I say mostly because there are waitresses in the world, and there are actors, and there are police officers; there are charitiesandrafflesandthereismostdefinitelyacitycalledAtlanta,Georgia
âItâsinyour ahemâThecopontherightpointedtoherchestashegrinned Allieâscheeksflamedasshesnatchedthepenfrombetweentwobuttons.Itwasnâtlikesheputittheretodrawattentionto her her youknows
âWhoathere Iwasaskingforsugar.Formycoffee.âGeorgehelduphiscup,hiseyeswidewithinnocence. âOh.âAllieblinkedwonderingifsheâdmisreadGeorgefromthestart. There goes my tip âSorry,Iâvehadareallybadday and â âI donât need your life story, just the sugar.â Georgeâs flirtatious behavior had disappeared the moment she glared daggers.Ifthatwastheworstthingthatcamefromherlittleoutburstsheâdgetofflucky.Sincewhenhadluckeverbeenonher side?
âStopharassingthecustomers.âHewavedhishand,indicatingtheemptybooths.âIâdliketohaveafewofthemcomeback onceinawhileâ Then you should stop charging an extra two dollars for gravy on grits âIâll workthatâAllieforcedher lipsapartinanattemptatasmile.âSeethatyoudo.âHeshuffledacoupleofpapers.
Outofinstinct, Allie didnâtmove. Her dad had hated itwhenshe leftbefore heâd gotteneverylastmeanthoughtoffhis mind Sincetheywere
She narrowed her eyes There was no use arguing with him Sure, taking the money out of her pay was illegal wage deductionbutshewasnâtinapositiontoputupafight.Allieturnedonherheeltowalkawaywithherchinup.
Allieconsideredhim.Lastweekagroupofkidshadshownupandpaintedoverthegraphittionthesideoftheapartment buildingnextdoor What did their shirts say? âTeens onTargetâLetthemhavethefivebucks Awarmfeelingspreadover her.Atleastsomethinggoodwouldcomeoutofthisday.
ThenameswerevaguelyfamiliartoAllie SheleanedintoglanceoverGeorgeâsphoneandsawpicturesofthetwoactors and the baseball star. Thatâs right. Anthonygreenplayed for the Braves. BeauAikenwas always inthe gossip rags at the grocery store. Beau Dubois ⊠heâd done a series of spy movies with lots of hand-to-hand combat, electronic gear, and espionage Reedhadtakenhertoseeoneaboutsixmonthsbeforehetookoffwithhercreditcardandthatdancer Sheâdliked themovies BeauDuboiswasprettynicetolookatforhoursonend.
âSamethingâAlliegotalaughoutofthegroupwhichcaughtWillâsattention HeglaredoverhisbifocalsâJustthefood,Allie thesefolksdidnâtcomeinforashowtoo.â âWeâll be praying for ya, Allie,â John said quietly behind his cup. âThanks.â She smiled. That was sweet, but in her experience,Goddidnâtputmuchstockinluck
Alliehidhersmile.Themeatballsandwichhadthateffectoneveryone.Sheâdtriedtowarnhim⊠âIcamebackbecausewewon!âGeorgethrew his arms intheair His excitementwas lostonthis small crowed Friday morningshiftswerenotoriouslyslow.
âExcuse me?â Allie glanced ather blackskirtand button-up shirt. Her clothingwasnâtfancy, butshe was cleanand put togetherwithherthickbrownhairinaFrenchbraid
George bobbed his head. âBesides Anthony, Mark Dubois and Beau Mckay will be there. Iâve been waiting for three monthstowinthislunchandIdonâtwantyoutocomeinallâŠâHewavedhishandthroughtheair.âPrissy.â
âYouâreembarrassingyourself,âgrowledJack Georgebackeduptowardthedoor.âIjustmean canyouglamup makemelookgood?â Alliebarkedalaugh Shecouldnâtrememberthelasttimesheâdspentmorethanfiveminutesinfrontofamirror âYeah, Iâll be sure to glamup.â Her sarcasmwas lostonGeorge. âGreat.â The bell tinkled as he left. âCanyoubelieve thatguy?â askedAllie,hookingherthumbtowardsthedoor âIgnorehim,âadvisedSelina.âWhatyouneedtofocusonisthosethreehunksyouâllbesittingnexttoatthislunch.â âHunks?âaskedAllie.
