cups of coffee and a small juice. He glimpses his watch, then sees me standing in the doorway.
A radiant smile beams from his lips, and he nods proudly. As if surrounded by a luminous glow, Hilton sits still while I prepare myself. My heart pounds wildly in my chest. His dark blue suit is smartly tailored; he looks simply divine.
Nausea makes my stomach quicken. I hold it firmly walking toward the vision as if in a trance. Hilton stands to acknowledge my presence as I approach the table. He helps with my chair then takes his own.
"You look stunning in that dress."
"Thank you." Absently, I preen my hair. "You have excellent taste." Pushing his chair up to the table, he adds, "I've taken the liberty of ordering
breakfast."
Gazing into his eyes, I feel scatty. "That's fine. I'm a country girl, and I work at
Casey's. I'll eat anything you've ordered."
Hilton laces his fingers. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"
"Yes, shall we?" I mimic, picking up my spoon and reaching for the sugar. "I was
so curious I could hardly sleep."
Hilton moistens his lips and inhales. "Where to start, where to start." He closes
his eyes, tilts his head upward, then exhales slowly. "First, your show with Satin was no
accident. I set that up."
I'm taking a sip of my coffee, but stop. "What?"
"Lenisha." He pauses.
"Lenisha?" I give him a sidelong glance. "You know Lenisha?"
"No, not really. Lenisha provided my associate with information about you. And
she, in turn, informed me. I've had my eye on you for quite some time." Massaging my temples, I close my eyes tightly. "What are you saying? I've never
seen you before in my life."
Flinching, Hilton lowers his voice. "No, you haven't, but—perhaps I should wait
for my attorney."
"Attorney. I don't understand." I hold my breath for a moment. "You can talk
without him." I plead. "I need to know what's going on, and I want to know now." Looking over his glasses, Hilton glares at me. "Randi. You'll find I'm pretty
honest. What I'm about to say might shock you a bit. Are you prepared?" "Hilton, you've brought me all the way to New York. What you have to say must
be pretty important." Sensing his need for procrastination, I pick up my cup once again.
"Out with it."
After taking a sip of his coffee, Hilton then blots his forehead with a napkin. If he
is getting nervous, perhaps I should locate the nearest exit.
"Randi, I need you to remain calm. You need to hear the entire story before you
say anything. Do you promise?"
Feeling sorry for the task that lay before Hilton, I nod. It's obvious something has
him greatly burdened.
Suddenly, he spits out the words. "My great grandfather had a shady past." Holding my cup to my lips, I encourage him to go on. "Yes, and?" "I don't know if you know this or not, but your great grandmother, Pearl
Richardson, worked for my great grandfather."
"Oh." The waiter interrupts our conversation to place our breakfast before us.
Hilton is right on target with his selection, but I'm too anxious to eat.
"Pearl was my grandfather's nanny."
I pick up my fork and my mouth drops. "O-kay," I croon sarcastically. "And
that's a bad thing, why?"
"Randi, my great grandfather was terribly in love with your great grandmother." As his words seep into my mind, my lips part, and my eyes narrow accusingly.
"What are you saying?" I almost knock over my juice.
"I'll give you a moment to digest that information before I tell you the rest." "There's more." I put out my hand to halt the madness. "Wait—we aren't related,
are we?"
Hilton's eyes meet the ceiling doubtfully. "Ah, no. There were no children born
during their relationship." Hilton pushes his plate slightly to the side and places his
elbows on the table. As if in prayer, he clasps his fingers together and laces them tightly.
"Anyway, when my great grandmother died, Pearl, the nanny, kinda took control of my
great grandfather's whims. Her picture hangs in my study."
I'm anxiously forking up my fruit, but stop. "But, that woman is gorgeous."
A radiant smile beams from his lips, and he nods proudly. As if surrounded by a luminous glow, Hilton sits still while I prepare myself. My heart pounds wildly in my chest. His dark blue suit is smartly tailored; he looks simply divine.
Nausea makes my stomach quicken. I hold it firmly walking toward the vision as if in a trance. Hilton stands to acknowledge my presence as I approach the table. He helps with my chair then takes his own.
"You look stunning in that dress."
"Thank you." Absently, I preen my hair. "You have excellent taste." Pushing his chair up to the table, he adds, "I've taken the liberty of ordering
breakfast."
Gazing into his eyes, I feel scatty. "That's fine. I'm a country girl, and I work at
Casey's. I'll eat anything you've ordered."
Hilton laces his fingers. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"
"Yes, shall we?" I mimic, picking up my spoon and reaching for the sugar. "I was
so curious I could hardly sleep."
Hilton moistens his lips and inhales. "Where to start, where to start." He closes
his eyes, tilts his head upward, then exhales slowly. "First, your show with Satin was no
accident. I set that up."
I'm taking a sip of my coffee, but stop. "What?"
"Lenisha." He pauses.
"Lenisha?" I give him a sidelong glance. "You know Lenisha?"
"No, not really. Lenisha provided my associate with information about you. And
she, in turn, informed me. I've had my eye on you for quite some time." Massaging my temples, I close my eyes tightly. "What are you saying? I've never
seen you before in my life."
Flinching, Hilton lowers his voice. "No, you haven't, but—perhaps I should wait
for my attorney."
"Attorney. I don't understand." I hold my breath for a moment. "You can talk
without him." I plead. "I need to know what's going on, and I want to know now." Looking over his glasses, Hilton glares at me. "Randi. You'll find I'm pretty
honest. What I'm about to say might shock you a bit. Are you prepared?" "Hilton, you've brought me all the way to New York. What you have to say must
be pretty important." Sensing his need for procrastination, I pick up my cup once again.
"Out with it."
After taking a sip of his coffee, Hilton then blots his forehead with a napkin. If he
is getting nervous, perhaps I should locate the nearest exit.
"Randi, I need you to remain calm. You need to hear the entire story before you
say anything. Do you promise?"
Feeling sorry for the task that lay before Hilton, I nod. It's obvious something has
him greatly burdened.
Suddenly, he spits out the words. "My great grandfather had a shady past." Holding my cup to my lips, I encourage him to go on. "Yes, and?" "I don't know if you know this or not, but your great grandmother, Pearl
Richardson, worked for my great grandfather."
"Oh." The waiter interrupts our conversation to place our breakfast before us.
Hilton is right on target with his selection, but I'm too anxious to eat.
"Pearl was my grandfather's nanny."
I pick up my fork and my mouth drops. "O-kay," I croon sarcastically. "And
that's a bad thing, why?"
"Randi, my great grandfather was terribly in love with your great grandmother." As his words seep into my mind, my lips part, and my eyes narrow accusingly.
"What are you saying?" I almost knock over my juice.
"I'll give you a moment to digest that information before I tell you the rest." "There's more." I put out my hand to halt the madness. "Wait—we aren't related,
are we?"
Hilton's eyes meet the ceiling doubtfully. "Ah, no. There were no children born
during their relationship." Hilton pushes his plate slightly to the side and places his
elbows on the table. As if in prayer, he clasps his fingers together and laces them tightly.
"Anyway, when my great grandmother died, Pearl, the nanny, kinda took control of my
great grandfather's whims. Her picture hangs in my study."
I'm anxiously forking up my fruit, but stop. "But, that woman is gorgeous."
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