Sweet but Sexy Boxed Set (60 page)

Chapter Ten

To avoid additional conversations with her grandmother and mom about breast size, Allison snuck up the stairs when everyone gathered to watch Sarah open gifts.

After changing into something comfortable, she booted up her laptop, logged onto her work email and sorted through two hundred new messages from the last three days. For the next hour, she scrolled, clicked and answered. Her boss mentioned, in several emails, how much she was missed and why had he approved her vacation.

In a twisted way, Allison almost felt appreciated. Almost.

A majority of the messages were from her team member, Kelly, who ranted about how hard things were with her gone. Their boss rode her butt all day and then expected her to stay late to finish up. She wasn’t sure how Allison did it on a daily basis but she deserved a raise.

The last email from Kelly stated she was interviewing for a new job, if she could get away long enough.

Allison lay back on her bed, setting her laptop aside while she dreamed for a minute about interviewing for a new job. Where would she go? She knew of a large, full-service marketing firm in St. Louis but wasn’t sure if she was qualified to apply. The owner, who referred to himself as RJ, had a hard-ass reputation. Although, moving back meant seeing Adam more and even Audrey wasn’t that bad in small doses. Even her mom had funny moments, especially when she drank, which would make her living in St. Louis full time easier to digest. Allison wondered if she could convince her best friend, George, to move with her.

She tossed aside the idea of looking for a new job. Allison pulled her computer back on her lap and answered more emails, until she heard deep voices from downstairs.

Guilt for wanting the shower over sat heavy on her shoulders. She clicked her laptop closed, stored it back in her bag and moved to assess her looks in the mirror. She raked the brush along the lengths of her hair, making the brunette locks shine. The risk of seeing Ryan ran high. He would catch her in an old high school sweatshirt and grubby pants again.

Satisfied, she left her room and headed for the stairs. Where once crepe paper hung and decorations displayed, now gone leaving the gold and crystal light fixture free to shine. She looked closely at each framed photo hanging on the wall. Her parent
’s wedding photo taken on the altar of The Old Cathedral. A red tinged photo of her sister Audrey when she was a baby. Another portrait of the three siblings
, p
robably taken at a department store photography studio with fake props and plastic flowers. Each step showed a new picture. She ran her palm along the dark wooden railing. Scents from brunch lingered in the air and she shivered at the memory of her big gulp of cold coffee. She blamed Lynette for the bitter taste and not her mom, as her grandmother did.

The entire lower level of the house returned to its earlier state.

Allison snuck a look around the corner into the living room. Standing by the window, Sarah faced Adam. Soft light shined through the gauzy curtains casting a gentle glow around the couple. Their bodies touched at the knees, hips and arms. His hands were interlocked behind her back, holding her close. In heels, Sarah stood at eye level with Adam. Their heads bent forward, with Sarah’s long brown hair falling around them. Their lips moved with a private conversation. Leaning against the door frame, out of their direct line of vision, she watched them, loving the closeness they shared. Adam tucked Sarah’s hair behind her ear. His hand lingered, rubbing small circles at the nape of her neck.

Sarah smiled.

Allison smiled.

“
They look great together, don’t they?”

His words swept across the exposed skin of Allison
’s neck, pulling a cluster of goose bumps to rise. She looked back over her shoulder and sucked in a deep breath at the sight of Ryan. His light brown hair was mussed, lying in all directions. Deep golden brown eyes smiled back at her. Two strong hands grabbed onto her biceps before they pulled her back from the doorway.

When they were out of view, Ryan released his hold, dropping his hands back at his side. He stared at Allison for a minute before he nodded his head in the direction of the kitchen. She walked behind him, enjoying the view. A pair of athletic shorts hung low on his trim waist, resting just above a set of muscular calves. A white T-shirt with a logo on the chest sat at the band of his shorts.

Ryan held open the kitchen door allowing her to pass. With him behind her, she felt self-conscious and hurried to find a spot at the counter to hold up.

“
They do,” she said to Ryan watching him open the frig door. He pulled out two bottles of water, handed one to her before he found a spot to stand across from her. The space between them was a few feet but she felt mere inches from him. His woodsy cologne filled the empty air between them. “The answer to your question. They do look great together. But they always have, even when we were younger.”

