That Thing You Do (Whispering Bay Romance Book 1) (Volume 1) (7 page)

There was a text from Emma.
How’s the story going?

Not so good.
Allie responded.

Her cell phone broke out into Adele. Allie sighed. She was really going to have to change her ring tone to something more upbeat.

“What do you mean not so good?” Emma said before Allie could even say hello.

Best to get the bad news over with pronto.

“The senior center is definitely being demolished this morning.” Allie went on to explain how Steve Pappas had refused to intervene on her behalf. “I can still resurrect the piece,” she said trying to sound professional and optimistic. “I plan to interview all the locals. It’ll come together, I swear.”

“Oh, I know you’ll make it work.
You always do. It’s just, the story would have so much more
pizazz
with the whole spending the night in the haunted house angle. Are you sure you still can’t swing it? Because I think you need to know that I’ve just got the go ahead from Ben to hire another full time writer.” Ben Gallagher was Emma’s boss and the publisher for
Florida
! magazine. This was the break Allie had been waiting for.

“That’s great!” Allie’s enthusiasm was met with silence. “Um, isn’t it?”

“You’re definitely my number one candidate, but Ben…well, he thinks to be fair we need to post the job, do interviews, that kind of stuff. He wants the candidates to submit three articles of their choice to an editorial committee. I was thinking you would include your Perky the Duck article, which
everyone
loves,
and of course, the follow up story on the BP oil spill which is a lot meatier and more serious and a really well written piece.”

Allie let Emma’s words sink in.

It made sense that Ben wanted to post the job. There was probably some kind of company HR policy on that, but still. She really thought the next opening at
Florida
! was hers, no questions asked. In retrospect, that had been
naïve of her. Nothing in this world was guaranteed. Especially a rare job with a sought out publication. Allie tried her hardest to squelch her disappointment. “And you think this ghost story would be a good third piece?”

“Well, here’s the catch. He wants the third piece to be an original. Something never published before. I think if you can take this story to the next level it would be
perfect.”

The next level?

“Do you know who my competition might be?”

There was a long pause that made Allie’s throat go dry.

“I’m not going to lie to you. Chris Dougal is looking for a full time job and he’s working on this big illegal immigration piece. It’s effect on the Florida economy, that kind of stuff.”

In other words
, serious
stuff. The kind of stuff Ben loved.
If it sold magazines, that is. Ben Gallagher was all about the bottom line. Chris Dougal had written several books on Florida politics. Boring stuff, to be sure. Stuff that didn’t sell so well, but he had the kind of credentials that gave Ben an editorial hard on. If Chris could write a story that would interest their readers enough to buy magazines then Allie was toast.
Burned
. To a crackly crunch.

She now knew exactly what Emma meant by the next level. This ghost story needed to be the best thing she’d ever written. Even better than the Perky the Duck story, which seemed near to impossible. Chasing this bogus ghost story to please Emma Frazier was one thing, but having her career ride on it was something altogether different.

“Here’s the thing, I can find another story to write.
As a matter of fact, before you sent me that anonymous email and I was doing research for a piece on the history of St. Augustine and I think—”

Emma moaned. “St. Augustine has already been done. One too many times as far as I’m concerned. No, I really think this ghost story is so
you
. And the magazine has never done anything like it before, so it will be fresh.”

“But—”

“I guarantee
you,” Emma continued, “If you can take this ghost story and wring the emotion out of it—get it to really zing—then I’m positive I can swing Ben to your side.”  

Allie had no choice. If she wanted to elevate this story to the next level, to make it
zing
, as Emma said, she was going to have to make this story personal. Which meant she was going to have to experience this “ghost” for herself.
Which meant she needed to keep this building from coming down. Which meant…she was going to have to throw herself at the mercy of The Person In Charge. Who, number one, didn’t believe in ghosts, number two, was on a schedule, and number three, was the last person on earth Allie wanted to ask for a favor.

