All Bottled Up (17 page)

dumped onto the baggage claim, her foot nudged her carry-on bag. Jerod hadn’t said anything in a while.

Not wanting to look like a complete freak, she slipped her cell phone out of her pocket and pretended to dial a number.

“Jerod?”

Nothing.

“Jerod?”

“Hello,” whispered in a smooth voice from behind her.

Viola spun around and came face to face with him.

“You’re…here.” She frowned. “Why are you here?”

“Can’t a fellow meet a friend at the airport?” He bent down and scooped her suitcase as it came barreling down the shoot and landed with a thud on the turnstile.

“Is this everything?”

She nodded, still in shock with his little performance. He was wearing a dark blue dress shirt and black dress pants. Like before, his shirt was unbuttoned at the neck and his sleeves were unbuttoned and partially rolled. But unlike in Cozumel, he wore a heavy black leather jacket. He looked devastatingly handsome. His black hair wasn’t as neat as before, and Viola instinctively reached up and smoothed it down.

“We need to buy you a mirror.”

“I have one. Remember?” He grinned.

Viola hated that he could make her blush so easily. She was too easy a mark.

“You shouldn’t have worn those shoes on the flight. Your feet must be swollen.”

“I’ll live.”

He was right, of course. Her feet felt like two puffy balloons trying to push through the holes in her shoes. She couldn’t wait ’til she got home and could soak in the tub.

Right after she got William, that was.

They walked side by side through the airport and out to the extended stay parking lot. Even the cold November evening air wasn’t enough to wake her completely. All she 158

wanted to do was crawl into a ball under her duvet and stay there for a week. When they reached her car, she had to spend ten minutes with the scraper to clean off the windshield enough to be able to see. Jerod helped as best he could, but he really didn’t have the technique down. Poor boy hadn’t experienced a Canadian winter before. Plus he was driving her nuts by flicking ice shavings at her. Only after she was finally finished did he seem to remember how to help. Jerod took her suitcase and shoved it into the trunk. Viola collapsed behind the wheel in the driver’s seat and let out a loud sigh.

“Home, driver,” Jerod said as he jumped into the seat beside her, pulled the door shut, and adjusted himself into a comfortable position.

She was so tired. The flight was exhausting, and the time change was throwing her entire system off. It would take her a day or two before she was fully functional again.

Her eyes drifted closed and her brain began to wander.

“I wish—”

She cut herself off immediately, sitting bolt up in her seat.
My God
, what had she almost said!

With wide eyes, she turned to look at Jerod. All traces of humor had been washed from his face.

“I didn’t finish that sentence did I?” Her whisper sounded loud in the small car.

“No.”

Her heart was pounding enough adrenaline through her system that all traces of sleep were temporarily pushed from her body. Jerod actually didn’t look pleased that she’d almost gone through with her last wish. Not the way she thought he would react after all of the harassing he’d given her before they left to come home.

“That was close,” she said, and with shaky hands, pushed the key into the ignition of the car. Shit, she was stupid, almost blowing her wish on something stupid.
Dumb, dumb,
dumb!

It roared to life, but she couldn’t take off right away. They had to sit there for several minutes while her poor car warmed up enough for them to see out the cold windows. She didn’t dare say anything else. What could she say anyway?
Sorry to disappoint you,
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genie, by not going through with my wish, but I have a crush on you and really want you
to stick around a bit longer
. The snow melted, sliding a wet trail down the window and she was finally able to see. She threw the car into reverse and tore out of the parking spot.

Home, she needed to get home.

After paying her parking bill, they pulled out onto the highway and began the drive back to her place. Mentally, she chastised herself for her stupidity.

“What were you going to wish for back there?” She turned enough so she could look at him out of the corner of her eye.

“This isn’t some sort of genie trick, is it? I finish the sentence and you grant the wish?”

He hesitated.

“Jerod?”

“No, of course not. I’m simply curious.”

Still not sure if he was telling the truth, she carefully choose her words.

“I was
wondering
if you could drive a car.” He laughed. “Well, yes, that would have been a poor wish.” She chuckled too. “I wasn’t even thinking about what I was saying. The words just started to come out.”

Flicking on her blinker to change lanes, she suddenly needed to know. “Well, do you?”

Jerod adjusted in his seat. “Drive a car?”

“Yeah.”

“No. I can ride a horse and drive a chariot, but not one of these things.”

“I suppose the horseless carriage was more than a few years away when you were human.”

She reached over and touched his leg with her hand, squeezing his firm muscles underneath.

“I’m glad you’re here now, though. Or else I’d still be plain old Viola.” His fingers covered hers and squeezed back. “You were
never
plain old Viola.” 160

She looked over at him again, trying to picture how he must have looked.

“A chariot? Really?”

“That is a story for another time. However, I believe I looked quite sexy.” The rest of the half-hour drive passed quickly. The silence was pleasant, especially after the information overload from the flight.

When they pulled into the driveway of Beth’s condo, Viola turned to Jerod.

“I hate to say this, but you should hide. If Beth sees you, neither one of us will rest until she knows the whole story. And trust me, the last thing we want is her knowing you’re a genie.”

He leaned forward, bringing his lips dangerously close to hers. “This is the Beth who won the money?”

Instinctually, she licked her lips and had to fight against the pull of his body.

“Yes. If she suspects she didn’t win it fair and square, she’d give it back. That would put the Haven in danger and I’d hate for that to happen.” Jerod brushed his lips against her cheek in a gentle kiss, before he poofed from sight.

Viola sat there alone for a second, her heart pounding in her chest. She took a deep breath before she jerked her door open and stepped out onto the iced asphalt. As she walked, her resolve grew. She was going to hug Beth, get William and get ready for her big entrance back to work tomorrow.

