by Maria Geraci
“Right. I won’t tell if you don’t,” he said with a straight face. There was no smile at her lame attempt to make a joke. Or any hint of warmth behind his words. He deflated the mattress, picked up the backpack and headed for the door. “I need to lock up now. Get in the truck and I’ll give you a ride to your brother’s.”
She thought about telling him that she could jog back, but something told her not to.
Neither of them said a word the entire way home.
She was afraid Tom would be angry or stand-offish (she didn’t think most men would appreciate being told to shut up in the middle of sex), but he appeared more pensive than anything else.
And that was good, right? After all, he’d given her exactly what she’d asked for. Straight sex with no emotions. It was a relief really, to not have to pretend to feel something they didn’t. Allie turned to stare out the truck window. The weird thing was, she felt more like crying now than she had earlier. Which made absolutely no sense at all.
Tom walked into the offices of Pappas-Hernandez Construction. Stacey, the receptionist, sat at her desk, cradling a phone in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She was in her mid-twenties. Cute. Good sense of humor. Killer ass. She’d asked him out once but he’d gently put her off. Not that he hadn’t been tempted, but generally it wasn’t a good idea to date someone from work. Too much potential for disaster.
She quickly ended her phone call. “Well, if it isn’t the prodigal son.”
“I’m in that much trouble?”
“Mister, that building was supposed to come down three days ago.” She pointed to a stack of papers on her cluttered desk. “See those? Those are all the schedule changes I’ve had to make to keep everyone working.”
Tom winced.
She leaned forward. “Can I ask you a question? What are you doing? I mean, I know it’s none of my business but isn’t your bonus tied into the timeline on this project?”
Well I ran into this girl I used to know…
“Long story.” He nodded toward Steve’s office. “He busy?”
“Not for you he isn’t. Go on in.” She smiled in a way that made Tom think she might still be open to going out with him. The trouble was, there was only one woman on his mind right now.
He opened the door to his boss’s office. Steve Pappas was a big guy, in his late thirties with an even kind of temper that suited Tom just fine. Steve glanced up from his laptop. “What’s up?”
“Just wanted to keep you updated on the situation at the senior center.”
“I hear there’s going to be a séance tonight.”
“Word spreads fast,” Tom said. He’d come to tell his boss the details himself but it looked like someone had already beat him to the punch. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or irritated.
“You’re going to be there, right?” Steve asked.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“I hope she’s worth it.”
Tom raised a brow. “She?”
Steve leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands behind his head. He smiled like he was enjoying himself. “I’m a married man. Which means I pretty much hear everything that goes on in this town.”
“Your wife’s been talking about me?”
“Not just my wife. Her whole Bunco group. Something about you and your old girlfriend getting back together. How romantic the whole thing is and how I’m supposed to help with the cause.”
“I’m a cause?”
“Brother, we’re all causes to them.”
“Yeah, well, this cause doesn’t need any help.”
“I didn’t think so.” Steve’s gaze turned serious. “I get the initial delay on the demolition. One day isn’t a big deal. But another two days after that? Are you out of your fucking mind?”
Probably.
“I didn’t think it was a good idea to continue. Not with the crowd we had. Delaying the demolition makes us look like the good guys. It’s solid PR for the company.”
But he hadn’t done it for the company. The first time he’d agreed to delay the demolition was because he hadn’t been himself. Like he’d told Allie last night, he’d had that song in his head and it literally compelled him to put a halt to things. But this second delay? It had been easy to let Allie think it was courtesy of Steve Pappas, but the truth was it was more likely courtesy of Tom’s bonus. He’d hated seeing the disappointment on her face when she realized her story was going nowhere. If this séance helped her land her dream job, then it would be worth putting his bonus in jeopardy. There would always be other projects. Other bonuses. But most likely, this was the only time he’d ever have with Allie Grant.
Steve looked like he wasn’t buying the PR bullshit. “Just so you know, there’s no overtime for this project.”