Allieâs cheeks burned. Who hadnâtnoticed Beauâs hazel peepers or Markâs bulgingmuscles? She wasnâtsure aboutthis baseballplayer,Anthony,asshedidnâtfollowtheteamlikeagoodAtlantanativeshould
âJustpromise me youâll try maybe wear your hair down.â Her reflectioninthe stainless steel cover for the heatlamp bulbedoutatthetopandthemiddlesuckedin,distortedbythemetal.Shehadanhourglassfigure,allright.âThereâsnopoint toputtinginthatkindofeffortforonelunch.â
She tookanother lookatherselfinthe heatlamp. Sheâd never beenone to wear a lotofmakeup. Her dark, thicklashes were a blessing Butmaybe a little blushand some lip gloss wouldnâthurt And she couldnâtremember the lasttime sheâd wornherhairdown.Somewhereintheapartmentwasaflatiron;shemightaswellgetsomeuseoutofit.
Intheseatnexttohim,AspenHamilton,Hollywoodâsrisingstar,checkedher manicure.âIthinktonightwentwell,donât you?âMarkadjustedintheleatherseatofhisMaseratiGhibliSQ4 âIthinkso IcheckedwithAaronbeforeweleft,andhe saidtheyâdraisedenoughtohelpthefamiliesontheirlistandevenafew more.âTherewerefew perksMarkenjoyedabout celebritystatus beingabletodonatetocauseslikeAaronâsHomesforAutisticChildrenwasoneofthem.Theshallowerside ofhimliked the car, but that was about as far as that end ofthe pool dipped He could give or take the clothingdesigners shippedhim,hopingheâdbecaughtwearingtheirlabel.Infact,hedidgivethoseboxestoGoodwill.Aspenpulleddownthe sunvisorandcheckedherlipstickinthelightedmirror âThatâsnotwhatIwastalkingaboutâ
âHave you thought about doing an auction for your water thingy?â âWaters without Borders is fine.â Heâd started the charitytenyearsagoandhadrecentlyhandedoperationsovertoaboardofdirectors.Hestillwentonseveraltripsayearto digwells,layirrigationpipe,andplumbvillages,allinanefforttowipeoutdiseasesspreadbyuncleanwater Waterswithout Borders had beenhis passion, butthe cause outgrew himand his abilities. Besides, withhis divorce, his focus had shifted closer to home He understood the ironyof the situation It tookhis wife and daughter movingout of the house for himto understand how important a home truly was. He wouldnât make that mistake again and had joined up with several local charitiestobringawarenessandraisefundsfortheirefforts.âTeensonTargetneedsmyattentionnow.â
âRight thelottery.âSheturneduphernose.
âYoudonâtliketheidea?â
âI donât like that youâre selling yourself it cheapens youâ âIâm not selling myself; Iâm selling my time Thereâs a difference.ââWhatever.âAspenstaredoutherwindow,herlongblondhair shimmeringineachstreetlighttheypassed âJenniferKayboughtathousanddollarsâworthofticketsthisafternoonâ
Markdidnât watchher walkto the door. Instead, he climbed backinto his sports car and drove to Beauâs place. Heâd probablyendupcrashingtheretonight WithoutChloe,thehousewasjustanemptyshellofahome
Shakinghishead,hestruggledwithnothavingheraround.HenevershouldhavemarriedJasmine.Whatheâdbelievedwas supportfor his career was actuallygreed Sheâd eagerlyhitched her wagonto his star and done all she could to propel his careerforward includingsleepingwithaproducerearlyon,whichhehadnâtfoundoutaboutuntiltheywereindivorcecourt. OnceChloewasbornandthepicturesofthethreeofthemleavingthehospital wentout,Jasminelearnedthatababycan bringa lot of attention. Sheâd petitioned for full custody, and since Markwas oftenout of the countryfor weeks at a time filming,sheâdwon.
TheymadetheirwaydownthestairstotheornatepooltablelocatedinBeauâsmancave.Inallhonesty,thewholehouse was a mancave Beauhad gone throughtwo wives, Hollywood starlets who fell for the dashinghero ofthe bigscreenbut didnâtlovethedramathatcamefrombeingmarriedinthelimelight.Everyfight,everysourlook,everymakeupwashandedto thefanslikeasamplechocolateatthecandycounter
âSounds goodâ Markusuallylooked forward to workingoutwithBeau Theywere evenlymatched inweights, so they wouldnât have to find someone to spot for them. But not eventhe chance to smack-talkwithhis best friend brightened his outlookontheworld
They were just clearing the table, their grilled cheese sandwiches reduced to crusts, when Chloe grabbed a catalogueoffthepileofjunkmailonthecounterandstaredatthecover.
Markglancedover her shoulder toseewhatheldher interest.Therewasawomaninasuitwalkingonabusysidewalk. âWhatareyoulookingat?âheasked âIwaswonderinghowwecouldhelpthiswoman.âChloepointedtotheladyinthepicture.
