exactly.”
“Well, he’s found something to do with her now. He’s pretty much disowned her. He cut off her credit cards and her accounts, even her savings accounts. And he threw her out of her apartment in Houston. All because she didn’t want to work for him anymore.”
“Oh my lord,” her mother gasped. “No wonder John’s feeling guilty. You tell that child to come down here right now. She can stay with me and I’ll find her a job at the foundation. She doesn’t know the first thing about being on her own.”
“She doesn’t want that, Mama. She really wants to make it on her own this time, with her own business.”
“Dee-Dee—I mean Deirdre—wants to be on her own? Since when? She’s always been the most cautious child I ever knew. And John wanted her that way. I was amazed when he let her go off to school by herself.”
“I don’t know what happened to her exactly, but she’s trying to be independent. And I think we should back her up if we can. Which means not telling Uncle John she’s up here, Mama. Please?”
Her mother sighed again. “You’re right about that. He’d make things worse. Or he’d come down there and try to bully her back to Houston. I’m just worried about her, that’s all.”
“Me too.” Docia sipped her tea. “But I’ll keep an eye on her. Me and everybody else in the family. We won’t let anything happen to her, I promise.”
“All right.” Her mother’s voice warmed slightly. “Is she still as gorgeous as ever?”
“More. She’s let her hair grow and it’s down to her shoulders with a little natural wave. Even without makeup, which of course she doesn’t wear because it never occurs to her to wear it, she’s enough to stop traffic. And she’s still got the worst fashion sense I ever saw. Nobody ever notices how gorgeous she is when she shows up in those baggy slacks.”
“And she doesn’t notice it either. Or understand what she could do with it. Thanks to my boneheaded brother who sent her to girls’ schools all her life and never told her how beautiful she was.” Her mother gave a disgusted snort. “This Dempsey character doesn’t strike me as somebody who’d be much better about that. He seems too impressed with himself to be impressed with anybody else.”
“Well, she’s going to have to make it on her own now. No more Armani suits and lunches at the Galleria.”
“Oh my, she’s a lamb among the wolves, Docia Mae.”
Docia’s lips curved up in a faint smile. “She may have been, once upon a time, Mama. Now I think the wolves had better get ready for a shock.”
Chapter Five
Deirdre regarded the Faro’s evening crowd a bit apprehensively. There were a lot more men than women, and the noise level had risen so high she could barely hear the music on the jukebox. The other barmaid, Sylvia, moved deftly between the tables, smiling at the customers. Chico loomed in a corner nearest the pool table. He didn’t smile at the customers, but Deirdre figured that wasn’t part of his job.
Tom Ames had been joined by another bartender, a small gray-haired man named Harry who seemed to spend most of his time drawing drafts and pouring the occasional glass of wine. Tom did the mixed drinks.
Deirdre fought back the tight sensation in her chest. You can do this, Deirdre. You were an executive vice president.
After she’d finished work that afternoon, Tom had suggested she wear something “a little more appropriate” to work the evening shift. Deirdre had no idea what clothes were appropriate for a barmaid, but she’d gone home to check through her wardrobe. The Escada pantsuit didn’t strike her as an option, but the jeans she’d worn at noon apparently weren’t good enough. She’d ended up in her sole pair of khakis and a knit shirt she’d bought for a corporate retreat. It looked more like something she should wear for a round of golf than something she’d wear to wait tables in a bar, but it was the only thing she had that
“Well, he’s found something to do with her now. He’s pretty much disowned her. He cut off her credit cards and her accounts, even her savings accounts. And he threw her out of her apartment in Houston. All because she didn’t want to work for him anymore.”
“Oh my lord,” her mother gasped. “No wonder John’s feeling guilty. You tell that child to come down here right now. She can stay with me and I’ll find her a job at the foundation. She doesn’t know the first thing about being on her own.”
“She doesn’t want that, Mama. She really wants to make it on her own this time, with her own business.”
“Dee-Dee—I mean Deirdre—wants to be on her own? Since when? She’s always been the most cautious child I ever knew. And John wanted her that way. I was amazed when he let her go off to school by herself.”
“I don’t know what happened to her exactly, but she’s trying to be independent. And I think we should back her up if we can. Which means not telling Uncle John she’s up here, Mama. Please?”
Her mother sighed again. “You’re right about that. He’d make things worse. Or he’d come down there and try to bully her back to Houston. I’m just worried about her, that’s all.”
“Me too.” Docia sipped her tea. “But I’ll keep an eye on her. Me and everybody else in the family. We won’t let anything happen to her, I promise.”
“All right.” Her mother’s voice warmed slightly. “Is she still as gorgeous as ever?”
“More. She’s let her hair grow and it’s down to her shoulders with a little natural wave. Even without makeup, which of course she doesn’t wear because it never occurs to her to wear it, she’s enough to stop traffic. And she’s still got the worst fashion sense I ever saw. Nobody ever notices how gorgeous she is when she shows up in those baggy slacks.”
“And she doesn’t notice it either. Or understand what she could do with it. Thanks to my boneheaded brother who sent her to girls’ schools all her life and never told her how beautiful she was.” Her mother gave a disgusted snort. “This Dempsey character doesn’t strike me as somebody who’d be much better about that. He seems too impressed with himself to be impressed with anybody else.”
“Well, she’s going to have to make it on her own now. No more Armani suits and lunches at the Galleria.”
“Oh my, she’s a lamb among the wolves, Docia Mae.”
Docia’s lips curved up in a faint smile. “She may have been, once upon a time, Mama. Now I think the wolves had better get ready for a shock.”
Chapter Five
Deirdre regarded the Faro’s evening crowd a bit apprehensively. There were a lot more men than women, and the noise level had risen so high she could barely hear the music on the jukebox. The other barmaid, Sylvia, moved deftly between the tables, smiling at the customers. Chico loomed in a corner nearest the pool table. He didn’t smile at the customers, but Deirdre figured that wasn’t part of his job.
Tom Ames had been joined by another bartender, a small gray-haired man named Harry who seemed to spend most of his time drawing drafts and pouring the occasional glass of wine. Tom did the mixed drinks.
Deirdre fought back the tight sensation in her chest. You can do this, Deirdre. You were an executive vice president.
After she’d finished work that afternoon, Tom had suggested she wear something “a little more appropriate” to work the evening shift. Deirdre had no idea what clothes were appropriate for a barmaid, but she’d gone home to check through her wardrobe. The Escada pantsuit didn’t strike her as an option, but the jeans she’d worn at noon apparently weren’t good enough. She’d ended up in her sole pair of khakis and a knit shirt she’d bought for a corporate retreat. It looked more like something she should wear for a round of golf than something she’d wear to wait tables in a bar, but it was the only thing she had that
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