“You jealous that I’m getting some action this weekend?” Renee asked, her tone playful.
Ali laughed and shook her head. “No. Not at all.”
“You should be.” Renee sighed, and Ali knew exactly what was coming next. “It’s been nearly two years since your breakup with Michael. It’s time for you to get back on the horse, so to speak.”
Yeah, it was definitely time for her to start dating again, but it was a matter of finding someone worth opening herself up to again. “Well, that’s not going to happen with anyone here at the reunion.” Of that, she was absolutely certain.
“Ali and Renee, over here!”
They both turned toward the female voice who’d called their names. Leanne Barton, dressed in her signature hot pink outfit and big blond hair, was waving them over to a group of women Ali recognized as the girls who’d been on the cheer squad. The same ones who’d mocked her when they’d discovered she’d accepted a date with Will. Back then, she’d learned just how shallow and pretentious they could be, and hoped those qualities had changed for the better.
Even still, dread settled in her stomach like a rock, and she pasted on a bright smile as she moved forward with Renee. “And so it begins,” Ali murmured beneath her breath. “If it wasn’t for you being my best friend…”
“I know, I know. You wouldn’t be here.”
Once they reached their old friends, Leanne was quick to introduce her older-by-a-good-thirty-years husband, informing everyone that he was a plastic surgeon, and they were living a fabulous life in Beverly Hills. She flashed the huge diamond on her ring finger as they all talked, and just like old times, it was clear she still liked to be the center of attention.
The other women chatted about their lives, too. All of them had either married and had families, or had great careers. But then, so had she. Ali was a graphic artist with her own business, and Renee was a travel consultant for large corporate clients.
On the surface, everyone seemed to be living a charmed life, and once they were all caught up to date, the high school reminiscing began, with everything from talking about their favorite teachers, to parties they’d attended, to laughing about how Robbie Grant had gotten suspended for streaking naked through campus during lunch as a senior prank.
“And we certainly can’t forget Ali’s lapse in judgment when she accepted a date with nerdy Will Beckman,” Lori Franklin said with a light laugh that did nothing to conceal the snark behind her comment. Snark had always been her forte. “Talk about high school social suicide. I can’t imagine what you were thinking to do such a thing.”
Ali was so shocked by Lori’s mean-spirited remark, she didn’t know what to say.
“Speaking of Will Beckman, I saw his name on the reunion roster,” Courtney said, her eyes alight with sudden excitement. “He’s supposed to be here tonight. I couldn’t believe it when I saw him on the cover of Forbes about a year ago. He’s this huge internet mogul.”
“He’s rich now?” Sudden and genuine interest infused Lori’s voice.
“Oh, yeah. Filthy rich,” Courtney confirmed with a nod. “A multimillionaire. And he’s single.”
“Sounds like he might have to be my second husband,” the newly divorced Bridget Donohue said, sounding completely serious.
Ali listened to the conversation, disgusted and disappointed that the girls she’d hung out with in high school could still be so full of themselves. God, she needed a drink. A strong one to get her through the rest of the evening.
“There he is,” Renee whispered from beside Ali.
Ali’s pulse jumped in anticipation, and she glanced up, fully expecting to see Will—and quickly realized that Renee had just spotted Jake across the room, where he was talking with some classmates.
Renee grabbed her arm in concern. “Will you be okay if I leave you?”
No way was Ali going to ruin Renee’s big plans. Ali was a big girl, and she could handle being alone for the evening. “Go and have a good time.”
A few minutes after Renee slipped away to be with Jake, Ali decided it was time for her to leave the group, too, and mingle with other less egotistical alumni. “I’m going to get myself a glass of wine,” she said, the perfect excuse to move on.
“Hey, girls!” a loud male voice bellowed from behind Ali, waylaying her plan to politely slip away. “You’re all looking mighty fine.”
Knowing exactly who that voice belonged to, Ali briefly closed her eyes, wondering if her evening could get any worse. In the next instant, Tim Delgado stood beside her—the football team’s star linebacker and the guy she’d dated for a very short time until she realized what a jackass he truly was the night of their senior prom.
While he chatted with the other women and drank from his bottle of beer, Ali cast him a sidelong glance, stunned by the considerable difference in his physical appearance. He’d once been a super-fit, good-looking star athlete who believed that he and his football friends ruled the school. After graduating, he’d headed off to Oregon State University where he’d received a full-ride football scholarship, until he’d blown out his knee his freshman year while trying to jump from a house rooftop into a swimming pool during a drunken frat party. From what she’d heard, the incident had ended any chance he might have had as a pro football player.
Now, she barely recognized Tim. His once lean and muscular body was replaced by a pot belly, full face and receding hairline. What hadn’t changed was his loud and obnoxious personality, and that arrogant attitude that grated on her nerves. It didn’t help matters that barely an hour into the cocktail reception, he already appeared to be intoxicated.
“Ali, Ali, Ali,” Tim drawled, turning his attention her way and giving her a blatant once over, his gaze stopping to leer at her chest in a way that felt like a personal violation. “The girl most likely to become a Playboy Bunny. I keep looking in my Playboy magazine every month, hoping to see you in there as the next centerfold.” He smirked, as if his crude wisecrack should have flattered her.
