Chapter 22

Karen Wilkes grinned at her partner as they drove to check out Eve Johnson's apartment location. She had been silently amused at Julian's assistant--she was quite the anxious type, and she wondered how he dealt with her.

"I just can't figure it out," she laughed, causing Ally to raise an eyebrow.

"Figure out what?"

"How Julian managed to hire someone like that--she's a bundle of nerves!"

"Maybe she makes up for it by being a darn good assistant."Ally was the more reserved of the two, but her eyes twinkled gleefully. "We are pretty intimidating, you have to admit."

"I'll bet--if I know Julian, he's probably tripped the light fantastic with her a time or two. She is rather pretty." The idea bothered Karen, even though she did not want to admit it.

Ally studied her friend. "And just how do you know him so well?" She was surprised to see a blush creep over Karen's face.

"Um...I had an affair with him a long time ago," Karen admitted reluctantly.

Ally's eyes widened in shock."You're kidding!"

"No, I'm not kidding at all--I used to work in the mansion that he lived in when he was still married. I was one of the security guards on the grounds," Karen told her. "He was so handsome, and he told me that he only married for family connections....that he didn't love his wife. I know it was wrong, but I just couldn't help it--he was so charming, and a fantastic lover."

I knew all along it was just sex, Karen thought, but I wanted more than he was willing to give.

Her partner frowned at her.

"So what happened to end it?"

"It was just a fling, that's all. It wasn't meant to last."
 

"Karen, I know you well enough that you just don't sleep around. You were in love with him." Ally felt bad for her friend--she knew she must have fallen hard for Mr. Crane.

"It doesn't matter, he was married at the time, and it was wrong!" Karen snapped, uncomfortable with the fact that Ally had hit the nail precisely on the head.

"Ok, ok, bud--I didn't mean to make you so upset. Just forget I said anything," Ally apologized, not wanting to see her get distracted from the job at hand. Her eyes scanned the road ahead of them, looking for 1815 Crestline Drive, where Dr. Johnson's apartment building was located. "There's the apartment complex." She pulled up and put the car in park. "The other guards should have been there by now, I'll buzz them when we arrive. Then we can meet Dr. Johnson and explain how we are going to help her."

Karen managed a half-smile at her partner as they got out of the car. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I guess working for Julian again is bringing back some memories I thought I had buried long ago."

"You still care, don't you?"

"I'm no longer in love with him, if that's what you mean. But I admit, I wouldn't mind seeing him again now that he's single."

Ally smiled sympathetically. "Even though he seems to have strong feelings for this Dr. Johnson? Why else would he contact our agency to protect her--we don't come cheap."

"He's a billionaire--he can afford the best," Karen said with a touch of pride. "And if Dr. Johnson makes him happy--then I can do nothing less than be happy for him." She hoped Ally would not question her further, because she did not want to open old wounds where Julian Crane was concerned.

I hope you really mean that, Ally thought to herself as they began to overlook the area. Ally took out her cell phone to page the other guards.

Karen's a professional--she won't let her past feelings for Julian Crane to get in the way of her job, she told herself while waiting for an answer back.

"I hope not", she said under her breath. "We don't need any more stress than necessary. This job pays too well."
 

Ivy Crane was sitting in Harmony's extremely small beauty salon having her French manicure redone. She was irritated that she was not able to have someone service her in her hotel room, and she had to be claustrophobic in the shop. Priscilla's Beauty Stop, what a middle-class joke!

"What a provencial town this is...full of nothing but peasants," she grumbled aloud, much to the annoyance of Priscilla herself, who was silently cursing this witch that had descended on her shop.

"Harmony is a wonderful town--you must not have been here very long," the manicurist told her. "Give it more of a chance to grow on you."

Ivy's eyes narrowed at her. "I don't recall asking you for an opinion." She looked down her nose at the hapless beautician. "If you want to earn your mininum wage, I suggest you keep your comments to yourself."

Just then, Ivy's cell phone rang, and she immediately grabbed for it, causing her still wet nail polish to smudge. "You'll have to redo this when I'm off the phone," she said nonchalantly as Priscilla seethed and bit back the foul name she was about to call her.

"This is Ivy Crane."

"Mrs. Crane, this is Ron Walker--"

"The overpaid PI I hired to find my wayward ex-husband and his mistress. Don't tell me you're calling to say that you've got everything 'under control', " Ivy hissed. "I've heard it all before."

How I want to strangle this bitch, Walker thought angrily. "On the contrary, I've located Mr. Crane and Dr. Johnson--they are in a cabin Mr. Crane owns about a hundred or so miles from Harmony."

"And how do I know this is true?"

"Because I say so," Walker returned, trying to keep his irritation from being detected in his voice.

"I suppose I have no other choice but to believe you. Contact TC Russell at the downtown Harmony hotel and tell him I'll meet him there in an hour." With that, Ivy disconnected the call.

Walker fumed as he was met with a dial tone. "Since when am I a secretary?" he began to detail information for the number of the hotel.

"Hurry up and get this done, I have another appointment," Ivy ordered."And besides, I think I want a pedicure done too--do you think you can manage that in an hour?" Priscilla bit her lips and pitied Mr. Crane for having been sentenced to live with the blonde piranha.

"No wonder they're divorced--he's probably better off with that Dr. Johnson woman."
 

"Eve, are you certain that Whitney will want to meet me?" Julian was having renewed doubts about seeing his daughter. It wasn't that he didn't want to--he desperately did--but he was fearful of how Whitney would react to him.

"Julian, I know you are worried, but Whitney's a grown woman--she's aware that you are her father."

"Biologically speaking, yes. Yet she called your ex-husband--" Julian couldn't even bear to say his name aloud--
"Daddy. How can I compete with that?"

She went to him and kissed him on the cheek. "She'll learn to love you as I have, Julian."

"God, I hope so. I would hate to have her hate me for what I did in the past." He put his arms around Eve, overwhelmed with feeling.

For her part, Eve was enjoying his masculine presence, and the faint scent of Drakkar Noir. She smiled as she snuggled deeper into his embrace.

"You are wearing my favorite cologne again, Julian."

"Does that mean that you want to stay here, instead?" With a hopeful look, Julian began nuzzling her neck, causing Eve's breathing to quicken. She started to throw her head back to allow him greater access, but then caught herself and backed away from him.

"Nice try, but we are leaving to go see Whitney--your car is waiting outside, remember?" she said reprovingly. "It's rude to keep your driver waiting, even if you are paying him a good salary."

Julian's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I gave it the good old Harvard try, you must admit." He straightened his tie and cleared his throat. "I'm ready now, my dear."

Eve took his arm, and the two of them walked out of the cabin.
 

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TC was waiting for Ivy when she swept into the lobby of the hotel, an hour later than she had originally intended.

"This time, you are the once who's late!" he complained. "I thought that Walker guy said an hour."

Ivy stared icily at him. "I decided to get a pedicure and a manicure, not that it's any of your business," she retorted."As if you had anything more pressing to do."

"Look, I'm not on your payroll, so watch how you talk to me, Poison Ivy!" TC sneered. "Just what the hell did you want, anyway?"

Ivy held back from flinging a withering comeback--she needed this Neandrathal for now.

"I've just learned where my husband and your wife are."