Boycotts and Barflies (45 page)

‘the first time’?” Grace growled, her jaw tightly clenched. Meg’s eyes grew wide with alarm. Bianca instantly stopped laughing, confirming to Grace that she had caught the most important phrase in Meg’s rambling sentence.

“Spill!” Grace commanded.

“Well,” Meg started, “I went out of the bet, um, a while ago.”

“Define a while ago.”

Her words were barely above a whisper. “Before Bianca.”

“What? You went out of the bet before Bianca did? Are you kidding? You are,

aren’t you … you’re just trying to make me feel better, right?” Grace’s head

began to throb as she attempted to process all the information being thrown at

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her. Meg fidgeted nervously in her seat as Grace sat stoically, keeping her

anger under control. For now. Sensing Grace was about to explode, Bianca  moved closer and rubbed her friend’s back to try and help settle her nerves.

Oh my God, it’s true …

Meg took a deep breath and began explaining. “OK, here’s the truth. I slept with  Ryan the night of the bar show. Remember when I was late coming home?” She  was nervously wringing her hands together in her lap as she waited for Grace’s  reaction.

She thought back to that night, remembering how she and Bianca got ready together, and how Meg came flying in the door at the last minute, complaining about work.

“So you didn’t spend the day with a client?” Grace asked, waiting for her to look  up. Meg’s eyes remaine d firmly focused on her hands as she shamefully shook  her head no.

“So you and Ryan …”

“We met at a hotel.” She bit her lip in a desperate attempt to hold in the goofy  grin that was threatening to spread across her face before she finally chanced a  look at Grace. “Are you going to yell at me?” She cringed as she asked the  question.

“No. I mean, I don’t think so … but why on Earth didn’t you tell me? Bianca,

how long have you known?” Grace tried very hard to keep her voice calm,  wanting to hear every detail, but there was an accusing undertone as she

spoke.

Bianca immediately threw her hands up in front of herself. “Hey, I swear, I just  found out two days ago. I had no idea, but after we talked about it, I agreed that  we should wait until tonight to tell you.”

Grace opened her mouth to say something, but then she shut it without  uttering a word. After pausing for another second, she tried again. “But why  wait?

You both know how hard the last few days have been on me. I don’t understand.

Was it a joke? Did you  enjoy seeing me blush and hurling myself into cold shower after cold shower?” Grace didn’t bother to hide the anger in her voice this time.

“Grace, I would never do that to you! I swear! No, ugh, this isn’t coming out right again. I did the same thing when I talked to Michael,” Meg mumbled—and then slapped her hand over her mouth when she realized what she just let slip. “You told Michael?” Grace seethed. “So basically everyone knew except for me?  Did you all have a good laugh at my expense?” She was starting to put 350

the pieces together in her head, the picture becoming clearer. “So that’s why he  was so seductive tonight, with touching me and the things he was saying. He  was trying to get me to cave, wasn’t he? I saw him  shaking hands with the guys  as we left. They must have had a bet about how long it would take Michael to  break me.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she shook her head from  side to side in disbelief. “I wonder who wo nthat bet,” she hissed as she turned  and stormed to her bedroom, slamming the door as hard as she could.

“Grace!” Meg’s strangled cry came from the family room. Grace could hear her  running over to the door as she fell onto her bed, sobbing.

Meg and Bianca didn’t even bother to knock; they walked right into the room  and sat down on the bed beside Grace, waiting silently, unsure of exactly how  to proceed.

“Grace? There was no bet, I promise,” Meg said quietly as she coaxed Grace into  lifting her head up to look at her. She reached her hand  out and softly wiped  away the tears that were streaming down Grace’s cheeks. “May I please  explain?”

With a little sniffle, Grace nodded her head, ready to listen to her reasons but  not sure how she was going to react to the whole ugly truth. She saw Bianc a  give Meg an encouraging smile before she started speaking.

