Page 18 of The Playboy Meets His Match
The two-year-old apartment had lots of glass that gave it a sunny, spacious look even though it was small. The entryway opened onto a living area, an adjoining small dining room, a kitchen that was bright and cheerful in blue and white. She liked the cozy, high-walled patio, although she didn’t expect to have the apartment for a long time.
The security of twenty-four-hour armed guards at the gates was reassuring. After cajoling, holding firm and finally making a deal with Mr. Smythe to help him get his records into computer files, she made arrangements to rent the apartment for a month. She made a deposit and drove back to the Royalton, circling the block and spotting Jason’s black pickup parked along the curb across from the hotel.
Jason wasn’t in the pickup, but she couldn’t be certain he wasn’t close by, watching for her, so she kept driving, circling around and approaching the hotel from the back entrance. She turned into the hotel parking, gave the valet the car key and entered the hotel, stepping into a gift shop to survey what she could of the hall and lobby. She didn’t see a tall Texan, a broad-brimmed hat or any other sign of Jason.
Moving carefully to the stairs, she hurried up and in minutes closed the door behind her as she entered the second room she had rented at the hotel. It was expensive to have two rooms, but it had enabled her to escape being found by Jason last night. This room was rented under her youngest sister’s name: Claudia Barclay. Claudia Barclay Silver had an old family name as her middle name and it was serving Merry well now. She didn’t want Jason to find her again soon, so extra precautions were in order. She didn’t think he believed one word of what she had told him about Dorian Brady.
“Men!” she said aloud. She set down the bag of items she had in her arms and began to plan for the evening.
That night Merry sat in a corner booth in the almost empty Royal Diner. Only one waitress was working and Manny was cooking. The short time she had been in Royal, Merry had heard about Manny’s hamburgers and his pork chops. She had also heard about Jason Windover’s playboy reputation.
Through the window of the grill kitchen Manny was visible in a white undershirt that revealed muscled shoulders and arms. At the long Formica countertop, red, vinyl-covered bar stools stood empty which was a relief to Merry because a crowd would interfere with her plans. An old sentimental ballad played on the ancient jukebox.
Excitement bubbled in her because she was going to strike again in Dorian Brady’s world. And she was exuberant because the entire day she had eluded Jason Windover. At various times she had seen him watching the hotel. She was tempted to leave another note on his pickup, but by doing so, she might be pushing her luck.
Almost an hour ago, she had ordered a burger and fries and pop and had a book propped in front of her so it looked as if she were reading while she ate. No one seemed interested in her, and she surreptitiously watched the single waitress and now the only other customer at the diner, Dorian Brady, who sat three booths away from her. The whole time he had been there he had flirted with the waitress and the woman was constantly at his table, hovering over him and giggling at things he told her. Merry caught the name Laura.
Dressed in navy slacks and a blue sport shirt, Dorian looked handsome, yet Merry could only feel anger every time she looked at him. She wished she could warn the waitress, who seemed as taken with him as Holly had been.
Merry touched the blond wig she wore and adjusted the fake glasses on her nose. When he’d entered the restaurant, Dorian had glanced her way, but he had never looked at her again. And he shouldn’t recognize her even though he knew she was in town. The blue sweats she wore were well padded, adding lots of pounds to her appearance.
Motioning to the waitress, Merry asked for her check and in minutes the woman brought it to her.
As soon as the waitress left, Merry pulled a cellular phone from her pocket. It was nine o’clock and dark outside. Dorian should be just into the first few bites of his dinner. Merry had seen them bring him chicken-fried steak, which suited her purposes fine. She placed a call, turning her back on the room.
“Royal Diner,” the waitress answered.
Merry whispered, “Tell Dorian Brady he better check on his car.” She broke the connection quickly and slipped her phone into a pocket.
As the waitress hurried to Dorian’s table, Merry slid out of the booth to cross the diner to the cash register to pay her bill. She heard the brass bell over the door jingle and glanced around to see Dorian leaving.
“Was everything all right?” the waitress asked as she stepped behind the register to take Merry’s cash.
“It was fine,” Merry said.
“Good. Thanks for eating here. Come back again.”
“Sure. Thanks,” Merry said. She collected her change, walked back to her table and left a tip. Then she strolled toward the door, looking at the empty diner and the waitress with her back turned while she brewed a fresh pot of coffee. Manny was bent over with his head in a refrigerator.
Merry passed Dorian’s plate and paused to shake the contents of an envelope over the thick gravy covering his chicken-fried steak. With one more glance at Manny and the waitress, Merry picked up Dorian’s fork. Ignoring her pounding heart, she stirred the gravy and then replaced the fork and strolled out into the cool night. Heading back into the diner, Dorian passed her, but he didn’t glance her way.
She climbed into her car and left. “Now, Mr. Dorian Brady, see how you like that!” she said. Soon the man would realize that his misdeeds wouldn’t go completely unpunished.
She returned the back way to the hotel, took the stairs and whipped out her key. She would stay in her room tomorrow and maybe venture out the next day.
She stepped into her darkened room, heaving a huge sigh of relief as she reached for the switch. The light came on and her heart lurched.
“Howdy,” drawled Jason, who sat with his long jeans-clad legs stretched out in front of him.
In shock, she stood immobilized. “How’d you get in here?” she asked in stunned amazement that he had found her.
“It wasn’t difficult. Now that’s an interesting outfit.”
She began to pull her wits together and come out of her shock. All she wanted to do was get away from him.
She spun around, grabbing the door and yanking it open. With her heart pounding, she ran.
Hearing him behind her, she headed for the stairs.
