"He sounds like such a nice man," Mom said almost an hour later. "And the others? Are you still with that company? Those boys that come and visit metoo?"
"Yeah, I'm still staying with them," I replied. "They'regreat."
"And..." She looked at me, pursing herlips.
"And yes, we're..." I averted my gaze, "working things out. Betweenus."
She nodded and coughed once. I was half out of my chair when I realized it was just the one cough. Mom eyeballed me before sighing. "I'm tired, Honey. Thank you for the flowers and coming to show me your pretty face." She reached out and touched my cheek, her fingers light on my skin, barely there. "You grow more beautiful everyday."
I cupped her hand against my cheek and sighed. "Okay, I'll go," I said, "but only so you can get some sleep. I'll come back realsoon."
As I got up and gathered my purse, she waved her hand in front of her face. "Oh, don't worry about me, I'll be fine." At the door, I turned and glanced back. Her eyes met mine. "Love you,Baby."
"I love you too,Mom."
I released a heavy sigh when the door closed behind me and then looked up, hoping to catch one of the nurses at the nearby station but it was empty. I stepped up to the counter and looked sideways down the hall, but it, too, was clear. In fact, there were only two people in the vicinity—me and an elegant woman in a cream-colored overcoat leaning against the counter as she checked her make-up in a small, portable compact. I debated on waiting for one of the nurses to return. I wondered if maybe they could catch my mom's doctor for me before Ileft.
"My, you have lovely skin,darling."
I jerked as a perfectly manicured hand landed right next to mine on the nurse station countertop. Tipping my head back, my lips parted in surprise. The woman in the overcoat wasn't just elegant, she was stunning. With golden locks pulled back into a coiled twist at the back of her head. I blinked as she smiled at me and almost comically, I turned—looking one way and then theother.
"Yes, I'm talking to you," she said, that smile never leaving her face as she snapped the compact closed and stowed it away in herpurse.
"Oh, um, thanks," I fumbledawkwardly.
Her eyes, gently lined with dark kohl eyeliner, curved over my face before down to my bulky sweater and jeans. Her lips pursed as if she were displeased but trying to keep her smile. I couldn't pinpoint what it was about this woman that warned me away, but she reminded me of a hungry predator, and at that moment, I felt like herprey.
"We haven't met yet," she stated cordially, holding out her hand. Unsure as to why she would have thought we should have met before, I took her hand. "My name is Theodora Vandersen-Caruso.” She smiled as I froze. “My friends call me Teddi. I’d like it very much if we could be friendstoo."
My eyes widened and I jerked my hand back immediately. She blinked down at me as I took a step away from her, narrowing my gaze. "I see you've heard of me." She laughed quietly, like a tinkling noise—wind chimes in the breeze. It grated on mynerves.
I definitely did not want to be with this woman alone. Not after what Grayson had told me. I looked around, hoping against hope that a nurse would appear, but as my bad luck would have it, none did. I'd have to come back to speak to my mom's doctor later, I decided. But before I could turn and leave, the woman spoke again. "Now, now," she tsked absently as she reached into her purse, removing a long, wallet-sized pad. "Don't run off just yet. I came all this way to meet you, afterall."
I sucked in a breath. "I don't think that's such a good idea." But southern propriety held me bound. It would only be polite to hear her out, it would berespectful. I reallyreallydidn't want to be respectful or polite right now. I wondered how fast I could come up with an excuse toleave.
"You're quite pretty, Harlow." Grayson's mom opened the pad and then produced a pen from her purse and started writing something down. "And I know you're here visiting your mother—such a good daughter." She paused and shot me a soft smile. "My son could learn a thing or two on how to treat his mother. He could certainly learn a thing or two about respect andpoliteness."
The nerves in my muscles jumped, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't think of a damn thing tosay.
"I know you understand how important family is," she continued, "and I've grown tired of waiting for my son to come to his senses. So, I'd like to make a deal with you Harlow." She finished whatever she was writing with a quick scrawl, tucked her pen away, and then ripped the paper from her pad and handed it to me. I held it in my hand but didn'tlook.
"Oh, go on." She nodded down at the paper in my fingers. "I'm sure it'll beenough."
"Enough?" I repeated, glancing down. My eyes nearly popped out of my skull. My breath caught in my throat. My hands shook as I jerked the paper away from myself before I could count the zeros. "I don't want this," Isnapped.
Grayson's mom—Theodora—shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I'm sure a girl like you could use the money," she replied coolly. "Think of what you could do for your mother. You'll find some way to spend it." She bent down low, meeting my gaze head on. "And all you need to do is stay away from myson."
I had expected it, especially when I realized that she had handed me a check for a hundred thousand dollars, but hearing it out loud made me feel like I'd been slapped. I set the check on the nurse's countertop and took another step away. "I don't want your money," Isaid.
She shook her head. "If you're worried about what Grayson will think, don't worry. I won't tell him about the money if you won't. You can break up with him, kick him out, do whatever. Just make sure he comes back to me. That's all Iask."
"No." I glared at her. "What I mean is—I'm not taking your stupid money. I'm not kicking Grayson out. As far as I'm concerned, he can stay as long as he likes. And if it keeps him away fromyou, all thebetter."
Theodora's head snapped to the side and her eyes narrowed. I swallowed as her upper lip curled back from her perfectly straight and perfectly bleached teeth. "I doubt you're in a position to refuse this kind of offer,Miss Hampton." She spat my name like it was the vilest of words. “A girl like you—little family, no money—you’ll never get this chanceagain.”
“A girl likeme,” I said through clenched teeth, “is a hell of a lot better than a woman likeyou.”
“Oh?” She cocked one elegant eyebrow. “Is thatso?”