“Mr. Allerton said you were talking to Jasper. When will he be coming?”
“Soon,” Soleil prevaricated. “At least a few more days.”
Stomach acid boiled in the back of her throat as Soleil curled her arm though Allerton’s, as if she needed his emotional support.
“Did he pass on any messages for me? You were on the phone for quite a while,” Ginny asked dispassionately.
Soleil removed her arm from Allerton’s, dropping the air of fragility. “I only spoke to Jasper for a few minutes ….”
Ginny sensed an undercurrent extending from Soleil to Allerton, then traveling around the room to his friends, as if they knew what was about to be said.
“I was talking to Trudy.”
Chapter Twenty
Soleil’s announcement had Ginny experiencing another spurt of fear. Was she about to be blown out of the water? The wrong word from Soleil could disclose that Trudy knew Evangeline was still alive before being contacted by the FBI. Retaining her composure, Ginny had to quickly think of the best way to respond to the land mine that Soleil could reveal.
Looking at Soleil and Allerton together, Ginny thought about their friendship from another perspective. Far from being a fragile flower, Soleil was a Venus flytrap.
“I hope she is doing well, because of the virus I haven’t been able to see her since I found out about our connection.”
“Yes. At least, that’s what she told me. We really didn’t get into the specifics of her health, other than her calling to inform me that Jasper and I are going to be grandparents.”
For a woman who had just found out she was about to be a grandmother, Soleil seemed remarkedly unmoved. Ginny had no doubt as to why Trudy called their mother. Her sister had to be frantic after finding out she was returning to Clindale. Finding out Trudy had called showed how desperate and concerned Trudy must be at not being to communicate with her. Her mother didn’t appear overjoyed by the call or the news.
“Aw … I’m happy for T.A. and Dalton.” Ginny didn’t experience the same problem, able to funnel the happiness she felt at Trudy’s pregnancy while trying to keep herself from being grilled alive if she said the wrong thing. “I’m acquainted with Dalton’s daughter. Grace has been concerned about her father since the death of his first wife. I bet she and Ice are ecstatic at Dalton’s impending fatherhood.”
“Ice?” Circumspect, Soleil looked at Allerton, as if for his approval.
“Grace’s husband,” Ginny informed Soleil and the onlookers watching the interchange. “Ice is the president of the Predators. Funny enough, Zoey’s husband, Stump, belongs to the Predators.”
“Who’s Zoey?” Soleil asked.
“Don’t ask,” Allerton told her. “Suffice to say, she a social influencer who won’t be able to spread her untruths about me, Abbott, and Emerson once our attorneys are done with her.”
“Good luck with that.” Ginny poured more salt on the egos of the three men.
“I don’t need luck.” Imperiously, Aaron gave her his pompous back, moving away.
To Ginny’s amusement, she saw him reaching for his phone.
Feeling the censure of the gazes around her, except from Gavin and Desmond Beck, she explained for her mother’s benefit, “I’m afraid I upset Mr. Emerson. I was discussing a friend of mine while you were on the phone. He didn’t appreciate being a hot topic on one of Zoey’s podcasts. I think he’s thinking of filing a lawsuit.”
“Darling—”
Ginny tried not to flinch when Soleil called her that, then proceeded to speak to her as if she had the mental capacity of a child.
“—Aaron has some very influential friends. Your friend would be wise to steer clear of using him as a topic to further her viewership.”
“She doesn’t do it to gain more viewers.” Ginny furrowed her brow, mimicking confusion, as if the thought hadn’t occurred her.
“Then I’m at a loss.” Soleil looked up at Allerton as if he could answer her question.
“Zoey isn’t afraid of lawsuits,” she answered. “In fact, the more the merrier.”
“Why not?” Allerton sent out the probing question, taking over the conversation.
“Zoey loves to drag big corporations to court to expose their dishonest business practices. Unlike the businesses, Zoey doesn’t have to pay high-price lawyer fees. Her father does the work pro bono.”
Allerton was too cultured to roll his eyes at her, but the dismissive way he curled his lip at her evidenced his scorn.
“Free means worthless.”
“Then you’re the only one in the world who would consider Haden St. Clair’s work as worthless.”
Shoving his phone back in his dinner jacket, Emerson stalked back toward her. “Zoey’s father is Haden St. Clair?”
“Yes. Most people have heard of him. He just won a two-billion dollar lawsuit from a corporation that tried to take a farmer’s land away from him when the crops he planted cross-pollinated with another crop near his land. The corporation lost, and so have the other corporations. But don’t let me stop you. You could be the one who breaks St. Clair’s winning streak.” Giving Emerson fake encouragement and growing bored at antagonizing Allerton and his cronies, Ginny was ready for the small party to be over.
As far as she was concerned, the whole thing had been a bust; definitely unworthy of getting dressed twice. She wondered if it was too soon for Gavin and her to make their excuses and leave.
“Excuse me; my husband was hungry before we left the bungalow.” Taking Gavin’s hand, she led him toward the small silver trays of food.
“I’m starving. How about you?” Ginny gave Gavin a crystal plate before taking one for herself.
“Better fill your stomach, because if Allerton didn’t want to poison us before, he does now.”
Ginny gave him a mischievous glance. “You want to reconsider your role as my taste tester?” she teased.
“Where is Greer Porter when I need him?” Gavin ruefully joked, then proceeded to load his plate with the fancy appetizers that Ginny had no palate for and hoped she never would.
Ginny noticed while Gavin was eating, he had looked around the room to see if anyone recognized him. Ginny couldn’t understand why he would care if anyone recognized him or not.
Thinking she was imagining his concern, she chose a few things to put on her plate. She wasn’t hungry, finally settling on a few grapes, crackers, and a chocolate petit fours. Then she stepped to the side, popping one of the grapes in her mouth as Gavin placed a stack of honey-mint lamb skewers on his plate next to a mound of shrimp tartlets.
Swallowing the grape in her mouth, Ginny picked up the tiny, pretty chocolate cake, putting the whole thing in her mouth. As she bit down, the taste exploded, hitting her gag reflex. She wildly looked around, hoping no one was watching so she could spit it out.
“Just swallow it,” Gavin advised humorously. “The longer you hold it in your mouth, the worse you make it.”
As badly as she didn’t want to take his advice, she was left with no choice, other than making a fool of herself.
“What did I just eat?” she managed to croak out.