husband's not around to know that.”
Kate
flinched. “Yes, well, I wasn't thinking clearly at the time.”
“Is
revenge sweet, Kate?”
“No,
it was a terrible idea, and I'm not proud of it. But now you know the truth. We
can shake hands and go our separate ways.” Kate wished she felt happier at that
prospect.
“I
think you owe me.”
“ What ? No. No more debts,” Kate said.
“I've paid the last one off.”
“You
don't need to rush away, Kate. We can work this out to both our advantage,” he
said, his drawl thick and slow. “I'll be happy to pick you up, bring you here,
and... enjoy your company anytime you feel the need for revenge.”
“I
told you that you wouldn't like the truth.”
“I'm
willing to work with it.”
“I
thought that all men fantasized about enjoying a woman's company with no
strings attached.”
“We
do.”
“Well,
that's what you got. So why are you angry?”
Randall
gave a bark of laughter. “Sheer perversity, I guess.”
Kate
was on a roll and she wasn't ready to let it go at that. “No, that's not it.
It's because I decided that I didn't want any ties to you. You didn't get to control the
situation.”
Randall's
expression had been darkening throughout her speech. “I don't know where you
get your ideas about me, lady, but they're way off base.” He rubbed the back of
his neck in a gesture of exasperation.
Kate
crossed her arms and made a pretense of waiting patiently. Secretly, she was
relieved that he hadn't exploded. Her temper rarely got the better of her, and
when it did she was always terrified of the consequences. Fortunately,
Randall's anger appeared to have fizzled into mere annoyance.
“Oh
hell,” he growled. “I'll take you home.”
Kate
flashed him a false smile and started toward the front door. In two strides, he
was by her side with his hand resting at the small of her back. When she
glanced sideways, though, she found that he was looking straight ahead. He
helped her into the car and slid in himself in silence. As he put the car in
gear and swept around the courtyard, Kate said in a tone of polite interest,
“How's the investigation of the oil tank fire going?”
Randall
looked at her and shook his head. “Incredible. We go straight from true
confessions to small talk.”
“There's
no reason we can't be civilized about this.”
“I'm
just a country boy from Texas. I don't know how civilized people carry on.”
Kate
snorted.
Randall
capitulated. “We caught the man. He's a former employee with a grudge against
the crew foreman.”
“So
he'll go to jail?”
“No,
he'll go for treatment. He's an alcoholic and he'd been on a bender when he set
the fire.”
“That's
very humane of you.”
Randall
glanced over at her. “Don't feel that you have to revise your opinion of me. It
should have been caught when he worked for TexOil. We pay for any substance
abuse treatment. It was our mistake; somehow he slipped through the cracks.”
“You
sound more like a social worker than a capitalist.”
Randall
shrugged. “Obviously, unstable employees – and former employees – are bad for
the company. And this man has a wife and children who deserve a break. My
mother was an alcoholic, so I know what it can do to a family.”
Kate
was astonished by the personal revelation. She voiced a realization without
thinking. “You know, I've never thought that you were a terrible person, or I
couldn't have done what I did.”
“Much
obliged.”
Kate
flushed and kept quiet.
“What
happened to being civilized? I was enjoying our conversation,” Randall prodded.
“It's
your turn to think of a topic.”
“Hmm,
what can we easily chat about?” Randall mused. “I know. What was your favorite
locale: the terrace wall, my bed, or the Jaguar?”
Kate
looked out her window and ignored him.
“You
have to think about it?” he filled in for her. “Well, I know that mine was the
Jaguar. There's nothing like a hot woman on the hood of a hot
Kate
flinched. “Yes, well, I wasn't thinking clearly at the time.”
“Is
revenge sweet, Kate?”
“No,
it was a terrible idea, and I'm not proud of it. But now you know the truth. We
can shake hands and go our separate ways.” Kate wished she felt happier at that
prospect.
“I
think you owe me.”
“ What ? No. No more debts,” Kate said.
“I've paid the last one off.”
“You
don't need to rush away, Kate. We can work this out to both our advantage,” he
said, his drawl thick and slow. “I'll be happy to pick you up, bring you here,
and... enjoy your company anytime you feel the need for revenge.”
“I
told you that you wouldn't like the truth.”
“I'm
willing to work with it.”
“I
thought that all men fantasized about enjoying a woman's company with no
strings attached.”
“We
do.”
“Well,
that's what you got. So why are you angry?”
Randall
gave a bark of laughter. “Sheer perversity, I guess.”
Kate
was on a roll and she wasn't ready to let it go at that. “No, that's not it.
It's because I decided that I didn't want any ties to you. You didn't get to control the
situation.”
Randall's
expression had been darkening throughout her speech. “I don't know where you
get your ideas about me, lady, but they're way off base.” He rubbed the back of
his neck in a gesture of exasperation.
Kate
crossed her arms and made a pretense of waiting patiently. Secretly, she was
relieved that he hadn't exploded. Her temper rarely got the better of her, and
when it did she was always terrified of the consequences. Fortunately,
Randall's anger appeared to have fizzled into mere annoyance.
“Oh
hell,” he growled. “I'll take you home.”
Kate
flashed him a false smile and started toward the front door. In two strides, he
was by her side with his hand resting at the small of her back. When she
glanced sideways, though, she found that he was looking straight ahead. He
helped her into the car and slid in himself in silence. As he put the car in
gear and swept around the courtyard, Kate said in a tone of polite interest,
“How's the investigation of the oil tank fire going?”
Randall
looked at her and shook his head. “Incredible. We go straight from true
confessions to small talk.”
“There's
no reason we can't be civilized about this.”
“I'm
just a country boy from Texas. I don't know how civilized people carry on.”
Kate
snorted.
Randall
capitulated. “We caught the man. He's a former employee with a grudge against
the crew foreman.”
“So
he'll go to jail?”
“No,
he'll go for treatment. He's an alcoholic and he'd been on a bender when he set
the fire.”
“That's
very humane of you.”
Randall
glanced over at her. “Don't feel that you have to revise your opinion of me. It
should have been caught when he worked for TexOil. We pay for any substance
abuse treatment. It was our mistake; somehow he slipped through the cracks.”
“You
sound more like a social worker than a capitalist.”
Randall
shrugged. “Obviously, unstable employees – and former employees – are bad for
the company. And this man has a wife and children who deserve a break. My
mother was an alcoholic, so I know what it can do to a family.”
Kate
was astonished by the personal revelation. She voiced a realization without
thinking. “You know, I've never thought that you were a terrible person, or I
couldn't have done what I did.”
“Much
obliged.”
Kate
flushed and kept quiet.
“What
happened to being civilized? I was enjoying our conversation,” Randall prodded.
“It's
your turn to think of a topic.”
“Hmm,
what can we easily chat about?” Randall mused. “I know. What was your favorite
locale: the terrace wall, my bed, or the Jaguar?”
Kate
looked out her window and ignored him.
“You
have to think about it?” he filled in for her. “Well, I know that mine was the
Jaguar. There's nothing like a hot woman on the hood of a hot
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