“It all goes back to the beginning of the boycott. You need to understand that  the Grace who agreed to the bet is not the same woman who is sitting here  right now. Back then, you would go on all  of those disastrous dates with men  who were the dullest, most uninteresting people on the planet because that’s  the kind of guy you thought you deserved—the only kind of guy you thought  would be interested in you. How many times did we have to call and save you  on one of those dates? Bianca and I knew you were so much more than what  you saw when you looked in the mirror. We saw the amazing woman inside  who is funny, smart, beautiful, and witty, but you didn’t even realize she

existed. You were so unsure of  yourself.” She reached over and brushed Grace’s

hair back over her shoulder so she could see her face.

“Then, a few weeks ago, we made this sil y bet. And when you had absolutely

nothing to lose, you started putting yourself out there with men. You began

talking to guys you otherwise wouldn’t have dared to approach. You flirted,  you … how did we put it?” She glanced at Bianca and smiled. “You tasted the  different flavors of the buffet. And slowly your confidence grew.”

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“Then, one day, an amazing man walked into your life.” Bianca took Grace’s

hand in hers as she took over explaining things. “You haven’t been the same

since.

You are a different person when you’re with him. Confident, self assured,

funny, playful, sexy— really sexy, Grace.” She gave her friend’s hand a tight

squeeze as she winked reassuringly at Meg.

“But at Christmas, you were still so unsure of everything. I found you crying in

the kitchen, again, wondering what Michael could possibly see in you. And

even after he walked into the room and told you exactly why he loved you, part

of you still thought he would disappear, that you weren’t worth his time.” Meg  left her side and walked over to the nightstand and brought over the picture  Liz had given to Grace. “Then, little by little, day by day, you realized that this,”  she tapped her finger on the glass of the frame, “was meant to be.”

Compelled by Meg’s words, Grace looked down at the sweet sleeping faces of  the two toddlers in the picture and started to process all the information that  she had just heard.

She was insecure and did lack confidence; that was a fact. Grace’s self- esteem  was embarrassingly low, but all of that was before she met Michael. She had  spent nights crying, thinking how she wasn’t good enough for him or that he  deserved someone better. Then she recalled how certain she had been that this  was all a dream that would vanish at the stroke of midnight.

It was only over the last week, after Christmas, that she knew … that she felt it  was real. She and Michael were truly meant to be together, and if something  happened, she wouldn’t give up on them; she would stay and fight. That was  something Grace never would have done before. She looked up into Meg’s and  Bianca’s loving eyes and offered them a shaky smile, letting them know that  she was slowly beginning to understand their motivations.

Meg spoke first. “You said it today, Grace. You finally said that you  wouldn’t  just let him walk away. The things you said, those were the words of a

confident woman who knew exactly what she wanted and was willing to fight  for it. You let him in; you finally trusted him with your heart. I simply wanted  you to have time to get to that place on your own.” Meg’s face was hopeful,  waiting for Grace to say something.

As she glanced back down at the picture in her hands, Grace could hear her cell  phone beeping in her purse. Bianca picked the small, black leather clutch up off  the  floor and took out the phone, peeking to see who it was. “You might want to  look at this.”

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Grace,

Don’t be mad at Meg. Whatever her reasons, everything that happened

over the last few weeks led me to you. I thank God every day that I have you in

my life.

Her choices gave us the time to get where we are today, and I for one am

extremely grateful to her. She loves you almost as much as I do.

I’ll be there soon, sweetheart.

M

Taking a moment, Grace reflected on Michael’s words. Her friends hadn’t kept things from her maliciously or tried to hurt her; they’d had good intentions.  Misguided, yes, but they came from a place of love and support. Would she be as certain of her relati onship with Michael if she hadn’t taken these last few weeks to get to know him and to begin believing that he actually did love her?  Would she have put herself out there and taken such a huge step? Probably not. Without the time, Grace wasn’t quite sure where she and Michael would be today.

