Swimming to Catalina (Stone Barrington 4)

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“I try to avoid men who make demands; I get irritable when they do that.”

“I’ll do my best not to irritate you,” Stone said. He turned into Stone Canyon.

“Do you always stay at the Bel-Air?”

“Always; it’s my home away from home.”

They pulled into the hotel parking lot, gave the attendant the car, and walked over the bridge leading to the hotel. Below them swans dozed in a pretty stream.

“You certainly have good taste in hotels,” Barbara said.

Stone took her hand. “I have good taste in dinner companions, too.”

“Oooh, you should have been an actor,” she said.

“You’re not the first to tell me that,” Stone replied.

27

They were shown to a banquette in a corner of the large dining room, and their drink order was taken. Stone was hungry, and he began looking at the menu.

“May I take your order, Mr. Smithwick?” a waiter asked.

It took Stone a moment to react. “Give us a minute, will you? And may I have a wine list?”

“The smoked salmon sounds good,” Barbara said, then she made a little noise.

Stone turned toward her. “What?”

“My God,” she half-whispered, “look who just came in.”

Stone followed her gaze to the center of the dining room. Vance Calder and a party of six were being seated at a round table.

“I’ve never seen him in person, have you?”

Stone raised the wine list to cover his face. “Well, he doesn’t turn me on as much as he does you.” He lowered the list enough to allow him to see Vance’s party, and things got worse. Betty Southard was sitting next to him. “Oh, Jesus,” he murmured under his breath.

“What?”

“Nothing; I was just trying to pronounce the name of this wine. I think I’ve read about it somewhere.” He was trapped, within plain view of both Vance and Betty. He did not need this.

“I think I’ll go and say hello to him,” Barbara said.

“What? Who?”

“Vance Calder.”

“I don’t think you should do that, Barbara.”

“Why not?”

“The hotel has a lot of celebrity customers, and they’re very protective of them.”

“Oh, it’ll be all right,” she said, pushing the table away. “We have a mutual friend.” She got up and started toward Vance’s table before Stone could stop her.

Stone watched as Barbara made her way between the tables and came to rest at Vance’s elbow. Vance looked up at her. The headwaiter began to move. Barbara spoke. Then, to Stone’s amazement, Vance stood up, shook her hand, and started to introduce her to the rest of his party. All eyes were riveted on the beautiful brunette. It was now or never, Stone thought. He pushed away the table, rose, and walked quickly through the dining room, staying as far away as possible from Vance’s table, hoping to God that no one there looked away from Barbara. Once in the entrance hall between the bar and the restaurant, he chanced a look back into the dining room. Barbara still held their attention.