by SJ McCoy
He was a good-looking guy. No two ways about it. Though to Dani, he wasn’t as good-looking as his brother. He smiled at her and went to Grace and pecked her cheek. “I’m sorry to interrupt you ladies. I just wanted to see what time you’ll be done here.”
Grace looked at Dani. “We’re pretty much finished. Unless the two of you have anything to say to each other?”
Oscar raised an eyebrow at Dani, but she shook her head. There was plenty she should probably ask him, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to get out of here and go home, write up her notes on her conversation with Grace. The article was starting to take shape in her mind now, and she wanted to get to work on it. “I’m sure you’ve had enough of reporters to last you a lifetime. And I’m sure you’ll be relieved to know that my focus for this piece is on the center first, as well as Grace since she’s the driving force behind it.” As she spoke, she wondered if he might not be relieved to hear that—she wasn’t sure if his ego was so big that everything had to be about him.
He gave her a genuine smile. “That’s refreshing to hear. Thank you.”
Wow. She smiled back. She couldn’t help it. “I’m glad you’re not offended.”
“Offended?” asked Grace.
Oscar chuckled and slid his arm around Grace’s shoulders. “Now that I think about it, I believe Dani and I may have met before.”
Grace’s lips pressed into a thin line.
“In a professional capacity,” he added hurriedly, hugging Grace closer in to his side. “All I mean is that I believe Dani was one of the people who covered the opening of Six, right?”
Dani nodded.
“And at that time,” he continued, “the persona I presented to the press was the cocky, self-assured, nightclub owner.”
Grace smiled at Dani, then turned to look up at him. “You mean you were still being an arrogant prick?”
Dani tried to bite back a laugh but didn’t quite manage it.
Oscar hung his head and looked up at her from under his eyebrows, then turned and planted a kiss on the tip of Grace’s nose. “Yeah. That.”
Grace smiled at Dani. “He’s not that bad anymore.”
“I’m a reformed character!” he said indignantly.
“Like I said, he’s not that bad.”
Dani smiled at them. She was pleasantly surprised by their behavior. They were just a regular couple, having fun, calling each other out on their flaws. “I’ll see myself out. It was great to meet you both.”
“You too,” said Grace. “Call me if you need anything else; otherwise, I’ll see you on Friday night.”
“Yes. See you then.” Dani made her way back out through the center. There were quite a few people there. A group of teenagers was sitting around one of the cafeteria tables, doing homework by the looks of it. Young moms with toddlers occupied the sofas in front of the TV. Some small kids were playing with blocks on a big mat on the floor. She did a double take when she saw TJ sitting in their midst.
“TJ, TJ, TJ.” One of them was tugging on his sleeve. “Can we play chase now? Can we?”
TJ smiled at him. “In a little while, Jayden.”
“But you promised!”
“I promised I’d play with you, and right now we’re playing with blocks. Hand me that blue one, will you?”
The boy’s stubborn look faded as he picked up a blue block and handed it to TJ and asked, “Where does it go?”
“Where do you want it to go?”
The boy looked at the house the other kids were all working on and thought about it, then he stepped forward and slotted the block into place with a smile. He picked up another one and added it on top of the last. He seemed to forget about playing chase and joined in with the others.
Dani smiled to herself as she watched. A girl scrambled into TJ’s lap and wrapped her little arms around his neck. “When I grow up, will you marry me?”
She was adorable!
Dani’s heart melted as she watched TJ tug on the girl’s ponytail. “By the time you grow up, Sienna, I’ll be an old man, and you won’t want to marry me.”
“Yeah.” Jayden shot her a disparaging look. “TJ’s not going to marry you.”
“He might,” said Sienna. “If I grow up fast enough.”
“No. He’s a marine. They don’t get married. My dad was a marine. He never married my mom even.”
Sienna looked up at TJ with sad eyes. “Is it true? Don’t marines ever get married?”
