Page 67 of Evidence of Deceit

Well, talk about changing the subject. Claire was curious about what was holding Sam back from marrying Mark.

“Work is busy. We have a new show coming up and…”

The waiter interrupted them and asked if they wanted anything else. Claire ordered a chocolate pastry. Sam shook her head.

“How is Hillary adjusting?” asked Sam.

“Okay. I think. I know she comes off a little rough. She’s having a hard time adjusting here. I can remember when I moved down, everything was new, and I didn’t know anyone except Mark and Joe.”

“I get the sense she doesn’t like working at the gallery.”

“Hmmm, I don’t know about that. She said she worked in a gallery before. She never talks about her past except to say her former boyfriend was a jerk.”

“Some guys are.”

Claire nodded. “I know. Hillary thought they would getmarried since he had bought a condo for her. He never put it in her name, and she had to move out when the building sold. He also did some other squirrelly things.”

“A condo in New York? Where?”

“It sounded like it was on the Upper East Side.”

“Pricey.”

“I know.” That’s what Claire thought when Hillary told her where. She knew the prices because one of Keith’s buildings was around there. She never bothered to find out what it sold for. All she knew was the agent got an extraordinary amount for it and the shelters were benefiting.

“The guy must have been rich to buy it. She said he paid for everything.” Claire shrugged. “I think she is having a hard time adjusting from the big condo to a studio apartment.”

“Hmmm. Is she still dating Hank? Not that it is any of my business who my employees date.”

“I believe so, although she thinks Hank seems to be pulling away.”

Hank didn’t talk much about his relationship with Hillary, but Hillary had mentioned she just wanted a good time, and while Hank was okay with that at the beginning of their relationship, he wanted more. She went on and on telling Claire how Hank wouldn’t let her pay for anything.

Hearing that, Claire thought Hillary was taking advantage of Hank and maybe her too. Hillary hardly ever paid when they went out. She was sarcastic sometimes. Claire wondered if moving to a new place bothered her more than she let on.

She remembered when she moved to Florida, everything was so new and she wished she had another friend to get together with. Although if she thought about it, Claire was the only person who bothered with Hillary. None of the other women in Sam’s group took an interest in her, and Hillary hadn’t made any friends for herself other than Claire. And if she really thought about it, how could Hillaryafford to live in New York City? Even if her boyfriend paid for the condo and other things, Manhattan was expensive, and gallery jobs didn’t pay that much.

Claire wondered why Hillary moved to Black Pointe in the first place. It was a big city, but there were other cities that artists favored with more galleries. She sighed. Hillary would have to find her way, or maybe Claire should step up and help Hillary more.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

“C’mere, sweetlips.” Hank pulled Hillary tighter. When he and Joe went into the gallery to meet Claire, he’d never imagined he would end up with a sex nymph and that he’d be so worn out from having sex. Hillary went nonstop, and now that he was older even on his best days, he needed at least an hour to recover in between bouts of sex.

However, the dew was off the rose. Hillary offered nothing in the relationship except lots of sex. She wasn’t a clinger, which was a good thing, but there was no substance to her. She didn’t talk about her past except to say a former boyfriend royally screwed her over. And she seemed to have an unusual interest in Claire. Always asking what she was up to. Did he know where she was going? Weird.

Just the other day, while Hillary was making him a cup of coffee, he noticed a legal document on the side table. Not being nosy—much—he sat in the chair next to the table and glanced at it. He noticed Claire’s name and Hillary’s on it. He shrugged. He didn’t think Claire and Hillary were close anddidn’t understand why Hillary had the document or what it was. Not that it was any of his business.

Although he hadn’t realized Hillary was going by another name. When he called her on it, she hemmed and hawed, mentioned something about being married before. Strange that she hadn’t mentioned that. He thought she only had that loser boyfriend. None of which was his concern. He was here for the sex. Yes, he wanted more, but he wasn’t getting that with Hillary. He needed to make a change.

The document, combined with some snarky remarks about Claire, left him wondering what was going on. He sure didn’t need female drama in his life. Claire and Hillary seemed to spend a lot of time together. Claire had said she knew how it felt to be the new person in town and wanted to make Hillary comfortable. He shrugged. That was Claire’s decision.

There was no time to think more about Claire and Hillary because he’d felt warm lips caressing his cock. Oh boy. And away they went.

His phone rang just after he came in Hillary and they were cuddling in bed. He and Joe were needed in the office. He got dressed, kissed Hillary while fending off her groping hands and left to go to the office.

“Hey man.” Joe gave Hank a fist bump when he walked into KnightGuard Security’s offices. The office was busy this morning since Sam had called a staff meeting. Hank was a little early, so he had time to catch up. When he first met Joe, he thought he was the consummate a-hole. Joe had kept pretty much to himself. Sure, he was a good man to have as backup, and he never let anyone down, but the employees of KnightGuard Security were a team. Sharing part of your life made up a team. Since Joe had been dating Claire, he had turned into a team player—sort of, he didn’t want to get carried away—and Hank really liked the new Joe.

“How’s it going with Hillary? Claire tells me you two have been seeing each other a lot.”

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