“Come on, let’s head over to the den,” Max said, breaking in. “We can chill there until Reed gets here.”
It was after they’d settled down with mineral water and Martinis that Silken saw Suave begin to relax. Earlier she'd seemed so tense while Duke's attention had been on her but now she looked comfortable, laughing at his jokes and even sitting next to him when he patted the seat beside him. Silken breathed a whispering sigh of relief. It looked like the evening was going to go well after all.
Duke was deep in animated conversation, telling them about his work in the field of computer technology, when Reed arrived. “Hi, everyone,” he said, bouncing into the room. "Sorry I’m late but I thought the runway show would have ended earlier.”
"And, of course, your big brothers aren’t worth missing a fashion show.” Max’s tone was dry but the grin on his lips said he didn’t care a hoot that Reed had shown up late. He was just glad to see his brother.
Reed was the total opposite of his brothers. Where they were over six feet and dark-haired with craggy features he couldn’t have been taller than five ten or eleven with brown hair and laughing blue eyes. And he was young, probably no older than twenty-five. “You're the famous twins I’ve been hearing about.” He came over and shook both their hands then stood back to regard them with fascination. “You guys look so much alike, it’s creepy.”
That wasn’t the part of his speech that caught Silken’s attention. “Famous twins? We’re not famous.”
“According to Max, you are. He said you’re known about town as the best auto repair operation in all of Cupertino.” Reed nodded as he glanced over at Max. “He’s been asking around.”
Silken looked at Max, her eyebrows slightly raised. He’d been asking around? Now what was that all about? But she’d have to tackle him on that another day. Right now Max’s face was giving nothing away.
“Grab a seat and tell the ladies all about your lovely life in London.” Max jerked his head toward the empty La-Z-Boy. “They already know all there is to know about me and Duke.”
A deliberate attempt to change the subject. Silken turned and gave Max a look of suspicion but he totally ignored her, keeping his eyes trained on his brother. She knew he could feel her eyes on him but he wasn’t taking the bait. Okay, no problem. He could duck out now but he couldn’t avoid her forever. She would tackle him on this soon enough.
Silken soon forgot about Max and his questions because Reed ended up being the most entertaining of all the brothers. When he told them about his work in Europe, the clothing lines he’d launched, his work with runway models from all over the world, and his recent launch of a jewelry line, his eyes sparkled with such life that there could be no doubt that he thoroughly enjoyed what he was doing.
“So you’ll do a similar launch here in the United States?” Suave asked, looking intrigued.
“Of course.” Reed leaned back in the chair, looking satisfied that he had an interested audience. “Whatever I do in Europe, I duplicate in New York, Miami and Las Vegas. I have staff here on the ground to execute all my plans.”
“But you wouldn’t move back to the States,” Silken asked, “to live here and grow your business?”
Reed faltered, seeming taking aback by her question, and his eyes shifted to Duke and then to Max.
That was when Silken realized that she’d touched on a sensitive subject. Darn! She was so gifted at putting her foot in it.
“Well, no,” he said and for a second he looked away. “I’m happy in London. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Then he gave Max a pointed look. Obviously, the answer was not meant for Silken alone.
“Well, I’m starving,” Duke said, stretching then rising to his feet. “You’re just going to have us in here all evening, blabbing?" He frowned at Max. “Where’s the chow?”
The serious look on Max’s face cleared and he laughed. “Hold your horses. Don’t they feed you where you come from? You have a cook at your house, right?”
“Yeah,” he said, rubbing his belly, “but that was hours ago. Now lead me to the food before I start chomping on the furniture.”
They all laughed and followed Max into the dining room where the huge table had been laid out with a spread fit for royalty. There were so many kinds of food there that Silken didn’t know how they could possibly get through all that. She looked across at Suave but her sister’s attention was fully occupied as she thanked Duke and slid onto the chair he’d pulled out for her.
The rest of the evening was just as relaxed as it had started, with them enjoying the meal that Max’s private chef had prepared. To Silken’s surprise, it was Suave who seemed to have enjoyed the evening most. Under the light banter and teasing of the men her usually polite reserve disappeared and soon she was giving as good as she got, ribbing them for their gluttony – they’d made short work of the feast the chef had prepared - and laughing at their jokes, even the slightly risqué ones.
When the grandfather clock in the hallway chimed nine, Suave lifted her face and on it was a look of regret. “Goodness, is it that late already?” She looked over at her host sitting at the head of the table and then at the other men. “I’m sorry, but it’s my bedtime. I have to go now.”
“Oh, so soon?” Duke gave her a mock pout.
“Yeah, it’s not like it’s midnight.” Reed’s look was one of disbelief.
“Sorry, guys. I need my eight hours or I’m no use to myself.” She looked over at Silken. “I’ll go on ahead of you, okay?”
“Sure, sis,” Silken said with a shrug. It was usually like this. Suave was the early-to-bed, early-to-rise person while she was the night owl. "I’ll catch up with you later.”
The men, all three of them, got up and walked Suave to the door while Silken stayed at the table, surveying the damage wrought on the previously food-filled table. Max certainly knew what he was doing when he had his chef prepare all this food. There was hardly anything left. Where the heck had the men put all that?