“Understood.”
“So there’s no problem with the building coming down tomorrow morning?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Good. That’s all I needed to hear.” He nodded toward a chair. “Have a seat. Now that we’ve cleared that up I want to talk to you about something.”
Tom settled himself into a chair but didn’t make himself too comfortable. Steve Pappas was a man of few words so Tom didn’t picture himself staying very long.
“You know my partner, Dave Hernandez, is growing the Tampa office. New construction is on the rise in the Bay area and now’s a good time to get an in there. You interested?”
Tom shifted in his chair. “In moving to Tampa?”
“Once the new rec center gets built. I envision that’s about the time we’ll be ready to expand our operation. I know you have an ex and a son here in town, but the money could be substantial. Hell, you could keep a place here and live on the cheap in Tampa. Come back home every weekend if you wanted. Have the best of both worlds.”
It was a similar deal he thought he could make work when he’d stayed behind in Atlanta, and Lauren and Henry had moved back to Whispering Bay. But the weekend visits hadn’t always been regular, and even when they were they never seemed to be enough. He’d missed soccer games, a birthday, school teacher conferences, the everyday stuff that came with being a parent. The little stuff that added up to a life. A life he didn’t want to give up. On the other hand, that life was definitely missing something. The last few days had taught him that.
Allie lived in Tampa. Plus or minus?
Yesterday it would have been a plus. But today? Last night she’d made her feelings crystal clear. She’d slapped her hand over his mouth and told him to shut up.
This doesn’t mean anything. It’s just sex.
Golden words to most guys. But he wasn’t most guys. Those words had registered somewhere in that tiny portion of his brain that had still been getting some kind of blood flow. If he could have stopped, he would have. He would have rolled right off her and told her to go straight to hell.
Those words had served another kind of purpose, though. Before she’d spoken he’d been full steam ahead. He’d have lasted a few minutes, max, he’d been so hot for her.
This doesn’t mean anything.
It had been almost as effective as a cold shower. In retrospect, he should have thanked her. It had enabled him to gain control. Enough to slow things down. To draw it out. He’d wanted to make her scream. He’d wanted to make her want him as much as he wanted her. She’d screamed all right. There’d been a hell of a lot of satisfaction in that.
The crick that had begun in his neck last night seemed to have settled there permanently. He rolled his head from side to side trying to loosen it up. Did he want to move to Tampa? Not particularly. If he’d wanted a big job with big bucks he could have stayed in Atlanta. He’d moved to Whispering Bay to take charge of his personal life. Moving to Tampa seemed like a step backward.
On the other hand, Tampa had something Atlanta and Whispering Bay didn’t. It had Allie Grant. Of course, if she got the job she wanted at Florida! magazine, chances were she wouldn’t be in Tampa anyway. She’d move on
with her life. Just like he needed to.
I’ve had lots of sex. With lots of guys.
He’d wanted to call her out on that spectacular piece of bullshit, but what would have been the point? He needed to get that out of his head. Get her out of his head.
“Thanks, Steve, I appreciate your confidence in me.”
“But you aren’t interested?”
“Didn’t say that,” he said, not wanting to burn any bridges. “But it’s definitely something I’d have to think long and hard on.”
*~*~*
Allie decided to consult Jen on séance protocol. She’d spent most of the day on the Internet without much success. There was simply too much conflicting information out there, and Jen always seemed to know something about everything.
Jen answered on the first ring. “What’s up? You didn’t forget to the pay the electric bill, did you?”
“Is the electricity shut off?”
“No.”
“Then I didn’t forget to pay,” Allie said.
“True. So, why did you call? Make it quick ‘cause I don’t have much time to talk. Sean and I are kind of in the middle of something.”
“Oh, um, should I call back later?”
“Not that kind of something, silly! I wouldn’t have answered my phone if we were having sex.”
“Who’s having sex?” Sean yelled in the background.
