Lib Novel Page 11
With our Upstate president’s blessing, I’ll have plenty of time to return and get to know her better while I’m “helping” Teller fix up the place.
“Wait, what?” Teller stops and stares at Rock. “You heard him. He’ll be asking her to try his dick on for size.”
“How crass.” I let out a big, fake yawn and shake my head. “You’re the one who came up with dick sweaters, not me.”
“He’s…available.” Rock turns my way and smirks. “Women seem to find him charming.”
“They really do,” I agree.
“Fine. You’re right.” Teller glances at the funeral home. “It’ll be helpful for Jigsaw to keep her occupied and away from me.”
Fuck yeah, sign me up. I’ll occupy the fuck out of Margot. I salute Teller with two fingers instead of the one I really want to fly in his face.
Despite what any of them think, it’s not Margot’s pretty face and perfect, curvy little figure that interests me the most. Nope. When I looked in her eyes, I glimpsed something dark that I recognized all too well. Maybe it’s her ease at working with the dead. But I sense it’s more than that and I’m eager to find out everything I can about Margot Cedarwood.
CHAPTER FIVE
Margot
The O’Leary family is small, but Ann O’Leary had a lot of friends. The viewing room is packed. Even the hallways are crowded. During the viewing, I walk a continuous loop from the front door to check on Henry, who greets people, hands them a pen, and asks them to sign the register book, to the viewing room where my cousin Paul is stationed a discreet distance from the casket in case there are any issues—like the one time we had a son try to climb into his mother’s casket and almost knocked it off the catafalque.
I ran into Daniel briefly this morning but haven’t seen him since.
My father’s out back preparing things for the trip to the cemetery, while I continue observing and fixing any issues that arise.
On one of my rounds, Paul signals to me that there’s an issue in the back of the room. It doesn’t take long for my gaze to land on pieces of a broken vase. I hurry over to pick it up before someone gets hurt.
Holding the large chunks of broken porcelain in my hands, I stand and turn quickly—only to freeze when I find myself face to face with Daniel.
“Hi,” I squeak. “How is everything?” I add in a slightly less startled, more professional tone.
“Wonderful. Truly. Thank you for everything.” While his words are appreciative, he seems rigid.
My gaze slips past him and I realize, we’re not alone. A tall, slender blonde stands slightly behind him, holding one of his hands.
“Everything’s lovely,” she says. “Thank you for taking such good care of his nana.”
Nana? I’ve never heard Daniel refer to his grandmother so informally, but okay.
“Uh, this is Danielle.” Daniel pulls her forward.
Thank God I have years of experience maintaining a blank expression. Daniel and Danielle? Lordy.
“Hi, it’s so nice to meet you,” I say, lifting my hand with the broken pieces of vase as an excuse for not shaking her hand. “I’m Margot.”
She wrinkles her nose, then glances toward the front of the room at the casket. “I love what you did with Nana’s makeup. That coral lipstick she always wore.” She lifts her shoulders to her ears and scrunches her face in a full-body cringe. “Just awful.”
I blink and fight the urge to point out her own red lipstick isn’t doing her any favors. Speaking ill of the deceased at their own service happens more often than my tolerance can handle, so I shouldn’t be surprised. But it tells me all I need to know about Danielle.
“Well, we all have our own unique style.” I run my gaze over Danielle’s plain black dress. “Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, as they say.”
Daniel frowns at his girlfriend, then me.
I force a sweet smile. “Well, I need to throw this out.”
“Just add it to my tab.” Daniel laughs awkwardly.
Oh, I will.