Dani watched TJ’s face as he considered his answer. “Some do, but it’s better if we don’t.”
“Better how?”
“Better for everyone.”
Little Sienna nodded, seeming to accept his answer. Dani nodded to herself, too. She had to agree that everyone probably would be better off if marines never married.
TJ looked up and saw her watching. He looked uncomfortable, no doubt wondering if she’d overheard.
“I was just leaving. I’ll see you Friday.”
“See you.”
Chapter Four
“How do I look?”
TJ looked Terry over and smiled. He was wearing a tux, and with his new haircut and freshly-shaved face, he looked at least ten years younger than he usually did. The few teeth he still had gleamed white. TJ wanted to ask how that had happened, but he wasn’t sure how that would go over. “You look like a million dollars, my friend.”
Terry laughed and slapped his hand against his wheelchair, which also seemed to have been primped up for the occasion. “Don’t I wish someone would bid that much for me. Can you imagine what we could do at the center with a million dollars?”
TJ smiled. He didn’t like to mention that Oscar had already invested way more than that since he’d been involved with the center. “You never know.”
“Yeah, we do. I’m just hoping someone will offer a few bucks to save me from my embarrassment.”
“You’re embarrassed?” TJ had thought he was the only one who was uncomfortable with this. Terry had been laughing and joking about it all week with the other guys.
“Not yet, but I will be if I sit up there all dressed up like a penguin and no one bids on me.”
TJ smiled and grasped his shoulder. “I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about there. You should be more concerned about who’s going to win you. You have to spend an entire evening with them.”
Terry winked at him. “I ain’t worried about that. I can always act crazy if I don’t like her. I’m just a feeble old codger, and whoever she is can feel good about herself that she did some good and gave some money and put up with a crazy old coot for an evening.”
TJ had to laugh. “That’s terrible! But if I could get away with it, I’d do the same thing.”
Terry’s smile faded. “I’m only joking. I wouldn’t do it really, but it’s good to have the option. Seems to me you could get away with it, too. You already do it.”
TJ gave him a puzzled look. “Do what?”
“You act crazy. You zone out, so you don’t have to deal with people when you don’t want to.”
TJ frowned. “No, I don’t. I …” He thought about it. Maybe he did. He didn’t act crazy on purpose, but he probably came across that way. He disappeared into his head when he wasn’t interested in or didn’t want to have to deal with the conversation around him. Wasn’t that exactly what he’d done when Dani had interviewed him?
Terry was watching him intently.
“What?”
“Nothing.” Terry gave him a knowing smile. “You check out when it suits you, and we both know it.”
“It’s not when it suits me, it’s only when I … I don’t know. Some things trigger the memories, and I go back. I don’t do it on purpose.”
Terry pursed his lips. “What, so you’re a delicate little flower blown on the wind? Are you telling me you don’t have the mental discipline to stay in the present and deal with it?”
“No. I’m not saying th
at. I just … I hadn’t thought about it like that.”
“I know. And you need to. Pleading ignorance isn’t going to get you anywhere in life. You can’t say, oh, poor me, it just happens.”
TJ scowled. “I’m not saying, oh, poor me.”
“Yeah, but you’re not doing anything about it either, are you?”
TJ shrugged. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have right now. He knew a whole bunch of mental health professionals who would give Terry a very hard time if they could hear what he was saying. TJ himself wasn’t so sure that the old guy was wrong in telling him to toughen up. Yes, there was PTSD, there was trauma and lasting damage—but there were also escape routes. Sometimes it was easier to go back in time and relive the horror of the past than it was to stay and face the emptiness it had created in the present.
“I’m not giving you a hard time.” Terry smiled. “Least, I shouldn’t be. Tonight’s about having some fun, doing some good and raising some …” He stopped mid-sentence and stared at the entrance where guests were filing in. “Hot damn, ain’t she pretty!”
