Blossoms of Love Page 7

  “And you got me back by welding my favorite necklace to the hood of mom’s Cadillac. Mom wasn’t amused, though. It’s a good thing the Rose Queens aren’t allowed to keep their crowns or you would have used that instead.”

  “Children can be so cruel to each other,” Nina said, but it was clear from her laugh that she wouldn’t have had it any other way. She turned her attention to the enormous float. “So, explain to me what you both are doing.”

  “We’re laying out what flowers go where, and where the bodies will go.” Chelsea said, pointing at the chairs on the chassis. One held a photo of Daniel, and two others contained photos of Nick’s face and his dance partner. The fourth had a sheet of paper with a question mark. Daniel still hadn’t told them who would be the fourth person on the float.

  “We have to distribute weight as evenly as we can,” Greer explained. She walked around the float. Then she scrambled onto the chassis and started to explain the hydraulics of the butterflies.

  Greer leaned against the float, watching Daniel, still talking on his phone while Chelsea talked to Nina. He spoke rapidly, his frown increasing. She wanted to rub the frown away and wondered what was going on that so consumed his attention for the moment.

  He was such a sexy man, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. So what was holding her back from going after him? He was attractive and kind, not at all what she’d expected, and he came from a good family. Her mother had once told her that nice people came from nice families. Greer had met Manny and Grace Torres, and they were incredibly nice. So was Nina. What she’d heard about the rest of the family told her they were all good people, too.

  What made her so uncomfortable in getting involved with Daniel was the public scrutiny. She had endured the same scrutiny during her months as Rose Queen, which had been very stressful. In addition to all the public appearances, she’d been subjected to more attention being an African American Rose Queen, not to mention she still had to maintain her GPA in school. Though she’d enjoyed her time in the spotlight, she’d been delighted when it had finally ended. Being in the public eye made her more uncomfortable than she’d thought she’d be. Her neighbor, Mrs. Allenworth, had trained her, imparting the wisdom of her own time as Rose Queen, which had been difficult as well. Mrs. Allenworth had been Rose Queen in 1968, a time when women were questioning their traditional roles and some saw the position of Rose Queen as being counterproductive to the advancement of women. With all of her grace, poise and intelligence, she had staved off the criticism, declaring that as a feminist, being the Rose Queen gave her unique power and versatility.

  For Greer’s part, while she loved what the Rose Queens stood for, her fifteen minutes of fame had been fourteen-and-a-half minutes too long.

  Even though she was not a big follower of celebrity news, like anyone who lived in Los Angeles, Greer couldn’t help but be inundated by it. The one thing that always bothered her was how the women were judged on such trivial things as their appearance, their weight, their dating life. No one seemed to care what kind of people these women were, what was in their hearts or in their minds, unless it was something catty or outrageous.

  She was still staring at Daniel when he ended his phone call. She averted her eyes when he headed back toward her.

  “That was my producer,” he told her. “He wants to do a segment here. Anything interesting coming up?”

  She thought for a second. “We need to schedule a safety drill. Not everyone does, but my parents believe in being prepared for the worst.”

  “A safety drill! Why?”

  “Because one must learn proper exiting strategies in case there’s a float emergency.”

  “What kind of float emergencies can there be?”

  “Fire. Earthquake. Stampede.”

  He frowned at her. “What kind of stampede?”

  “Horses. People.”

  “You’re making this up.”

  “Maybe,” she said, stifling a grin.

  Chelsea had wandered over, having finished her tour. “The great horse stampede of 1979 never made it to TV,” she said, shaking her head.

  “The horror,” Greer cried. “The horror.”

  “Neither one of you was born in 1979,” Daniel scoffed, “so how would you know?”

  She leaned toward him, her tone confiding. “It’s a thing that only insiders know and has been kept secret for decades. No one wants to frighten the spectators.”

  “Now I know you’re pulling my leg,” Daniel said, taking a step back, doubt on his face.

  “Ask around,” Chelsea said. “There are whispers.”

  He stared at them. Behind Chelsea, Nina had clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes twinkling.

  Greer, too, could hardly contain herself.

  “Enough,” Daniel said. “So, when are you scheduling this ‘safety drill’?” He held up his hands in finger quotes.

  “Sometime next week. I can only get your brother on Tuesday or Thursday morning. Since he’s going to be on the float with his dance partner, they need to be a part of this, too.”

  “The film crew can be here on either day. Just let me know.”

  Greer nodded. She felt a little guilty teasing Daniel, but only a little. Safety was always a big concern, especially after the year Rachel had broken her ankle fleeing a float when the engine had caught fire. After that, they’d had safety drills, and her parents had made the drills as fun as possible because they didn’t want anyone worrying about what could go wrong during the parade rather than enjoying it. And something always went wrong.

  “Do I need anything in particular like a hazmat suit, fire extinguishers, or an emergency medical team standing by?” Daniel seemed to realize he was being teased.

  Greer grinned. “You’re getting into the spirit of things.”

  “I can cooperate.”

  “Okay, then. I think we’re done.” She turned toward the float. “You have a good day. I enjoyed meeting your sister.”