She didn’t get it. She was a good person. She smiled at strangers, didn’t cheat on her
taxes, and recycled religiously. So how could fate be this cruel? In all her Tom Donalan fantasies,
he
was the one begging her for something. Not the other way around.

T
welve years ago, for
one glorious summer, Tom Donalan had been Allie’s first boyfriend. Her first love. Her first…everything. Although technically, he was never her first lover because they never actually “did it”. It was not, however, for her lack of trying.

She’d wanted in Tom Donalan’s pants. Badly.

Not that she’d been one of those girls. Just the opposite. At eighteen, Allie
had been a complete dork. She’d been on the volleyball team and the swim team and a pretty decent student but she’d never been one of the popular girls. She’d never even kissed a guy before Tom, unless you counted playing spin the bottle at Julie Howard’s end-of-the-year eighth grade party.

Tom, on the other hand, had been the kind of guy every girl dreamed of when she imagined her first
big love. Handsome, smart, funny, kind. By senior year, he’d been practically a Whispering Bay High legend. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do better than anyone else. Star quarterback, starting pitcher for the baseball team, senior class president, Merit Scholar. All the guys wanted to be him. And all the girls wanted to be with him.

When he’d singled Allie out that first week of AP chemistry
as his lab partner, she’d been flattered. And nervous and flustered. But they had quickly become genuine friends. Tom was the only other person Allie knew who loved
Star Wars
as much as she did. Even Buela adored him, and Buela wasn’t the type of woman who’d been easily fooled.

Then, one day out of the blue, something spectacular happened. Tom’s steady girlfriend, Lauren Handy, broke up
with him.

Lauren Handy had been the female version of Tom. With long blonde hair, terrific boobs and a tight butt, she had most of the male population of Whispering Bay High salivating after her. And the crappy thing was, she was nice. So you couldn’t even hate her. They were the dream couple (gag). They were supposed to be Prom King and Queen. But the day after the senior awards banquet,
a mere week before prom, Lauren dumped Tom cold.

Allie had spun by his house the instant she’d heard the news, ready to console him with her best friend shtick, which in those days consisted of a swiped six pack of beer from Zeke’s refrigerator and a shoulder to lean on.

But instead of being upset, Tom was relieved (or so he had said). They then proceeded to watch the full Star Wars
trilogy on his parent’s brand new DVD player and down the beers (and no, Tom’s parents weren’t home). Sometime after the second beer Tom asked Allie to be his prom date.

Her! Allison Isabel Grant, the too tall girl with no boobs, was going to prom with Tom Donalan, the guy every girl in their senior class dreamed of. It was almost too good to be true. Which should have been her First Big
Clue.

So Tom and Allie went to prom, a night that ended in her first real kiss. Which then led to an entire summer where they were joined at the hips, or the lips, or whatever other body part they had pressed against one another. When they weren’t working at their summer jobs trying to save money for college, they were at the beach, or at his parent’s house watching movies, or finding places
to go make out.

Their favorite make out spot had been the back seat of Tom’s nineteen eighty-seven Crown Victoria, which they’d park along the end of the bay bridge. But just about any place they could be alone would do. It was during one of those make out sessions that The Great Humiliation Part One happened.

*~*~*

T
hey were naked, all
alone in an empty house, huddled beneath
the covers of Tom’s too small twin-sized bed. Allie was trying to be quiet (just in case his parents came home unexpectedly), but it was impossible. Tom’s fingers were nestled between her thighs, doing something Allie had never even
thought
of on her own. Where had he learned to do that?

“Don’t stop,” Allie moaned. The words were no sooner out of her mouth that she realized she didn’t want
him to stop at all. As in, she wanted him to take the next step. As in, the
big
step. “Tom, please, just do me.”

Oh. My. God
. Did she say that out loud?

He laughed, but it sounded strained. “Allie, I don’t think you mean that.”

Yep. She’d said it out loud. But she wasn’t embarrassed.

She sat up, taking the covers with her. “I do mean it. I…I love you, Tom.”

