I was standing in front of the elevator when the door to the private room behind me eased open a crack.
Peggy's crying drifted out.
"Clifford, does Tammy hate me now?"
"I really only wanted to help her keep an eye on you."
Clifford's voice dropped lower.
"Don't cry."
"I've just spoiled her too much."
I let out a small laugh.
He used to say no one would ever dare look down on me.
But now.
The first person to look down on me was him.
The elevator opened, and I reached the top-floor suite. Inside there was none of the extravagance I'd imagined.
Just a single floor lamp burning.
Rick James sat in a black shirt by the floor-to-ceiling window, half a cigarette between his fingers.
At the sound of me, he lifted his eyes lazily.
His gaze fell on the key card in my hand.
Then on the redness at the corners of my eyes.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Since it's a marriage of convenience with whoever it is."
"Tamara, why not try the James family?"
Unhurried, he stubbed out the cigarette and raised his eyes to me.
"Whatever the Delgados can give you, I'll give you double."
"Whatever Clifford won't give you, I'll give that too."
Before I could answer, my phone rang.
It was Clifford.
On the other end there was the sound of running water, and Peggy's soft laugh.
"Come down here."
His tone said it was a given.
"Peggy's stomach is bothering her. Her medicine's in your bag."
I froze.
Before we went out this afternoon, Peggy had wheedled that her little bag was too small and asked me to hold her medicine for her.
I'd even teased her about being scatterbrained.
Only now did I understand—she could turn even feeling unwell into another excuse to run me around.
I said quietly, "Have a server bring it."
Clifford's voice went cold.
"She can't stomach the pharmacy stuff out there."
"Tamara, don't be so heartless."
On the other end, Peggy said in a small voice,
"Clifford, forget it."
"Tammy probably doesn't want to see me right now. I'll just tough it out."
Clifford instantly softened.
"Don't tough it out."
Then he said coldly to me,
"Five minutes. Bring it to my room."
When I got to their suite door with the medicine, the door wasn't shut all the way.
Peggy sat on the edge of the bed in a bathrobe, her hair dripping wet, her face still flushed with the color of someone who'd just pulled back from something intimate.
I handed over the medicine and turned to go.
Clifford walked to Peggy's side and passed her a glass of water.
"Take your medicine first."
The motion was so practiced they looked like the couple who'd been together for years.
I stood in the doorway like a spare part, an outsider.
The next second, Clifford called me back.
"Wait."
He picked an empty box up off the nightstand, his tone even.
"Go down to the convenience machine and grab me a box of these."
At first it didn't register.
Then I read the words on the box.
Condoms.
My whole body went rigid.
Peggy's face flushed crimson in an instant, and she ducked her head and murmured,
"Clifford, how can you send Tammy to buy that…"
But Clifford saw nothing wrong with it.
"She's my fiancée."
"She knows my habits better than anyone."
When he'd said that, he looked over at me.
"Same brand as before. Don't get it wrong."
In that instant, I felt so sick I nearly threw up.
"Clifford, do you hear yourself?"
He frowned.
"Tamara, don't twist things again."
"They're just backup."
"Peggy and I are completely innocent. If there were actually anything going on, I wouldn't be sending you to buy them, would I."
Peggy nodded quickly too.
"Tammy, don't get the wrong idea."
"Clifford just doesn't want everyone joking about this empty box tomorrow."