“Allie thinks she interrupted us having sex,” Allie heard Jen explain to Sean. He gave a loud Tarzan yodel that made Allie momentarily forget why she’d called.
Jen giggled into the phone. “We’re playing strip poker and we’re both down to our socks.”
“And…that’s it?”
“That’s it.” More giggling. This time, from Sean.
“Okay, I’ll make this quick. There’s going to be a séance in the building tonight and I want to know what I should look out for.”
“Ooh! I’m jealous! I’ve never been to a séance, but I’ve used a Ouija board. Same concept. There’s going to be a professional there, right? Like a medium?”
“Her name’s Madame Gloria, and yeah, I’ve been told she’s the area’s premier expert.”
“Cool. Don’t worry. You don’t have to do anything, doll. Just take your cues from her.”
“All right. Um, there’s one other thing. We were told that the building was supposed to remain empty until the actual séance, to keep it pure, or something like that, but someone did kind of accidentally go inside.”
“You didn’t break in through a window again, did you? Who are you and what have you done with Allie Grant?” Jen asked playfully.
“I was kind of dragged inside. Well, picked up and carried in, really. By this guy I used to know.”
“Guy you used to—this isn’t the guy in your high school prom picture, is it? The one you keep hidden in the bottom drawer of your nightstand. What’s his name, Tim?”
“Tom.”
Jen barked with laughter. “Allison Grant, did you hook up an old boyfriend?”
“I really hate that expression. And how do you know what I keep in my nightstand?”
“Oh my God. Sean! Allie had sex. With a guy!” Allie could hear the two of them whooping it up. What? Did they think she was a nun or something?
“All right, so…I guess I really didn’t call to ask about the séance. I mean, I did, but I need some advice on something more personal.”
Jen cleared her throat. “Ask away,” she said in a serious tone.
“First off, is Sean still listening in?”
“Well—”
“Never mind, it’s okay. Maybe he can offer me some advice here, too. From a guy’s point of view.” Pause. “You were right. I did have a close encounter with my ex. But it was strictly a onetime thing.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“I have to see him tonight at this séance, and we left things a bit…awkward between us.”
Sean must have grabbed the phone away from Jen. “Hey, Allie, no worries! The dude isn’t going to bring it or up or anything.”
“Oh, hey, Sean. How do you know he’s not going to bring it up?”
He laughed. “Trust me. His number one objective is to make you feel comfortable around him. So he can get in your pants again.”
“That’s not happening.”
“That bad, huh?”
“No—never mind. Can you put Jen back on please?”
Jean came back on the line. “Okay, so here’s my advice. If you want this guy to know there’s no way it’s ever going to happen again, then just tell him up front. And then you end it by saying the sex was nice and that you just want to stay friends. Believe me, he’ll practically run away.”
“Cold, man, really cold!” Allie heard Sean shout.
“Nice. Okay. Got it.” Allie felt strange taking this kind of advice from Jen, but who else could she ask? Certainly not Mimi. Her sister-in-law would throw a parade if she found out Allie and Tom had slept together.
“By the way, I’m glad you called. Sean moved a few things into the apartment. You don’t mind, do you?”
“What kind of things?”
“Just a change of clothes, that kind of stuff,” Jen said.
“Oh, sure, that sounds okay.”
“Listen,” Jen said, trying unsuccessfully to muffle a giggle, “I’m down to one sock. Gotta go! And good luck tonight!”
*~*~*
Allie glanced at her wristwatch. Tom was two minutes late. Not that she was worried about him not showing up. Responsibility was his middle name, after all. Plus, he had as much to gain from being at this séance as she did. Two minutes was nothing in the scheme of things. Heck, her watch might even be off.
Zeke caught her staring at the kitchen clock. “I could drive you, you know. You don’t have to go anywhere with that guy.” He sat at the kitchen table pretending he was reading the paper, but Allie wasn’t buying it. Zeke had already read the paper that morning while drinking his coffee. Here’s the thing, big brother, Tom and I had sex, so not much else to worry about there…
Wouldn’t Zeke just love that reply?
