She retrieved the next largest painting and passed it to Darci.
Darci married the hook to the hanger. Then she stepped down to see how they looked.
“The spacing looks right to me,” said Jennifer.
There was about four inches of cream-colored wall between the two connected oils.
“You’ve given me a craving for ice cream,” said Darci.
“We don’t have any ice cream. But I do have a box of almond-caramel crunch.”
“Bring it on.”
While Jennifer went for the chocolates, Darci moved the ladder and measured for the next picture hook.
“Tell me about your upcoming date,” Jennifer called from the kitchen.
“Dinner and wine on his deck. My plan so far is to get him to the wine cellar, pretend I need the restroom, then snoop my way through the basement.”
“And if he comes after you?”
“I’ll pretend I’m lost.”
“It might work,” Jennifer conceded.
On her return, she picked up the remote control and put on the TV in the living area. A news reporter’s voice filled the background.
“He might get suspicious.” Darci hung picture number three, then stepped back, liking how it looked. “But he’s never going to guess the truth.”
“Maybe he’ll think you’re a reporter writing an expose on him,” said Jennifer.
“You think?” That hadn’t occurred to Darci.
“You wouldn’t be the first.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look,” said Jennifer.
Darci turned.
Jennifer pointed to the television. “Bianca Covington just published a book.”
“Who’s Bianca Covington?”
“Somebody gorgeous and famous, I guess.”
Darci moved for a better view. A young blonde woman sat across the table from Berkley Nash, an infamous, local reporter. The camera zoomed in on a book with a fuchsia cover, titled Shane Colborn—Behind the Mask.
“The perils of being rich,” said Jennifer.
“I wonder if it’s flattering,” said Darci while a headshot of Shane came up on the screen. Her chest contracted at the sight. He was cover-model gorgeous.
Suddenly, she couldn’t combat her rising trepidation. Why had he been so insistent about arranging a date with her when he could have any woman in the city? Sure, she’d been wearing a four-thousand-dollar dress, and her hair and makeup had been stellar. But she was no Bianca Covington.
She had to allow for the possibility that Shane knew who she was and was stringing her along.
“There are some scandalous accusations between these pages,” said Berkley.
Bianca gave a throaty laugh. “I think readers will be shocked to discover the dark side of Shane Colborn.”
Jennifer raised her brows at Darci. “Dark side?”
“I’m sure she’s exaggerating for ratings.”
“You’re going to his mansion.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“Alone.”
“He’s not Count Dracula.” Darci wasn’t fearful at all. Well, except for the worry he might know her real identity.
“But you’re going to cross him.”
“I am.”
“And he’s got a dark side.”
“Well, I have a dark side, too. I’m spying on the man.”
“Ruthless,” Bianca stated with conviction, her darkly outlined eyes wide. “And completely narcissistic. The silver spoon is still lodged in that man’s mouth.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” said Darci.
Except for the ruthless part, she supposed.
Maybe she should pick up a copy of Bianca’s book before Friday, just so she’d know what she was up against.
* * *
At a corner table in Daelan’s Bar and Grill, Shane could feel the critical glances of the other patrons flick from the television above the bar to him and then back again.
“It’s about what we expected,” said Justin as the news program moved on from Bianca. “And at least we’re still in the running for the Gobrecht Airlines contract.”
“She’s pretty hot,” said Tuck, taking a drink from the mug of lager in his hand.
Shane had a deluxe burger and fries on a plate in front of him. A minute ago, he’d been starving. But now he’d lost his appetite.
“This is going to go on for a while,” he stated to no one in particular.
“She does seem to enjoy the limelight,” said Justin.
“Was she worth it?” asked Tuck.
“Not even close,” said Shane.
Bianca had been bubbly, energetic and fun. Agreeable to anything Shane suggested, he realized now that she’d been humoring him. She probably wasn’t even a Bulls fan.
“There has to be a way to fight back,” he said.
Over the past few days, he’d concluded that Justin was right. It didn’t much matter what she said about their sex life. But her accusations of corporate misconduct stood to hurt Colborn Aerospace.
“Fuel to the fire,” said Justin.
“Libel? Slander?” asked Shane.
“You have to be ready to prove it.”
Tuck stepped in. “I’d be willing to go undercover. Date her. Sleep with her. Write some juicy lies about her.”
“She knows we’re friends,” said Shane. Not that he’d ever agree. He wanted to stop her, not get revenge.
“Worth a try,” said Tuck.
“You can’t sleep with your friend’s ex,” said Justin.
“I shouldn’t sleep with my friend’s ex,” said Tuck. “But once she betrays him, all bets are off. Shane doesn’t care if I sleep with her. Do you, Shane?”
“The woman can sleep with an entire offensive line for all I care.”
“See?” said Tuck.
“You have no morals,” said Justin.
“Bianca has no morals,” said Shane.
Tuck raised his glass. “I think we can all agree on that.”
The men clicked mugs, and each took a swig of beer.
“So, what happened with Darci?” asked Tuck.
“You stay away from Darci,” Shane warned, deciding to eat some of the fries, after all. No point in starving for the sake of his deceitful, immoral ex.
“Who’s Darci?” asked Justin.
“The anti-Bianca,” said Shane.
“She saves orphans and feeds the hungry?”
“It was all I could do to get her to say yes to a date with me.”
“Date?” Justin’s attention immediately perked up. “What date?”