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Belinda shot a flustered look at him. When she failed to supply any other names, he offered, “I think we have a couple of retired scholars that still hang out in the engineering department.”
“Great!” she said cheerfully. “I’ll be sure to say hi next time I’m invited to lecture on campus. You should come take part, since you’re involved in academia,” she tossed to Belinda, and Bastian almost laughed out loud.
His mother had no interest in academia, and he suspected Paula knew it.
Earlier, one of his colleagues had recognized Paula. He'd complimented her on receiving an industry award and also mentioned attending one of her guest lectures. Bastian had not been an iota surprised.
What had surprised him was how Paula had grinned at the man and made a funny quip. She wasn’t at all concerned with playing up her credentials.
Contrary to what he’d initially assumed, his cute little neighbor had no need to use Bastian for his influence at the university; if anything, there was a decent chance that her contacts were more extensive.
She turned to him. “By the way, babe, Ireallyappreciate what you’re doing for me.Reallyappreciate it.”
He couldn’t help his smile. Damn, Paula was incredible when she was on the warpath…against somebody else. “No problem,” he said even though he had no idea what she was talking about.
“Flying me in yourairplane. I can’t believe it. Little old me, unemployed and squatting in a random person’s condo and never even dined at Emmender’s, getting to go up in a private plane. I feel so privileged.”
His hand tightened on her waist. So she’d heard his mother’s vicious insults. It pissed him off anew. And yet if he told Belinda that Paula was a respected professional, that she hated flying and was anything but an opportunist, it would go in one ear and out the other. Paula’s sarcasm was lost on his mother, because his mother knew only one thing: ambition.
“Plane,” Belinda said. “What’s this?”
“Bastian’s flying me to Seattle,” Paula chirped. “Isn’t that the niftiest?”
“That plane is for family use only.” His mother’s face whitened.
“And friends,” he said grimly.
“Oh, but not…not for…”
No way he was giving Belinda a chance to sayNot for her.“For anyone I want. In case you’ve forgotten, Mother, I pay for fuel and oil and landing fees, also hangar fees, pilot fees, maintenance and insurance.”
“Oh, but Bastian,” Paula cut in, in a simpering voice that raised his alarms. “That’s the plane you bought for your parents to use, isn’t it? I’m just jobless old me. I wouldn’t want to leech off anyone else’s money. Oh, wait…it was your money, so doesn’t that mean they’re also…oh, is it tacky that I’m talking about money? I just don’t know better, oh, gosh.”
The sarcasm force was strong tonight. Torn between laughing out loud and shutting Paula up with a kiss, he sent her a warning glance. He was not surprised when she wrinkled her nose at him.
Belinda said accusingly, unaware of all the undercurrents in the conversation, “You’re not a shuttle service. You do this and you’ll give people the wrong idea. She’ll think she could become your girlfriend.”
A gasp came from the woman beside him.
Amusement fled. He stared hard at his mother. The silence dragged on while he tamed the violent riot inside him.
He rolled his head on his neck. He took comfort in how Paula seemed to sink against him. Whatever he expected to see on her face, it was not a look of concern directed his way.Shewas the one who’d been insulted. He wouldn’t blame her if she pushed him away and blasted both Spencers with her tongue.
The fact that she wasn’t doing that made him tuck her even closer…in case she changed her mind.
He took a deep breath. “I apologize for not being clear, Mother. Paulaismy girlfriend.”
Belinda’s jaw dropped. “She’s…what?”
“You heard me.”
“She’s…but…but…is this true?”
Bizarrely, it was Paula she looked to for confirmation. And Paula just stood there frozen. Apparently at a loss for words.
“It is,” Bastian answered.
A brief hesitation, and then he dropped a light kiss on Paula’s beautiful mouth. While Paula continued in her role as an inanimate object, he stroked her cheek with his thumb. “She’s going on my plane. She’s going wherever she wants to go.”
Paula Raymond, his girlfriend.
It was perfect. Genius.
Except for one small thing.
Belinda quavered, “But you don’t…you’ve never…never even had one, and now…Sebastian, since when?”
“As soon as she agrees to have me,” he said tightly, staring into Paula’s astounded eyes. “Good-night, Mother.”