“
Yeah. It makes you stop and stare, doesn’t it?”

“
Sure.” Allison twisted the top from her bottle, took a sip allowing the wetness to drip down her throat. His touch on her arms burned a memory in her skin.

“
I didn’t think I needed what they have. I thought, sure I’ll find someone, get married and that’ll be it. But those two,” he pointed a thumb over his shoulder, “watching them makes me want what they have. I want more than a person to marry. I want it to be my best friend. Ya know?”

Allison moved from her spot against the counter to the sink, keeping her face turned away from Ryan. She wanted the same thing, except in her fairytale, Ryan filled the role of her prince.

“I know what you mean. I feel blessed to share this with them.”

“
Yeah, and now you get your happy ending wedding.”

Silence fell between them. Her face contorted into confusion.
“What?”

“
George told us.” His eyes never left her face as he tipped his bottle of water to his lips.

“
Told you?” Allison returned the stare. Had she missed something? She roughly replayed the last conversation with George before the bridal shower. She remembered discussing Ryan and his questions during golf. Had she and George agreed on a new aspect of their relationship? Did she tell him to say something to him…about a wedding?

Her words unsteadily fell from her lips.
“What exactly did he tell you?”

“
About,” he started.

“
About our engagement.” George stood at her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She needed the support after hearing his words.

“
Oh my goodness!” Her mother’s voice squealed from the kitchen doorway causing all three heads to turn her way. A room with only two people suddenly turned into a party in a matter of devastating seconds.

Words continued to fail Allison. Her mother and father entered the room at the worst possible moment. Tears sprung from her mother
’s eyes.

“
Um…”

George
’s hand rubbed a track along her arm, pulling her close to his body. “The guys invited me to hang out with them again during the shower and we were talking and…it came out. I’m sorry, honey. I know you didn’t want to say anything yet but all this wedding talk got me excited.”

“
Um…”

Allison
’s mom yanked her daughter from George’s hold and pulled her into a tight embrace. Her fingers dug into her back, holding her firmly against her. “My babies are getting married. Oh my goodness. And I thought this day would never come.”

“
Gee, thanks mom.”

“
Aw sweet pea. You know what your mother means.” Her father joined their hug, pulling George into the mix. Allison’s face heated from the bodies surrounding her and the look Ryan offered. A smile turned up his lips, which didn’t reach his eyes. The normal gleam and liveliness his brown eyes held fell short.

Allison itched to reach across the mass of bodies holding her to pull him into a hug.

“Have you set a date?” Ryan’s words broke into the soft sniffles of joy from Mrs. Daughtry.

The small group pulled apart allowing Allison a burst of fresh air.
“Um. No. We haven’t really talked about it yet.” Her last words pointed at her new fiancé.

Mrs. Daughtry smiled beneath the tears falling down her cheeks.
“I cannot wait to start planning. Now, I know you two live in Chicago but I think you should get married here.”

“
Mom. George is from Chicago. Why can’t we get married there?” The ridiculousness of her question wasn’t lost on Allison. She knew their engagement wasn’t real but hearing her mother already plan her wedding irritated her, breaking the shocked mood.

“
Well. We have plenty of time to discuss. I’ve got phone calls to make. People to tell.” She practically skipped from the kitchen rattling off names.

George moved close to Allison, putting his arm back around her. Tension in her body eased. She allowed herself to relax instead of chasing after her mother.

“So, what are your plans for the night?” Ryan asked before finishing off his bottle of water.

“
I don’t know. Probably watch some TV, do some work or nothing. Why?” Ryan’s sudden interest in her evening seemed odd. After her recent revelation, she planned on grilling George but she thought better than to share that information with Ryan.

“
Adam and I were talking and since there isn’t anything pressing tomorrow except for picking up tuxedos and the rehearsal dinner we wondered if we should go out tonight. Relax. Have a few drinks. Adam and Sarah had their bachelor and bachelorette parties but they want to do one together. One last hoorah. What do you think?”

“
Sounds like a good idea.”

“
Will there be dancing?” George asked. “I love to dance.” With his arm still around Allison, he bumped hips with her while shaking his butt.

Her irritation with him melted a little. A night out away from her mom sounded like heaven. A reason to dress up and drink colorful drinks drove right up her alley.

