Infamous by Irene Preston Page B

type of place.”
    “Just along for the ride — got to eat, ya’ know? Good luck finding Jess here, though.” Mason gave the curl a tug. “With the three of us here, everyone will want to be seen here next week. Be surprised if you can get a reservation in less than a month after tonight. Maybe you can just have Jessica call next time.”
    Great. Mason could be fiercely protective and it was obvious Morgan was still on his shit-list. She smiled up at him. It was not a happy smile. It was a smile that said, do not help me . She reached up and disentangled his hand from her hair, giving it a little warning squeeze.
    “Another restaurant to mark of my list,” Morgan mourned. “Can’t stand them when they get cluttered up with celebrity wannabes. Place will go straight downhill.”
    Susan watched the little byplay with interest. Here it comes , Jessica thought.
    Susan turned to Morgan. “Actually,” she said, “Mason is being too modest about his reason for being here. He has just made a very generous contribution to our cause, haven’t you, darling?”
    Mason looked a little embarrassed. “Well, hell, they’re just kids, aren’t they? Can hardly expect them to pay for their own appendectomies and chemo, can we? Nice tax write-off, too.”
    “Exactly right,” Susan nodded. “After all,” she turned her gaze on Morgan, “as a father I’m sure you would be devastated if you couldn’t provide medical care for Kinsey. And,” she continued smoothly, “as a business owner I’m sure you’re always looking for a way to offset taxes.”
    Mason’s eyes took on a glint. “Don’t waste your time, Susan. These financial guys are only interested in the bottom line. He’s probably counting on reducing his taxes by lobbying against children’s health care subsidies.”
    “I don’t know, Knight,” Morgan drawled. “As your wife said, a tax deduction is always nice. What’s the going contribution? I’ll have to see if I can match you.”
    Susan named a figure that made Jessica’s jaw drop. She looked up at Mason in awe. “Really, Mason? That’s very generous. Susan is lucky to have you to support her causes!”
    “No big deal.” He eyed Morgan challengingly. “Made a bundle off that last movie with Jessie’s dad. Just blow it on fast cars and wild parties if I kept it all.”
    “I see,” Morgan said. He tapped one finger on the table thoughtfully. “You make a compelling argument, Knight.” He gave him a hard smile before turning back to Susan. “I’ll have to have a look at the financials before I sign off on it, but if everything is in order I think you can put me down for at least twice that.” He pulled a small silver case out of his pocket and extracted a business card. “Give my office a call on Monday. I’ll tell them to expect the paperwork.”
    Susan beamed and grasped his hand as she took the card. “I don’t know what to say, Morgan. We’re going to be able to accomplish so much with this. Thank you. You’ll have the paperwork on your desk first thing Monday.”
    “Thank you for bringing this to my attention. The foundation is lucky to have such a dedicated advocate. Knight must be very proud of the hard work you do for such worthy causes.”
    Jeez. He didn’t have to gush over her like that.
    Mason must have thought the same. He finally released Jessica’s hand and shifted to drape his arm around Susan. “Couldn’t be more proud.” He pulled her close to him, away from Morgan. “Right little crusader our Susan--tabloids call her The Angel of Beverly Hills, you know.”
    Susan blushed. “Don’t be silly, what else would I do with my time. I don’t have a glamorous career like you and Jessica to keep me busy.” She took his arm. “Come on, let’s get back and share the good news with the others.”
    “Well,” Jessica told Morgan. “You’ve just been rolled by the angel of Beverly Hills.”
    “Hmmmm?” Morgan was still watching Susan as she walked away.
    “Susan