  Daniel grabbed her arm. “You and I are far from done.” She stopped and turned to glare at him. When she started to speak, he put his finger on her lips. “What are you doing tomorrow for Thanksgiving?”

  “I have family obligations. My parents take Thanksgiving very seriously. We have to eat until we fit into the next size pants, and that takes pacing.”

  “That sounds like you do Thanksgiving right.”

  “We do, but you’re going to be restricted on your own diet. Don’t you dare gain an ounce. I can’t have you unbalancing the float.”

  He frowned at her. “Are you teasing me again?”

  “No. Weight distribution is a very serious issue. It’s for real.”

  “She’s been known to hack off some thigh fat,” Chelsea put in.

  “Your face says ‘I’m kidding,’ but her face,” Daniel pointed at Greer, “says not so much.”

  Chelsea just shrugged. “Making sure her weight requirement is met is Greer’s favorite thing during float season.”

  “Have you ever gone over?”

  “Never,” Greer said, daring him to be the first.

  “Well, thank you for the weird conversation. I’ve got to get going now. Nina.”

  Nina smiled at him. “I think I’m going to stay awhile. I’m getting ideas on how to spin this, and I need to work on them. You go on. I’ll catch you at the restaurant tomorrow.”

  He left without a backward glance. Greer watched him leave the tent, half of her wanting to go after him and apologize. Something must have showed on her face.

  “You have truly amused me,” Nina said.

  “I have? Thank you.”

  “I can make you a star.”

  “In our world, she’s already a star,” Chelsea put in. “She’s the Angelina Jolie of float designers.”

  “Our world is
very small,” Greer said as she leaned against the float.

  “Never underestimate the power of being the biggest fish in a little pond. That’s who runs the show.” Nina perched herself on the side of the float. She patted the spot next to her. “Now come here and tell me everything.”

  “You don’t take no for an answer, do you?”

  “Never. I’m on speed dial for ninety percent of Hollywood. I get the job done.”

  “You’re beautiful enough to be in front of the camera. Why aren’t you?”

  “I fix problems. I don’t make them,” Nina said. “Now come here and sit next to me and tell me how you are keeping my brother on the ropes. I’ve never seen him so confused before.” She didn’t even try to hide the grin that split her face.

  * * *

  Thanksgiving Day for most people was food, football and family. For the Torres family, Thanksgiving was different. Daniel’s father closed the restaurant to normal business and opened it up for the homeless who came in droves to be served the best turkey dinner ever. The whole family pitched in except his mother and his sister Lola, who stayed home to cook their own Thanksgiving dinner, which would be served to the family later.

  Daniel waited tables, smiling when he recognized some regular customers who volunteered their time to help out, as well. Logan participated, too, bussing tables. As the last diners left the restaurant, Manny Torres closed and locked the doors.

  Most of the tables had already been cleared. Logan brought in a container of dirty dishes. Daniel stacked dishes in the dishwasher while Nick hand-washed what didn’t fit. They’d been doing the same routine for years, so it went smoothly.

  “I heard your date to the Norton Simon was a bust,” Logan said, a grin on his face as he sidled up to Daniel.

  “From Nina or Nick?” Daniel asked.

  “Nina keeps secrets. Nick’s the blabbermouth.” Logan helped Daniel stack the last of the dishes in the dishwasher. “Step aside. Give me the field. You know how much I like the chase.”

  Daniel looked at his friend. “Why do we compete over everything?” Usually it was all in good fun, but Logan chasing after Greer annoyed Daniel in a way he hadn’t predicted.

  “If you have four rocks, I have to have five,” Logan said. “It’s the nature of our friendship and makes for good ratings for our shows.”

  That was so true. And yet their rivalry had the strongest of friendships behind it. “To be honest, it wasn’t really a bust. I think Greer is uncomfortable dating a celebrity.”

  “Yeah,” Logan said. “She looks at us like we’re real guys and not a meal ticket. And that’s a novelty for us. ’Cause deep down inside, in those dark places we don’t like to acknowledge, the reason we went into this business is that we get what we want when we want it.”

  Daniel shrugged. “I’m not ashamed to admit it. We worked hard to get this life, and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the perks. But Greer doesn’t want to be a perk.” And that was what confused Daniel. He’d been dating starlets and beautiful women for so long that he expected all women to be more interested in his status or his money. And because Greer wasn’t, that altered the game. He was going to have to change if he wanted her. He did want her. He wanted her so bad his heart ached. “I’m not throwing in the towel yet.”

  Logan grinned. “Sweet. Neither am I. You have to admit, she’s one hell of a woman.”

  Daniel sighed. He didn’t know how to proceed. He wanted to consult with his mother, but what grown man would admit that? Grace Torres was as cool as any mother could be, and her place was a judgment-free zone. As long as he didn’t talk sex with her, she gave pretty good advice. He was going to have to bite the bullet. Greer was worth it.

  “You’re going to talk to your mom, aren’t you?” Logan asked. He snapped the dishwasher closed and turned it on. “You have that look on your face.”

  “I have no secrets from you, do I?”