“We can go somewhere with dancing,” Ryan offered.

“
Okay, I’m in. Do I need to do anything? Like reservations or call people?” Allison asked stepping away from George’s hold.

Ryan kicked up an eyebrow at Allison.
“Do you still talk to anyone from high school or that would still be in the area?” His smile told her he already knew the answer. “That’s what I thought. I’ll text a few people and tell Sarah and Adam to do the same.”

“
Except Audrey, right?”

Ryan
’s laugh rolled across her skin like a massage. She liked how it made her feel. Light. Free. Like he knew her better than she knew herself.

“
You still aren’t close, are you? I’d have thought after all these years, you two would have connected.”

“
Why? We don’t have anything in common. She’s still older and now she’s married with three kids. What could I offer to that conversation? She thinks I work too much. That I live too far away. Basically, we’re the same as before except now she has a mini army at her back.”

“
Okay, I get it. Anyway, we have to invite her. You never know. A few drinks and she might loosen up.” He winked at Allison before he directed his attention to his phone.

A wink.

Ugh. He was actually killing her with sexiness.

“
I’ve got a guy who always told me that if I needed some wheels during the week to let him know. I think we should get a limo or party bus that way no one has to drive. Better safe than sorry.” He punched numbers into his phone and before Allison realized, he spoke to someone about a bus. After a few okays and some head nods, he finished his call with the address to her parent’s house before he hung up.

“
What do you want me to do?” Allison asked again.

“
Right. Um, can you run to the grocery store, grab some beer and soda and I’ll pay for the bus. We’ll meet back here in what, three hours and then head out.”

“
Sure. Three hours. Okay.”

Before Ryan turned and walked from the kitchen, he looked up from his phone, gave Allison a full of teeth smile revealing a small dimple in his left cheek.
“Thanks and I’ll see you two later.” He winked again, turned and left Allison swooning against George in the kitchen.

Chapter Eleven

Three hours later, Allison, out of breathe, sat on a bench in the foyer waiting for everyone to arrive. The short amount of hours flew by, barely giving her enough time to work her magic.
Why she had thought three hours would be enough was unclear. She remembered why. Ryan asked. His words made her want to do anything he asked.

Once she was home from the store, her mother shoed her away to get ready, making her father put together a cooler stocked with the beverages she
’d bought. Allison thought she heard her mom comment, under her breath, something about making sure she looked presentable with her new fiancé. When she asked her mother what she said, her reply was a hand wave with a chirpy “nothing.”

Allison assumed her mother wasn
’t drunk on mimosas anymore.

Lucky for her, Allison had a fairy godmother named George who sat out a few outfits to pick from when she returned from the grocery store.

As if reading her mind, the good-looking blonde eased down the Daughtry family staircase continuing to button one of his cuffs. The lavender dress shirt brought out an extra shine in his hair. His charcoal gray slacks showed a freshly pressed crease down each leg only accentuated by his recently buffed black dress shoes.

“
You can iron your clothes but picking up your wet towels is unthinkable.” Allison rose to meet him.

“
First off, now that we’re getting married, I don’t plan on cleaning up…ever.” He winked. “Second, your mother ironed my clothes. She does a mean crease.” He ran a hand down the front of his shirt, admiring the pleats in his pants.

Allison grabbed George
’s arm and pulled him close to her mouth. “Speaking of engagement. What were you thinking?”

“
Oh yeah. That.”

The two stared at each other for a second before a large smile broke across Allison
’s face. “You’re a genius. Make me seem unavailable. Like forbidden fruit. Good, good.” She released her hold and paced in the small space in front of George. “I don’t understand why you didn’t mention your plan before. I mean, it’s a bit extreme and my mother will be crushed when we break up but I think this might work.” She stopped and looked at her fiancé. “Do you think it’ll work?”

“
Um…er…”

George scratched the back of his head, still staring at Allison. He squinted, shook his head, moved toward the bench and sat down. His long slender legs stretched out in front of him.
“To be honest, it wasn’t planned.”

“
What?” She sat in the small space beside him. “Then why did you say it.”

