The sales assistant fumbled with the key band around his wrist and opened the case. He pulled out a stunning gold rope with diamonds sprinkled throughout. That had to be worth thousands of dollars, and I knew my sister didn’t have that kind of money.
She lived in a cabin in the woods. The most expensive thing she owned was the land that shack was on. And since it was in the middle of nowhere, even the land wasn’t that pricey.
“Look, Eric and I have had our ups and downs, but I care about him. He’s my friend. I don’t enjoy watching you toy with him like this.”
“Then don’t watch.” She held up the gold necklace and nodded. “This one is perfect. I’ll take it.”
I swear the white-haired assistant nearly peed himself in delight at her choice. I wondered how he’d react when whatever old credit card she used got declined?
“Let me just wrap it up for you, miss. And might I say, you have excellent taste.” The assistant practically drooled as he kissed her ass.
“I know I have amazing taste,” she stated as fact, then turned her back to him, going to sit on the round leather couch in the middle of the store.
I came and sat next to her. “Why Eric?”
I discovered why Eric and my sister had disappeared a few days ago when she first showed up—they went into the basement and made out. I guess Eric had a thing for women who had the potential to be on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.
“I don’t know.” She tapped her chin, pondering my question. “I’m thinking it’s hormones. There are not a lot of opportunities to get laid living in the great outdoors, you know.”
I nearly threw up in my mouth. “Please stop.” I held up my hands.
“I am human, Jenner. I have needs too.”
“Are you, though?”
“Ha. Ha.” She leaned back and gazed up at the sparkling chandelier overhead. “I’m serious. Maybe it’s time for me to come back to the real world. It gets lonely out there by myself.”
I thought I heard a screech as my heart came to an abrupt stop.
“No. Oh god, no.” I gasped for air. “I just think, as the only family member who is still willing to talk to you, that you should really rethink coming back to civilization. You need at least another decade in the wild because you can make an honest choice.”
Her lips thinned. “About that—”
The salesman came over with an enormous paper bag that was at least twenty times the size of the necklace, filled with blue tissue paper.
“Here you go, Ms. Cartwright. Let me know if I can be of any more service to you as you enjoy your stay at The Blue Spot.”
She did her version of a smile—which to most people, would be considered a frown—and plucked the bag from him.
My head bobbed between the two. “How did that just happen?”
My sister stood, and the assistant backed away as if she were royalty, bowing down the entire way back until he was behind the counter.
“Have you lost brain cells since I’ve been gone, or have you always been that dumb? It’s called a sales transaction. I paid for a necklace, and the sales guy handed me my purchase.” She rolled her eyes and headed for the exit.
The Blue Spot had an entire wing of the main floor devoted to expensive shops, kind of like a high-end mall inside the hotel. My sister casually strolled by the window of each establishment, glancing inside.
“I know what that was. I just wonder where you got the money from… Wait a second.” I stepped in front of her and forced her to stop. “Did Eric give you money?”
I frowned, wondering if my sister, the one who grew up spewing the evils of the wealthy into my ear nonstop, had become a gold digger?
She smirked. “Not yet.” She pressed her finger into my chest as I looked down in horror.
Grabbing her hand, bile rose in my throat. “My God... is that a manicure?”
She nodded. “It was fun. Eric had a woman come to his house—”
“His house? The Hudson Estate isLola’s. That’s the first thing you should know about all this.” I waved at her beautiful nails. “The second thing is that, uh... Eric isn’t a good guy to be around.”