Chapter Twenty-One
The murmur of cascading water was soothing, and the garden well cared for. Sterling hoped he might be able to get his bearings in the quiet around him, but it was shattered by Julie’s annoying cackle.
“What are you thinking?” She cocked her head and batted her lashes.
He wondered if she had practiced that particular gesture in the mirror. It was all fair because he had practiced the answer he’d give her. She really didn’t want to know what he was thinking at all. She wanted to say something herself. All he had to do was parrot her sentiment. It was successful ninety percent of the time. “You first.”
“I think that you should have answered my phone calls long before now.” She stared at him, opening her eyes so wide he could almost see the white all around them.
He focused on the water feature then put his head down as though he felt terribly guilty. “Sorry. I’ve been busy prepping for this project. It’s very important to me.”
Julie swiveled in her seat. “Is that why you were hanging out with Paige?” She grasped his forearm with her inch-long neon talons. “Now that makes sense. I could not swallow that the two of you were romantic.”
He pulled back. “What do you mean?”
“You’re shallow like me.” She snuggled up next to him. “We’re two of a kind. We use people to get what we want, so we don’t ever have to get our hands dirty, you know? Like this Keno guy.”
“Kiyo. And no, I don’t have any idea what you mean.” He didn’t look at himself that way.
“Well.” She sat back and put her hand to her chin. “He’s built this whole big techy thing, and because we have money, we’ll make millions off him. I mean, we aren’t really going to do anything except give him money. The big joke is the money isn’t even ours. Mine’s my daddy’s, and yours belongs to Elaine, right?”
Sterling wasn’t buying it. “I’ve spent hours researching and will consult on every level.”
“Exactly. But he’s the one that will do everything, not you.” She tapped his knee. “I mean, look at Paige. She mixes up those beauty bars using her own recipes. She actually makes something that changes the world. Now, I’m telling you, if she was going to sell the formula to that, I’d buy it yesterday and make millions.”
“Six million, actually,” Sterling said, remembering what Elaine had told him when they first spoke of Paige’s business.
“You've got to check your stats.” Julie dug in her large designer bag for her cell and scrolled through her texts. “More like six billion, and that’s only the natural skincare product gross. Her bars are so good she could compete against mainstream products and triple that.”
He stared at her. He’d never studied that segment of the market. Could the numbers really be that big?
“Not so dumb, now. Am I?” She popped the lid off a tube of lipstick, exposing the bright orange color of her nails, and slathered it across her unnaturally plump lips.
“I never thought you were dumb,” Sterling lied.
“Of course you did. I wanted you to.” She tilted her head again and dumped the lipstick back in her purse. “I don’t care that my daddy wants me to flirt with that weirdo, Keno. I’ve never met anyone so boring in my life. And who would want to buy an ugly lab thingy that smashes up cellphones and puts them in 7up.” She pushed out her lips in a round pout.
“It’s not that kind of soda,” he said, aware that he had thought the same thing initially. The most painful part of her diatribe was that he couldn’t fault a word out of her mouth. In fact, the only good thing out of this conversation was that it looked like she wasn’t really interested in Earth Tech. Relieved, he stood. “Should we head back?”
She got to her feet. “Not yet.” Julie’s grin widened, as she called loudly. “Oops, I think we’ve been caught.”
A familiar female voice said, “Julie?”
Sterling craned his neck and saw the injured expression in Paige’s eyes. Kiyo stood beside her with a definite smirk on his face. “We were discussing what a great opportunity this is. Julie is as impressed as I am.” He took two strides toward the pair, leaving Julie chuckling behind him. “So is this fountain all made out of recycled computer parts, too?”
When Kiyo answered, he spoke more to Paige than to either of his other guests. “As I was saying, we recycle or reuse one hundred percent of what we bring in. It makes us a little more expensive but this,” he held splayed hands up to the fountain, “is how we plan to show our customers our appreciation.”
Paige seemed to have recovered well enough and was hanging on the computer geek’s every word. “It’s brilliant.”
Kiyo took her arm and drew her closer to the water. “We’ve contacted a number of artists who want to be part of what we are trying to do here. For each corporation who recycles at least four tons of equipment with us, they will receive a complimentary water feature custom made to reflect their personal corporate mission.”
Paige stared at the unique wave of black and silver with fresh water gushing out the top. “I get it. You’re creating the new wave of recycling.” She smiled at Kiyo first and then at Sterling, but her smile seemed to deflate.
Julie wedged herself between them. “It’s brilliant.”
Paige’s attention returned to Kiyo. “How many have you made so far?”
“Six, and five more are slated over the next two years. With the expansion, it’s likely there’ll be one of these in every major city in the country, perhaps the world.” Kiyo bit his lip and sounded as if he might break into tears. “That’s our hope anyway.”
Julie patted them both on the forearms with open palms to accentuate her recent manicure. “Look at the two of you like peas in a pod. How touching.” Her voice didn’t sound as though she was touched at all. “I vote we make dinner plans and can discuss it all night long.”
“Dinner?” Sterling clenched his jaw. “It’s only three o’clock.”
Julie didn’t even acknowledge that Sterling was there and returned her full attention to Kiyo. “Come on, isn’t there anything fun to do around here? It’ll be like a double date.”
Kiyo’s brows lifted. “There is a benefit that includes a full dinner tonight. I was going to pass on going, but if you’re willing, it’s for a good cause.”
Julie’s face fell. “It better not be for a political hack or people starving in some country nobody’s heard of.”
“No, I’m a Best Friends supporter. We help rescue mistreated animals.”
Paige seemed impressed. “Wow, tell me more about it. I love all kinds of animals.”
Kiyo told her about his favorite charity, located in Kanab, Utah, and serving cats, dogs, horses and even goats across the nation. He detailed the staff and all they had done to stop dog fights and other abuses and help rehabilitate the animals, so they could live out happy lives.
“What do you do if you know abuse is happening but can’t prove it?” she asked.
Kiyo’s voice lowered. “There have been a few times when very brave people have felt compelled to remove an animal without proper authority.”
“I assume if they’re caught they’re sent to jail?” Sterling was becoming impatient with this detour from his plan.
“Rarely,” Kiyo answered. “As long as they can get to a judge with the evidence first and get an injunction, they’re fine. Otherwise, it can be heavy prison time.”
Paige looked to Sterling as if asking permission. “I’d like to go.”
Still wary of the whole thing, Sterling asked, “Where is it?”
“Southfork,” Kiyo said.
“Southfork Ranch?” Julie squealed in delight. “Like the TV show?”
Kiyo nodded. “I’m sure I can still get tickets, but it’s a black tie affair. Will that be a problem?”
“With Dallas shopping?” Julie had already linked arms with Paige and was dragging her away. “We’ll get ready together and meet you boys at six-ish?”
Kiyo looked like he’d just won the lottery. “Great. Wh
ere do you want me to pick you up?”
Paige volunteered the information. “Our hotel is at the Galleria Mall. We could meet in the lobby.”
Sterling felt like the computer wave had bowled him over. “Then it’s all settled?”
Watching both girls trot off together, he found himself left alone with the computer geek. Could Julie really be that foolish, leaving him to cap the deal right under her nose? This couldn’t be going better if he'd planned it himself. If Sterling played his cards right, he could reach both goals at the same time. Before the night’s end, he’d have his deal with Kiyo, and then, after that was through, he’d have his dance with Paige.
***