He looked
startled.

She gulped. Should she not have it said it first? Then he grinned, and a wave of relief washed over her. Of course he loved her. He just wasn’t ready to say it yet. He sat up and tucked a long stand of hair behind her ear, then leaned down to gently kiss her. “You make me crazy, you know that, right?” he whispered against her mouth.

Her mind immediately jumped to Lauren,
Tom’s-ex. She shouldn’t compare herself to anyone else, but it was hard not to wonder what exactly had gone down between them. They’d dated almost a year. Had he said those same words to her, as well?

Allie tried not to think about anything other than the two of them. If he wanted Lauren, then he’d have tried to win her back. But he hadn’t tried. Not one little bit. “Not as crazy as you
make me,” she whispered back. She glanced over at his nightstand.

He followed her gaze and shook his head. “I don’t have any condoms.”

She sighed. What eighteen-year-old boy given the proverbial green light refused sex? Tom Donalan. Mr. Responsible, that’s who. Allie should be grateful he wasn’t reckless enough to engage in intercourse without protection. It was just…she mentally shook
her head. Didn’t he want her as much as she wanted him?

He jumped up from the bed, and Allie couldn’t help but sit back and enjoy the view. Six foot three, and all those lovely muscles. Allie hadn’t fallen in love with Tom because of his looks, though. Initially, yes, she’d been attracted to him for all the usual reasons, but it went far beyond that. He was the one person in the world she
felt comfortable saying anything to, and the only person in the world who knew what happened the day her mother died. Allie had never been able to talk to anyone about it. Not grief counselors, not even Buela. But Tom? There was something so natural about their relationship. It was like there was this
thing
between them that didn’t exist with anyone else.

He began pulling his clothes back
on. “My parents should be home any minute,” he warned.

“I thought church lasted till at least nine. Doesn’t your dad believe in long sermons?”

“It’s a meet and greet, not a service,” Tom said.

“Well, I wouldn’t want the Reverend Donalan’s son to be found in a compromising position,” she joked. Reluctantly, Allie began pulling her clothes back on as well.

He playfully swatted
her on her ass then pulled her against his chest. “Were you serious?”

“About…going all the way?” She nodded.

“I don’t want to rush you,” he said.

“We’ve been going out for three months now. Besides…” She let her next words drift off. She was going to say she loved him again. But she didn’t want to put him in a position where he said it just because she’d said it.

He cupped
her chin with his fingers and stared down into her eyes. “I’m not very good at this. But…I’ve never felt about anyone the way I do about you. You know that, right?”

It was as if the sun had knocked down the walls to his bedroom and was shining down on top of them.  They were all the words Allie needed to hear. She shamelessly rubbed herself against him, making him go hard.

He groaned.
“Allie, are you sure?”

“Positive. And…we could use Zeke’s house. He and Mimi are taking Claire to Disney World tomorrow, so their house will be empty. And guess who has a key?”

“I don’t get off work till after eight.”

“I’ll meet you there at nine,” she said.

He slowly nodded, then smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”

She smiled back. “Bring a condom. No wait, on second thought,
bring two.”

*~*~*

O
n his nights off
from the police force, Zeke worked security at The Harbor House, Whispering Bay’s fanciest restaurant. That connection had helped Allie land a summer job bussing tables. In exactly two weeks, she’d be moving into her dorm at Florida State. The money she’d made this summer would help offset some of her living expenses. Eight more shifts and she’d
be done here. Eight more hours and she’d be in the process of losing her virginity. She couldn’t wait.

Was Tom a virgin, too? Allie had never asked him and he had never volunteered the information. But considering his only real girlfriend before her had been Lauren Handy (little Ms. Perfect who never once colored outside the lines) then the answer to that was probably a resounding
no
.

During her lunch break Allie drove into Destin and stopped by the Target store. She picked out the sexiest pair of white panties she could find, and tried not blush when the cashier rung them up. On her way out the store, she decided to call Tom at his job.