Viola raised her hand and prepared to knock on Beth’s door when she heard sudden barking and a running thump land against the door. A quick whimper was replaced with another peal of barks.

“Shut up and let me open it,” she heard Beth mutter before she yanked the door open. “About fucking time!”

The two women giggled as Beth pulled Viola into a fierce hug and damn near squeezed the life out of her, before pulling her all the way in the hall and shutting the door behind her.

“I’ve missed you. And I’m rich! And, holy shit, you look great!” Beth jerked Viola around like a rag doll, looking her over. She didn’t fight against it, 161

knowing full well it would be over faster if she didn’t.

“What did you do? You look amazing. It was that guy, wasn’t it?” Beth’s smile nearly took up her entire face.

Viola looked up and had the sudden urge to cry. She swallowed down the growing lump in her throat and shrugged. “It’s a long story.” Beth frowned. “Good thing we have time for you to tell it.” William began yapping, having been ignored long enough. He tried to stand up on his back legs, but couldn’t quite manage the feat. Viola picked him up and gave him a cuddle.

“Did my baby miss me?”

“God, he was driving me nuts. Little yappy bugger.” Beth rubbed his head.

“Hey, now.” Viola rubbed her chin on William’s head. “Was the big, bad, rich lady mean to my baby?”

William, not appreciating Beth’s comment, growled as fiercely as a Daschund could.

“It’s mutual, buddy,” Beth said and punctuated her comment with a growl of her own.

William, clearly knowing who the superior was, buried his nose in the crux of Viola’s arm with a whimper.

Viola smiled and looked at Beth. “I can’t believe you’re rich.”

“I can’t believe you’re sexy,” she said and immediately her hand flew to her mouth.

“Not that you weren’t sexy before, but you look fabulous now. Not that you didn’t look fabulous before. God, I’m a jerk.” Beth dropped her head to her chest.

“No, you’re not. You looked after my dog.” Viola cradled William and flopped onto Beth’s couch.

Beth’s face brightened. “The guy! You have to tell me about him. Was he cute? Did you make love on the beach? How big was his—?”

“Beth!”

“Details, woman. I need them,” she said as she gave Viola a little shake before taunting her, “I’ll make you a coffee.”

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“Oh, hon, I’m beat. I’m just going to take William home and crash. I still have to work tomorrow.” Every muscle in her body was screaming for her to lie down and sleep.

Beth wouldn’t mind if she crashed.

“Call Bill and tell him you quit.”

Viola laughed and nudged William into his cage. “I don’t think so. That’s your money, not mine.”

“Whatever, you’re my best friend in the entire world and I don’t want you working there any longer. Besides, you’re closer to me than my own family and there isn’t a hope in hell I’ll share a penny of my money with them. And I need to spend it on someone.” Viola rolled her eyes. “Spend it on yourself.”

“Shopping spree! That’s what we’ll do tomorrow. Add some more clothing to your new look.”

“Beth, seriously. Jet lag is going to kill me—”

“I am serious.”

“Fight!” they both shouted with a laugh.

The two women entered into a staring contest. This was how they solved all their fights, had been for years. First one to blink lost and had to give in to the other. Viola had no intention of losing this time. Her eyes screamed from the dryness, but she didn’t care.

Beth brought her hand to her eyes to pinch them shut.

“Shit.”

Viola threw her arms into the air. “Victory.”

“Fine, have it your way,” Beth huffed. “But the first time Bill pulls his shit on you, I want you to promise me that you’ll walk out of there. Understand?” Viola pushed Beth’s finger away from her nose. “We’ll see.”

“Promise!”

“Okay, chill out. I promise.”

Beth crossed her arms across her chest and shook her head. “God, I wish I could see the look on Bill’s face when you walk in there looking like that. He’ll trip over his tongue on his way over to molest you.”

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“You quit already?”

“The second that little check hit my hands, I called him to gloat. I believe my words were neener, neener. And I’ve decided to sell the semi, by the way.” She should have realized Beth would have quit her job the second she was able to.

But sell her house? Viola’s stomach bottomed out. Her whole world was turning on its head and it was all her doing.

She didn’t want to quit, not yet. She needed to get her bearings first, make sure that this new and improved Viola really was new and improved. Call it a security blanket, but she wasn’t quite confident enough yet to fly solo. But the prospect of working at Way to Go Travel without her best friend seemed rather bleak.

Beth frowned. “Don’t worry, things will be fine, hon. And, like I said, you can always quit if you want.”

“I know.” Viola managed a tired smile.

“Look, I’m being a jerk. You must be exhausted and I’m yammering on. Go home and sleep. But tomorrow night I expect a phone call telling me all about your trip.”

“Deal.”

The two women hugged again, and Viola scooped up William’s cage and carried him out to her car. Her life had changed and she hadn’t stopped to realize what those changes were going to mean.
God, I barely know who I am anymore.

She opened the passenger door and placed William’s cage on the passenger seat, making sure the seatbelt securely held it in place. By the time she walked around and sat in the driver’s seat, her mind had raced through several scenarios of what would happen tomorrow morning at work.

“What a cute pup.”

Viola let out a startled cry and turned to see Jerod had reappeared. He had William out of his cage and was scratching him behind his ear.

“I hate it when you do that,” she said and prayed her heart rate would slow down enough so she would be able to drive home.

“I know. So this is William. I think I like you better than your namesake.” 164

Viola moaned and jammed her keys into the ignition. “You haven’t even met Bill yet. And I don’t plan on introducing you either.”