Free So Much Trouble When She Walked In by Judy Angelo Page A

his eyes sparkled with such
life that there could be no doubt that he thoroughly enjoyed what he was doing.
    “So
you’ll do a similar launch here in the United States?” Suave asked, looking
intrigued.
    “Of
course.”  Reed leaned back in the chair, looking satisfied that he had an
interested audience.  “Whatever I do in Europe, I duplicate in New York, Miami
and Las Vegas.  I have staff here on the ground to execute all my plans.”
    “But
you wouldn’t move back to the States,” Silken asked, “to live here and grow
your business?”
    Reed
faltered, seeming taking aback by her question, and his eyes shifted to Duke
and then to Max. 
    That
was when Silken realized that she’d touched on a sensitive subject.  Darn!  She
was so gifted at putting her foot in it.
    “Well,
no,” he said and for a second he looked away.  “I’m happy in London.  I
wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”  Then he gave Max a pointed look. 
Obviously, the answer was not meant for Silken alone.
    “Well,
I’m starving,” Duke said, stretching then rising to his feet.  “You’re just
going to have us in here all evening, blabbing?"  He frowned at Max. 
“Where’s the chow?”
    The
serious look on Max’s face cleared and he laughed.  “Hold your horses.  Don’t
they feed you where you come from?  You have a cook at your house, right?”
    “Yeah,”
he said, rubbing his belly, “but that was hours ago.  Now lead me to the food
before I start chomping on the furniture.”
    They
all laughed and followed Max into the dining room where the huge table had been
laid out with a spread fit for royalty.  There were so many kinds of food there
that Silken didn’t know how they could possibly get through all that.  She
looked across at Suave but her sister’s attention was fully occupied as she
thanked Duke and slid onto the chair he’d pulled out for her.  
    The
rest of the evening was just as relaxed as it had started, with them enjoying
the meal that Max’s private chef had prepared.  To Silken’s surprise, it was
Suave who seemed to have enjoyed the evening most.  Under the light banter and
teasing of the men her usually polite reserve disappeared and soon she was
giving as good as she got, ribbing them for their gluttony – they’d made short
work of the feast the chef had prepared - and laughing at their jokes, even the
slightly risqué ones.
    When
the grandfather clock in the hallway chimed nine, Suave lifted her face and on
it was a look of regret.  “Goodness, is it that late already?”  She looked over
at her host sitting at the head of the table and then at the other men.  “I’m
sorry, but it’s my bedtime.  I have to go now.”
    “Oh,
so soon?”  Duke gave her a mock pout.
    “Yeah,
it’s not like it’s midnight.”  Reed’s look was one of disbelief.
    “Sorry,
guys.  I need my eight hours or I’m no use to myself.”  She looked over at
Silken.  “I’ll go on ahead of you, okay?”
    “Sure,
sis,” Silken said with a shrug.  It was usually like this.  Suave was the
early-to-bed, early-to-rise person while she was the night owl.  "I’ll
catch up with you later.”
    The
men, all three of them, got up and walked Suave to the door while Silken stayed
at the table, surveying the damage wrought on the previously food-filled
table.  Max certainly knew what he was doing when he had his chef prepare all
this food.  There was hardly anything left.  Where the heck had the men put all
that?
    When
they returned to the dining room, Silken got another surprise.
    “I
guess I’d better follow Suave’s example,” Duke said, “and make it an early
night.  Good night, Silken.”
    She
frowned.  “You’re leaving?”
    He
nodded.  “I’m afraid so.  It was nice meeting you.”  He stuck out his hand to
her for a goodbye shake.
    Then
Reed came over and put out his hand, too.  “It was a pleasure meeting you,
Silken.  Both of you.”
    She
frowned again and she did not take