Grace hid the smile that was threatening to break out across her face, instead replacing it with a serious façade as she addressed her two deeply distressed friends. “The last few weeks have been really hard, almost hell on Earth for me. You both know that,” she said, watching their faces fall slightly, “but I also can’t say that I didn’t enjoy every second of it. I love Michael, and he loves me. And getting to know him has been an amazing experience. I don’t doubt his love in any way. I feel it in my heart, and you’re right, Meg, if I had known earlier, I just might have tried to push him away to let him find someone better, someone

I thought he deserved. But now,” Grace let out a dark laugh, “anyone who tries to get between us will be in for the fight of their life.”

She was different; they all were. The woman smirking confidently at her dearest friends in the world was not the same person who, six weeks ago,

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thought all she deserved in life was average and dull. Now she knew that

anything less than her heart’s desire was settling, and that was something the

new Grace Park refused to do.

She winked at Bianca and then turned her attention back to Meg. “So, tell me

about Ryan and this hotel …”

Meg’s face stained itself pink as the blood rushed to her cheeks. “Well, it was

actually your fault, you know.” The surprised look on Grace’s face made her

laugh. “That night Bianca and I were out of town, and you let the guys

rummage 353

through our rooms. Ryan found my journals, but he didn’t read through them  or anything like that. He simply opened the most current one, and on the first  blank page, he wrote me a letter.”

“And we know that boy can write!” Bianca interrupted, remembering the  romantic message he had included in Meg’s Christmas present that had them

all bawling.

“Yes, he certainly can. In the note, he told me that he loved me from the  moment we met and he didn’t care about the bet anymore. He said that I was  worth far more to him than two hundred dollars, and then he asked me to meet  him at the hotel on that Wednesday. There were also a bunch of very sweet

and personal things that I’m not going to share with you. I made up a ‘meeting’  so you wouldn’t wonder why I was dressed to the nines, and I was ready to

play off my nerves on meeting a new client, but neither of you asked. I think  you were a little distracted yourselves.”

“When I got to the hotel, he was waiting in the lobby with a huge bouquet of  roses. He came over to me, kissed my hand, and then he took my arm in his and  led me to the elevators. I don’t think we said a word to each other; we just  looked into each other’s eyes. When the doors opened, he led me down the hall  to the most amazing suite I’d ever seen. There were flowers everywhere and a  steaming bubble bath waiting in the bathroom with rose petals floating on the  top.” Meg got lost in a dreamy haze as she recalled the day. Grace and Bianca  exchanged knowing smiles while she blushed.

In a hushed voice she continued her story. “And I don’t even know what  happened. I mean obviously I do, but he just led me into the bathroom and  started undressing me, telling me how much he loved me the whole time. He  untucked my blouse and before I knew it, his fingers were slowly unbuttoning  the  front of my shirt. I just remember staring up into his eyes as he bent over

me—and nearly passing out when I felt his warm hands on my skin. And then  the way he kissed me … Before I knew it, my skirt dropped down to the floor. Eventually, I was standing there in my panties, breathing like I had just run a  one hundred yard dash or something, just waiting for him to reach out and  touch me. I remember I was trembling when he finally. . . Oh my gosh, too

much information, I’m stopping right there.” Meg was fanning herself furiously  while Grace and Bianca blushed right along with her. “That’s far more than I  ever planned on telling you!” she squealed as she buried her face in her hands. 354

“Well, it sounds like you two had, um,  fun!” Grace replied, and they all burst

into laughter. As the giggles subsided, she asked, “So is there anything else you

feel the need to confess?”

Meg bit her lip. “Well, I also might have ‘arranged’ a few of the times we just

bumped into the guys. Like  that time at the movies? And I might have

suggested to Ryan that Michael and Jack should send you the text messages

about the gym that one day so I could go to the mall with him.” Their mouths

hung open in shock as the list of Meg’s crimes against the boycott grew and

grew.

“Margaret Elizabeth Tomlin, you little sneak!” Bianca shrieked in mock horror,  but the smile on her face gave her true feelings away. She leaned over and  hugged her friend. “Thank you.”

“Before we hug this all out, I might have one more thing to confess.” Meg began  to nibble on the tip of her thumb as she dropped her chin to her chest.