âYeah, she looks sweet and kind two very attractive qualities in a womanâ He set the last of the dishes in the dish washerandpressedstart.Adeephumfilledtheroom.
Theysettled into a game ofUno, Chloe quicklytakingthe lead Her mind was onthe game, while his mind was onhis options. Heâd reduced his schedule to the minimum just short of quitting completely. Acting paid for Chloeâs school, the houseshesharedwithhermom,thecarthatdroveher toandfromschool,andhisjoballowedJasminetobeathomewithChloe.Thatwaspartofthedeal.Heâdsupportthem both the alimonywas insane until Chloe graduated highschool. He wanted his kid to have atleastone parentathome. Heâdgladlybethatparent,butwithhisfinancialobligations,thatwasnâtanoptionrightnow.
Chloe moved her cards around, her lips pressed firmlytogether. That was the Dubois determination right there onhis girlâs face. He wasnât giving up on gaining full custody after all, the DuBoises werenât just determined; they could be stubborntoo.
CHAPTER FOUR
Allieslidintothelimousine.Asenseofpossibilitycreptover her skinas thevehiclepulledawayfromthecurb,taking themtotheirmagicalluncheonwiththestars.
The usuallyquiet buildingwas all abustle as tenants crowded out so the fumigators could move in Their energy permeated the walls, givingthe buildingnew life, whichwas funny, consideringthe reasontheywere pilingout the doors. PerhapsavoidingWilliamâslemonydispositionuntilMondaymorningaddedthebouncetoherstep Theluncheonwassofar outofherordinarydaythatshehadnâtbeenabletoeatduetonervesandherstomachgrowled.
Withherdarkhairloosenedfromitsever-presentbraid,brushingherbeltlikeahembrushesthefloor,asenseoffreedom bubbled Freedomfromthedrabdinerwalls,theconstantlyachingfeet,andthepressureofjustgettingby Today,shewasnât Allie the washed-up waitress. Today well, she wasnât quite sure who she was. Someone who rode in limos? Her lips puckeredunderthegloss,makingherwanttolaughateverythingandnothing Forthefirsttimeinherlife,Alliebelievedthere mightbemoretothisjourneythanpassingtime.
âYouarehereforthelunchwithMark,Beau,andAnthony,arenâtyou?ââYes,weare.âGeorgeslunghisarmacrossAllieâs shoulder Deftlysteppingaside,Allietuckedherhairbehindherearandpulled her shoulders forward to ward offthe heebie-geebies. The more familiar George became, the less she wanted to getto knowhim
âShould be fine,â was Kateâs reply as she led them to a round table covered in papers and pens. âThese are your nondisclosurestatements.ââWhatfor?âaskedGeorge.
âMe?â Allie pressed her hand to her chest âNo No, Iâm fineâ She stepped closer to Kate and lowered her voice âActually,Iwaswonderingifwe have tostayatthehotel.â
âIsthereaproblem?â
âItâs just ⊠â How could she explain this? âWeâre not a couple and I donât even know him not really. Itâs a bit uncomfortabletothinkofsharingaroomâŠâShehadnâtmadethearrangementsandthecontestpageonlymentionedoneroom attheRitz.
Markstoppedata crosswalkonPeachtree Avenue for a womanwitha heavypurse.She waveda thank-youandhe lifted his fingers offthe steeringwheel inreturn Todaywas a beautiful Atlanta day The kind ofdayheâd like to spendwatchingabaseballgamewherethesunbakedthetopofhisheadandicedlemonadesburnedthebackofhis throat. There was that sense that your teamwas goingto winhanginginthe air. He couldnât explainwhyhe felt that way, becausetheBravesâdesignatedhitterwasjoiningthemforlunch Butheletthefeelingcarryhimalong âAnthonyjusttextedtosaythatheandLeticiaaregoingtobealittlelate.âBeaudroppedhisphoneinhislap. âDidhesendanemoji?âaskedMark
âAfistbump.â
âDangit heneversendsmeemojis.â
âYouoverusethemâ
âWhat?â
Beau retrieved his phone and read Markâs latest text âHey Beau Hand waving Want to ride together this afternoon? Smileyface.âHedroppedhisphoneandraisedaneyebrow.âWeâretakingyouout coldturkey.â
Markclearedhisthroat.WhilehehadnoromanticfeelingsleftforJasmine,herescapadesrakedagainsthisskin.Mostly because she promoted them heavily on Instagram One day, Chloe was going to see those photos âI think this guyâs a bodybuilder.â
Marksighed Peoplealwayswantedmore Heâdhopedtohaveanicelunchwithsomefans talkmoviesandbaseball Not havetoputupawalltoprotecthimselffrombeingsuckeddry. Beauranhishandthroughhishairandshookhishead.âDoesithavetobeattheRtiz?â
âGoodquestion,âmutteredMark Theyâdsplurgedonthatone,hopingtoencouragethewealthytoopentheirwalletsalittle wider. Anymoneytheyspentwould have to come outofthe funds earned throughthe contest, whichmeantTeens onTarget wouldbeoutanextrathousanddollarsormorebecauseofthelast-minutebooking âTheoriginaldocumentationandadvertisementsdonâtspecify,ârepliedKate. âDidtheyask foraroomattheRitz?âaskedMark âNo,âansweredKate. Beausmirked. âTell themtheycanhave a second roomand thenbookthemout bythe airport.â Airport hotels werenât usually as nice as the downtown accommodations, but they would be adequately housed for the night and Teens on Target wouldgetthemaximumamountfromthisfundraiser.
