The Forbidden Twin(13)

"There's that man from the ad agency, John Harlan."

Surprise pelted Scarlet from all sides. "Where?"

"At a table behind you, in the corner."

She wasn't sure she wanted to turn around. If he was with a woman, she didn't want to know.

"He's looking right at you. I think he knows I'm telling you he's there," Jessie said in an emphatic whisper.

"Hmm." She took a long sip of her drink. He was courteous and would  probably approach them at some point, especially since he and Jessie had  taken note of each other. Scarlet would wait for him to initiate  contact. Until then she could ignore the possibilities of whom he was  with.

Maybe that blonde from the country club dance. She never had asked who that was.

"Is it true he was engaged to your sister?" Jessie asked.

Scarlet sighed. "They were engaged on Valentine's Day, but Summer called  it off a couple of weeks later, just about the time you were hired."

"It must be weird for him, seeing you. Working with you, her identical twin."

Tell me about it. She'd wondered at the beginning if she was only a  substitute for her sister, a way to get Summer out of his mind, but she  didn't think that was true now. They had their own relationship. And  while it was fun at times, she was always aware of the impending and  necessary conclusion. They couldn't even just date and see where things  might go. Even if Summer-and their grandfather-could somehow accept it,  because of Scarlet's reputation, many people might assume that Scarlet  had interfered somehow, even before Zeke Woodlow had appeared on the  scene. It wasn't worth the grief.

Or was it?

The man from the end of the bar approached, saving Scarlet from coming  up with an answer. Late twenties, Scarlet decided. A little taller than  she, blond and blue-eyed. He didn't look overly sophisticated or jaded,  which meant he might work as a flirtation for the still-naive Jessie.  Diverting her attention from watching John was a good idea.

"I'll bet you're sisters," the man said.

Scarlet met Jessie's gaze. She looked startled, but Scarlet smiled. "Coworkers," she said.                       
       
           



       

"I'm Rich."

"Money doesn't matter to me," Jessie said sincerely.

Scarlet grinned. "I think he means his name is Rich. That's Jessie. I'm Scarlet."

"I know who you are," Rich said to Scarlet, his hand resting on the back  of her bar stool, almost touching her. "I saw your picture in the  newspaper with Zeke Woodlow."

Scarlet angled closer to the bar. "That was an impersonator," she said,  trying to make light of it. It had actually been Summer, dressed in  Scarlet's clothes, made to look like a groupie. Scarlet held up her  empty glass to the bartender.

"I'll get that," Rich said to the man.

"No, thank you." She decided she didn't want this guy around, after all.  She caught Stash's eye, then tipped her head slightly toward Rich.  Stash headed her way.

"Mon petit choux," he said, nudging Rich out of the way to kiss her, a  little longer than was necessary for the ruse, Scarlet thought,  wondering what John was thinking of the scene. "I apologize for keeping  you waiting, ma chérie," Stash continued, nuzzling her neck.

"Don't do it again." She leaned into him as he slipped an arm around her shoulders.

Rich was resourceful, however, and undeterred. He turned his attention on Jessie. "May I buy you a drink, um, Jenny?"

Jessie used her little straw to swirl her ice, then she slipped the  straw in her mouth and pulled it out slowly, getting his attention. "You  know, Rich, I believe my daddy would get a kick out of you."

He looked ready to swagger. "He would?"

"In fact, he has a saying that would fit you to a T. He'd say, 'That poor Rich. He's got nothin' under his hat but hair.'"

Scarlet had to set her drink down before the contents sloshed over the  sides. Jessie's handling of Rich showed she wasn't quite as naive as she  sometimes seemed.

"Bitch," he said, low and furious. "You-"

Stash moved but was blocked by John, who snatched the glass out of  Rich's hand and thumped it on the bar next to Scarlet's. "Time to find a  new watering hole, partner," John said, clamping a hand on his  shoulder.