She probably shouldn’t ask, but she couldn’t help herself. “Why don’t you like him?”
“I already told you. That son-of-a-bitch broke your heart.”
“And I already told you no one broke my heart. Besides, I’m over it, so why aren’t you?”
“People don’t change, Allie. Once a cheater, always a cheater.”
She wanted to say that Tom had never cheated on her. That he and Lauren had gotten pregnant before Allie and Tom had ever gone out. She wanted to say that. But she couldn’t. Not with any certainty because she’d never asked. Because she’d never wanted to know. After all this time, did it even make a difference?
“You changed,” she pointed out.
“I was never a cheater.”
Now it was Allie’s turn to glare at her brother.
“Okay, so maybe I slept around, but that’s when I was young and stupid. Once I laid eyes on Mimi there was never anyone else.”
The way Zeke said that made Allie’s shoulders relax. She was tempted to ask her brother about the couples counseling, but since he didn’t seem likely to bring it up himself she was hesitant to break Mimi’s confidence. Not that Allie had suspected her brother of being unfaithful, but it was good to know that cheating wasn’t one of the issues her brother and his wife needed to work through.
“I don’t know how or what I can do to make you stop hating on Tom, except to tell you I’m not getting together with him. Now or ever. Once I have this story, I’m out of here.”
“You mean, once you get your license back.”
“That, too.”
They both heard the truck pull up into the driveway. No sense in making Tom get out of his truck to knock on the door. Especially when it would mean running into Zeke. The last thing Allie wanted was another confrontation between them. She grabbed her jean jacket.
“See you later,” she
said. “I’m off to my first séance.”
“Hold on,” Zeke said. He laid the paper down on the table. “I know I don’t say it enough, but, you do know I love you, right?”
“Aw, I love you, too.”
She thought he might grin at that, but instead he looked troubled. Like he had something big on his mind. “Just don’t…Donalan’s not a bad guy. But he’s not the right guy for you. You deserve someone who’s going to put you first, and he’s already proven that he’s not going to do that.”
“I—” Allie gulped. “I hear what you’re saying.”
The drive over was chillingly polite. On both their parts. Tom hadn’t said more than two sentences combined when they pulled into the senior center’s empty parking lot. Best to clear the air between them now, in private, before Phoebe and Madame Gloria and the rest of her gang got here.
“So…about last night,” she began.
He gave her a look that said he’d been expecting this and wasn’t looking forward to it. “Why do women always want to talk about sex?”
“What? And men don’t?”
“Men want to have sex. Not analyze it,” he snapped.
“Boy, someone woke up on the wrong side of the inflatable mattress this morning.” She thought he might smile at that, but he didn’t. “Okay, well, I just wanted to say that last night was… nice, but obviously it’s never going to happen again, and I’m glad we’re able to move past it like rational adults.”
“Nice, huh?”
“Well, yes, it was…very nice.”
He snorted. “Admit it. It was the best damn sex of your life.”
Allie felt herself flush. He wasn’t supposed to challenge her on this. He was supposed to slink his tail between his legs and go off like a good puppy dog.
“Wow. Someone has a big ego. Is that why you’re pouting? You’re upset because afterward I didn’t fall on my knees and profess my undying love to the great Tom Donalan?”
He turned to face her. “Let me rephrase that. It started out to be the best damn sex of my life. So whatever you want to tell yourself, however you need to rationalize it, go right ahead, but I’m not going to trivialize it. Last night was important to me.” He shook his head. “I’m old enough to know that the reality shouldn’t have been as good as the fantasy. But you know what? It was a thousand times better. So for me, last night was pretty fucking fantastic. Well, except for the part when you told me to shut up and that it didn’t mean anything to you. But otherwise? It was A plus. And if it wasn’t that way for you, I don’t want to hear it.”