“
We were playing pool, throwing darts and having a few drinks. I’m usually a wine or martini guy but that didn’t seem appropriate at a sports bar, so I had beer. And I guess the four I had hit me harder than I thought. Ryan was asking Adam about getting married and relationshippy stuff and how he envied him. He stared at your brother in awe and I was a little jealous, I admit. Or it was the alcohol but I just blurted out that we were getting married.”

“
And?”

“
And they started patting my back, hugging me and we were like all connected. Like real friends. It was nice. I mean, I don’t have any guy friends back home and it was comforting to have some. You’re my closest friend and no offence, but you’re a girl.”

“
None taken.”

“
Thanks. So, I’m sorry if this makes things more complicated. I can fix it, if you want.”

Allison leaned against the back of the bench, stretching out her legs beside George
’s. Her black heels didn’t quite reach his shoes. Seeing the tears in her mother’s eyes when she found out about their engagement was a moment Allison didn’t want to erase. Her parents loved her, but the joy they expressed seeing her with someone filled her heart. She’d live the lie until they returned to Chicago.

“
No. Let’s get through the week and I’ll fix everything when we return home.”

“
Are you sure?” George wrapped his slender hand around hers, pulling it to his lap.

“
Yes. I’m sure. If my family finds out the engagement, or even the relationship, wasn’t real, they’d be hurt. And I don’t want that. Once we’re in Chicago, I’ll tell them we broke up.”

“
Okay. It’s your call. I’m with you every step of the way.”

Allison leaned into George
’s body. Happiness spread from her face to her heart; overwhelmed with joy because of the great guy in her life.

Minutes later, the doorbell rang. A group of people waited on the front porch standing around a red cooler Mr. Daughtry filled. The girls wore sparkly tops while the guys stayed with jeans and a button up shirt. Soon, the bus, followed by Ryan in a silver and black Camaro, pulled in front of the house. With beers in hand, two guys grabbed the cooler and headed to the bus.

Adam’s shoes clomped down the stairs with Sarah’s clicking behind him, meeting George and Allison in the doorway. “We’re gonna have a great time,” he said.

Allison smiled at her brother. She grabbed George
’s hand and followed the line of people to the bus.

Inside, music bounced, thumping a beat in her chest. Black leather seats ran down one side of the converted city bus and back up the other. On the back wall hung a large screen TV showing a music video. Two silver poles connected from the floor to ceiling positioned down the middle isle. Allison smiled and wondered who the guy was Ryan called to book the bus.

George and Allison grabbed two seats near the front of the bus. Before she could remove her coat, a beer appeared in her face. She looked up to the offered drink and found a set of smiling brown eyes.

Ryan.

“Thanks,” she said accepting the beverage.

He took the seat across from her, staying close to the bus driver. He gave the man directions and settled back into the leather seat. His hand plunged into the cooler, pulling out another bottle he offered to George.

“No thanks. I’m still feeling pretty good from today.” He sat against the leather seat, placing an arm across the back behind Allison. He turned his head, watching a girl spinning around one of the poles.

“
You look nice,” Ryan whispered across the aisle.

“
Thanks,” she placed her lips around the tip of the bottle. She pulled in a deep drink, enjoying the coolness sliding down her throat. If she continued at the same pace throughout the night, she’d be hammered before last call.

But if she didn
’t keep her hands and face busy, she’d be forced to look at Ryan. Who also looked better than nice in a pair of dark denim jeans and white button up shirt. His hair still damp from a recent shower and his face freshly shaved.

“
Nice bus,” she nodded toward the silver pole positioned close to where she sat.

His shoulders bobbed when he laughed.
“Thanks. He said he was slow during the week. I had no idea this is what he had in mind. I guess when I told him it was for a wedding get together, he figured we needed some additional entertainment.”

“
So I’m guessing the relaxing evening you mentioned earlier is out.”

“
No. I think we can unwind at a club. Dancing and drinking are sure fire relaxation techniques.”

The smirk on his face showed off his dimple, leaving Allison with something to stare at. She forced her free hand beneath her thigh to keep from reaching across the aisle to touch him. Oh, this was bad. She brought the bottle to her lips again. She gulped the rest of the beverage, feeling the cool burn down her throat.

“Um, so is this everybody?” She looked to the back of the bus as it bounced and jerked down the road. Allison focused on the people around her, avoiding the deep brown eyes across from her.

