Secret Whispers (Heavenstone 2)

“Just from the little I know and have seen of Mr. Heaven-stone,” Ethan said after he heard Uncle Perry’s explanation, “I wouldn’t think he would fire anyone who was doing a good job. He strikes me as being what we call a ‘bottom-line man.’”

Uncle Perry glanced at me. I saw that small, impish smile invade the corners of his mouth. “A man in love often has cloudy eyes, which could fog up the bottom line,” he said. “And my brother is without a doubt a man in love.”

Ethan laughed, but I already knew when his laugh was sincere and when it was a response to what was expected. I wanted to lean over at the restaurant table and whisper, “You never have to be subtle or afraid of telling Uncle Perry the truth. There’s not a mean bone in his body, and he is no gossip.”

Later, Ethan did relax with Uncle Perry when they got into a discussion about his design department and the advertising for the stores. I saw that Uncle Perry was impressed with Ethan’s understanding of the various media outlets. He rattled off so many facts and figures someone would think he had spent his last four years of college majoring in the Heaven-stone Corporation.

“You have a pretty bright young man here,” Uncle Perry told me when Ethan left to go to the bathroom. “Bright and quite good-looking. I spoke for only a minute or so with Teddy this morning, but he seemed quite pleased with him.” Then he leaned forward to ask sotto voce, “What does Lucille think of him? Any clue?”

“I’m sure her jury’s still out,” I said.

He laughed. “I’d hate to have her on a jury judging me, even if I knew I was innocent,” he said. “She’d make the defense attorney work his rear off, but I suppose that’s a good quality. She is an extraordinary woman, different from your mother, but perhaps just what the doctor ordered for Teddy right now. I can’t believe this wedding. It’s turning out to be the social event of the year. There are people actually trying to get invited, conniving for an invitation. I can’t tell you how many calls I’ve received from people asking me to do them a favor or promising to do me one if I can deliver.”

Ethan returned as Uncle Perry finished what he was saying.

“From what I’ve heard about it, I don’t blame them. I think if I were one of them, I’d try just as hard for an invitation,” he said.

Uncle Perry smiled at me. “I don’t think you’ll have to work that hard to get anyone you want an invite, right, Sam?” He winked. It hadn’t occurred to me until that moment to invite Ethan. I suppose I had been thinking he would be back home looking to find some meaningful employment.

Besides, when it came to the wedding, there was something else on my mind. I didn’t want to bring it up right now, but my father’s agreeing with Lucille to replace Uncle Perry as his best man was still bothering me.

“Maybe it’s becoming too much of an event, more like a political event, Uncle Perry.”

“What do you mean?”

“Having the senator be my fath

er’s best man,” I replied. “I’m sure they’re not that close.”

Ethan’s eyebrows rose. I hadn’t told him about any of that. “A United States senator?” he asked.

I nodded. “Uncle Perry should be my father’s best man.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Uncle Perry said. “I was your father’s best man when he married your mother. That meant far more to me than it would this time around.”

My eyes glistened with tears. He couldn’t have said anything that would have given me more comfort.

“Let’s just ride with the tide, Sam. We’ll all do just fine,” he added, reaching to squeeze my hand. “C’mon, let’s get back to my offices. I want to show you where you’d work if you want to have a real job, and I’d like your opinion of a new advertising concept involving the Internet, Ethan.”

“Absolutely. I’d be honored,” he said.

Uncle Perry gave me a sort of half-smile, one that signaled a note of caution. Ethan was sounding a little too diplomatic. It opened the door to a Cassie-like thought. Christmas trees, Semantha. Get him to stop trying so hard. Even a blind man could see through the coats of sugar.

When we stepped into the parking lot, Uncle Perry whistled at my car. “What was it like driving that over here?” he asked Ethan.

“Like I had stepped into some dream machine. We didn’t ride; we floated.”

We entered Uncle Perry’s offices, and he immediately showed Ethan some of his advertising plans for the Internet. Although he was nice about it, Ethan was very critical. He supported all of his criticism with good information, and by the end of the afternoon, he had persuaded Uncle Perry to make changes.

“You do have a pretty bright guy here,” Uncle Perry told me when we could speak without Ethan overhearing. “And someone who’s not afraid to disagree when he thinks he’s right. I wasn’t expecting it. I like that.”

His review of Ethan made my day, but I couldn’t say I was very excited about my prospective area in Uncle Perry’s offices. It made me feel a bit claustrophobic. He sensed it and told me to take my time deciding. He promised that no matter what I decided, he would still rely on me for advice. It made me think of Lucille’s advice, which was similar, but I didn’t tell him that. Maybe I was the one who was being the diplomat now.

Later, when we were alone again, Ethan told me he didn’t think I would enjoy spending my time in a small office at one of the stores. He almost parroted Lucille word for word, telling me I should be out among younger people more.

“Maybe you should take your time and enroll in some college classes,” he added. “You have a good community college nearby.”

I didn’t say anything, but there was a part of me that wasn’t happy with the suggestion. If I were a young man seeing a girl like me, I wouldn’t want her in any environment where she could meet someone else and maybe fall in love with someone else. “Love when it’s real and passionate makes you selfish,” Mother had once told me. I had been too young then to fully understand what she meant, but I understood it now. You become unreasonably jealous and don’t like sharing your loved one with anyone, even for good reason.