Trust Me

each other. We have been from the beginning. Isn’t it obvious?”
    She sighed. “Yes, I suppose it is.”
    He knew he had failed to give her the answer that she wanted, but he had no idea of what to do about it. He flicked an impatient glance at his wristwatch. Macbeth would be on his way home with Kyle and Jason.
    “I have to go,” he said. “Is this thing settled or not?”
    “Gee, Stark. It’s tough to know how to respond to such a romantic proposition.”
    A jolt of raw, primitive fear threatened to tear his insides to pieces. “I’m screwing this up, aren’t I?”
    “I wouldn’t go that far, but I would have to say that you’re not showing a great deal of finesse.”
    “Damn. I’m sorry.” He fought to slam the lid back down on the boiling cauldron. “I wish I knew a better way to handle it. I don’t know how else to ask the question except straight out. Do you want to go on with this affair? Yes or no.”
    Without any warning she gave him her most dazzling smile. “Yes.”
    He sucked in his breath, momentarily warmed by the laughter in her face. Cautiously he removed his palm from the wall. The lid was safely back in place. “Okay. Thanks. That’s all I wanted to know.” He glanced at his watch once more.
    Desdemona opened her mouth to say something, but at that instant Henry came out of the shop. He held a black and gold box in one hand.
    “Hi, Stark. How’s it going?”
    “Fine,” Stark said.
    “Glad you could make the opening.” Henry came to a halt. “What do you think of Kirsten’s shop?”
    “Very interesting.” Stark reflected briefly on Desdemona’s position as cosigner on the loan papers. “Let’s hope it works.”
    “It will. Kirsten will give it her all, and I’ll help her. So will the other members of the family.” Henry tossed the black and gold box into the air and caught it neatly. “Desdemona tells me you’re working for her these days.”
    “Working for her?” Stark glanced at Desdemona, whose expression turned suspiciously demure. “I hadn’t thought about it in quite those terms.”
    “You’ll be glad to know she’s a great boss. Here.” Henry tossed the box in Stark’s direction. “Compliments of the management.”
    Stark caught the box and saw that he held a package of multicolored condoms. “I don’t know what to say.”
    “Don’t say anything,” Henry advised. “Just prove that Tony didn’t try to filch your hard disk.” He disappeared back into the crowded shop.
    Stark dropped the package of condoms into his coat pocket. He looked at Desdemona again. “I’ll call you.”
    “Okay.”
    “My evenings are a little tight these days. I don’t like to leave Jason and Kyle at night any more than is absolutely necessary.”
    She smiled. “How about your mornings?”
    “Mornings?”
    “You can stop by my place after Macbeth picks up Jason and Kyle for the day. I’ll fix you some blue-corn pancakes.”
    “Stop by your place?” His brain seemed to have short-circuited. “In the mornings?”
    “Why not? You can go into the office a little later than usual occasionally, can’t you?”
    Stark smiled slowly as the anticipation unfurled within him. “Anything’s better than the cereal I have to eat at home these days. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
    “Good. Oh, wait, before you leave, take some of the eggplant spread home for dinner. I’ve got plenty, and it will add some vitamins to your menu.”
    “I don’t know if Kyle and Jason will eat eggplant.”
    “Spread it on top of the pizza.”
    “Good idea. There’s so much junk on the ones they order, they’ll probably never even notice a little eggplant.”

    He was going to have to make some attempt at an honest investigation, Stark promised himself later that evening as he watched Jason and Kyle splash noisily in the end of the large gym pool.
    He knew that a serious search for alternative suspects was clearly a waste of time. It was obvious to any logical, clear-thinking individual that Tony Wainwright was as guilty as sin. But he had promised Desdemona, Stark thought. He had to at least put forth some genuine effort. He’d made a bargain.
    Tony’s angry warnings to Desdemona flickered through his mind. He’ll only pretend to do some sort of superficial investigation because he knows you won’t let him sleep with you if he doesn’t at least act like he’s doing something.
    “How was that, Sam?” Kyle clung to the edge of the pool and looked up for