Ryan leaned back farther into the bus seat, mimicking George
’s posture. The spot next to him was empty and his arm almost begged for Allison to cross the space between them. With his bottle between his legs, Ryan ran a free hand through his hair, allowing the dark locks to flop back into place.

“
I doubt it. Adam and Sarah said they let other people know. People not in the wedding party.”

Allison placed her empty bottle in a trash bag, reached into the cooler and pulled another into her grasp. The top popped with a hiss and she took a healthy drink.
“Oh good. So, are you meeting anybody there?”

The alcohol warmed in her belly. After one bottle, she felt lightness in her head. Her brave question needed an answer. Her fake engagement needed to provide her with information. Waiting for his answer, she took another drink of her beer. His eyes shined from the party lights lining the bus ceiling. His smile turned into something mysterious like he had naughty thoughts in his head. Ryan matched Allison
’s move with a deep drink of his own beer before discarding it in the same black trash bag.

“
No.”

Sarah fell into Allison
’s lap with a Tupperware container clutched in her hands. She handed Allison a small plastic cup. “Here’s your shot. They are so yummy. I’m surprised they set up so fast.” Sarah popped the lid off her Jell-O shot, ran her pinky around the perimeter and tipped the cup over her mouth. “Mmm.”

“
Thanks.” Allison mimicked her future sister-in-law and let out her own sign of appreciation.

“
Okay, I’ll be back. I need to make my rounds. Here,” she offered a colored cup to George and Ryan.

Both guys waived a hand.

“I’m good. Maybe later,” Ryan offered

Sarah stuck out her bottom lip for a second before she shot up from Allison
’s lap and headed to the back of the bus where Adam sat. Allison watched her fall into her brother’s lap, wrap her arms around his neck and plant a big kiss on his cheek.

Allison stared at the other people on the bus for a minute. Music thumped all around her, vibrating in her chest as she watched girls trying to twirl on the striper pole. She wondered if she
’d have enough courage to try. Would she fall? Or would she even make it around the pole before she slid to the floor.

She couldn
’t help smile at the thought.

“
What are you thinking about?” George asked. His face close to her ear and his breath tickling her skin.

“
The stripper poles,” she managed to say.

“
Stripper poles,” he repeated. “You wanna try?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

Allison offered a smile with a shrug before she turned facing the window behind her seat. Instead of getting caught staring at Ryan when she should be fawning over George, her only option remained along the highway.

A few minutes later, the party bus pulled to a bumpy stop in front of a building. The outside windows were covered in black paint with a neon sign above that said
150
. If it weren’t for the line of people waiting to enter, the place looked closed.

The club rested on the corner of Washington and Seventh in downtown St. Louis; an up and coming area in a shadier part of the city. Historic buildings lined the cobble stone street. Restaurants, clubs and boutiques tried their hand at helping to rejuvenate the aging area. Condos, townhomes and restored lofts overlooked the streets below.

One by one, they exited the bus, leaving their cans and bottles in the trash. And one by one they entered the club, with protest from the people waiting. Allison assumed their immediate access was Ryan’s doing. She made a mental note to ask him what he did for a living allowing him to be so connected. Living so far away didn’t allow her privy to such important information.

Inside
150
, the lights were dim. Base thumped and bumped along Allison’s skin. With the amount of alcohol she’d already consumed, her body loosened up and she shook her hips as she made her way to the bar.

Colored lights swirled around the room from the ceiling above the dance floor. A fog crept along the ground, weaving in and out between the dancers
’ legs. Allison leaned back against a small open spot at the bar and watched. Bodies gyrated, rubbing against others to the beat of the music. The song was fast, causing some to dance and jump around as others kept couples close, holding onto each other for dear life.

“
What can I getcha?” The bartender asked from behind her. She spun around, smiled and said, “A white Cosmo.” If they didn’t screw up her simple drink, she’d have more fun with her choices as the night wore on. “What do you want?” She asked George who squeezed into the space beside her.

“
Nothing right now. You wanna dance?”

“
I’ll watch your drink,” Ryan said from behind her. His hand rested against the bare shoulder her sequin halter-top provided. Goose bumps ran across her skin, bringing heat to her cheeks. “I won’t let anything bad happen to it. Go dance with your boy…fiancé.” Allison noticed the slight hitch in his voice when he said fiancé.