Alliestaredlonginglyatthethreepizzasliningthecounter.Thecookingstaffhadpreparedthemforthephotographersto shoot, and the smell was unbelievable. Who knew pears and blackberries could go on a pizza? This adventure had alreadytaughtherallsortsofthingsabouttheworldbeyondthedinerwalls Shecouldnâtbelieveshewasgoingtohave lunchwithsomeofthehottestmenontheplanet.
Speakingofsuperstars
Allie ranher hand over her silkylocks. The makeover sessionhad beenfun. Theydidnâttryto cuther hair, butadded a shine spray to what sheâd done with a flat iron that morning. With a brushing of mineral powder and a lip stain that was supposedtolastthrougheatingapizza,sheâdbeenpronouncedreadytomeetMark,Beau,andAnthony Herstomachtumbled.
Abeautifulwomanwithababybumpcamethroughthefrontdoors Shemovedlikeamodel,allpoiseandposture,heading straightfor Kate. George puthis phone inhis backpocket. Sheâd givenhimthe silenttreatmentwhenhe offered to see how longthatlipstaincouldreallylast âAllright.âKateliftedherhandstogettheirattention. Alliesatuptaller.
Katerelaxed.âThanks.Theguysarealmostready.âShetooktwostepsawayandpressedherphonetoherear. Georgerubbedhishandstogether âThisisgonnabeepicâHeglancedoverherandlickedhislips Youâre a pig .Allie stuffedher hands inher pockets. Atleast,she triedto stuffher hands inher pockets.The tightjeans made ita struggle She offeredupa quickprayer thatthe extra hotel roomhadbeenmade available Turningtothe pregnant womanwhohadtakenaseatatthenearesttable,Alliesaid,âHi.â
âOkay,â called Kate as ifthere was a roomfull ofrowdycustomers instead ofthe three ofthem. âItâs time. Thatcurtain willopenandyouâllhaveyourlittlefreak-outandthenyoucanorderwhateverkindofpizzayouwantandeat.Afterthat,weâll signautographsandyouâllbecheckedintothehotelâ âIthoughtweâdhavemoretime,âgrumbledGeorge.
Katecounteddownfromthree,andthecurtainpartedtoreveal threeofthemostbeautiful menAlliehadever seen.First was the athlete, Anthony He wore a tight-fittingBraves shirtthataccentuated his muscles and complemented his darkskin, alongwithapairofjeans.
Next was Beau Mckay Though he was seriously good-lookinâ in his well-fitted jeans and button-up shirt, Allie was surprised to see a touchofgrayathis temples and wrinkles around his mouth. Inhis movies, he still appeared freshoutof actingschool,thoughhisskillswerefarbeyondabeginner
Lastly,thoughcertainlynotleast,wasMarkDubois.ItwasagoodthingAlliehadstartedontheotherendofthetrio,orher eyeswouldhavenevergottenpastMark.Hishair,longerontopandshavedonthesides,wasboynext-dooradorable,while his turquoise blue eyes electrified her heart, shockingthe organinto palpitations His broad shoulders and trimwaist were drapedineasygoingfadedjeansandawhiteT-shirtthatpulledacrosshismuscles.Holymoly,theguywasface-fanninghot.
For the teens. âEeeeee!â Allie did a little hoppingdance and thenwentrightahead and fanned her face. She needed it morethanshewouldadmitoutloud.Shesighedheavily,placingherotherhandoverherheart.
Allie heldback,lettinghimhave his moment.After all,neither one ofthemwouldbe here ifhe hadnâtboughtthatraffle ticketinthefirstplace Plus,shewasnâtsurewhattosay Hi, Iâm Allie, would you like gravy on that? was all thatcameto mind.
