Alligators in the Trees Read Online Free Page B

could eat a bear.”
    “Pizza,” Josh murmured, his eyes glazing over at the thought. Winston, still toking on the joint, nodded his agreement.
    “With everything on it,” he sputtered, as he tried to speak without letting the smoke escape. Tobias directed a look of disapproval Simone’s way, beseeching her to break the news to them that they weren’t invited.
    “I can’t eat pizza—I’m already fat as a pig. I need a salad or something boring like that,” she said as she patted her flat stomach, misinterpreting Tobias’ telepathic message altogether.
    “We can go some place where we can get both, like Val D’Asti or Dario’s,” Josh suggested as he wriggled his feet into his vibrant orange Vans.
    “Brilliant idea. I’ll go change,” Simone said, conveniently leaving Tobias out of the loop. She disappeared around the corner, then reappeared a moment later. “You’ve got a car, right?” she asked him.
    “No,” Tobias answered, “I thought we’d take a cab.” Simone gave him a look of exaggerated impatience.
    “We have to have a car. Where are we going to stash all the bags, silly? Call for one. I’ll only be a few minutes,” she directed him.
    Tobias did as he was told, his annoyance with this whole prospect growing rapidly. Maybe there was a way he could ditch the lot of them, like sneaking out the back door of the restaurant or something. Going to the chichi spots they were settled on meant there’d be no hope of studio time later on.
    He could see it now: after a couple of bottles of Prosecco, they’d order a bottle or two of red wine, then they’d pile into the limo, only to stop somewhere after a few minutes for an iced double espresso and a tiramisu, which would end up taking another hour or so. Then they would have to make a mad dash to hit all their favorite boutiques before they closed. Then they’d be so wound up they’d need a cocktail or two in order to regain their previously mellow state.
    Tobias shook his head. Well, what did he expect? It was his own fault for having an affair with a woman not in his own age bracket. This was the price he had to pay for hanging with models. It wasn’t such a bad scene when he was twenty years younger.
    But it seemed time had played a cruel trick on him, allowing him to age, while every year the models got younger and younger. He supposed he should thank his lucky stars Simone was now at least old enough to drink legally. The other two were so tall and mature-looking for their age, they never got carded, even though Winston was only twenty, and Josh barely nineteen.
    Simone and Winston reappeared, arm in arm, Simone wearing a skirt so low and short it could pass as an oversize cummerbund, a denim jacket and gladiator stilettos, and Winston in his drawstring khakis, Sex Pistols T-shirt and flip-flops.
    Tobias removed the dark glasses from his pocket and pulled his cap down tightly on his head. He’d have to stay incognito for the rest of the day, for cameras were sure to be flashing. It was possible to avoid the paparazzi when out with just Simone, if he kept a low profile. But it was unavoidable when he had all three Stapletons in tow. Tobias let out a sigh. If that was the way his day was going to play out, he might as well enjoy it. After all, he would be paying through the nose for it, regardless.

Three
    Philip rode the elevator to the top floor of 4848 Park Avenue, to what had once been a buzzing hive of creative activity. At its peak, Glessner & Associates had a staff of twenty-nine, including seven other architects.
    Now, all that remained was a loosely supervised group of part time agency staffers, who did little more than deflect inquires and complaints and redirect the mail. Fortunately for Philip, it was possible for him to enter his private office undetected, where he could work around the clock if he chose, and never even hear the comings and goings of the strangers in his employ, a fact he took great comfort in.
    There wasn’t