“That’s more like it.” Olivia nodded approvingly and put her arm around Elise again. “Come on, sweetie, let’s go. You’re going to be fine.”
Feeling like her feet were made of lead, Elise forced herself to go into the viewing room. It was fairly large and one whole wall was dominated by a massive viewscreen. But the face on the screen wasn’t James’—it was Pamela, his blonde, curvaceous secretary.
“Pam?” she asked weakly.
“Oh, hello, Elise.” Pam gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach her wide blue eyes. She smoothed the tight-fitting pink cashmere sweater she was wearing down over her ample D-cup breasts and her eyes flicked over Elise disapprovingly. “You look…nice.”
Elise was suddenly aware that she was still wearing the too-loose crimson hospital johnny and her hair was a frowzy mess. “Where’s James?” she asked, trying to sound confident. “I was told that he called me.”
“Working, of course. You can’t expect him to make his own calls—he’s a busy boy, you know.” Pamela laughed coyly, that bubbling, Marilyn Monroe giggle that never failed to get on Elise’s last nerve. “If you’ll hold for just a minute, I’ll go get him.”
“Oh, okay,” Elise said belatedly but the screen had already gone blank.
She stood there waiting in front of the dark viewscreen, feeling like an idiot. She didn’t usually let Pamela bother her but then again, most of the time when she called James, she was dressed in courtroom attire with her hair in a neat and tidy bun. She started to smooth down the cloudy black mass around her head but stopped abruptly when she saw Merrick glaring at her.
Before either of them could say anything, the screen winked into life again and the face of her fiancée was suddenly staring back at her. Looking at his clean cut, handsome face and dark blue eyes, Elise wondered how she could have ever forgotten him. As usual, he was wearing a hand-tailored suit that cost more than most cars and an elegant silk tie the color of dried blood. The color set off his tanned skin perfectly, and when he smiled, his teeth were toothpaste-commercial white. Elise could almost catch a whiff of his expensive cologne as he leaned toward the viewscreen to study her.
“Elise? Is that you, darling? My God—what have they done to you?” His smile faded into a look of concern and horror.
“I’m fine, James.” Elise couldn’t stop herself from smoothing her hair this time. She wished fiercely for some bobby pins or anything else to tame it and pull it back, to make it lie down decently as it should.
“You don’t look fine.” He looked at her uncertainly. “You know, I was most dreadfully worried about you when I heard. You really should have told me you were leaving Tampa.”
“You were away on your business trip, and besides, I thought I could just slip away to Sarasota by myself and relax.” Elise hated the defensive tone in her voice but she couldn’t seem to help it. “I just wanted a day off. Unfortunately, it turned into an extended vacation.” She tried to laugh and couldn’t quite manage it.
“Well, you should have reached me earlier. I just got back into town yesterday and imagine my surprise when I got the news. I was shocked, darling. Simply shocked.” James’ clipped, upper-crust British accent deepened, as it always did when he was upset.
“I…I didn’t want to worry you,” Elise faltered. “I…I know I should have called you. It just…just slipped my mind.” Of course, that wasn’t the only thing that had slipped her mind. She cast another sidelong glance at Merrick to see if he was still glaring at her. But this time, his attention seemed to be directed at her fiancé.
“Why didn’t you call Elise?” he demanded, his promise to “not say a fucking word” apparently forgotten. “Hell, why didn’t you come up here right away?”
James frowned. “I’m sorry…and you are…?”
“Merrick.” Merrick growled.
“Merrick who?” James asked. “You Kindred usually say what planet you’re from. I’ve met quite a few of your people during my business travels,” he added, smiling charmingly.
But Elise could tell Merrick wasn’t in the least bit charmed. “It’s just Merrick,” he said, frowning. “And I don’t claim a home world because none of the Kindred home worlds claim me.”
“Well, how very…interesting,” James murmured politely.
“Merrick saved me.” Elise jumped into the conversation, desperate to end the awkward silence that ensued. “He found me and brought me to the Mothership. If it wasn’t for him, I’d still be—be lost.” The words seemed to stick in her throat. They were true in so many ways—ways she still couldn’t even being to understand.