She cringed and waited for the yelling to begin, but when her comment was  met by silence, she peeked up  found her friends staring at her, speechless. “There’s more?” Grace looked warily over at Bianca.

“This afternoon,” Meg started slowly, intently watching Grace’s every reaction,  “I went to see Michael.”

Grace sat up straight on the couch, alarmed. “What did you do ?” The words fell  from her mouth in a rush of breath.

“We … talked?” Meg’s voice cracked, making her response come out more like a  question than a statement.

A loud bark of laughter echoed through the apartment. “You told him, didn’t  you?” Bianca was on her feet, laughing. “He knew all night that he’d already  won the bet. No wonder his libido was in overdrive, Grace. Michael was trying  to drive you out of your mind to make you quit the bet. The sooner you

caved  ”—

“

—the sooner they’d get to the good  stuff.” With a wink, Meg joined in Bianca’s  raucous laughter. But when Grace remained silent, the two apprehensively  turned and faced their friend.

“He knew … all night?”

Meg slowly nodded her head.

Grace’s heart pounded faster in her chest as she remember ed all the wicked  things Michael had said and done over the last few hours. Fanning her face,  Grace smirked. “Well, that explains a hell of a lot.” She jumped up and wrapped  her arms around her friends, pulling them into a hug. “For someone so sweet,  355

you sure do cause a lot of trouble, you know,” Grace teased. “But thanks to you

and all your scheming, we have three wonderful men in our lives. Speaking of

which, I’d better get dressed!” The clock on the wall said it was te n till eleven.

Michael would be there any minute.

Meg and Bianca squealed when Grace leapt off the bed and started running

around her room in a panic. “He’ll be here soon. Oh my God! I have so much to

do.” She ran into the bathroom and saw how her tears ha d made her eye

makeup come streaking down her cheeks. “Bianca!” she screamed, and a

second later the beautiful redhead appeared in the doorway with her makeup

bag in hand.

“Breathe, Grace. We’ll get you cleaned up and ready to go.” She sat the panicked

woman down on the toilet lid in her bathroom and got to work, getting Grace  ready for her big date with Michael.

Fifteen minutes later, Grace was standing in front of the full length mirror in  the hallway, admiring the way her dress flared out as she spun in  circles. Her  long black waves were twisted up and off her shoulders into a clip with small  wisps of hair softly framing her face. All signs of the tears she had shed earlier  were erased by Bianca’s skilled hands.

Meg placed Grace’s overnight bag on the kitchen table alongside the much  larger one she was planning on taking over to Ryan’s. Grace was digging  around in the hall closet for her black wool trench coat when she heard the

clicking of heels behind her.

Meg and Bianca stood there grinning. In their hands was a box, neatly wrapped

in shiny silver paper with a red bow on top. “Congratulations,” Bianca said as

she handed Grace the beautifully wrapped package.

Like a child at Christmas, Grace quickly tore into the wrapping paper and

gasped when she saw the pristine white box that had been hidden underneath

the layers of paper and the crisp black print that said “Manolo Blahnik” across  the top. Her eyes darted up, only to see her smile reflected on her friends’  faces.

Grace let the paper fall onto the floor  and gently lifted the lid off to reveal the shoes inside.

“Oh my God. They’re magnificent.” Gingerly, Grace lifted out a beautiful black

ankle-tie pump. The suede shoe had cutouts along the sides and heels with a

silver tie in the front of the ankle. “Are  these the Carmines?” Grace barely

croaked the words out; she was in a state of shock. The limited edition shoe in

her hand was the one she had been fantasizing about for weeks.

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“The very ones,” Bianca said proudly. “You don’t even want to know how many  favors I had to cal in to find this in your size, in two days’ time.” Laughing, she  took the box from Grace’s hand and stooped down to slide the shoe onto her  foot.

Grace held onto Meg’s shoulder to steady herself as Bian ca tied the ankle straps tightly. “They’re a perfect fit,” she said softly as she stared down at her feet, tears welling up into her eyes. “Thank you both for finding them.” Grace was overwhelmed that they would both go to the trouble to find the exact shoe she had dreamed of.