WhenhegottoBeau,Georgeslappedhimonbothshoulders.âIcanâtbelieveitâsyou.Saytheline goon,sayit!â Beauâs mouthtwistedwryly.How manytimes hadheperformedthis for fans?Poor guy.Allieshookher head.Wait,this wasBeauMckay Atlantaâsself-proclaimedplayer. Poor little rich guy indeed.
âAndwhomightyoube?âBeauputhisarmaroundherwaist.Allielookedupandintohisalluringhazeleyes.Heâdturned on the on screen charmhe used to seduce women, and she played along for the kids Giggling, because the roomwas tipping,sheplacedherhandonhiswell-definedchest.âIâm,like,yourbiggestfan.âShequicklyremovedherhandandpressed herpalmoverhermouthtostoptwittering Beauâssmilewarmedconsiderably âLetâsgetatableâ
âHi,â she half whispered, uncomfortable under his attention. Not uncomfortable like she was with George. That was repulsionmixedwiththe panic ofhavinga spider inyour hair This uncomfortable feelingcame fromknowinghe couldsee rightthroughheract.Likeheknewshewasnâtsomefancy-pantswoman.
Theotherthreetooktheirseatsaroundthetable,withMarkendinguponherleft Hesmelledofsomemanlycologneand leather. Heaven help me. Where does a guy pick up the smell of leather? Beau was bad enough with his cocky grin and expensivecologne,butshecouldwritehimoffasamanlookingforafling
Markwas somethingelse altogether. He was ⊠interesting. Takinga deep breath, she reminded herself that todaywas aboutlivingliketheotherhalf,aboutbeinginafairytale,andbydarnitshehadonhersparklepants.Shewasonthevergeof introducingherselftoMarkwithaconfidenthandshakewhenBeauleanedforward
She wouldnâtmindbeingprotectedbythosearms Stiflingagiggle,shetookanotherdrinkofwaterbeforesherealizedshe hadnâtansweredhim.âIâmsorry,whatdidyouask?â
Markinclinedhishead.WhenthecurtainhadopenedandAlliesquealed,heâdbrushedheroffasanothercrazedfan. But when their eyes met across the restaurant, heâd practically tripped into her gaze That had never happened before nottohim.
Hewantedhergazeback,wantedthatlinktoher,andfoundhimselffrustratedthatsheâdtakenitaway. âIworkas the maintenance personfor the buildingIlive in So Icleanoutdrains and stufflike thatâ She made a funny face.
âOh,thereâsworkinvolved,butthosekidsarethebestpartofmyweek.Theyâresosweetandlovetosingandmove,and theyâresofulloflove.Theydonâtcareifyouâreawashed-up,divorcedwaitressorabloominâ billionaire they just want to spend time with someone who thinks theyâre wonderfulâ She ducked her head âIâm rambling.â
Allie cleared her throat âIcanbe like Noah â she began Her voice was pure and sweet Gainingconfidence as she went,shedidlittlehandmovementsforeachline,hereyesdancingandherbodyswaying,puttingonaperformancethatdrew intheguysontheothersideofthetable Theirconversationstopped
Markhad the insane desire to move withher. No wonder the kids loved her. She was he stopped dead inhis thoughts real .
Mark nudged her with his shoulder, the contact zinging right to his gut and then bouncing around. âYou should try performingsomewhere.Atleastkaraoke itâsobviousyoulovetosing.â âThanks,butthatshipsankafewyearsago.â
âYoucould âMarkwascutoffbyKate,whoappearedinfrontoftheirtable âHas everyone had enough to eat?â She didnât wait for a response. âOkay then, letâs come over here and get those autographsgoingâGeorgepoutedlikeafive-year-oldashegotoutofhisseat Markreachedouttoputhishandonthesmallof Allieâsbackandyankeditbackatthelastsecond.Stuffinghishandsinhispocketsseemedlikeagoodidea.Shecheckedher phone.
âSounds like a kid; you should take him,â said Mark. Heâd stuck close to her side and at one point Allie swore heâd touchedherback Whensheturned,hishandwasinhispocket Maybesheâdonlybeenhopingforthecontact Allieshookherheadslightly.âHehasautismandafewotherhealthproblems.Gettinghimtohissocialgroupisamajor effort Hecouldnâtsitinthestadiumseatsforlongâ
âAtAaronâsHomeforAutisticChildren TheyhaveacraftclassonFridaysthathelovesâ Anthonyhandedherbackthebaseball.âMaybeIcouldhelpwiththat.âHegesturedtothepregnantwomanAlliehadtalked toaboutbeingamom.SheâdhungoutinthecornerwithKateandafewoftheotherstaffmembersduringthelunch.Maybeshe wasAnthonyâspersonalassistant ThatwouldexplainthefunnylookshegavewhenAllieaskedifsheâdwonacontesttoo She glidedovertotheirgroup seriouslysograceful.
