“Then you’ve come to the right place,” he said with a toothy grin. “But then again, you always do.”
For the next hour or so, Evan walked Nora through his entire inventory of English furniture. He knew the drilclass="underline" what to say and what not to say. Especially what not to say to Nora Sinclair.
Nora hated to be told by a salesperson that something was beautiful. As if that would influence her opinion. She had her own aesthetic. Her own taste. Part innate, the rest developed and honed by experience. She trusted it implicitly.
“Does this come with one leaf or two?” she asked Evan while hovering over a mahogany dining-room table with satinwood banding.
“It comes with one,” he said. “But it can accommodate two, and we can easily have the second one made.”
“The one should be fine.” She glanced at the price. Again, it was a perfunctory move when shopping for Constance McGrath. With a step back and a final peruse, Nora delivered her signature variation on “I’ll take it.” Why say three words when she could be far more emphatic with one?
“Done!” she declared.
Evan immediately pulled a sold card from his clipboard and slapped it on the table. It was the fourth and final slap of the morning. Combined with the breakfront, highboy, and settee that were also “done” deals, Nora was satisfied.
The two took a seat on a large sofa as Evan wrote up the invoice. Not a word was spoken regarding Nora’s 10 percent kickback. It was understood.
After saying good-bye to Evan, Nora stopped for a quick bite at one of the in-store restaurants, La Mercado. She realized she didn’t need to visit D&D or Devonshire after all. She’d accomplished everything she had to at Sentiments and Ballister Grove. Over a Cobb salad and a dulce de leche crepe for dessert, she worked her cell phone.
She placed a call to Constance to rave about the morning’s purchases. She also returned calls from both Jeffrey and Connor to fulfill her Man Maintenance for the day.
Chapter 14
NOW SHE HAD some important work to do at a lawyer’s office on East Forty-ninth Street near the East River.
“So, Ms. Sinclair, what can I help you with?” asked Steven Keppler, Esq.
Nora smiled warmly. “Please, call me Olivia.”
“Olivia it is, then.” Keppler smiled back at Nora a little too broadly from behind his large desk. “You know, I have a boat named Olivia.”
“No kidding!” said Nora, feigning amazement. “I’ll take that as a good sign.”
What she took as a better sign was the way Steven Keppler—middle-aged, midtown tax attorney with a bad comb-over—was ogling her breasts and legs.
It all but guaranteed smooth sailing.
The other male attorneys on Nora’s list were booked solid for two to three weeks. The same would’ve been true for Steven Keppler, were it not for a sudden opening in his schedule due to an ill client. Fortuitous timing for her. In less than twenty-four hours, Nora had her appointment. Or rather, “Olivia” had her appointment. For what Nora was attempting, she needed to borrow her mother’s name.
She continued: “What you can help me with, Steven, is setting up a business for me.” And by the way, that business isn’t located in my brassiere.
“It so happens that’s something I specialize in,” said the lawyer.
Nora tried not to cringe when he actually ended the sentence by combining a wink with a loud, double-clicking noise from the side of his mouth.
“Where will this business be located?” he asked.
“The Cayman Islands.”
“Oh,” he said, pausing. A slight look of concern came over his face. His very attractive new client in the silk blouse and short skirt was undoubtedly looking to sidestep the law and not pay her taxes.
“I hope that’s not a problem,” said Nora.
Keppler’s disgusting ogling went into overdrive. “Ah, no, I don’t see why it… uh… has to be,” he stammered. “The thing is, establishing a business down there requires the cooperation of what’s called a registered agent. In simple terms, it’s a resident of the Cayman Islands who, in name only, acts as a representative of your company. Am I making myself clear?”
Nora knew all of this but didn’t let on. She nodded her head like a rapt student.
“As luck would have it,” Keppler added, “I have just such an agent under my employ.”
“That is lucky,” Nora said.
“Now, I assume you’ll be needing a bank account opened for you down there as well, right?”
Bingo.
“Yes, I think that would be a good idea. You can do that for me?”
“Actually, you’re supposed to do that in person,” he said.
Again, Nora shifted in her seat. “Oh, what a horrible inconvenience,” she said.
“I know, isn’t it?” He leaned over his desk. “Maybe I could pull a few strings and save you the trip.”
“That would be wonderful! You’re a lifesaver.”
He reached into a file drawer and took out some forms. “I’ll just need to get a little information from you, Olivia.”
Chapter 15
THE LINCOLN TOWN CAR turned off busy Route 9, then sped along picturesque Scarborough Road, eventually making it to equally pretty Central Drive, finally pulling into Connor’s Belgium block driveway a little before dusk that Friday. The driver had barely stepped out to open the door for Nora when he was beaten to it by Connor, who was obviously beyond eager to see her.
“Come here, you!” he beckoned. “I’ve been just about crazy, thinking about you.”
Nora swung her feet out of the car and immediately leaped into his arms. They kissed while the driver—a robust, older Italian man—popped the trunk and lifted out Nora’s suitcase. He tried not to stare but he couldn’t help it. With the sun setting on a beautiful day, and in front of one of the most gorgeous homes he’d ever seen, here was this lovely couple clearly head over heels in love. He thought to himself, If this ain’t the top of the mountain, I don’t know what is.
“Here you go,” said Connor. He reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a wad of cash. He slid the driver a twenty-dollar tip.
“Thank you, sir,” the man said through a thick accent. “You’re too kind.”
“And too cute!” chirped Nora as she hugged Connor around the waist.
He really is cute, isn’t he? she couldn’t help thinking.
The driver jiggled with a hearty chuckle and returned to his car. “Have a nice night, kids,” he called over his shoulder.
Nora and Connor laughed, then watched for a moment as the Town Car turned out of the driveway and disappeared.
Nora peeled herself away from Connor. “So how was work?” she asked. “On second thought, I don’t want to talk about work.”
“Me, either,” he said. “Besides, all work and no play…”
“… makes us very fucking boring!”
That was one of their very first mantras—and still one of their favorites.
“We should do it right here,” she said, and winked. “Right here on the front lawn! To hell with the neighbors. Let them watch if they want to. Maybe they’ll be inspired.”
Connor reached for her hand. “Actually, I’ve got a better idea.”
“Oh? Better than sex with me? What would that be?”
“It’s a surprise,” he said. “Follow me.”
Chapter 16
“YOU WANT TO do it in the garage?” Nora asked with a giggle.
Connor could barely contain his laughter. “No,” he said. “That’s not the surprise. It’s not such a bad idea, though.”
He’d led Nora around the side of the house, stopping about ten feet in front of his five-car garage. All the doors were closed. Nora stood there with him, not knowing what to expect.