“The deal was a fabulous pair of shoes to be worn on your first date of the New  Year, Grace,” Meg said as she wrapped her arms around her friend. “Would we  let you down?”

Once more, Grace glanced at herself in the mirror and let it all sink in.

The last few weeks, the fun, finding Michael, and falling in love—it was all  culminating in this evening and she found herself suddenly quite flustered. “How do I look?” Grace spun around to face her friends. “Is my hair OK

or is it too much? Do I need a necklace? What about a bracelet?”

“You look beautiful, Grace. Absolutely beautiful.” The awe in their voices made  her blush. “Are you ready? He’ll be here soon.”

“I’m not sure. I think I might throw up. That would be bad … Oh God, look at my  hands.” Tremors were raging though Grace’s body as she tried to pull herself  together. Her nerves taking over completely, Grace started pacing back and  forth through the family room like one of the tigers at the zoo.

“You’re going to wear  a hole in the floor. Sit down,” Bianca said sharply as she  patted the empty seat next to her on the couch.

In a daze, Grace wandered over, sat down for thirty seconds, and then was back on her feet again, pacing.

“Grace! You’re making m e nervous, now sit down!” Meg yelled from her chair as she yanked her blond locks in frustration. She watched Grace sit, then pace, sit, then pace, two more times before she finally exploded out of her chair and grabbed the phone. “Where the hell are you? She’s about to have  a stroke!

You know you shouldn’t keep a lady waiting. Hurry up!” she snapped into the phone before slamming it down onto the table. “Jackasses.”

“You didn’t,” Grace hissed.

“I did. And for your information, they just pulled onto the street. Give him five

minutes.” Meg quickly ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing it down 357

as she looked at her reflection in the window. Bianca made herself comfortable  on the couch and flipped through a stack of DVDs since she and Jack  were  staying in for the rest of the evening.

“I’m going to throw up,” Grace mumbled as her stomach flipped over violently.  “Do we have a bucket?”

“Don’t you dare vomit!” Bianca said sternly from her perch, waving her finger  at Grace. “Then I’d have to fix  your makeup all over again. Suck it up, girl.  Please don’t make me slap you.” She picked up an issue of Cosm o off the coffee  table and flung it directly at Grace’s head.

Catching the magazine before it could hit her, Grace fell into the nearest chair  and began flipping though the three hundred- plus page issue at lightning

speed until she found the monthly quiz which was titled “Are you good in bed?” She grabbed a pencil off the table and was about to gain some very important  insight about herself, when a lo ud knock on the door made Grace jump and  clutch the edge the chair. Her heart nearly jumped from her chest as Meg ran to  answer the door. The magazine fell to the floor with a loud thud as Grace  nervously glanced over at Bianca and stood up, visibly trembling.

“Well, it certainly took you long enough. Oh … OK, I guess you’re forgiven.”

Meg giggled from the front door. “Come in.”

Ryan was the first one to step inside. He handed Meg a huge bouquet of roses  which she immediately buried her nose into before kissing him. She led him  into the kitchen and promptly rummaged for a vase.

A laughing Jack burst through the door next, with a pizza in one hand and a  bottle of wine in the other. He walked right past Grace, setting the pizza down  on the coffee table before  sweeping Bianca up into his arms. They shared a  tender kiss, getting lost in each other’s eyes, the rest of the room falling away.

Grace was still captivated as she watched Bianca and Jack start arguing over what movie they were going to watch when she felt someone standing right next to her. She closed her eyes and waited for the silky sound of his voice. “Hello, sweetheart,” Michael said softly, making her entire body tingle. He moved to stand in front to her and held her arms out, taking a moment to soakin the sight of her in her dress. “I knew that would look spectacular. You truly take my breath away, Grace. I’ve never seen you look more beautiful.” He leaned even closer and whispered, “I can’t wait to get you out of here.”

“Hi,” she said shyly as she  blushed at his compliment. Suddenly Grace felt like a teenager being picked up for a first date. “You look pretty amazing yourself.” 358