveal her obvious
motive of pushing the two of
them
together.

Reaching for her purse, Sam opened her wallet
and pulled out a bill. “Here’s some money for my drink.”

Clay raised a hand in protest, “Let me get
this round.”

She smiled at his offer. “Thanks, but I want
to give my new friend a special bonus,” she said, sliding a
mischievous gaze toward the young bartender. “Ensures me prompt and
courteous service next time around.”

“Somehow, I don’t think you have any trouble
in that department,” he returned, his features mellowing in
admiration.

“I like him,” Sam said to Sydney. “Too bad I
can’t stay.”

Sydney spied the twenty dollar bill and
thought, not bad for five minutes of the man’s time. “Give my
regards to Vic, will you?” she directed Sam. “Tell him he’s a lucky
man to steal you away from me tonight
of all nights
,” she
underscored, signaling she knew this was nothing more than a ruse
to push her together with Clay.

Sam’s smile turned devilish grin. “I will.”
She extended her hand to Clay and said, “Nice to meet you,
Clay.”

“Same here.”

“Take good care of my friend, will you?”

“You can count on it.”

She chuckled. “Oh yes, I like him already,
Syd.” Sydney turned her face up for the expected kiss goodbye. Sam
leaned down with a whisper, “You owe me one.” Then pecked her
cheek.

“Yes I do,” Sydney said, loud enough to be
sure Clay heard.

“Ta-ta!” Sam blew a kiss to the bartender as
she hurried off, her long legs and frilly skirt quickly consumed by
the throng of young professionals.

Clay lowered into the seat vacated by Sam and
his eyes danced with pleasure. “Looks like it’s just you and
me.”

“Yes,” she replied, uncertain as to where
this was going. While she enjoyed the company of handsome men, she
had no interest in taking this one any further.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

Sydney looked down and was surprised to see
her glass near empty. She looked at him, looked around and debated
whether or not she should stay. The lounge had grown to standing
room only, bodies packed in around the bar, noise level ratcheted
up. Stress levels were falling, conversations were rolling, libidos
were heating... The atmosphere was certainly conducive to
lingering. She peered over at Clay and he smiled, his gaze
expectant.

Why not
? What else did she have to do?
Sure as hell beat sitting at home alone, sulking over her current
assignment. “Sure,” she replied, then suddenly remembered Clay
was
her assignment—or part of it, anyway.