“You?” He slammed open another cupboard, plucked out a simple stemmed glass, shoved it at her. “You go traipsing off to New York for a damn week. Don’t tell anybody where you are.”

“I beg your pardon.” Her voice cut like ice. “Both my parents knew exactly where I was.” She poured the wine, slammed the bottle down on the counter. “I was unaware I was required to check my schedule with you.”

“You hired me to do a job, didn’t you? A big, complicated job which you stated—clearly—you intended to be involved in, step by step. It so happens several steps have been taken during this week while you pulled your vanishing act.”

“It couldn’t be helped.” She took a long sip of wine and tried to find the control button on her temper. “If you’d had any problems, any questions, either my mother or father could have put you in touch with me. Why didn’t you ask them?”

“Because…” There had to be a reason. “My clients are usually old enough to leave me a contact number and not expect me to hunt them down through their parents.”

“That’s lame, O’Connell,” she said, though the statement stung a bit. “However, in the future, you are directed to consult with either of my parents should you not be able to contact me. All right?”

“Fine.” He jammed his hands into his pockets. “Dandy.”

“And keen,” she finished. It was a ridiculous argument, she decided. And though she didn’t mind a good fight, she did object to being ridiculous. “Listen, I had to go to New York. When I left the company, I gave the director my word that should I be needed, and it was possible, I would fill in. I keep my word. Several of the dancers, including principals, were wiped out with the flu. We dance hurt, we dance sick, but sometimes you just can’t pull it off. I gave him a week. Eight performances, while sick dancers recovered—and a couple more dropped.”

She leaned back against the counter to take the weight off her legs. “My partner and I were unfamiliar with each other, which meant long, intense rehearsals. I haven’t danced professionally in nearly three months. I was out of shape, so I took some extra morning classes. This didn’t leave me a lot of time or energy to worry about a project I assumed was in capable hands. It didn’t occur to me you’d need to reach me this early in the project, after we’d just spoken. I hope that clears things up for you.”

“Yeah, that clears it up. Can I borrow a knife?”

“What?”

“You don’t have a gun handy, but I can use a knife to slit my throat.”

“Why don’t you wait until you get home?” She sipped her wine again, watching him over the rim. “My mother hates blood on the kitchen floor.”

“Your father probably doesn’t like his daughter having sex on the kitchen table, either.”

“I don’t know. The subject’s never come up before.”