Charm School After Dark: Lesson 1 (5 page)

“What are you doing? Hey! Where you going? Dare? I’ll just wait for you then, okay? I’ll visit with The Ladies.”

“Catch you later, Squirt.” Dare headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time. There was a broom closet above the office with a nice sized grate. If he was lucky, he might have a chance to listen in on the girls.
Stalker, much?

A niggling feeling of guilt tickled his chest until he reminded himself that his opponent was ruthless. He would need every bit of ammo at his disposal in order to take her down, and if he had to jam himself inside a dusty broom-closet, no problem. He’d done far worse.

He hadn’t been this excited for a fight in… forever.

Chapter 6

‡

I
T HAD ONLY
been about five minutes after Mr. Brown fled his office that Ms. Hattie lumbered toward the front of the room. Her large frame sat atop the tiniest pair of feet Caelen had ever seen, and she found herself grateful for the gray cane Ms. Hattie used to navigate the short walk.

Caelen’s heart squeezed painfully at the reminder of the march of time. As a kid, she’d reveled in every moment she’d spent with such smart, strong women. Now Ms. Belle was gone, and Ms. Hattie looked frail and in pain.

Pulling the front of her hat forward, Caelen tried to hide the sheen of tears behind the black mesh as she waited for Ms. Hattie to make her way to Mr. Brown’s desk. She had a million questions to ask, but the proper grandmother-figure would think it totally uncouth if she launched into her mental list of demands.

Ms. Hattie’s face beamed with happiness. Caelen had always loved her; it was impossible not to be drawn to the serenity that oozed from the large woman. Having three sisters and a frantic mother who was constantly working just to keep food in their mouths, Caelen had loved spending time with Ms. Hattie.

Usually, they’d worked together in the kitchen. Ms. Hattie was an amazing cook. Too bad none of Ms. Hattie’s skills had rubbed off on Caelen. She still considered bagels with cream cheese fine dining. Ms. Hattie had caught on quick and never actually allowed Caelen to prepare any of the meals; instead, most tasks were relegated to chopping or stirring.

“Hello, my Baby Quads. It’s so good to see you. I know we said hello earlier, but if these feet would allow me, I would just run over and kiss you again.”

“Yes, ma’am,” all of the girls responded dutifully.

“Such manners.” Ms. Hattie clapped her hands in glee. “It warms my heart that y’all have held onto the instruction Ms. Belle taught you. Makes me so proud. And my, my, Ms. Caelen! I see you still enjoy your special outfits. You look as pretty as a movie star, but why are you dressed for a funeral, baby?”

“I wanted to be respectful of Ms. Belle’s memory.” Caelen popped up and rushed into Ms. Hattie’s arms, pressing a soft kiss against her wrinkled brown cheek.

“That time has passed now, honey. The mourning is over. It’s what Ms. Belle would want. She’d want us to celebrate, her life and yours!” Ms. Hattie’s words were uplifting, but Caelen caught the sheen of tears trapped between her faux mink lashes.

Ms. Hattie went on to hug each of the girls individually. As the greetings went on, Caelen’s mind wandered and her gaze kept returning to the window. She tried to focus on the matter at hand, but she couldn’t help but imagine Dare toiling away under the hot sun, his tanned body glistening with sweat as—

No
. Didn’t matter he was drop dead gorgeous. Well, to be honest, he wasn’t
exactly
gorgeous. He was rugged, uber-masculine and so sexy it made her toes curl, but that didn’t matter, she reminded herself for the thousandth time. He was still a jerk! He didn’t deserve a second of her time. So why couldn’t she stop thinking about the feel of his warm, callused palm holding hers against his chest?

Focus.

Finally, Ms. Hattie settled in a seat toward the front of the room, right behind a large traveling trunk, adorned with gold buckles and worn leather. “Yes, yes. We are leaving all the mourning behind. Now we celebrate.”

“Is it true that the place is going to be foreclosed upon?” Dacey asked.

“Not if I have a breath left in my body. That isn’t even the biggest of our problems. We have a Handsome Devil, that’s what I call him, coming in, thinking he has a claim to Ms. Belle’s legacy. Just watch out, girls, for that wolf in sheep’s clothing. Doesn’t matter how pretty he is, he’s a devil all the same. Thank the Lord above that Ms. Belle put you girls in charge. I know if anyone can save the school, it’s you four.”

