Page 19

“Did he gift you that for Christmas?” I ask, nodding at the pen.

The “he” in question isn’t a specific person, though an image springs to mind of the Scotsman who was Natalia’s date at the party two months ago. I’m purely cold reading, hoping she will fill in the blanks.

“He who ? Nice try. It’s from Nefeli. Lots of writers at the magazine got one.” She scribbles a spiral in the margin of the page to set the ink flowing. “Okay, let’s cover basics: your thoughts on last season, hopes for the upcoming one, blah blah blah.”

As the interview unfolds, I glance at the legal pad and pause midsentence, surprised by the collection of curls and swoops there.

“You know shorthand? Quite skilled.”

“It’s just Teeline, not Pitman or Gregg,” she says with an airy wave, as if this is somehow less of an accomplishment.

“I’ve always seen you use your phone recorder on race weekends.” I give her a mischievous smile. “Are you trying to impress me?”

“Wow, absolutely,” she deadpans. “Again, it’s all about you. What time are you getting up tomorrow so you can crow and make the sun rise?” She sweeps her heavy curtain of dark hair around to one side of her neck. “Okay, back at it. What would you say was your biggest challenge last season?”

Trying not to fall in love with you…

From inside the house, I hear the front door open and close. Then a woman’s voice calls out: “Yo, Franky-boy! You here?”

Natalia’s eyes are cold when they light on mine. Moments later, Sage Sikora appears in the open patio doorway, gripping the frame with drama like she’s a fashion photograph.

“Theeeere you are,” she announces brightly. “Think fast!”

She underhand-tosses a ring of keys to me, and I catch them against my chest.

Sage’s attention shifts to Natalia. “Oh hey, it’s you! Natalia. Evans ,” she adds with a self-deprecating smile. “I remember this time. Got Klaus in the hot seat, eh? Or…” She angles a sly look at me. “Is this more recreational?”

I’m about to reply, but Sage goes on without waiting for an answer. Her mind is as energetic as her driving, and she’s off chattering again after an interval shorter than the quickest pit stop.

“Thanks for letting me use your new Jag while I was here. Awesome ride.”

I check Natalia’s expression, trying to decrypt it, but she gives no more than the Aphrodite statue in the garden. “I thought you flew out this morning and left the car at the airport,” I tell Sage.

“Wellllll…” she drawls, coming to lean against the arm of my chair, tiptoeing one hand up my shoulder with her natural, playful physicality, “that was the original plan, yeah. Then I met these cool cats who’d just flown in—locals.

They recognized me and we got to talking, and I waved off on my flight and hung out with ’em all day. Ooh, and guess what?”

Her feet tap the flagstones in a little dance, and her grip digs into my bicep.

“I bought a sweet-ass twenty-one-foot Sea Ray this afternoon, and Nic and Theo and Penny and Kass—those are the new friends—are gonna boat with me back to Athens. There’s a shitload of cool islands to visit en route.

Waaaay more fun than flying.” She tips her head toward the driveway.

“Penny’s waiting out front to take me to the marina. ”

When I throw a glance at Natalia, she’s examining Sage’s hand resting on my shoulder. Her stony glare moves to my face, and there’s a flicker of a sarcastic smile at one corner of her lips.

She jots something on the legal pad. I’m in a quandary, well aware it could be damaging gossip if she determines that I’m in negotiations with a driver from a rival team.

If I confess the offer Emerald has made, can Natalia keep it a secret? Do I owe her an explanation?

I place my hand over Sage’s and hold her gaze with just enough ambiguity in my expression. “It was a delight having you.”

After a pause, catching on to my intention, Sage rolls her eyes with the tolerant smirk you’d give a child who’s hiding a stolen cookie behind their back.

“Oh, Franke,” she says, her voice low but still loud enough, “don’t do that.

It’s weak sauce to taunt her.” She tips a sideways nod, indicating Natalia.

“Put on your big-boy pants and just tell the woman how you feel. Do everyone a favor.”

I’m mortified that she’s said this aloud, but I suppose it’s always a risk with a rebel like Sage. Feeling a contrite blush creep up my neck, I hand the ring of keys back to her. “Will you set these by the door?”

“Of course.” She twirls them around one finger and saunters toward Natalia. “Love your YouTube show, bee-tee-dubs.”

“Thank you,” Natalia replies. “I’d like to have you on as a guest sometime.”

“Little ol’ me?” Sage breathes, once again falling into the American Southern accent.

“I’d be pleased as punch, y’all.” She lifts her aqua-dyed hair and piles it on her head, clicking her tongue in a thinking way.

“Umm, talk to Robin Mackey at Harrier. Let’s make that shit happen.

” She leans toward Natalia, offering a closed fist.

Natalia stares at it for a beat, then realizes what’s expected and bumps her own against Sage’s.

