Diane (The Town of Pearl 6)

“Only because of the flat tire. The groping hands and flirty men were easy to handle. I left. I could have changed that tire myself. I was halfway done when Mark showed up.”

“He was so pissed off. He reprimanded Will, Paul, and even Hank, for not ensuring your safety. He told Willie that you were his responsibility because he and his brothers were married to me and that if they couldn’t handle it, then he and his brothers were taking over.”

“What? He said that to Willie?” Diane was shocked and angry. How dare he. “Who does he think he is?”

“Sounds to me like he’s slowly staking a claim.”

“Great, just what I need, an arranged agreement between my brothers-in-law and three strange men. Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Like you would decline them if they offered to take care of you?”

“What am I, a piece of property to barter for? That’s such bullshit. I want to decide who I sleep with and who I engage in any sexual activity with. I won’t be an arrangement.”

“No one is saying that.”

Diane raised her eyebrow up at Melissa.

Melissa chuckled. “I know you like them.” She sang her words, dragging them out in a tune. “Hell, you have a picture of them hidden in that daily journal of yours.”

Melissa stated as she folded one of the shirts making use of her round belly as a folding table.

“Easy for you to say. You’re all set. I’m also not the kind of woman to initiate conversation, or throw myself at a man. I’m shy. I know that. It takes me a while to warm up to people. But don’t lie to me or assume that the Santos men moved out here because of me. If that was true, then why haven’t they said a word? They’ve been here a year. I’ve heard the rumors about them bringing women onto the ranch or hooking up with women in Croton.”

“You’re jealous. See, I knew you liked them. Hell, you need to go for it.”

“Absolutely not.”

Before Melissa could continue to badger Diane, the phone rang. Melissa waddled over toward the counter and Diane smiled. Her sister looked gorgeous pregnant. She was simply glowing, and any minute one of her men, Hank, Paul, or Willie would arrive with lunch and baby Johnny. Diane was so happy for her sister. She was in love, she was married to three fantastic men, and her family was growing.

Although Diane was only twenty-six and Melissa was now twenty-eight, she felt her own biological clock ticking, and wondered if she would ever meet the right man. One that could love her, one that could want a large family like she did, and one that could be trusted.

Back in Oregon, she and Melissa lost their parents at a young age and were forced to live with their eighty-year-old grandmother. She was uptight, very strict, and expected them to work for their food and board. She even had them work for other people, the worst job being dance partners for dirty men with groping hands. To this day Diane hated dancing slow. If she went out to the dance halls, she only danced fast and with friends. That time had been terrible.

She especially remembered the men who would try to make her walk with them outside or in the back rooms of the dance halls. At first she thought it was part of what she was supposed to do and that if her grandmother found out, she and Melissa would be in trouble. But then the men would want them to perform oral sex on them, and that was not happening. One man tried to make her do it, but Melissa saved her, by shoving the guy away from Diane and then smacking his face. Diane would never forget that night.

“Hey, it’s Elvira. She said she got a huge shipment in of those special pieces you love as well as the new fall line.”

“Oh fantastic. I was hoping that she wouldn’t forget about us this time. She doesn’t keep her inventory long at all.”

“Exactly. She needs you to come out there tomorrow. But she also mentioned that there’s going to be a fashion show at the Sheraton in Dallas. She wants to talk to you about it.”

“Talk to me about it? That’s a huge fashion show. It’s going to be publically broadcasted, too, with lots of big shots. Why would she want to talk to me about it?” Diane asked, looking at her smiling sister peculiarly. She walked over and took the phone. “Hi, Elvira, what’s going on?”

“I need to ask a huge favor. You see, I’m supposed to be one of the sponsors for that national fashion show I mentioned to you, in Dallas this weekend. I need help. Someone who knows their stuff about the lingerie line. I’ll pay you for your time and assistance. Would you be able to spend the weekend in Dallas? I’ll even get a car service to bring you to and from so you won’t have to worry about driving the long distance?”

“Oh gosh, I don’t know, Elvira,” Diane said and looked at her sister who was nearly jumping up and down mouthing “yes.” She looked so funny doing it being pregnant and all. The door by the front door rang and Diane looked that way. She saw Willie carrying Johnny, and she also saw Mark Santos. Her heart started beating fast.

“Please say yes. I’ll totally make it worth your while. I’ll have a car in Pearl to pick you up at the boutique by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow.”

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

Diane heard her sister Melissa cheer and then start telling her husband Willie as well as Mark about her trip.

Diane listened to Elvira and then disconnected the call.

“I can’t believe you’re going to Dallas to help out in a huge, televised fas

hion show. They’ll have all those high-end lingerie you love so much, too. You’ll probably get samples of things for free. Hell, with your body, they’ll probably ask you to model them.” Melissa carried on as she took Johnny from Willie’s arms and danced the baby in a circle.