"Woo her." He shook his head. "She doesn't want to be seen with me."
"Change her mind." Leaning forward, his mother stared at him earnestly. "I've seen you at work, darling, and this was when you did not have a vested interest. Now you do."
"Woo her," he repeated. "All I've been doing was demanding and ordering." His expression lightened. "I need to turn on the charm. Make it impossible for her to deny her feelings for me."
"There you go."
He rose, a new man with a new mission, the most important one in his life. Winning the love of his life. Making her realize that they belonged together.
It suddenly occurred to him that this was what his mother had been hoping for since he reached puberty. But now it did not matter to him. All that was important was getting Antoinette to believe that he was a different guy and certainly not the bastard who had cheated on her. His reputation was well-known. He had been called several unflattering names by the press.
He was known to use and discard women at the drop of a hat. He had followed in his father's footsteps and now it was coming back to bite him in the ass. He was going to have to work bloody hard to show her that he was no longer that person.
"Thank you, Mother," he said quietly. "You're not objecting to the fact that if-" he shook his head. "When this turns out the way I expect it to, I'll be marrying her."
Her smile widened. "I happen to like Antoinette."
He nodded, as if not surprised that she did.
"Father would not have approved."
"Then it's a good thing he's no longer around."
He regarded her steadily. "You loved him once."
"I did. I spent years loving him hopelessly and trying to change him. It took me a long time to realize that nothing I did was ever going to accomplish that." She smiled slightly. "The best thing we ever accomplished together was producing you. You're nothing like him, darling, and it worried me that you thought that you were."
"I'm beginning to realize that," he acknowledged solemnly. "I'm going for a ride. I need to clear my head."
"Be careful."
He smiled at that. "I always am."
She watched him walk out of the room and waited until he had closed the doors behind him before sending up a silent prayer of thanks.
*****
Blissfully unaware of what was in store for her, Antoinette tried her best to enjoy the show. Under ordinary circumstances she would have enjoyed the wonderful setting. The building was old, as she had read in the history of Perez Paraiso, something she had studied up on as soon as she had got the job. The infrastructure was solid, the building itself long andlow, resembling a barn. The Pérez's had renovated it within the last two years, as they had done with several other buildings in the uptown area. Inside was dark and mysterious, lending atmosphere to the theater and giving it an added ambience.
Instead of lights, there were sconces and the seats were all reclined to give the audience a relaxed feeling. Luther had bought them popcorn and Diet Coke, but she was not doing justice to the jumbo box, neither was she paying much attention to what was happening on stage. Her mind was straying.
He had warned her that she would be thinking about him, and his prediction had come true. She could still feel the impression of his lips on hers. And damn him, she was wishing she was in his bed.
"She's quite the performer."
She jolted slightly at the sound of his voice near her ear.
"She's very good."
When he slung a casual arm around her shoulders, Antoinette had to force herself not to remove it. She was the one who had called to invite him out. The least she could do was pretend to be enjoying his company.
"My dear, I was taken aback when you called."
"I know it was sudden-"
"Nonsense." He squeezed her shoulder in an intimate gesture that had her stifling her annoyance.
"I enjoyed getting the call. It means we're progressing, or I'd like to think we are. Oh look, the actress is about to give her rendition. I really enjoy this part."
