The company is headquartered in
San Jose. He has another office here in New York, but he keeps this
one as a place to get things done without any distractions.'
The office door opened, and a handsome man
over six feet tall entered. He had brown hair that was just
beginning to gray and alert brown eyes. He was tan and lean, fit
for a man approaching middle age, and dressed casually in slacks
and a sweater. He smiled winningly. 'You must be Allegra,' he said,
reaching her chair in a couple of long strides.
'Yes,' she said, as she started to rise. 'I
am.'
'Don't get up,' he said, taking her hand in
his and shaking it. 'I'm Hilton Whitehead.'
'It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Whitehead,'
she said. Somehow he wasn't what she'd expected. Perhaps it was his
easy manner that surprised her, added to his casual dress and
obvious charm. But then, why shouldn't a billionaire look and act
like him? she asked herself. Nowadays, there were a lot of rich men
of the Bill Gates ilk, almost never seen dressed up, and less than
formal in manner.
'Hilton, please,' he said. He admired her
lively eyes and shiny strawberry blond hair, her pale skin and
shapely figure. She had a touch of the bohemian artist about her,
something indefinable that made her all the more desirable to
him.
Allegra nodded. She didn't fail to notice his
interest.
He eased down in a chair next to hers and
scooted around slightly so he could face her. 'You must be
wondering what I wanted to talk to you about.'
'Yes,' Allegra said. 'I have to say that I'm
very curious.'
'Well, I apologize for the secrecy,' he said.
'I'm not usually so mysterious, but in this case it seemed like the
best way to go about it.'
'Exactly what is 'it'?' Allegra asked.
'It's like this,' he said, looking her in the
eye. 'I've always thought that the jewelry pieces Sylvie's bought
from you were beautiful. Different from the stuff you usually see
in the stores. Even the best ones. They're ... unique. Like the
necklace you're wearing right now. It's like art, I guess you'd
say.'
'Thank you,' Allegra replied. 'I'll take that
as a compliment.'
'You should,' he replied. 'Anyway, Sylvie
told me all about how you're a gemologist. Says you really know
your stones.'
Allegra nodded. 'I like to think so.'
He looked at her with a serious expression.
'I need someone like you to do a job for me,' he said.
'What kind of job?' Allegra asked.
'There's an auction coming up at Dufour in
Paris. One of their Magnificent Jewels auctions.'
'I know,' she said. 'I have the catalogue at
home, but I haven't looked at it yet.'
'So you've bought there?' he asked.
'Oh, no,' she said with a laugh. 'I'm afraid
it's a little out of my league. I get the catalogues just to look
at the jewelry. To see if any of it inspires me. I also like to see
the exceptional stones when they come up. Just because they can be
so beautiful.'
He nodded thoughtfully, then looked over at
Sylvie. 'I think we've found the perfect person,' he said.
Sylvie smiled. 'I know it.'
Hilton took a deep breath and steepled his
hands together. 'Allegra, Dufour has an emerald ring coming up for
auction, and I want that ring. It is exceptionally beautiful. A
huge emerald. But it's the provenance that's really important in
this case.'
'That's often true,' Allegra said.
'Well, it is with this ring,' he said,
'because it's Princess Karima who's selling it.'
'Oh, I see,' Allegra said. 'That would
automatically make it worth a lot, considering who she is.'
'The point is,' Hilton said, 'I have to have
it. It's going to be a surprise for a lady friend of mine.'
Allegra knew it was irrational of her to feel
disappointment, but she did. Maybe it was because a ring of such
provenance was going to end up as a gift for just another rich
woman. But maybe, she told herself, it was actually jealousy
because she wasn't going to be the recipient of his largesse.
'The thing is,' he went on, 'if I bid on the
ring personally, the price will go through the roof.
San Jose. He has another office here in New York, but he keeps this
one as a place to get things done without any distractions.'
The office door opened, and a handsome man
over six feet tall entered. He had brown hair that was just
beginning to gray and alert brown eyes. He was tan and lean, fit
for a man approaching middle age, and dressed casually in slacks
and a sweater. He smiled winningly. 'You must be Allegra,' he said,
reaching her chair in a couple of long strides.
'Yes,' she said, as she started to rise. 'I
am.'
'Don't get up,' he said, taking her hand in
his and shaking it. 'I'm Hilton Whitehead.'
'It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Whitehead,'
she said. Somehow he wasn't what she'd expected. Perhaps it was his
easy manner that surprised her, added to his casual dress and
obvious charm. But then, why shouldn't a billionaire look and act
like him? she asked herself. Nowadays, there were a lot of rich men
of the Bill Gates ilk, almost never seen dressed up, and less than
formal in manner.
'Hilton, please,' he said. He admired her
lively eyes and shiny strawberry blond hair, her pale skin and
shapely figure. She had a touch of the bohemian artist about her,
something indefinable that made her all the more desirable to
him.
Allegra nodded. She didn't fail to notice his
interest.
He eased down in a chair next to hers and
scooted around slightly so he could face her. 'You must be
wondering what I wanted to talk to you about.'
'Yes,' Allegra said. 'I have to say that I'm
very curious.'
'Well, I apologize for the secrecy,' he said.
'I'm not usually so mysterious, but in this case it seemed like the
best way to go about it.'
'Exactly what is 'it'?' Allegra asked.
'It's like this,' he said, looking her in the
eye. 'I've always thought that the jewelry pieces Sylvie's bought
from you were beautiful. Different from the stuff you usually see
in the stores. Even the best ones. They're ... unique. Like the
necklace you're wearing right now. It's like art, I guess you'd
say.'
'Thank you,' Allegra replied. 'I'll take that
as a compliment.'
'You should,' he replied. 'Anyway, Sylvie
told me all about how you're a gemologist. Says you really know
your stones.'
Allegra nodded. 'I like to think so.'
He looked at her with a serious expression.
'I need someone like you to do a job for me,' he said.
'What kind of job?' Allegra asked.
'There's an auction coming up at Dufour in
Paris. One of their Magnificent Jewels auctions.'
'I know,' she said. 'I have the catalogue at
home, but I haven't looked at it yet.'
'So you've bought there?' he asked.
'Oh, no,' she said with a laugh. 'I'm afraid
it's a little out of my league. I get the catalogues just to look
at the jewelry. To see if any of it inspires me. I also like to see
the exceptional stones when they come up. Just because they can be
so beautiful.'
He nodded thoughtfully, then looked over at
Sylvie. 'I think we've found the perfect person,' he said.
Sylvie smiled. 'I know it.'
Hilton took a deep breath and steepled his
hands together. 'Allegra, Dufour has an emerald ring coming up for
auction, and I want that ring. It is exceptionally beautiful. A
huge emerald. But it's the provenance that's really important in
this case.'
'That's often true,' Allegra said.
'Well, it is with this ring,' he said,
'because it's Princess Karima who's selling it.'
'Oh, I see,' Allegra said. 'That would
automatically make it worth a lot, considering who she is.'
'The point is,' Hilton said, 'I have to have
it. It's going to be a surprise for a lady friend of mine.'
Allegra knew it was irrational of her to feel
disappointment, but she did. Maybe it was because a ring of such
provenance was going to end up as a gift for just another rich
woman. But maybe, she told herself, it was actually jealousy
because she wasn't going to be the recipient of his largesse.
'The thing is,' he went on, 'if I bid on the
ring personally, the price will go through the roof.
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