âDidwe give awayall the VIPtickets yet?â Anthonyasked She placedher handonAnthonyâs arm Notina possessive way, butinanI-can-hardly-stand-being-so-close-and-not-touching-youway. Allie glanced downto see their matchingrings. Oh!Nothispersonalassistant,hiswife Shewatchedthetwoofthemdiscusstheticketsituationallwhilehavingawholeother conversation onethataskedhowshewasfeeling,sherepliedthatshewastiredbuthappytobehere,andhesaidIloveyou allwithoutspeakingaword.
Allie stole a glance at Mark. Falling into eye-conversations wouldnât be difficult with him. Her cheeks burned. She shouldnâtevenentertainthoughtslikethatabouthim. Different universes âIthinkwehaveafewleft,why?âaskedLeticia.
To her surprise, Beauhugged her He had to bend downto gethis arms around her, and the experience broughtto mind beinghuggedbyabear,hewassodarnbig,butthesentimentbehindthecontactwassweet,brotherlyeven.
âDoyouwantmetosignsomethingtoo?âMarkasked.Therewasanedgetohisquestionthattookheroffguard. Despiteknowingthiswouldbeherlastconversationwiththefamousmoviestar,Alliecouldnâthelpbutblush.âSorry,Iâm all outofnapkinsâMarkâsshouldersfell likesheâdhurthisfeelings Poor famous Hollywood star There were probably fiftywomenoutsiderightnowwhowouldlovetohavehisautograph.LittleolâAllieGraycouldnâthurthisfeelingsâŠcould she?ShewatchedhimfromthecornerofhereyeashethankedKateandtheotherswhomadethisallpossible
âItwas.Thanksforthetip.âAllieleanedherheadagainsttheseat,soakinginthecleancarpetscentandthefeelof richleather againsther skin Leather,likeMark Hemusthaveleather seatsinhiscar andthatâshow hepickedupthescent Sensuous warmth ran through her veins as the pictured him driving off, wearing his shades, his strong jaw flexing as he maneuvereddeftlythroughdowntowntraffic.
Alliepressedherfisttoherstomach Hercreditcardhaddisappearedwithherex-husband Thebill,however,showedup onthe fifteenthof everymonth. The companyshut downthe card, but there were still a couple thousand dollarsâworthof chargestoclearup Inthemeantime,shecouldnâtqualifyforanewone
KatepointedtoGeorge âThisisyour stopâSheturnedtoAllie Her facehadasoftnessthatshedidnâtoffer toGeorge, and Allie was grateful she was still on Kateâs good side. She might not be after she explained her credit card situation. Sleepinginthebathtubwaslookinglikeaviableoption.
Katepluckedatherskirt.âThehotelisâŠlessthanideal.Wecandropyouoffathomeifyouâdrathertakeacashvoucher.â Allie shookher head. âMyapartment buildingis beingfumigated and I canât go backfor twenty-four hours. Iâmreally gratefulforthespareroom Idonâtcarewhathotelitâsat.â
âYoumightonceyouseeit,âmutteredKate.
Alliebrushedherworriesaside Shewouldlockherselfintheroomandnotcomeoutuntilmorningifneedbe Anyplace was better thanthe street. âListen.â She scooted forward inher seat. âIhave a confession.â âWhatâs that?â Kate cocked her head
Reliefwashed over her like warmbathwater ona cold day She hated havingthis creditissue hangover her Facingthe
issueagainhadtakenalltheconfidencesheâdgainedtalkingwithMarkandsmasheditdeepdown insidewhereshelostsightofwhoshecouldhavebeen.Reedshouldnâthavethatmuchinfluenceoverheranymore,andyet somehow,someway,hemanagedtodarkenevenherfairy-taleafternoon WhatsheneededwasabigdoseofMark.Sheblushedjustthinkingabouthim.Unfortunately,theclockhadstruckmidnight andsheâdturnedintoapumpkin Ormaybeshewasthemouse,timidandvulnerable Eitherway,shewasnâttheprincess Theypulledtoastopoutsideofatwo-storyhotel withabrokenfrontdoor andwindow units leavingstains under every window Grittingherteeth,shesteeledherselftosleepwiththelightsontokeepthecockroachesatbay Shewasbacktoherreality,andshemightaswellgetusedtoit.
