Fresh Temptation

secret.”
    “Come on, Gary. Please. I just need to talk to her this one time. That’s all. It’s really important. I have to get a few things off my chest.”
    Gary’s eyebrows momentarily shot up at the thought of what Cara might say to her. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt if you promise to tell Mr. Barboza about it as soon as possible.”
    Cara nodded. “I will.”
    “Okay. If you don’t, I’ll tell him myself when he comes back to his office. Got it?”
    With a cynical chuckle, she said, “Does he have any idea how loyal you are?”
    “Actually, I think he does.” His eyes narrowed at her. “And I can’t afford to damage my reputation.” He turned to his computer and clicked a few times, then scrawled a number on a memo pad and handed it to Cara. “Here. Use it wisely. And by that I mean, put her in her place.”
    Cara smiled and said, “I will,” over her shoulder as she rushed to her office. She immediately shut the door behind her.
     
    * * *
     
    Alexis hummed a tune to herself as she waved goodbye to some friends at the country club. She was fresh out of the shower after an early morning tennis match.
    As she trotted through the parking lot, her phone vibrated in her purse.
    “Holy crap!” Alexis let out a tiny squeal when she saw the name “Chubby Green” on her caller ID. She programmed this mean nickname for Cara in her phone weeks earlier with no intention of actually calling her. Seeing it today made her giddy. I finally got under her skin.
    Alexis stood still, smiling ear to ear, and answered the phone in her cheeriest voice. “Alexis Whitt speaking.”
    Cara’s tone was cold. “ You can do whatever you want to me but leave my son out of it. ”
    Alexis waited a few moments then let out a long sigh. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    “ Oh, please. You’re lucky I haven’t reported you for violating the restraining order. I know you were spying on us yesterday. I’m trying to be nice to you. ”
    She produced a single laugh. “That’s unlikely. You have something to hide and you know it. That’s why you called me yourself instead of getting Victor involved.”
    “ No. I’m trying to have mercy on you. Take the high road. I feel very sorry for you.”
    “There’s no reason anyone should feel sorry for me. Especially you. I know you’re hiding your son’s paternity because you don’t know how Victor will react. He never knew his own father.”
    “ Exactly what do you think I’m hiding? ”
    “If you have nothing to hide, then why are you asking?”
    “ Because it involves my son. What is it you think you know about me? ”
    Alexis had no hard evidence, and her private investigator, Lindy, had found this a difficult task. She chose to bluff, using Lindy’s reasoning. “You tell everyone his father was a fling and you never knew him, but you did. You knew him very well. And you chose not to tell the man about his own son.”
    Cara was silent.
    Alexis continued. “Victor told me so many times he wished he could remember more about his father. How do you think he would react to the news that he’s involved with a woman who is cruel enough to withhold that kind of love from her own flesh and blood?”
    Alexis heard silence, then what sounded like muffled sniffling. Is she crying? This went way better than I could’ve hoped for.
    When Cara finally spoke again, her voice was shaky. “ You’re a terrible person. No matter what happens to me and Victor, he’s never gonna want you back. ” And then she hung up.
    “Woo-hoo!” Alexis shouted as she dropped her phone in her purse and dug out her keys. I have her right where I want her . Hopefully Lindy would be able to dig up some reliable information on the father, soon. Whatever it took to get Cara Green’s big, fat claws out of Victor…
    She hopped into her car and checked her reflection in the rearview mirror, applying a fresh layer of lipstick. She was just about to put her car in reverse when her purse vibrated.
    She giggled. I hope it’s her again.
    Her giggling stopped when she saw her mother’s name and picture.
    “Good morning, Mother.”
    Alexis was greeted by loud sobs.
    “Mother?” She turned off the ignition. “Mother! What’s wrong?”
    “ Darling…your father… ”
    “What?” Alexis was instantly frantic. Her mother was not the type of woman who cried easily. This meant there was something desperately wrong. “What happened to Daddy? Mother!”
    “ Come to the