“But who is this guy? How could he have any claim to the school?” Caelen asked.

“In order to have a claim, he’d have to be a relative, silent partner…” Athena paused, tilting her head to the side. “I’m not as familiar with real estate law. Did Ms. Belle ever take out a loan on the school?” Athena’s lawyer-mind was whirling, the cogs obviously turning.

“That’s not for me to say. I am not one to meddle in other’s private affairs.”

All the girls kept silent on that one, biting their tongues
hard
, because meddling in people’s affairs was, well, pretty much
everything
Ms. Hattie lived for.

“And mind you, I’m the only one who calls him the Handsome Devil; that’s my nickname for him,” Ms. Hattie said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “He’s always hanging around, asking questions, trying to ferret out information. Maybe I should have called him The Weasel instead. No, no. Handsome Weasel doesn’t have the right ring to it,” she stated with a triumphant smile, looking around as if asking for confirmation.

“He’s been here?” Brynn asked, the quietest sister looking very concerned.

“Oh yes, we haven’t been able to get rid of him. You’ll see him soon enough, I’m sure. He’s dying to find out about the event this Friday.”

Caelen’s mind started to spin. She wanted this school bad. She
needed
this school; it was the opportunity she’d been looking for, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. She’d been desperate for a job and a place to stay; Ms. Belle’s provided both. But she also needed money, fast, to battle foreclosure and some asshat who was trying to steal the school away from them.

Either way she looked at it, money—and a lot of it—was necessary. “Dacey?” Caelen directed a look at the family’s computer genius.

Dacey raised her palm, her cell firmly in hand. “I’m on it. By the end of the day, I’ll have birth records, financials… Hell, I’ll be able to tell you the last time he went to the bathroom, if you really want to know.” Dacey cackled in glee as the rest of the women groaned in disgust. “I just need a name.”

“I only know him as the Handsome Devil. Let me think, what did he say his name was? Wally, Will… Something like that. I’m sure Mr. Brown will have all that information for you.”

“I don’t like it. What’s with all the secrecy? Why wouldn’t Mr. Brown have given us all of this information, already?” Athena stood and started her signature pacing.

“He is very protective of Ms. Belle and her privacy, as I’m sure you are.” Ms. Hattie directed a sharp look that had Athena sitting back in her seat.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Oh, snap!
She was going to have to take notes from Ms. Hattie. How many times would she have given her least favorite pair of shoes to be able to shut Athena down like that?
Hundreds.

“Now. I know you brilliant girls are going to figure out all those pesky financials. I am here to educate you on some of the classes Ms. Belle would teach. Do you remember the fine events Ms. Belle would throw when y’all were children?”

Flashes of colorful, silky gowns and wisps of expensive perfume tickled her memory. All of the small town’s finest would attend. Caelen and her sisters always tried to catch a glimpse before her mother showed up. The whole thing had been so exciting with wait staff, carts, and bottles and bottles of wine. It had been magnificent, but Caelen didn’t think Ms. Belle had had one of those parties in years.

“She was inspired by those parties. So many beautiful memories, and handsome men,” Ms. Hattie said with a mischievous wink. “She wanted to start up the classes again, but with a modern twist. Much more exclusive now.”

“Exclusive? For who? Or should I say, whom? I can never get that straight,” Dacey said.

“Whom,” Brynn corrected automatically. The resident English professor was their go-to source for all things “grammar.”

Ms. Hattie gave Brynn a gentle smile of thanks and continued. “Oh yes. It’s still a party, and a quite exciting one at that, but there is an instructional component to it. We have very private, very exclusive classes given to those looking for a little help in more…
private
matters.

Caelen’s mind was racing. Private matters? Ms. Belle had to have been
at least
in her nineties when she died. What kind of private matters could she be privy to? Did this have anything to do with The Devil?

As she spoke, Ms. Hattie made her way toward the antique trunk, and Caelen swore all of her sisters held their breath. It seemed to take forever, the woman’s small hands unlocking this, and sliding that. It was enough to make Caelen scream. Finally, Ms. Hattie popped open the large trunk, and all four sisters almost choked on their shock.