CHAPTER SIX
MarkhungaroundthepizzaplacewithBeau,Anthony,andLeticia.Thelateafternoonsunbathedtheplaceinarosy glow.The staffloweredthe blinds,givingthe guys some privacysince there were twohundredplus fans outside. The securitydetail had the perimeter under control and the chef cranked out pizzas for the remainingstaff They trickledout,givingtheimpressiontheeventwaswindingdown.
âHey, Kate howâd itgo?â Better to startwithgeneralities thanjump rightinto findingoutifAllie had enoughbubble bath Beaunudgedhim,andheputthecallonspeakerphone âBetterthanexpected.Theyâreallsettledforthenight.â
âWhatroomatthe Ritz?â askedLeticia âIâdlike tosendover some ofmybathsaltsâ Leticia hada small companythat madeherbal bodylotionsandsoaps.Markhadgivenalargebaskettohismomfor Christmas.Sheravedover them,soheâd sentanother justtospoilher.
Marktookthecall offspeaker TheconversationhadnâttoldhimaboutAllieâswell-being orifshelikedtheroom She probablylovedthe complementarybathrobes andfruitbaskets.Maybe sheâdthrownherselfacross the bed,her arms spread wide. He wasnâtaboutto askfor particulars withBeauand Anthonyonthe call, though. Heâd never hear the end ofitfrom them.
Heâd meta womanwho hadnâtasked for a partofhimand he wasnâtquite sure whatto do abouther He stared atthe buttonsastheelevatortookhimtothesecondfloor.Hecouldstillhearherclearvoiceandseethejoylightupherfaceasshe talked about those kids. He wished his church had a childrenâs choir. Chloe could sing and sheâd love to participate. Performinginagroupwouldbeagoodwayforhertogetusedtobeinginfrontofpeopletoo.
Awoman in a white bathrobe opened the door and gave himthe once over. She recognized himimmediately. âYouâreMarkDubois Honey comeseethis ItâsMark!â
âI canât I was just delivering this to Allie is she around?â He couldnât imagine her hanging out with these two, but strangerthingshadhappened.Shewassonice,maybesheâdaskedthemtostayforawhilebeforegoingtotheirhotel.
âWesureare.âSheranherhanddownherchest,openingherrobeafewmoreinchesintheprocess.Markquicklyaverted his eyes. Wait IfGeorge was here, that meant that Allie was at a dive hotel. âYouguys canhave this, then. Have a great night.âMarkshovedthebagofbathstuffatGeorgeandtookoffdownthehallway.Theelevatordidnâtopenrightaway,sohe hitthestairwell,pullinghisphoneoutofhisbackpocketasheran.
Ifhisskincrawledwhenhewalkedpassedtheseguys,howhadAlliefelt?Hewassuchanidiotforsendingherhere He knockedquicklyandtookastepback,hissensesonhighalertandhismartialartstrainingsparkingtolife.
The curtain parted letting a sliver of light escape âAllie? Itâs me, Mark,â he said to the crack, sounding stupid and desperate.Heownedbothemotionsbecauseheâdbeenstupidtoletherstayhereandnotcheckdeeperintothearrangements. Andhewasdesperatetogetthislittlerayofsunshineoutofthedarkness.
Markscanned the place. Amaroon, navy, and greenstriped blanketcovered the bed and two flatpillows. Several dark stainsdottedthecarpet,someofthembiggerthanhishand,andthepictureonthewalltilted.Hersuitcasewasonasmallstand nearthebathroom Heslappedshutthelidandzippeditclosed Heâdreplacewhatevertheyleftbehind âYoushouldbeatthe Ritz. This was a mistake.â He pounded the side of his fist against the wall. âAhuge, stupid mistake. Come on, my carâs outsideâ
Allieliftedherpalms âIâmkindofusedtolife not turningout Iâvegothorribleluck Butthankyousomuchforworrying aboutme.Thisisthesweetestthinganyoneâseverdone.â
Markchuckled âSurelynotâ
Shenodded.âItâstrue.â
Markreachedoutandtouchedherhand,warmthandelectricityfiringaway HelikedAllie furthermore,herespectedher for smiling through a bad situation. Jasmine would have thrown a fit and dressed him down like a drill sergeant with a hangover.Actually,sheprobablywouldâvehadahorrifichangoverandtakenitoutonhim.
Hetookjustamomenttosearchhereyes,lookingforthatelementoffalsitythatwouldbetrayheroptimismasanact Every actress heâdever playedacross fromhada partofthemlocked away. He did ittoo. Lockingawayemotions was the keyto takinga passionate moment, like anonscreenkiss witha beautiful woman, and manipulate the actioninto whatthe director wanted.Allieâseyeswerelikeplantationdoorsthrownopen hecouldseerightintoherheart.
