Free The Oldest Sin by Ellen Hart Page A

about it sometime. You wouldn’t never treat me like she did, would you, Lavinia?”
     
    “Of… of course not.” She added, gritting her teeth into a smile, “Morton.”
     
    He returned the smile. “That’s good.”
     
    “So … would you push the button for the lobby again? I have an important meeting I need to attend and I’m already late.”
     
    “Oh?” he said, his head dipping in disappointment. “I thought we might grab a cup of coffee downstairs. My treat.”
     
    “I’m sorry, Morton. But —” She took a chance. “I never agreed to that, you know. That wasn’t on our schedule.”
     
    “No,” he said, his eyes cast down. “But you don’t wanna disappoint me too often, Lavinia. You wouldn’t like how I get when I’m disappointed.”
     
    She began to inch ever so slowly toward the control panel. Squeezing her body against it, she reached behind her back and pushed the lobby button. She had to get the elevator moving again.
     
    Still staring at the ground, Morton said, “Don’t you want to know where I live?”
     
    She watched the numbers above the door change as the elevator began to descend. “Well, sure I do,” she said, realizing as she said the words that it was very important information. When she filed the police report, they’d be able to pick him up that much more quickly.
     
    He looked up at her and grinned. “Nah. I’m gonna come get you in my car tonight, just like I said I would. I’m not havin’ you takin’ any crappy cabs. They can be dangerous. We wouldn’t want nothing to happen to you.”
     
    “No,” said Lavinia with heartfelt conviction. “We certainly wouldn’t.”
     
    As the elevator doors opened and she edged away from him into the lobby, Morton said, his voice meek, “Did you enjoy your dinner last night in the coffee shop?”
     
    “What?” She whirled around. “What did you say?”
     
    “It was just a simple question. I heard the food’s pretty good.”
     
    “But. .. you saw me?”
     
    “Sure. I been watchin’ you ever since you checked in. I loved what you were wearin’ yesterday, Lavinia. It was” — his eyes took on a faraway look — “very sexy. I like big, sexy women.” Grabbing a baseball cap from his back pocket, he said, “Eleven tonight. Don’t forget.”
     
    In an instant he was across the lobby and out the front door.
     
    Lavinia collapsed against the wall, her pulse racing. She took deep breaths until her breathing returned to normal. 5he had to inform the front desk about this right away. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the first time a fan had gotten out of land. But this was a close call. Even though he hadn’t heartened her, or hurt her in any way, the encounter wasn’t one she wanted to repeat. Lavinia had made up her mind years ago — after her first fan mishap — never to allow her Fear of such rare occurrences to rule her life.
     
    Glancing at an antique clock on the far wall, she suddenly remembered her appointment. Damn! If she talked to hotel security now, she might as well kiss that meeting goodbye. But what should she do? Feeling terribly conflicted, her mind raced ahead to the information she needed so desperately. She had to resolve this mystery. It had been eating away at her far too long.
     
    Set priorities, she told herself. At this moment which was the most important?
     
    The answer was obvious. Since she wasn’t in any immediate danger, she would simply have to file her report when she got back to the hotel. Squaring her shoulders, she took one last deep breath, and then marched resolutely across the lobby and out the front door.
     

8
    ‘Time for a toast,” called Sophie, pouring the champagne into the last of the glasses. Handing the delicate flute across to Lavinia, she moved in front of the hearth in the Maxfield’s Fireside Room and held her own glass high. ‘To our reunion,” she said, her eyes washing affectionately over the small group. ‘To friendship and, as always, to good