TJ turned to follow his gaze. The air rushed out of his lungs when he saw her. She was so much more than just pretty. She was beautiful. She was sexy. He noticed his hand was gripping the handle of Terry’s wheelchair at the same moment that Terry noticed.
“I knew you liked her the second you opened the office door and saw her standing there.”
TJ pursed his lips.
“There’s no point trying to fool me. I know what I saw. And I can hear my wheelchair crying from how hard you’re squeezing its handle.”
TJ looked down and let go. “I’m not trying to fool you, Terry. She’s an attractive woman. And from when I spoke to her on Tuesday, she seems like a decent person. But …”
“But what? Are you telling me you don’t want to spend time with an attractive woman who also happens to be a decent person?”
“No. But she’s a journalist.”
Terry blew out a sigh. “That’s her job. It’s not who she is. It’s what she does.”
“That’s what she said.”
Terry smiled. “She must be a smart lady if she thinks like I do.”
TJ shrugged. “She seems smart, she seems nice, but so what?”
“So, ask her out, take her on a date.”
“No. I’m not ready for that.”
“You’re prepared to go on a date with whoever bids highest on you tonight.”
“Yeah, but that’s different. It’s just one evening. It’s not about being interested in each other, it’s …”
“And with Dani, it’s different because you’re interested in her?” Terry’s smile looked a lot like he was gloating.
“I guess. At least, I would be. If she wasn’t a journalist, and I wasn’t still too fucked up in the head.”
Oscar came up behind them and slung his arm around TJ’s shoulders. “How are my bachelors? I guess you’re more like cattle, aren’t you? Off to the auction to be bid on.”
“Yeah, and then off to be slaughtered,” said TJ.
Oscar laughed. “Don’t be like that. This’ll be fun. If you allow it to be.”
“Told you,” said Terry.
“Look around,” said Oscar. “Look at all the beautiful women. One of them is going to give us a lot of money for the privilege of spending an evening in your company.”
TJ did look around, but he wasn’t imagining which of the women he might have to spend an evening with. He was looking for Dani. He spotted her talking to Grace. His heart beat faster as he watched her. Her long dark hair was pinned up with a few wisps falling around her face. She wore a shiny silver dress with a V-neck that made the most of her pert breasts. It shimmered as she moved. She was like a mirage.
“Not that one,” said Oscar. “Lovely as she is, she’s not here as a benefactor. She’s here to … oh wait, you know that.”
TJ nodded. Oscar looked up at him. He kept staring at Dani. Not wanting to look away from her, but also not wanting to meet Oscar’s gaze. It didn’t work. Oscar pushed at his shoulder. “You like her!”
TJ turned to him. “She’s an attractive woman. I’ll bet there’s not a red-blooded man here tonight who doesn’t like her.”
Oscar gave him a mischievous grin. “That may be true, but you like her like her.”
TJ rolled his eyes. “Jesus, Oscar! We’re not kids anymore.”
Oscar chuckled. “I was about to say the same thing to you. You’re all grown up now. You don’t need to feel embarrassed about liking a woman. You just need to do something about it.”
TJ scowled at him. “No. I don’t.”
Oscar’s smile faded. “Sorry. I was getting a bit carried away.”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Well, let’s look around at the rest of them. Who might be the best option for you? Mrs. Holmes? It’s been a long time since Mr. Holmes left us.”
Terry smiled up at them. “Hands off. Barbara’s going to be bidding on me.”
Oscar raised an eyebrow at TJ, and they both smiled.
“Sorry, bud,” said TJ. “I wouldn’t want to tread on your toes. I don’t mind who it is as long as she’s not too much of a talker.”
“Oh, shit.”
“What?” TJ turned to Oscar, who was watching the doors.
“Kendra.”
“Oh, fuck!” TJ followed his brother’s gaze and groaned. “You invited her?”
Oscar shook his head rapidly. “I deliberately didn’t invite her—her or any of her gaggle of friends. I knew you wouldn’t like that.”
