Diamond Girl. Diana Palmer
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Regan in?”
She felt her face go rigid. “He left about a half hour ago.”
He cocked his head at her. “You say that with such relish,” he murmured, grinning.
“For my part, I wish he was in darkest Africa, being slowly cooked in somebody’s stew pot, pith helmet and all,” she said, visualizing the scene with glee. “Of course, he’d poison whoever ate him....”
“How savage,” he remarked. “Might I ask why you have this sudden compulsion to feed my stepbrother to strangers?”
“He called me a frump,” she returned with glittering eyes. “Not only that, he hinted that I was a public eyesore and should be under Indian attack....”
His eyebrows arched toward the ceiling. “He what?”
She cleared her throat. “Well, never mind, it’s too complicated,” she murmured.
“He doesn’t like you, does he, little one?” he asked quietly. “I’ve noticed how hostile he is toward you. It’s not like Regan. He’s usually the soul of courtesy with women.”
“Ah, but that’s the problem,” she explained, grinning. “He doesn’t think I qualify for the status of a woman. I look about twelve in this rig, he said.”
Denny didn’t say a word, but his eyes revealed that his own opinion matched his brother’s. “Might I ask what you were doing while all this commentary was going on?”
“Flinging file folders at his shaggy head, that’s what,” she returned. “And if you want to fire me, go ahead.”
He chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with delight.
“Oh, no, lady, not me. If you’re brave enough to throw things at Regan, you’ve got a job for life.”
She smiled sheepishly. “Old dragonslayer, that’s my name,” she murmured. “Not that the dragon didn’t flame up,” she added with a sigh. “He said if I threw anything else at him, I’d better be good at track.”
“I don’t doubt it. Take my word for it, Regan in a temper is something to be avoided at all costs.”
“I’ll keep that in mind as I sharpen my trusty saber.”
“Better not rattle it too loudly, either. Want me to talk to him about you?” he asked with genuine concern.
She sighed. “He’d probably chew it up, too,” she replied. “Don’t talk to him, please. He’ll just accuse me of crying on your shoulder and it will only make things worse. I can take care of myself.”
“If worse comes to worse, I’ll insist that he bring in his own secretary,” Denny promised. “Maybe he misses New York after being away six months. I can’t imagine why he gave up that practice to come south, although it’s sure been great for me. I never would have gotten such a big start without his help.”
“He asked me if you were seeing Margo,” she confided.
He frowned. “And what did you tell him?” he asked, his voice cool.
“Nothing,” she said quickly. “I told him that if he wanted to know, he ought to ask you.”
His face relaxed. “Good girl. Margo is none of his business.” His eyes warmed, softened. “Isn’t she a beauty, Kenna? All fire and determination. A very strong woman with great business sense. I’ve never known anyone like her.”
His voice had gone as soft as his eyes, and Kenna wanted to scream with jealousy. She couldn’t remember ever hurting so much in her life. Oh, Denny, look at me, she pleaded silently. Look at me and love me for what I am, for what I could be....
But he only smiled that friendly, charming smile that he always had ready. “How about making me a cup of coffee? And then we’ll get the rest of the dictation out of the way. I might let you go home early. I need a little extra time by myself.”
Yes, because he was taking Margo to the ballet and wanted to look his best, she thought miserably. So she’d go home early, back to her lonely apartment, and stare at the television set. Because she didn’t date. No one ever asked her out, and she was far too shy to go to one of the singles bars or invite men to her apartment.
“I’ll get my pad and pen and be right there,” she said after a minute’s hesitation, and sighed as she turned for the coffeemaker.
* * *
When she got home she put on her jeans and T-shirt and glared at herself in the mirror. The jeans were too big and the shirt was too big and she looked older than she was with her hair hanging down around her face. Her eyes weren’t bad, though, and her mouth had a full, nice shape. If only she could get rid of the rest of her and just be eyes and a mouth, she might catch Denny’s eye. The thought amused her and she grinned, turning away before the mirror could tell her how different she looked with her face and eyes animated by laughter.
She turned on the television before she went into the small kitchen to fix herself a sandwich for supper. She’d never had much appetite, but she seemed to have even less lately. Well, she wouldn’t have to worry about getting fat, she told herself.
She walked around the dining room with her sandwich and cup of coffee in hand, smiling at the modest furniture. She enjoyed this apartment where she’d lived for the past two years. It wasn’t expensive, but it was cozy, and the green flowered sofa and matching chair looked friendly in the gray-carpeted room with its pale gray drapes. She’d splurged a month ago to redecorate the living room in a burst of early-spring fever. Now it was really beginning to be spring, and she liked the new look. It made her feel brighter inside just looking at the furniture.
She watched television until bedtime, trying not to think about Denny out with Margo. She’d seen him in evening clothes before and remembered miserably how gorgeous he was in black. It emphasized his blond good looks. He was so handsome. A prince if there ever was one. Prince. That brought back Regan’s horrible remark and she bristled again. Wasn’t it bad enough that she had to listen to Denny moon over Margo without having to put up with Regan’s evident dislike as well? She stormed off into the bedroom and went to bed before the memory had time to work her into a rage and keep her awake half the night thinking up horrible things to do to him.
The next morning she wore a beige sheath dress that clung lovingly to the curves of her slender body. The color did nothing for her, although the fit wasn’t bad. She left her hair long, hating its frizzled look, but she didn’t suppose it made that much difference. Denny never noticed the way she looked, anyway.
He was whistling when she got to the office, already pouring himself a cup of coffee and looking like a man on top of the world.
He turned when Kenna walked in, and grinned. “There you are,” he said. “Regan made coffee.”
She flinched at the sound of his name and bit her tongue before she could say something foolish. “Did he?” she asked. “How nice.”
“He’s an early bird, all right.”
She hung up her coat and turned on her computer, then turned the appointment calendar to the right page and sat down.
“You’re cheerful this morning,” she said with a careful smile.
“I feel cheerful. I’m off to the lake Friday for a long weekend. Come to think of it, you might as well take Friday off, too, if Regan doesn’t need you,” he added.
For one wild, beautiful moment, she thought he might be going to ask her to go to the lake with him, and she beamed. The sudden radiance of her face captured his attention, and he frowned slightly.
“I’d like that,” she told him.
“Got a date?” he asked.
“No,” she said quickly, just in case.
“Too bad,” he remarked, smiling dreamily as