Socialite...Or Nurse In A Million?

Vicky flushed with pleasure at his reaction. No man in her life had ever been as satisfied with something as simple as a cup of coffee. “I will.” She dashed off into a patient room.

CHAPTER FIVE

ONLY after Vicky got home that evening did she allow herself to relive the moments when Miguel had trapped her in the lounge. She’d been horribly angry at him. At first it had seemed that he was treating her exactly the same way her father and brothers did, as if she didn’t have a brain in her head. The same way her ex-husband had treated her. But then Miguel had changed and listened to her. He had been so close, so masculine, so very attractive and totally off-limits. He’d said it would never happen again. That’s what had dissolved her anger. She wanted to believe him, but trust came so hard to her. After the life-changing experience with her former husband, trust was not something she handed out like candies. She’d put her trust and faith in a man, supposedly for the remainder of her life, and with that weapon he’d turned her world upside down.

Closing her eyes, she allowed her mind to take the image further than it had gone in the lounge. If she had raised her face just right, if he had reached out just so, it would only have taken an inch or two before their lips had met. Vicky melted into the dream for a second, wondering just what a kiss with Dr. Torres would be like.

The phone rang and she jumped, and the fantasy spiraled away. Before picking up the phone, she checked the caller ID. It was her brother, Edward.

“Hey, Eddy.”

“You’re the only one in the world that calls me that, you know.”

She heard the affectionate irritation in his voice, and she smiled. “That’s ‘cos I’m your little sister. You’ll always be Eddy to me, no matter how successful you are as a big-shot designer.”

“Just, please, don’t call me that around anyone in the business. I’d never live it down.”

“Hey, I just had an idea. You could create a whole new line of clothing for kids called Eddy Wear, or something like that.” How strange. That idea had never occurred to her before and a little bubble of pleasure rippled through her. Then she bit her lip, waiting for his response. He’d never taken suggestions from her before, so why would he now?

He chuckled. “That’s funny, Victoria.” He chuckled again. “Really funny, but I’ll have to think about that one, if you don’t mind.”

She mentally sighed, knowing that she would always be the little sister with ideas that never went anywhere to him. “So, what’s up? Why are you calling? I know it wasn’t to get fashion advice.”

“You are so right. I was wondering if you’d like to come to a little dinner engagement with me.”

Another sigh escaped her. He always called on her when he needed a date. He was married to his design business, jetting off for meetings and shows in New York and Europe, so dating was a chore for him. “What, when, where and all that stuff?”

Edward gave her the details, and she checked her calendar. Two weeks’ time on a Friday night. She certainly didn’t have a date either. “Sure.”

“Great! I’ll send a few new designs for you to choose from, and the limo will pick you up at six-thirty.” Always one to take advantage of publicity opportunities, Eddy insisted that she wear his designs at these outings of his and anytime they were at an event together. Fortunately, nothing was indecent or had too many frills, and always complimented her figure, so how could she argue with that?

“Will Daddy be there?” She hated asking that, but it was better for her to be prepared with her Victoria face on when he was near. That mantle she wore helped to protect her emotions from the pain that usually ensued. When she was unprepared, he always seemed to hurt her with his judgments and opinions of her life. Being on guard and prepared around him took the sting out of some of his comments.

“No, Charles was invited but has another engagement.” For whatever reason, Eddy always called their father by his given name. “Secretly, I think he’s seeing someone and doesn’t want us to know about it,” Eddy said in a dramatic whisper.

“Why not, for heaven’s sake? We’re adults, and Mother died a very long time ago.” Perhaps if he had a romantic diversion, he’d take things easier on her. Running her life seemed to be a hobby for him, and he definitely could use some distraction.

“I think that he thinks that we think he’s being disloyal to her memory by getting involved with someone, and you know how he is about loyalty.”

Vicky could imagine the eye-roll that Eddy put on just then, and she laughed. “I do indeed.” It was part of the reason they had fought so much when she had declared her major in college. She wanted to leave the family business behind for a hands-on career. It was the only battle she’d ever won with her father, but he’d by no means forgotten about it. He was so much prouder of his two sons than of his daughter, whom he viewed as a failure. Failed marriage, failed career, failed daughter.