âIpromise Iâmgoingto make this rightfor you Anthonyâs place is like a castle Ithinkitactuallyhas a turret is that whatthoseroundthingsonthecornersarecalled?âHekepthishandsgrippingthewheelasifhewereinahigh-speedchase. HeglancedovertocatchAllierubbingherlipstogether.
âTheysureareâShesighed
âIâmsosorry.Again hadIknownyouâdendupinthat âAllieplacedherpetitehandonhisarm.âStopapologizing.Itâs fine Iâmfine Weâreallfinehereâ
âMore like a nightmare,â Markquipped. And thinkingofthis innocent, darlingwomanstranded inthatcrap hole was a nightmare Allie chuckled âMaybe for you ButIdonâtusuallyeatlunchwithmovie stars and spend the nightata baseball playerâshouse.Idonâtrideincarswithseatwarmersorcamerasorchrome.AndI âShebitherlipandlookeddownather hands.âIdonâthavesomeonecaringaboutwhereIam.Thiswholedayandnighthasbeenwonderful,thankyou.âTheguiltthat haddrivenMarkforthelasthourgrewtwelvesizes.Heâdplacedherinphysicaldangerandshethankedhim.Hestoppedata lightandconsideredAllie.âYouârereallynotangry?â
âAngry?Todaywillbeimpossibletotopâ
This womandeserved so muchbetter thanwhatsheâd beenhanded inlife. âOh, Iâll top it.â His hand found hers and he gentlysqueezed Onceheâdgottenaholdofher,hewasnâtsureifhecouldletgo Herskinwassilkyagainsthis,sendingslow, loopywavesofwantingthroughhislowerbelly.
LeticiawhiskedherawayfromMarkbeforeshehadachancetosaygoodnight Ashame Sheâdenjoyedtalkingtohimon the ride over.The wayhe lookedather,like she was justa normal personandwasnâta giantstepawayfromhis kind,was nice Hemaynotseethedifferencesbetweentheirlives,butshecertainlycould
Perhapshisobtusenesswasbecausehehadnâtbeentothedinerorwalkedherneighborhood.Hetreatedherlikeshewas special Hebelievedshewasnodifferentthanhim Butshewas Sheknewit.
âYouârehereâTheburstofhappinessshefeltatseeinghimshowedonherface,andshedidnâtcare Sheâdthoughthewas goneandheappearedoutofnowhere. The fairy tale continues.
âThisiswonderful YoudidnâthavetogotosomuchtroubleonmyaccountâAlliepickedupaplate âAnthonyloves to cook. We bothgrew up inlarge families, and withmyfamilyinPeruand his onthe coast, we miss havingbigbreakfastsââIcancomeovereverySundayifyouâremakingbiscuitsandgravy,âjokedMark HegaveAnthonya shove.
âPleasedo,âLeticiareplied âYoutoo,Allie Weâdlovetohaveyouagainâ Allie selected a waffle. âThatwould be lovely, thankyou.â Where had thatcome from? Lovely? She didnâtuse flouncy wordslikethat.Princesssyndromewaskickingin.
âLetmehelpyouwiththatâMarkputaheartydollopofwhippedcreamonherwaffle Allielaughed.âThanks,butIlikealittlewafflewithmywhippedcream.âShewenttotakethespoonfromhimtoscoopoff atleasthalfthe whippedcream,buthe didnâtremove his handandshe endedupwrappingher fingers aroundhis His chest brushed againsther backand she foughtthe urge to leanagainsthim. Lettinggo, she sether plate onthe counter before she droppedit
Allieturnedfromthetenderscene,focusinginsteadonherbreakfast Markhadmentionedhehadadaughterandshecould probablyfindoutallaboutthegirlwithonequickGooglesearch.Butshekindoflikedgettingto hearaboutherthroughMark theinformationwouldbeintimateandpersonal She momentarily wondered if the disclaimer statement sheâd signed yesterday applied to this morning too. Not that it matteredtoher iftheagreementheldor not,becauseshewasnâtthetypetogorunningtothepress.ButMarkmentioninghis daughterinsuchacasualwaydidmattertoher,becauseitshowedhetrustedher atleastalittlebit likeafriend.Shetucked thethoughtofbeingfriendswithMarkintoasidepocketsoshecouldpull itoutandexamineitlater.Beingfriendswiththe superstar was anintriguingconcept Not because sucha friendship would meanseat warmers and scented bodysoaps, but because friends watched out for one another. Heâd done that last night and she vowed to return the favor by guarding his privacy
