"I don't think she would want to leave Gram all alone," Riley shrugged and then grinned, "But what do I know? I'm a kid."
I laughed as she ran off to her room, leaving me standing on the patio, holding a sheet of paper. I stared out at the perfectly manicured lawn.
"Something funny?" Leah said as she walked out onto the patio.
"You're back," I said trying to not show my irritation that she'd been out of touch all day. I looked closely at her. Her eyes were red, and she looked somber. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, fine. Sorry I was gone all day. I had to take care of some things," she said, as she looked me over. "What's with the paper?"
"I was a hero to a frog Riley let loose in the house," I said as I folded the sheet and tucked it in my jacket pocket.
"I see," she nodded in a way that indicated her thoughts were elsewhere. "I know I missed the run down for this evening's dinner. Do you want to go through it now?"
I looked at her and realized she was in no shape to do a run-through of the plan. What she needed was a hot shower and some time to pull herself together before dinner.
"No, go shower and get ready for dinner," I said casually. "You know the gist of it, so I'm sure it'll all be fine. Besides, Norma is coming to dinner, too. She can act as another backup in case things get out of hand."
Leah nodded, then turned and went upstairs to get ready. I had the urge to call to her and ask what had happened, but I stopped myself.
We didn't have time for an emotional crisis with Sloan and Lincoln arriving in an hour.
*
Norma, my mother, and I were having a drink in the living room, trying hard not to talk about what was about to happen. I didn't want anything to tip off our guests. I focused on maintaining light chatter while we waited for Leah to come downstairs and join us.
"Oh my!" Norma drawled. "My God, girl, you clean up good!"
I turned and felt my breath catch in my throat as Leah entered the room. She was wearing a midnight blue velvet dress that hugged her curves and made her eyes look even bluer than usual. She'd put on mascara and lipstick and pulled her hair up away from her face in the front. It flowed down her back.
"You look lovely," I said as she crossed the room and accepted a glass of champagne from my mother.
"Indeed you do," my mother said. "I'm glad I told my seamstress to take that dress in a little more!"
"Thank you so much, Betty," Leah said as she hugged her. She turned and looked at me as she held her glass up. "And thank you, Jack. Thank you for organizing this evening and for making sure that all of us are here tonight."
"Thank you, darling," my mother said as she hugged me. "This will be such a nice evening."
I felt slightly guilty that I was about
to cause my brother a whole world of pain, but I also knew that he deserved it. I'd told Leah that we'd keep the affair to ourselves since there was really no reason to destroy Jessie in front of everyone. Besides, I had a feeling that once Lincoln was no longer useful, Sloan would drop him like a hot potato and move on to the next rich and powerful man who could help fuel her career. She was ruthless that way.
A few minutes later, Martin led our guests into the living room where I greeted each of them with a glass of champagne and a lively toast.
"Well, isn't this a lovely evening you've planned, Jack," Sloan said as she linked her arm with mine and pressed her body against me. She was wearing a form fitting dress that looked like liquid gold stretched across her perfectly proportioned body. I wanted to shove her away, but I knew better than to do that before the main event. So, I smiled and nodded.
"This is quite the dinner you've set up, Jack," Lincoln commented as he peeked into the dining room and saw the elaborate set up. "It's good of you to invite us."
"Of course, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have here for such a momentous occasion," I said as I moved away from Sloan and grabbed the champagne bottle. "Tonight's a night for celebrating! More champagne!"
I refilled the glasses as I kept an eye on Sloan who had sidled up to my mother and was quietly whispering in her ear. Despite knowing about Sloan's treachery, my mother played it off like the consummate actress I knew she was. I cast a quick glance at Leah, and she smiled before turning her attention back to Jessie's latest story about Joey and Mimi's afternoon at the zoo. To her credit, Norma stayed on the outskirts of the conversations and simply observed what was happening. I flashed her a grateful smile, but she just nodded and turned her attention back to the conversations.
When dinner was ready to be served, we moved into the dining room and took our seats around the beautiful table my mother had had prepared. The candles were lit, giving the room a romantic glow as the light reflected off the beautiful china my mother had chosen for the table.
I sat at the head of the table with Sloan to my right and Lincoln on my left. My mother sat at the other end of the table with Leah on one side and Norma on the other, positioned as the audience. All through dinner, Sloan kept slipping her hand into my lap and squeezing my thigh. I knew she was anticipating the moment I made my big announcement, and this genuinely made me smile at her throughout the meal.
When the last plates had been cleared away, I stood at the head of the table holding my wine glass.
"I'm so grateful you could all be here for this momentous occasion," I began smiling at everyone as I looked around the table. "It was a terrible time losing Pop, and then when I was forced into the leadership position at Baby Steps, I wasn't happy. However, we found a way to make it work, and now the company is growing stronger by the day thanks to the hard work of one woman who has put in more time and energy than I could have ever imagined."