Sweet but Sexy Boxed Set (75 page)

The bliss of housework and babies?

Cheris’ stomach rolled uneasily.

With some effort, Annie stood up leaning heavily on her cane.
“Now then. I labored all the way up that staircase to have this little heart-to-heart. I hope you will help me get back down.”

Chapter Five

The sun shone bright and the birds sang sweetly, and Dorothy did not feel nearly so bad as you might think a little girl would who had been suddenly whisked away from her own country and set down in the midst of a strange land.

—The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
by L. Frank Baum

Cheris sat in Geoff’s car as he went around to the driver’s side. When he sat down in the seat and closed the door, he sighed heavily. Staring for a moment through the darkened windshield, he finally turned the key in the ignition and started the engine.

What was he thinking?

Cheris stole a glance at him. His morose expression reflected her mood.

After she had accompanied Annie downstairs, Monnie had put her and Geoff together then proceeded to introduce them to every person at the party.

Every single person.

Cheris was pretty sure Monnie had dragged in a few hobos off the street to introduce them to as well. Cheris
’ face hurt from smiling so much, and her head hurt from the stress of acting like a fraud. Without any verbal communication between them, both she and Geoff had played the happy newlyweds the entire night. Cheris realized it was useless to attempt to explain the truth to anyone. Not only had Hip Granny embraced the romantic story, but Geoff’s new boss had as well.

What could she say, really?

Thank you for your good wishes, but I was under the influence of Wonderland potion last night and can’t even remember getting married.

It had been horrible. The lie. The great, big, disgusting lie.

Geoff turned the car into the parking lot of her apartment. Pulling into a space, he cut the engine and released his seatbelt.

“
I guess, there’s only one thing to say,” he announced.

“
What?”

“
Well, Stanley, here’s yet another fine mess you’ve gotten us into.”

A giggle bubbled up from Cheris
’ throat and escaped from her mouth. She opened the door and left the vehicle. The giggle grew until waves of laughter overcame her at the absurdity of every single moment since she had awoken this morning. She caught sight of Geoff who now stood with hands in pockets watching her, and she laughed some more. Holding her side to quell the stitches, Cheris staggered toward the walkway and her apartment. Her mirth echoed in the still night air, and though she didn’t know exactly why, but it was funny.

Really funny.

Tears streamed down her face, and she wiped her cheek then dug into her purse for her keys. When she unlocked her door and threw it open Geoff followed her as far as the threshold. Cheris collapsed on her rocking chair and gulped in a couple of breaths.

Her gaze focused on the man who waited silently for her to do what, she didn
’t know. Though they had spent the last six hours together, she knew little more than she did this morning when he stood in roughly the same spot with undershirt and tuxedo pants. Tonight was supposed to be dinner and conversation. She was supposed to interrogate Geoff and gather evidence on his character.

Instead they had gone further into this upside down world inviting all of Geoff
’s family to join them not to mention Annie Hill and Milton Stewart.

And if Mr. Stewart knew that meant Bill Connor, her boss, would find out, and within an hour he
’d figure out a way to capitalize on it and make more money for Mr. Stewart. It would get on Hip Granny and her mom would find out.

Cheris buried her face in her hands and groaned.

“Are you ready?” Geoff asked.

For whatever it was, no she wasn
’t.

Her front door clicked shut. But he was still here. She didn
’t have to see him to know. Like the sound of air parting when someone enters a room though their footsteps are silent, she knew. The very molecules of the room shifted at his presence. And her own molecules, well, they didn’t shift so much as they…err…vibrated.

Not too long ago, she had been talking to someone at the party. Geoff had been somewhere else, but Cheris had known the second he had entered the room.

How?

Some crazy feeling—awareness—those molecules…or something. She had turned her head, and there he had been, those beautiful eyes behind his glasses meeting and holding her gaze.

The recognition of it made her uneasy because it hinted at a history with him, and the only history she had was what she couldn’t remember.

She lowered her hands, but didn
’t make eye contact. “For what?”

“
To ask me questions. I told you earlier I’d answer as many as you wanted to ask.”

Cheris leaned her head back against the wooden chair.
“It’s late.”

“
Really? Nothing you want to know?”

“
Did you…know who I was last night at the exhibit?”

“
Yes.”

“
Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

Geoff meandered into the room. He paused at a framed photograph of her and Janie.
“It didn’t come up. Not then.”

Cheris
’ throat closed up. Again with the lost time. Had she lived an eternity after the punch and cake?

“
When did it? Before or after we got married?”

“
Before. We talked about having Janie as a witness.” He sat down on her couch and leaning forward, he clasped his hands between his knees.

Her troubled gaze met his.
“Why didn’t we?”

“
You sure you want to know?”

“
Yes.”

“
You said it would take too long.”

“
Why was I in such a hurry?”

“
The courthouse closed at nine. We were pushing it.”

“
Yes. We were.”

Geoff didn
’t reply, only leaned back against the couch cushion and stretched his arms across its length.

“
What are we going to do?”

“
We could go to bed. Everything looks better in the morning.” He yawned as if to punctuate his statement.

“
Go to bed? Go to bed?” Cheris exclaimed as she jumped out of the chair. “Don’t you care that half the town knows we’re married?”