TJ scowled at him. “Wouldn’t like it? Now, there’s an understatement. I’m torn between walking out of here and throttling you.” Kendra was a regular at Oscar’s nightclub. She’d had a thing for Oscar for a while, but to her credit had bowed out gracefully enough when Oscar met Grace. Unfortunately, she’d shifted her attention onto TJ as a replacement. TJ, however, was not as obliging as his brother, even though Kendra made it clear that she wasn’t asking for much—just sex. TJ shook his head as he watched her make her way through the crowded room. “If she bids on me …” He looked at Oscar.
Oscar held his hands up. “It’s all for a good cause.”
“Nope. Not doing it. If she wins, I’m not going out with her. I’ll give you the money myself. Hell, I’ll add ten percent to whatever she bids.”
Terry chuckled. “Which one is she?”
Oscar pointed her out.
“That’s a fine filly.” Terry gave TJ a puzzled look.
He just shook his head. “That’s no filly. That’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Oscar chuckled and starting whistling “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf.”
TJ scowled at him. “I am, okay? I admit it.” He walked away from them, heading for the men’s room. He knew this had been a bad idea.
~ ~ ~
Dani made her way through the crowds to the bar. She recognized many of the faces she passed and smiled and nodded as she went, stopping to say hello here and there. She would never have dreamed that this would become her world—rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous. She wasn’t interested in celebrity, and yes, she liked money as much as the next girl, but it wasn’t a driving force in her life. Then again, she didn’t have a driving force.
“Hi, Dani. You look amazing.”
She stopped and looked Grace up and down. “Thanks, but you look fabulous!” She really did. She wore a black dress that hugged her figure. Dani felt scrawny by comparison. She knew a lot of women envied her long, lean build, but she’d trade with Grace in a heartbeat. She was all curves, and by the look of that dress, she knew how to work them.
“Thanks.” Grace looked around and then spoke in a lower voice. “I’m still getting the hang of what to wear to events like this. I’m more at home in a T-shirt and leggings.”
Dani shook her head. “I’d never have guessed that. You look stunning. The dress is perfect. If
you’re still getting the hang of it, I can’t wait to see what you wear when you do.”
Grace smiled. “Thanks. I can’t take the credit though. There’s this store, and the guy who works there, Roberto—”
“Oh, at Hayes?”
“Yeah.”
Dani laughed. “He’s the best! He picked this out for me, too.” She looked down at her own dress.
Grace laughed. “I’d say he’s done us both proud.”
“He has.”
“Do you need anything tonight? Do you want me to pull anyone aside for you to talk to or anything?”
“No, it’s fine, thanks. The photographer should be here in a little while, but he’s going for candid shots. Although …”
“What?”
“How’s it going to work when each auction ends? Are the winners going to come up on stage to claim their man?”
Grace chuckled. “Yes. The plan is that the winning bidder will come up and we’ll take a photo of them with their prize guy before they leave the stage. Do you want your photographer to be in on that?”
“Yes, please.” She hadn’t expected Grace to be so accommodating. “And how would you feel about me gathering all the winners and their guys together at the end for a group shot?”
Grace smiled. “Great minds, girlfriend. I have that set up, too. Once the auction is over, we’re going to herd all the winners and the men out onto the balcony to get some photos out there.”
“Mind if we tag along?”
“Not at all.”
A waiter walked by with a tray, and Grace snagged two glasses of champagne and handed one to her. “I’m not sure I like this stuff.”
Dani smiled. She was warming to Grace more by the minute. “Me neither. Don’t tell anyone, but I’d much rather have a beer.”
Grace chuckled and raised her glass. “I think we’re going to get along just fine, you and me. Here’s to making new friends.”
A blonde girl appeared beside her and gave Dani a suspicious look. “What about old friends?”
Grace smiled at her. “Old friends go without saying. You know that.”
Dani was relieved to see the girl relax and smile. “Hi, I’m Louise. Grace’s oldest friend.”
