Lethal Affair Read Online Free Page B

going on in it.
    The brandy arrived on a tray in a
pretty decanter from the central bar and was quietly placed on the
table. Ligaya, a middle aged refugee who was sending her earnings
home to her family, asked if she should serve. Olivia waved her off
with a gracious smile, then poured a generous amount into her tea
cup.
    Olivia eyed her son as she sipped. “So
you've been seeing her three months now. What do you know about
her?”
    Impeccably dressed in a tailored suit,
polished designer shoes gleaming as he crossed his legs and fiddled
with his tie, Drew chose his words carefully. “I know she's right
for me. I know you'll like her.”
    “ You always were a talented
evader, Drew. You would make a good lawyer. Now answer my question
please.”
    He shifted his weight, playing for
time as he formulated an answer. His mother was only the first of
two speed bumps, although he had no intention of letting either of
his parents change his mind. “She enjoys her line of
work...”
    “ Which is?”
    “ She runs the greenhouses
for Valley Farms out on Old Valley Road. Currently shares an
apartment with a roommate in Oak Bay not far from here. She's got a
great sense of humor and is kindhearted. Loves animals and kids and
wants a houseful of each. Lots of them. Animals,
anyway.”
    Olivia didn't miss the defiance in his
tone. An only child, Drew hadn't been allowed pets, for viable
reasons. His father had ruled their household with strict austerity
when it came to hearth and home. Frankly, it had been a cold
upbringing and each day she lingered on thoughts of what might have
been, her mother's heart aching for him. He'd turned out well
enough despite his father's rules.
    “ And you,” she asked,
sipping her brandy, “what do you want?”
    “ I want that too. All of it.
The noisier and messier the better.” When she laughed softly,
“Okay, maybe not the mess. My point is, she's a lovely woman. She's
twenty-eight and ready to settle down. So am I. When can I bring
her to meet you and Dad?”
    “ Oh my. This is serious.
You've never wanted to bring anyone around before.” Then, because
she knew her husband Stanley –- never Stan! –- would demand to
know, “What does her family do?”
    “ They're simple folks. Own a
hardware store in the Village.”
    “ Ah.”
    Drew watched her eyes glaze. “It's a
big successful business if that's your concern.”
    “ Well, it's not important to
me. You know that, Drew. But it will be to...”
    “ I don't give a damn!” Drew
interrupted vehemently. “I don't care what he thinks. If he gets
petty over this...” He rose and paced, the stress sudden and
fierce. “...I'll marry her anyway.”
    There it is, fretted Olivia, still
intact. The anger, the resentment. She'd hoped the violent
outbursts in his teens had merely been overactive hormones working
themselves out, that now as an adult he'd reined them
in.
    Drew perched on the edge of his chair.
“Look Mom, I wanted to run this past you first. I know it's still
early in the game but I know she's right for me and I'd like to
have your approval. Both of yours. After all, she'll be a fixture
in my life and you'll be seeing a lot of her.”
    “ Have you asked her
yet?”
    “ In so many words. Not
officially. I kind of let the cat out of the bag the other
night.”
    “ What was her
reaction?”
    “ In her own words, she needs
to mull it over. Unofficially of course.”
    “ I should hope so. That's a
good sign, Drew. It means she's not impulsive but thinks things
through. I just hope you're not being impulsive.”
    Drew looked at his watch. “I've got to
get back. Just landed a new account so there's work to
do.”
    “ I'll speak to your father
and see when it's convenient to bring her for dinner.”
    Olivia saw him to the door and gave a
small wave as he drove away in his spiffy little sports car, then
made her way back to her chair and her brandy. Somehow she'd always
imagined that such news would fill her with joy. Instead she