Leather, plastic, silicone… All very phallic and very colorful. Oh. My. Gucci. Was that a ball gag? Whips, chains,
feathers:
all the ingredients for Ms. Belle’s very own BDSM club.

“What the hell?” This came from Brynn, not Dacey, as most of them would assume.

“That’s right, ladies. I know it must be shocking at first, but this was the plan Ms. Belle devised before her death to keep this business afloat. Let’s face it. Not many are as interested in etiquette and manners classes for themselves or their children. She foresaw this as a way to truly help women.”

Caelen was speechless. Had Ms. Belle ever had a boyfriend? She’d always assumed she was too staid, too ladylike, to ever bother with a man.

Ms. Hattie tugged on the white cardigan straining to cover her broad shoulders. “You know, she always knew the current trends. She kept up with all the newest literature, and she noticed what she called ‘a need.’ Women want to explore their sexuality. You never knew this, but she would coach women to be ladies in public, but courtesans in the bedroom.”

A lady in the streets, and a freak in the sheets.
Visionary. Ms. Belle had been
way
ahead of her time.

“Now. Y’all will be thrilled to know that we are having our first ‘party,’ which consists of a few hours of instruction, and finally an all-out extravaganza Friday evening. We have quite a few sign ups already. And…”

Simultaneously, the Quads woke from their slack-jawed stupor and surrounded Ms. Hattie and the overflowing trunk.

“Wha…?”

“Ms. Belle instructed these classes herself?”

“Are those nipple clamps?”

“That’s four days away!”

All four of the sisters started rifling through the toys.

Ms. Hattie laughed heartily. “You have time to sort through these after I’m done. I have to pick up my great-grandson soon, so back to your seats. Go on, now.” She slapped at their hands and shooed them back toward their seats.

“To answer some of your questions, no, she didn’t have the opportunity to teach any of them herself before she became ill. I’m sure they
are
nipple clamps, and y’all have plenty of time. I kept these parts of the financials, because I knew an explanation was in order. Here are the books for the party. You know I never bother with that side of the business, but Ms. Belle assured me her beautiful Quads would be able to figure them out.”

She passed out a binder, and Caelen snapped it up.

“Now, most important. Ms. Belle was a conservative Southern woman,
but
she was also a woman of the world. Although she would have loved y’all to be married, like our Athena, she understood that isn’t as much a priority for your generation, and seeing how she never married herself, it wasn’t shocking that three of her four girls were still single by the age of twenty-seven. The blessing in all of this is y’all seem to be in loving, long-term relationships.”

The room went dead silent as Ms. Hattie paused for a non-verbal confirmation.

Dacey started shaking her head, but Caelen shot her an elbow to the ribs that shut her up long enough for Ms. Hattie to continue.

With a sweep of the hand that would make a Bob Barker’s model proud, she continued with her presentation. “She never would have been comfortable with you girls handling these classes if you didn’t have men of your own.”

Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!

This whole deal could fall apart because she wasn’t dating Victor anymore. And to make things worse, both Brynn and Dacey were single, too. She had to make sure her sisters kept their big mouths shut. So far, Dacey seemed to have gotten the message. She was still rubbing her side, casting Caelen dirty looks.

Athena cleared her throat, and Caelen just knew Ms. Goody Two-shoes was going to spill the beans. Caelen leaned over as casually as she could, tilted her Fascinator hat forward to block what she was about to do and whispered, “If you ever loved me, you will
shut your mouth.”

Athena narrowed her eyes and leaned forward.

“Please.” Caelen knew the desperation must be bleeding through her eyes.

Her sister huffed, but sat back in her seat.

Thank you!
Minor crisis averted, for now. Caelen glanced over at Brynn, but thankfully, she wasn’t talking.

“You girls are so quiet. I expected a million questions. Oh dear, you must still be affected by the shock of Ms. Belle’s death.”

Yes, it must be the shock and not the plethora of colorful sex toys lying gingerly in Ms. Belle’s antique trunk
.

“Now, what was I saying? Yes, yes. Ms. Belle’s philosophy. It was important that you adhere to her rules. Do y’all remember?”

The girls nodded dutifully. They recited together, “Never ask another to do what I wouldn’t do myself.”