  Logan shook his head. “Very few. I will say one thing. If not for your mother, I would be living in a bottle of tequila.” Logan’s career-ending injury had been the worst for a quarterback. Besides a severe concussion, he’d broken every bone in his throwing hand. “Your mom is better than four therapists put together. She got me back on my feet, back into life, and pointed me in the right direction. All my parents did was complain that life was so unfair. But not your mom. Her advice saved my life.”

  Daniel knew his mother was someone special. “Yeah, I’m going to talk to her,” he admitted. “As soon as possible.”

  Logan grinned. “So am I.”

  Daniel glared at him. That was just wrong. “She’s my mother. She bore me.”

  Logan’s grin widened. “You’re right, but she chose me.”

  Daniel shook his head. Yeah, he and Logan could compete at just about anything.

  Chapter 4

  “I didn’t expect to find you here on a Saturday, and so late in the afternoon,” Daniel said, lounging in the doorway to Greer’s office.

  She swiveled on her stool, blinking. She’d been so engrossed in what she was doing, she never heard him opening the door. Her heart started racing and her nerve endings tingled. What this man did to her. Not that she was going to let him know that. “Then why did you come here?”

  She put down her colored pencil. It was time to stop working on the float design coming to life on the paper spread across her drafting table. She hadn’t intended to come in on a Saturday, but an idea had been nagging at her, and she’d wanted to get it down on paper before she lost it.

  “Your sister Rachel asked me to come in for a budget meeting. The price of orchids apparently went up thirty percent because of some storm in Venezuela that destroyed the stock and the greenhouse they were growing in, and Rachel wanted approval for an emergency order out of Louisiana.” Daniel entered and glanced around.

  “Yeah, like I told you, last-minute emergencies always crop up. Mother Nature is at her finest this year.” Greer started to put her colored pencils away. She closed the tin lid and slid the box into a storage drawer. “She told you I was here?”

  He nodded. “We’ve gotten off on the wrong foot, and I want to make it up to you.”

  That was an understatement. She slid off the stool, intrigued. She was going to let him, but she wanted him to work for it. “I’m listening.”

  “How about I show you the stars?”

  “You mean a Hollywood party?” That was the last thing she wanted.

  “No. Better than that. I’m going to show you the galaxy.” He waved his hand over his head.

  “That sounds mysterious.” She was interested.

  “Trust me.” He held out his hand.

  She hesitated, a dozen thoughts flitting through her head.

  “Trust me,” he coaxed again. “Do you have a warm coat?”

  She opened the closet door and pulled out a thick jacket with a knit hat and gloves stuffed in a pocket. “I’m ready.” A shiver of excitement spiraled through her. She had no idea what he had on his mind, but she was ready to go along with it.

  “I collect cars,” he said after they’d gotten in his car and were winding through the Pasadena streets toward the freeway to Glendale.

  “You mean like Jay Leno or like Matchbox cars?”

  “Funny. I mean like Jay Leno, though not so extensive.”

  “I’m not judging,” she said lightly as she settled back against the leather upholstery of his Mercedes. She’d been surprised by his car. She would have thought he was Porsche kind of man, all fast and low to the ground. “Where are we going?”

  “I need my truck.”

  She pictured him in a big Ford thundering down the highway with a Stetson perched on his head. She was so caught in her daydream, she barely watched the scenery. Like most times of the day or night, the freeway was jammed with
traffic. Occasionally she caught a glimpse of houses with their Christmas lights on, reminding her she still had her Christmas shopping to do.

  He pulled off the freeway, into an industrial area. After threading his way around the dark buildings, he parked in front of a warehouse. The huge door slowly rose. Lights came on inside, and she saw the bright shine of a dozen automobiles.

  “Wow,” she said, walking around a shimmering black Lamborghini. If not for a boyfriend in college who had been big into cars, she wouldn’t have recognized any of them. She spotted a Tesla and the Porsche Spyder she’d originally imagined he’d drive.

  An old racing Jaguar dominated a corner, as bright and shiny as the newer cars. A Dodge Ram truck hugged another corner.

  “Boys and their toys,” she said with a half smile.

  “So you recognize them?” he teased.

  “A few. I had a boyfriend once who loved his cars more than he loved me.” And because his parents were a powerful Hollywood couple, he could indulge in his love of cars. Unfortunately, he also had a love of speed, which had not ended well. “What is that one over there? The silver one.”

  “It’s a Koenigsegg.”

  “God bless you.”

  He laughed. “It’s not a sneeze. It’s a Swedish manufacturer. I almost didn’t buy it, but it’s so pretty. It had been in a bad accident, and I got it for a song. My body shop put it all back together.” He ran a hand lightly along the fender.

  “Sometimes I buy shoes that are just pretty, so I understand.”

  He walked over to a small office in the back and returned carrying a key. “Ready for your adventure?”

  “I’m game,” she said. To be honest, she would have followed him to the tundra to fight some wolves. And she hated the cold.

  He pointed the remote at the truck and motioned her into it. She climbed in. Any larger and she would have needed a ladder. He drove the truck out and then excused himself to drive the Mercedes into the garage. Greer glanced around and noticed something in the truck bed. Something large and cylindrical under a huge canvas tarp held down with bungee cords crisscrossing the top. She wondered what was under it.