“Ace Hardware,” answered Dell, Tom’s boss.

“Hey, Mr. Kutchens, it’s Allie Grant. Is Tom available?”

“Well, hey there,
Allie. Sorry, hon, but Tom called in sick today.”

“Oh, okay, sorry to bother you.”

She immediately called Tom’s house. His mother answered. Geez! Talk about embarrassing. Allie hoped there was nothing in her voice that would make Betsy Donalan suspicious. “Hi, Mrs. Donalan, it’s Allie. Is Tom all right?”

“Allie?” she said it like Allie was the last person on Earth she’d expect
to be calling. Considering that Allie had been dating her son all summer… Okay. His mother was definitely acting weird.
Oh God
. Allie hoped she hadn’t found the condoms Tom was supposed to buy for tonight. “Um, how are you, dear?”

Whew. That was more normal. “Oh, I’m great.”

“Tom is…he’s not able to come to the phone right now.”

“Can you please tell him I called? And that I hope
he’s feeling all right.”

Allie drove back to work and finished the rest of her shift. By eight, she still hadn’t heard from Tom, which was definitely not like him. Maybe he was so sick he couldn’t even come to the phone. Should she drive by his house? It seemed like the logical thing to do. But when she rang the doorbell, no one answered. Allie could hear Brandy, the Donalans’ beagle barking
from the back of the house. She rang the bell a second time, just for good measure, then got back in her car.

Her only option was to go back home. Or she could go to Zeke’s and wait. Just in case. So she drove to her brother’s and let herself in with the spare key he had given her. She tried not to feel guilty, but she knew Zeke wouldn’t be thrilled to know that his baby sister was planning
on using his house as her own personal love shack.

An hour went by and no Tom. Confused (and more than just a little worried), Allie went to lock up, when the house phone rang. She checked the caller I.D. It was Tom!

“Oh, thank God! What’s going on? Are you okay?” she said, rushing through all the words.

“I’m okay,” he said, but he sounded even weirder than his mother had this
afternoon.

“I went by your house but there was no one there. I was afraid they had to take you to the hospital.”

“Allie…can you meet me by the bridge?”

“Now?”

“Um, yeah, there’s something really important I have to tell you.”

“Okay, I can be there in ten minutes.” She locked up the house and jumped in her car. Tom wanted to meet her by the bridge. It was their favorite
parking spot. The place where he’d shown her his acceptance letter to the University of Florida. Where they’d shared almost everything about each other. But why meet her there now?

Allie’s hands began to tremble. She gripped the steering wheel and tried her hardest to drive within the speed limit, but she was nearly giddy with anticipation. There could only be one reason Tom had canceled
their date to meet her at the bridge. It was the perfect place to tell her that he loved her, too!

It was dark, but she could still make out his car overlooking the water. She parked her car next to his and ran out to hug him. “I was so freaked out when I heard you were sick!”

He held onto her tightly. Too tightly.

“Um, Tom, you’re kind of squishing me here.” She disentangled
herself from his arms and looked him over. His eyes looked hollow and there was a strange expression on his face that made Allie’s heart leap to her throat. “Oh, God, you
are
sick. Should you be out? Shouldn’t you be—”

“Allie, I’m getting married.”

Her heart came sliding back into her chest. She laughed with relief. “Okay, so that’s kind of funny, but—”

He caught her hand. “I’m
serious. Lauren’s pregnant…and I’m the father, and…” He shrugged.

Her heart shifted around again. Only this time it began to fall south. “This is a joke, right? I mean, you do know you have to have sex to get pregnant.”

He wouldn’t look her in the eye. “I’m sorry, Allie. I’m so damn sorry, but…I have to do the right thing here.” His voice cracked.

“The right thing? Are you friggin’
kidding me?” Allie pulled her hand from his grasp. She began pacing the grassy strip next to the water. This didn’t make any sense! She stopped and whirled around to face him. “How far along is she?”