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.I always loved that. You re being offered a whole lot of money and you don teven have to fuck the guy? Hell, I might even be tempted. Bitsy pulled away and looked at her with a raised brow. Oh, hell, no.Ash and I are buddies.Besides he asked you. I know.I wish he hadn t.Then I wouldn t be in this pickle. Hey, he knows a good thing when he sees it. Bitsy shook her head. That s the thing, Ronnie.I don t thinkhe believes I m a good thing.Maybe just the best of a bunch ofevils.He s in exactly the same place I am.There s an old Indianparable about how to catch a monkey.You put something good toeat in a small-mouthed jar connected to a rope.The monkeyreaches in and grasps the food, but with his fist closed, he can t gethis hand out.To be free, all he has to do is open his hand, but he scaught because he won t let go of the goody.Ash and I have ourhands caught in a monkey jar. Great story. True story. So what are you going to do? Bitsy got up and walked a few steps into the overhangingbranches.Like a wood nymph in a white cotton dress and blondecurls. Everyone expects us to marry now and they re all so116 SINDERS AND ASHhappy. Fuck everyone! Wow, that came out a bit harsher than she dintended.Bitsy looked at her.Her lips curved in a little smile.Mona Lisatime.Ronnie smiled back.Who knows?117 SINDERS AND ASHCHAPTER 11 I m looking forward to tonight.It promises to be quite anevent. His dad opened the door to the suite and stepped out in thehall.( Yes, sir. You don t seem overjoyed. This isn t exactly a fairy tale, Father.One doesn t burst withjoy over expediency. But she seems a fine girl.I m proud of you, actually.I don tknow what I expected, but I m delighted you chose Bitsy. I like her. Good.That s an excellent foundation.Your grandfather wouldhave approved. Was there a gorilla sitting on his chest? See you later. He118 SINDERS AND ASHclosed the door and leaned against it.His grandfather wouldn thave approved of him denying who he was in order to abide by therules of the will.He walked over to the couch.God, that piece of furniture waslike an extension of his body he d spent so much time lying on ittrying to figure out what the hell to do.Flop.Staring at the ceilingagain.His grandfather would have loved his idea for the adoptionagency.Well, maybe not the specifics, but the old man loved bigideas and bold strokes that helped a lot of people.Did Ash have theballs to do it and, if he had the balls, did he have the chops?Everything he knew about business he d learned in a lot of fancyschools.No experience at all.He sat up and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.Butmaybe the adoption idea was just another one of his lies tohimself? Hell, he liked being rich.He liked it a lot.Being famoushe hated.But that would take a long time to change, even if hegave up his inheritance.Paparazzi would still follow him aroundand he wouldn t have any privacy at all.It was amazing he d beenable to keep his orientation private.One or two whispers, butnothing much.Nothing much except the holes it left in his soul.He was gay.That was true.Hiding it from people compromisedevery relationship he had.If someone said they loved him, healways thought they wouldn t if they knew.Only Ronnie knewhim for who he really was.Ronnie& and Mark.He sighed.Andthere it was Mark.A crazy boy in a cap whose existencechallenged every decision Ash had made about his own life.A boyhe thought he could love.Ash had never had a real relationship with a man.He might notbe good at it.And at the stroke of midnight tonight he knew he119 SINDERS AND ASHwould lose his chance to find out.At least with this man.That look Mark had given him when he floated the idea that hismarriage to Bitsy was just an arrangement nailed Ash to the wall.Mark didn t have to say, Expedience.Manipulator.Coward.Thewords were all over his face.No, a relationship with MarkSintorella would be a greater challenge than setting up any globalcharity because it would demand that Ash be who he really was.He dropped his head in his hands.He could think himself todeath.How did he feel? Oh crap, he felt in love.Yes, he barelyknew the kid, but Ash had spent twenty-five years around everykind of man.Men he could have had if he had just snapped hisfingers.He d never wanted one of them like he wanted Mark.And he could sit here like a slug and let the best thing that hadever come into his life slip away like everything else good he dever had or&He grabbed his cell and dialed.It rang a few times.A puzzledsounding voice answered. Ashton, is that you? Yes, sir. What a surprise.Your father didn t tell me to expect a call.Ithought you were vacationing at some resort or other. I am, Henry, and I apologize for calling you on Saturday.Butyou know how you offered me a job with your division when I gotout of school? Yes.The job you turned down flatter than my putting green?Besides, we always knew if you wanted to come into the firmyou d go work with your father. I d like to take you up on the offer.Come into the company asa junior executive.I can even get coffee, you know.I want to learnthe business the way my dad did.From you. Silence.Well, shit.He d worn out the invitation.120 SINDERS AND ASH What is inspiring this now, Ash? You re about to come intomore money than you ll earn in a lifetime.Why bother? I have things I want to do and I don t have time to make a lotof mistakes on my own.I want a mentor.I don t know if you llhave me, but I pick you.Besides, I need the money. Yeah, right. Ash didn t say anything. You mean it? About the job? Yes.I d like to start in two weeks. Okay, I m floored here
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