Stewart Suspects

"See that?” Stewart McGivens, a posh, sandy-haired, frat boy in designer swim trunks, pointed across the pool at the entrance where Junior League was having its last summer party.

“Oh…” Ewan Steed frowned. His cool blue eyes set on Rick Deacon with Selena Davenport walking in together. Rick was getting taller, his lean muscle beginning to take shape. He was still a scrawny, rust-haired, fourteen-year-old though. Selena, of course, was as beautiful as ever.

“He’s back. I told you he’d be back. Missing the last event was not a coincidence. She came. He didn’t.” Stewart grinned, his perfect teeth shining. “Now to up the ante and go on to phase two.”

Ewan pulled his arms to his sides, squirming with a glance at his friend. It was not a good look for such a usually contained, suave, almost James Bond-ish sort of man. Both were of the upper crust, as was everyone in Junior League. “Are you sure about this? I mean if he finds out, he’ll sue.”

Stewart chuckled, watching Rick and Selena as they carried their towels and sun block to two pool chairs at the far end of the club’s pool. As at all of the many Junior League events planned for that summer, Rick and Selena showed up together with smiles and waves for the paparazzi. Undoubtedly they would both end up on the front page of one of the gossip magazines. Stewart assured Ewan that was really all they were there for—showing up for the pictures. Selena was, in reality, still available. It was all for show. The question was, for whom?

“I think,” Stewart whispered, “that she hired him—”

“He doesn’t need the money,” Ewan muttered, glaring at the mosaic tile that edge the swimming pool. “New money or not, he’s richer than most of us—including me.”

“Fine, but I think the term still counts.” Stewart gazed over at the couple with interest. “He’s doing it as a favor, or a job. Look at him.”

And Ewan did, his eyes narrowing on the devil-may-care grin Rick regularly held on his face at their parties.

“He’s not in the slightest bit interested in Selena. That is the look of a pal, if that.” Stewart smirked, stuffing his hands into his swim trunk pockets.

Sighing heavily, Ewan shook his head. “Pal or not, Selena likes him.”

Turning his gaze to Selena, Stewart’s smile dimmed. He peeked a glance at Ewan then said in a lower voice, “Yes…that. Have you considered what I told you last time—about that school they go to?”

“Gulinger?” Ewan shuddered. He shook his head. “The website said gifted. She is gifted. That’s why she goes there.”

Chuckling painfully, Stewart leaned in closer to his friend. “I realize you are so gone on her that you are swimming in denial. But I also arranged this little pool fest so you can see for yourself why you are so uncontrollably attracted to her. I was hoping you would see the truth before you got in too deep.”

Casting him a glare, Ewan clenched his teeth. “She is not a freak.”

Stewart shrugged. “I didn’t say freak. But—”

“But you said it was a school of freaks that she went to,” Ewan finished with bite. “That they only admitted peculiar kids…not geniuses.”

Stewart nodded then shrugged again. “I did.”

“And then you started spouting nonsense about Rick Deacon being a—”

But Stewart set a hand over Ewan’s mouth, pointing to the buffet table. “Just watch.”

Rolling his eyes, Ewan exhaled and watched, slumping his shoulders.

“I figure,” Stewart said, “Rick Deacon will not take up one bite of the buffet. The guy is a bottomless pit, so this will drive him nuts.”

“He has allergies,” Ewan said with an exasperated moan. “Which he could sue us over if he finds out we set this up—especially since he submitted a list of them, willingly I might add, to the Junior League at the outset.”

Chuckling, Stewart mused aloud, “Yeah, but an allergy to garlic as well as silver is… well, suspicious. And I don’t get that thing about the honey.”

Rolling his eyes at him again, Ewan opened his mouth to protest. However, he stopped, watching Rick look at, sniff, then pass over dish after dish in the buffet line. Rick sneezed once (and loud), to which Selena said ‘gesundheit’ and searched for a napkin. The fourteen-year-old boy passed over all the dishes with silver serving spoons next. Ewan and Stewart could hear Selena ask, “Why not just use another spoon?”

Rick’s answer almost sounded like a whine. “Because, the silver leeches out into the food. Ok?”

“Leeches out?” She sounded incredulous. “Give me a break.”

“I’m not joking. If someone stirred that with that spoon, the entire dish would be contaminated.”

“Oh please. I’m sure it is fine.” And she scooped up a dollop to give to him.

Rick pulled away his plate. “I’m serious.”

“And so am I.”

He jerked his plate away in another direction as she tried to dump some on. But in the end, she put it on her own plate with a roll of her eyes.

“You are so ridiculous.”

“Shut up. Do you have any allergies to worry about?”

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 19.09.2014
ISBN: 978-3-7368-5204-4

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