Page 51 of The Fragile Truth
The only people attending the party tonight were Banks, Madeline, Carter, Lizette, and Wesley. It was very telling that Talon and Effie wouldn’t be present. Sadie didn’t blame Talon or Effie for not wanting to be around Wesley Laramie. It would be interesting to see if her actual impression of the man synched with the scumbag she had concocted in her head.
Madeline had also invited Josette. She claimed to have some sort of meeting at six but said she would stop by afterward. Madeline had instructed Sadie to set a place for Josette, so she could eat when she arrived. As far as Sadie was concerned, the longer Josette Chasing stayed away, the better. Sadie didn’t need the added stress of the old biddy tonight. She was a bundle of nerves as it was.
Madeline brought her hands together, her voice popping with enthusiasm. “Okay, folks, let’s do this.”
The doorbell rang, signaling that the guests had arrived.
Madeline’s voice picked up its pace. “Banks will greet the guests and usher them into the den.” She looked at the waiters. “You’ll serve the appetizers in there. Sadie, if you’ll come with me, I’ll introduce you to Carter and Wesley.”
“Sure,” Sadie answered as she untied her apron and smoothed her hand down her shirt. She’d worn a black button-down shirt and black slacks, figuring they would be comfortable to work in and yet still look nice.
As they left the kitchen and went into the hall, Sadie was surprised when Madeline took her arm and spoke in a low tone. “Word to the wise, don’t be taken in by Wesley’s extraordinary good looks and charm.” Her eyes fired with resentment. “While I dearly love Carter, Lizette, and Sylvia, Wesley is the bad apple of the bunch. I’ve never seen the womanizer pass up the opportunity to chase a skirt, so beware.”
“Duly noted,” Sadie said soberly. It was just as she thought. Madeline tolerated Wesley because of her friendship with his parents. Knowing about Wesley’s affair with Lina, there was no way that Sadie would be taken in by him, regardless of how handsome he was. Also, Sadie had eyes for only one man. It was too bad that he didn’t want her the same way she wanted him. Melancholy wrapped her in a tight hold, but she straightened her shoulders, refusing to give into it. She had to stay focused on the task at hand. Too much was riding on tonight to get sidetracked by her feelings. No sense in dwelling on what could never be.
Madeline floated into the den with the nimble flutter of a rare butterfly, greeting the guests and air-kissing their cheeks. Sadie stood a respectable distance back, observing the group. As expected, Wesley was gorgeous with his movie-star looks, easy smile, and messy dark hair. No wonder women fell for him. What Sadie didn’t expect, however, was that Carter was basically the older version of Wesley. Medium height with patrician features, he had an athletic build and short dark hair threaded with silver. He moved with the virility of a much younger man. There was a gentile nobleness about him that Wesley lacked. Whereas Wesley was a flashy red Corvette, Carter was more of a classic Porsche in black. Sadie’s eyes popped a little when she saw Lizette, who looked terrific in a jade blouse and white trousers. All fixed up, Lizette was strikingly beautiful. Dangly diamond earrings caught the light and sparkled with her every movement. In dress clothes, Lizette looked much slimmer than she had in her tennis outfit. Of course, it helped that she was wearing a pair of sleek sandals.
As dazzling as Carter and Lizette Laramie were, they didn’t possess the genuineness and staying quality that Madeline and Banks wielded. Sadie got the feeling that Carter and Lizette were playing the parts of being high society folks, whereas Madeline and Banks breathed it in like air. During her brief time of working at The Sea Salt Grille, Sadie overheard a group of ladies gossiping about the Chasings. They referred to Madeline Chasing as the so-called queen of Honeysuckle Island. While the comments were clearly made from spite by those who were envious of those at the top, Sadie realized that the description was accurate. Madeline commanded the room with the eloquence of a queen.
Madeline turned to Sadie, gracing her with a gleaming smile as she flicked her wrist. “Carter, Wesley, this is Sadie Thomas, my personal chef.”
“Hello,” Carter said, offering Sadie an engaging smile. He shook her hand. His grip was firm but not too forceful. “I’ve been hearing wonderful things about you,” he said, giving Lizette an indulgent smile.
Lizette gave Carter a doting look before linking her arm through his. “I’ve been trying to get Madeline to share her, but she won’t. It’s not fair that Maddie has a chef when I don’t,” she pouted.
A distaste for Lizette Laramie rose in Sadie’s throat. Lizette’s insistence on treating her like an object rather than a person was getting old. Sadie’s feelings must’ve shown on her face because Carter offered Sadie an apologetic smile.
“I’m sure Sadie has some say in who she wants to work for,” Carter said with a subtle hint of reproof.
Sadie could’ve hugged the man for his insight. She gave him a mental,Thank you, as they shared a smile. Carter Laramie was an easy man to like. His quicksilver personality was refreshing as opposed to Banks’s icy disapproval.
Lizette’s cheeks turned pink when she caught the exchange. Her tone was a little too bubbly when she said, “I’m sure she does.”
Wesley stepped up to Sadie, giving her a bold once-over. “Well, hello,” he said in a lyrical voice.
“Hello,” Sadie responded, holding out her hand to shake. He ignored it as he leaned in, taking hold of her arms and kissing both of her cheeks. The gesture was bold and uncomfortable, making her feel like her personal space was being invaded. Ew, Wesley Laramie made her skin crawl. Yeah, he was definitely a womanizing scumbag.
“Happy birthday,” she said through tight lips when he released her.
He caressed her with admiring eyes like he was captivated by her presence. “The best birthday present I could ask for is you.”
She stiffened. “Excuse me?” The guy was so cocky that he was almost comical. She didn’t know whether to laugh or punch him in the nose.
A disarming smile spread over his lips. “Not only do I have the pleasure of having my birthday dinner prepared by a chef, but you’re beautiful, as well.”
“Thanks,” Sadie mumbled, glancing at Madeline, who wore a dark look of disgust. Banks was watching the scene with bored disinterest. Lizette and Carter looked at one another in embarrassment before Madeline intervened, stepping up and placing a hand on Sadie’s arm. Her smile was fixed on too tight, her eyes shooting sparks of animosity at Wesley. “We’d better let you get back to doing what you do best,” Madeline said smoothly.
Sadie nodded, grateful for the opportunity to escape. Wesley Laramie was a piece of work. If he were that overt in coming on to her with everyone present, she could only imagine how awful he would be if she ever got caught alone with him. Thanks to her former training, Sadie had a few moves that would certainly put him in his place, should the need arise. She hurried back into the kitchen and did a last-minute check of the appetizers before giving Brent and Michael the go-ahead to start serving.
Dinner went off without a hitch. Everyone loved Sadie’s food. The only problem that Sadie ran into was that every time she went into the dining room, Wesley followed her every move with heated, sensual eyes. He did everything short of standing on his head to get her attention, but she ignored him. Could Wesley beThe Shadow? Somehow, she doubted it. The guy didn’t strike her as very intelligent. He’d spent his life living off his mama and daddy’s coattails and was completely ruled by base physical urges.
Finally, when it was time for dessert, Sadie loaded the candles on the cake and gave the waiters instructions for serving it. She stepped away under the guise of going to the restroom and texted Ian. A couple of seconds later, she went into the dining room. The group had just sung Happy Birthday, and Wesley had blown out the candles when the doorbell rang.
“That must be Josette,” Madeline said.
Banks frowned. “Mother doesn’t have to ring the doorbell. She knows she can just come on in.”
Madeline scooted back her chair and stood.