“Toodles, Franky-boy,” Sage calls over her shoulder as she heads into the house. “It’s been a blast.” Her high-heeled sandals click away across the tile. She drops the keys into a ceramic bowl in the entryway with a jingle, then goes out the door.

Natalia and I watch each other in challenge for a minute. Sage’s friend’s car starts up and drives away, gravel popping, leaving us with only the sound of the sea.

“Interesting,” Natalia finally says.

“Oh?”

She rolls her eyes, then picks up her pen.

“Next question: What do you have to say about the criticism that Emerald’s new E-20 car looks like, um…

how was it put?” She taps the pen cap against her lips in mock contemplation.

“I believe the quote was ‘last year’s Allonby, in green drag.’ Thoughts on that? ”

I shoot a squint of disbelief at her. “You can’t be serious.”

“There are a lot of people,” she continues, attention trained on the notepad, “who think it’s not just an ‘imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’ thing, but Emerald engineers blatantly ripping off the constructors’ champions’ car design.”

I wave her comment away like a gnat. “People always talk, every year when the new cars are revealed. It only takes on an air of scandal when unscrupulous journalists bang on about it.”

Her mouth pulls a quick, sarcastic downturn. “Oh dear. ‘Unscrupulous’? You sound touchy about the subject for some reason.”

I release a rueful laugh, shaking my head. “The tone of this interview, Miss Evans, turned on a dime. I wonder why?”

“So, that’s a ‘No comment’ from you?” she says with a smirk.

I lose any pretense of indulgence. “Dammit, Talia,” I grit out, gripping the arms of my chair and leaning forward. “I know what you’re doing.”

She sets her pen aside with a flip of her fingers and mirrors my posture. “No, I know what you’re doing.”

“Let me ask you: Will the satisfaction of punishing me outweigh the pain of punishing your best friend? Because if you behave like a petty tabloid shit-stirrer, you’re harming Phaedra far more than me.”

I’m taken aback by Natalia’s look of cold fury.

In the patio doorway, there’s a small throat-clearing noise as Elena attempts to announce her presence.

Natalia and I both sit back and feign ease, murmuring polite thanks to Elena as she sets the next course on the table.

The cook takes her silent leave, pulling the patio doors shut as she goes inside.

Natalia lays into me again immediately.

“ My God , what an absurd narcissist you are. Sage may be free-spirited, but she’s a professional.

There’s no way she’d tank her credibility or her chance at a drive with a top-three team just for a roll in the hay with you , and it was disgusting of you to imply that’s what happened, just to make me jealous.

” Her words hit with venom like a snakebite.

“Grow the hell up, Klaus. Quit jerking people around, tormenting everyone just because you can’t make up your damned mind. ”

She stands, chair stuttering back on the rough flagstones. I leap to my feet as well.

“ My mind?” I growl. “You’re playing the same fucking game. Your attitude toward me changes like the wind! Since you arrived this morning… back and forth, endlessly. One minute a hint of tenderness, then cold and snappish. A touch, then a retreat—”

“You’re the one who backed away from me like I was toxic waste!”

Her eyes are bright with a sheen of angry tears. We glare at each other in stunned silence for the space of several breaths. With an exasperated sigh that’s almost a snarl, she snatches up her pen and legal pad, pivoting toward the patio door.

“Talia, please…” My voice is a rasp.

She freezes, half looking back, shoulders high and tight.

“Don’t walk away,” I urge. “Let’s start over.”

I study her profile as if I’ll never see it again—expressive lips, elegant bone structure, eyelashes clustered into dark, wet daggers with tears that shame me.

“We should… there’s… there’s food,” I manage, knowing I sound like a fool. I sweep a wave toward the table as if it will help.

The pen fumbles from her hand, smacking to the stone. Retrieving it, she rolls the barrel between her fingers.

“Perfect,” she sighs. “It’s cracked.” Stepping back to the table, she sets the pen beside her plate. “Another broken thing of mine I can leave with you. Enjoy.”

She slips into the house without another word. I sit, leaning my forehead on one hand for a long time, trying to decide whether I’m meant to go after her or leave her alone.

Sunset deepens around me. I rest my fingers on the side of the cloche over dinner—unglazed red clay with a delicate pattern—and feeling the warmth, think of Natalia’s hand over my heart earlier today.

Why did I step back?

I’m pulled from my musing by the sound of the Jaguar starting in the drive. I get up and walk to the front door to look out the narrow leaded pane, watching the taillights retreat. On the table beside the door is a note.

Took your car to the airport. I figured you wouldn’t mind—Sage was going to leave it there anyway. I’ll talk with Reece to reschedule if I can’t get Nefeli to reassign me.

Tell Elena the food was wonderful.

I fold the note and tuck it into my pocket, then walk to the guest room. There’s not a wrinkle on the bedspread or a dark hair in the en suite sink to suggest she was ever here.

But on the carved olive-wood dresser is the velvet box with the emerald necklace.