Geoff followed suit.
“Now, Cheris—”

“
Don’t you
Now, Cheris
me. We’ve got to figure out a way to get out of this marriage gracefully before my boss gets a hold of it and broadcasts it on the World Wide Web.” What a nightmare it would be if her mom found out.

“
It’ll be all right, sweetheart.”

Their postures felt familiar to her. Had he tried to placate her last night with a
Now, Cheris
and
It’ll be all right, sweetheart
?

“
Have we already had this conversation?” she snapped.

“
No.”

“
Something similar though. What was it?”

Geoff blinked at her. He ran a hand through his hair.

“What?”

“
It was…it was about making love.”

Cheris
’ jaw dropped in disbelief. What had he done to her last night?

He
’d cajoled and talked her right out of her panties. That’s what he had done.

The ache in her head exploded, and she gripped her temples.

“I can’t talk about this right now.” She marched across the carpeted floor to the hallway and her bedroom. Behind the closed door she took a shuttering breath. No. She couldn’t talk about it, didn’t even want to think about it, wished she could wake up in the morning and find all of this was a very bad dream.

Geoff Arrowood could show himself out. She was done with him for tonight.

With jerky movements, Cheris stripped off her clothes, not even bothering to hang up her dress. She pulled on a nightshirt and collapsed on the bed staring at the ceiling lit only by the street lamp outside. She’d wait a little while for Geoff to leave then she’d go back out there to the bathroom, brush her teeth, take something for her head, and remove her make-up.

She
’d give him twenty minutes.

He
’d be gone by then.

Cheris turned on her side, and in the silence of the dark the events of the last twenty-four hours welled up from her heart and gathered in big tears which fell down her face.

At nearly eight the next morning, Cheris awoke with puffy eyes and mascara splotched all over her pillowcase. She yawned and stretched before sliding off the mattress and stripping it.

Monday was usually her day for washing sheets, but she
’d rather erase the evidence of her tearful night. Today was a new day and the start of a new week. She’d do some laundry and go to church, maybe get some new insight on her situation.

She gathered the bedclothes in her arms and walked into the hallway to the shuttered doors which hid the cubby with the washer and dryer. Opening one side, she bumped it wider with her hip and dumped the sheets in the open machine. Then she pulled her gown over her head and shoved it in there as well. She started the load and stepped into the bathroom to take a shower.

Under the hot spray, she ruminated on Geoff’s words.

Everything looks better in the morning.

Yeah, it did.

She
’d make an appointment with an attorney in the morning. She’d talk to Annie and explain to her what happened. Annie was the original Hip Granny. She’d been giving practical advice for years. She’d be disappointed in Cheris’ actions, but she’d probably have some ideas about how to handle a quiet divorce.

It
’ll be all right.

Cheris smiled and shook her head in irony.

Geoff’s words again.

Well, Stanley, here
’s another fine mess you’ve gotten us into.

He was funny, and, yes, he was cute, too. He had a way of adjusting his glasses that was endearing. She
’d only seen him without them when he’d been asleep yesterday morning. And, well, when she’d pulled them off his face on the stairs last night. The color of his irises without the eyewear had mesmerized her.

Turning off the faucet, she pulled a towel from the rack and dried herself before wrapping it around her body and tucking the corner in front. With her hair still wet, she picked up a brush from the basket on the corner of the counter and pulled it through the dripping locks. Humming the tune from Laurel and Hardy, she headed toward the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker.

And screamed bloody murder.

Because standing there peering into her open refrigerator was Geoff. At her startled cry, he stood up straight and slammed the door shut, then tried to shield himself from the brush she threw at him.

“Geoff, what are you doing here?” She exclaimed. “You scared me half to death!”

“
Sorry. “ He reached down and rubbed his leg where the brush had hit him.

Geoff wore the same clothes he had been wearing last night except they looked as if he had slept in them.

Slept in them?

“
Do not tell me you spent the night here last night,” she demanded.

When Geoff stared at her without answering, she stamped her foot.

The towel loosened though Cheris didn’t notice.

“
Answer me.”

Eye glass adjustment.
“Was that a question? It sounded like an order.” Geoff turned away from her, leaned against the counter, and studied the wall across the kitchen from him.

Now what was he doing? He can
’t even look at me when I’m talking to him?

Cheris moved to stand in front of him and glared up at him.
“Did you sleep here last night?
Uninvited
?”

“
Yes.” Geoff inched away from her, sliding along the counter toward the stove. “I’m sorry. I was waiting for you to come back so we could work something out, but I guess I fell asleep on the couch.”

“
You fell asleep on the couch.” Cheris took the place he had abandoned, facing him. When she leaned against the counter, the towel slipped about half an inch. “What is wrong with you? Why couldn’t you take the big, fat hint and leave?”

Geoff glanced at her from the corner of his eye and swallowed hard.
“Sorry.”

His jaw was rough from a night
’s growth of beard, his hair tousled from sleep. Sleep he had gotten on her couch. Her heart sped up a bit at the picture of him rumpled and…something else. What was it? Vulnerability maybe, or nervous tension. Her indignation softened, but she held onto it.