Rich glowered, but he left without comment, just a surly look.

"Are you okay?" John asked Jessie.

"I'm fine. Actually, it was kinda fun." She grinned.

Scarlet waited for him to turn his attention on her, but he said  good-night and left. She watched him walk out the door, cross in front  of the window and disappear. Only then did she look toward the corner  where he'd been seated. Three women sat there.

"He had been alone," Stash whispered in her ear.

Scarlet tried to calm her nerves. She didn't know what to think about John. Was he mad? Jealous of Stash? Hurt?

She decided to change her outward mood since even Stash had picked up on  something he shouldn't. "Thanks for the rescue. But, mon petit choux?"

"My little cabbage." His eyes twinkled. Jessie laughed.

"I know what it means."

"It is an endearment." He lifted a loose strand of hair over her ear.  "Perhaps you ladies have had enough excitement and would like to have  dinner now. I have kept the table for you."

Scarlet decided if she didn't take some time to think about John and how  to handle what had just happened, she would probably do the wrong  thing-like go after him. "I've worked up an appetite. How about you?"  she asked Jessie.

"I could use a big ol' rib eye myself. There's nothing like dispatching a preening bull to give me an appetite."

Scarlet smiled. She was glad they'd gone out together. Glad she'd gotten  to know Jessie better. "Would your father really have said something  like that?"

"Oh, yeah. He's full of 'em."

"What does he do?" Stash asked as they reached their table.

"He's a cattle rancher."

"Do you rope and ride?"

"About as easily as breathing," she said.

His brows raised. "I have never before met a cowgirl." He asked a passing server to bring two menus.

"I'm going to use the restroom first," Jessie said to Scarlet then headed toward the back of the restaurant.

Scarlet hoped Stash wasn't going to comment on John's behavior, but she should've realized she wouldn't be that lucky.

"So. Your sister's fiancé."

"Ex-fiancé."

"And you."

"No. Just in the same place at the same time."

"T'es menteuse, toi."                       
       
           



       

"I'm not a liar." Technically, they weren't together. They were just enjoying each other's company briefly.

"He did not take his eyes off you from the moment he saw you."

She wished she had a menu to hide behind. "I have no control over John's actions."

He only smiled. "Bryan would want me to tell you your meal is on the house."

"He's my favorite cousin," Scarlet said sweetly.

Stash grinned and walked away.

Much later Scarlet and Jessie shared a cab home. Scarlet lived only a  few blocks from Une Nuit and was dropped off first. Jessie continued on  after thanking Scarlet profusely for the amazing night.

Scarlet headed up her stairs, questions running through her head. Should  she call John? Was he angry? Was it better just to leave it alone for  now?

She turned the landing of the third floor and spotted John leaning  against the wall by her door. She slowed, studying his face, trying to  guess his mood. She wanted to see him flash those dimples, but she  didn't think there was much chance of that. He looked … single-minded.

He didn't move an inch when she approached. Her shoulder brushed his  chest as she put her key in the lock. "What would you have done if I'd  brought someone up with me?" she asked mildly, her heart pounding.

"Discouraged him from going inside."

Scarlet opened the door and went in, leaving the door open but not inviting him. He came inside and shut the door.

She tossed her purse on an entry table then crossed her arms. "What do you want, John?"

"You know the answer to that."

"Short of that, what else?" The game, the words, excited her. She sensed he knew it, too.

"You ignored me."

"You ignored me, too," she said. It had confused her, angered her, that he'd spoken to Jessie at the bar but not her.

"You were cozy with Stash. I didn't want to interfere."

"Stash and I flirt with each other. It's nothing."

"I'm not telling you what to do or not to do. We don't have an exclusive relationship."

That hurt. Even if it lasted only the month, she'd thought it was exclusive.

"Well, fine, then. Because I don't explain myself to anyone." She turned  away, not having a clue what to do next, just that she couldn't look at  him.