And that was that, Rima reminisced fondly. Exasperated at her numerous mishaps in the kitchen, Nathan had slowly and grudgingly taken Rima under his wing, and when he had learned from his father that Rima was even wealthier than their family, the remaining doubts about her gold-digging ways had been effectively dispelled.
If only Nathan would live with them again, Rima thought with a sigh, then maybe she wouldn’t be so bored.
When his stepmother sighed for the third time in the last five minutes, Nathan was forced to set aside his packing. Straightening, he asked bluntly, “What is it?”
“You know what I want.”
“Out of the question.”
“Please!” Rushing towards him, she tugged on his sleeve, saying in an imploring voice, “Just stay another night.”
“Stop being a baby.” Nathan was exasperated. “Being alone for a few hours won’t kill you.”
His stepmother pouted. “But it’s so boring.” She took a seat on the edge of his bed, her gaze following Nathan’s movements as he resumed packing and folded his last suit back into his suitcase.
“Only because you chose not to do anything but wait for my father. There’s the committee meeting between doctors’ wives next door to the conference, isn’t there? Why don’t you join that?”
Rima made a face. “Those women are horrible to me, and you know it.”
“But you can win them over if you want to, and you know that, too.”
“Hmph.” Rima uncrossed and crossed her long legs, laid bare by the short dress that she wore.
And she wondered why those women were horrible to her, Nathan thought. She was young, beautiful, and sexy, more so than most doctors’ wives, and to make it worse, none of those other women could even make themselves feel better that Rima had only married his father for money.
“You know what it meant to be a doctor’s wife.” Nathan’s tone was pragmatic. “You can’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Rima sighed. “I thought I could change him.”
“I also told you my mother thought the same thing.”
“I know.” Her tone was wry. “I know you did your very best to make sure my eyes were wide open when I married your father, and they were. I knew what to expect, but it didn’t stop me from hoping things could be different.”
His jaw clenched at the look on Rima’s face.
“Anyway…” Rima gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “At least let me drive you to the airport.”
Nathan was stunned. “He lets you drive abroad?”
Rima laughed. “I can see that shocks you.” Shaking her head, she said chidingly, “You should give me more credit, you know. Not counting your own mother, I’ve lasted longer than his other wives.”
And so she had, Nathan thought. And he realized then that she was also right, and that he should give her more credit. He had neglected to for all the usual reasons, such as the fact that she had always appeared a fragile little thing to him, someone he had thought wouldn’t be a good match for his father’s icy temperament.
Walking towards the door, she said over her shoulder, “Let’s leave in half an hour.”
“You don’t need to drive me.”
“Relax, sugar. I’m not going to kill you.” Rima’s laugh trailed after her, and as it often turned out, his stepmother ended up getting her way. Exactly thirty minutes later, Nathan found himself in the unusual position of taking the passenger seat while a woman slid behind the wheel.
“Seatbelt, please.”
“Don’t treat me like a kid,” Nathan snapped.
“But you are my kid in some ways,” she teased.
Nathan sighed, unwilling to be provoked by Rima when she was in this impish mood of hers. “Just drive.” A large part of him expected the ride would be rather bumpy and speedy, reflecting Rima’s tendency to make snap decisions, but it was surprisingly smooth instead and he gradually allowed himself to relax.
When the light turned red, she glanced at him with twinkling blue eyes. “It’s okay, Nates.” She was the only one who had ever called him that. “You don’t have to say it.”
“Say what?”
“Because I already know.”
“Know what?” Nathan was exasperated and amused. This was one thing that hadn’t changed about Rima, with her love for turning conversations into guessing games.
She turned her attention back to the road, saying cheerfully, “That you think I’m a good driver.” And then she suddenly stepped on the gas, causing the car to rocket past the other cars, and Nathan cursed.
Rima’s laughter filled the car.
“Dammit, Rima.”
“You were begging for it,” she told him laughingly. “Quit looking so serious.”
“When I get out of this death trap, I will,” he retorted.
“So talk to me. You never tell Aetes or me anything about your life in Miami.”
“Because there’s nothing to say that hasn’t been reported on the Internet.”
“Oooooh.” She threw him a curious look. “So does that mean you’re really going out with that reporter?”