She knew he’d been the one to nominate her for such an embarrassing title, and had taken the opportunity to humiliate Will in the process with a counter snub. Ugh. Now she just wanted to throw up—all over Tim. She was never going to last the entire weekend, and once she knew that things were good with Renee and Jake, Ali was going to cut the reunion short. Nobody would miss her, and she’d rather be at home working than subjecting herself to uncomfortable encounters with people she could no longer relate to. If she ever had.
“Oh. My. God.” Lori’s exaggerated tone, tinged with excitement and awe, replaced the awkward silence that had settled over the group after Tim’s comment. “Look who’s here.”
Everyone glanced toward the entrance of the cocktail party and the tall, good-looking, dark-haired man standing there, intently surveying the crowd. Ali’s breath caught in her throat, her heart skipped a beat or two and a shiver of pure awareness raced up her spine. Oh, my God was an understatement.
“Is that nerdy Will Beckman?” Leanne asked, her eyes wide with shock.
“I believe it is,” Courtney said, licking her glossy lips as if someone had just offered her a juicy steak. “Who would have thought Will Beckman would turn out to be so freakin’ hot.”
Ali couldn’t agree more. There wasn’t anything remotely nerdy about Will’s appearance now. At twenty-eight, he’d grown into his lanky body, his broad shoulders filling out his tailored suit coat to male perfection. His hips were still lean and narrow, but his thighs were more muscled, his stance confident and commanding. He no longer wore glasses, and his jaw was more defined, giving his handsome face an added dimension of sensuality. His rich brown hair, however, was very much the same—messy and a little unkempt, just the way she’d always liked it.
Clearly, the gawky computer geek had become a man. A self-assured, devastatingly sexy man. The transformation was unexpected, amazing and impressive. And it left her feeling both anxious and excited to see him.
Will’s gaze came
to a stop on her, and Ali’s pulse rate accelerated. A faint smile tipped up one corner of his mouth, and he started toward their group, his stride decisive and determined.
“I get first dibs,” Bridget said as she tugged the bodice of her dress down just a bit farther to display the swells of her breasts, then ran her fingers through her highlighted hair.
Really? Ali thought, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at the absurdity of it all. Were these women still in high school? Will hadn’t been good enough for any of them back then, but his looks and money now made him fair game. Unbelievable.
As Will neared, Tim downed the rest of his drink, then puffed out his chest, as if he was still the big man on campus and wanted to make sure everyone knew it. His gaze narrowed in on Will, and as soon as he came to a stop a few feet away from Ali, Tim didn’t hesitate to open his big mouth and start causing trouble.
“So, did you come to the reunion to gloat about how rich you are?” the ex-football player asked in a disparaging tone.
Will didn’t even glance Tim’s way, his vivid blue eyes, still the deep, warm color of the Pacific Ocean, remaining locked on Ali. “No. I’m only here for one reason.”
“Can’t imagine what that would be,” Tim continued, letting out a sarcastic laugh. “You have nothing in common with any of us.”
“I came to see Ali.” Will smiled at her, and Ali went weak in the knees.
Tim made a grunting sound. “That’s pretty damned ballsy after the way you dumped her the end of senior year. What makes you think she’d have anything to do with you now?”
A muscle in Will’s cheek flexed, the only indication that Tim’s spiteful words had any kind of impact on him. Ali couldn’t believe Tim’s offensive behavior, but it was quickly becoming clear that he was threatened by Will’s good fortune and was trying to downplay his own insecurities and failures. Because while Tim’s plans for a bright and promising future as a pro athlete had been crushed by his own stupidity, Will had succeeded in a big way. And Tim obviously couldn’t handle knowing the underdog had become the top dog.
But instead of engaging in a war of words with Tim, Will took the high road and kept his cool, and his focus on Ali. “Why don’t we let Ali decide how she feels about me being here.”
Something odd was going on between Tim and Will, an undercurrent of antagonism she didn’t understand. But there was one thing she knew for certain—her attraction to Will was still as strong and overwhelming as it had been in high school. He’d come to the reunion for the sole purpose of seeing her, and she was curious to know why.
Then she caught both Bridget’s and Lori’s envious expressions, and had to resist the urge not to laugh at the irony of it all. Instead, she met Will’s expectant gaze and smiled. “I’m very glad to see you here, Will.”
He exhaled, the relief on his face telling Ali just what her answer meant to him.
“That’s all that matters to me.” Will extended his hand toward her. “Care to join me for a drink?”
Unable to resist his invitation, she placed her fingers against his palm, willing to following him anywhere, because for the first time that night, she saw genuine interest in someone’s eyes, instead of feigned enthusiasm. “I’d love to have a drink with you.”
With her hand tucked securely in his, she walked with Will to the bar, fully aware that the two of them were about to be the center of gossip and speculation once again. Except this time, she honestly didn’t care what other people thought of them being together. It felt good.
3
AT THE BAR, WILL ORDERED a Baileys on the rocks, and since Ali wasn’t in the mood for hard liquor, she requested the same. Drinks in hand, they headed out the double French doors that gave way to a large, spacious patio with various places to lounge, along with heat lamps and fire pits to ward off the evening chill. Other alumni were gathered in groups outside, their laughter and conversation filling the night air, and Ali was glad when Will choose the farthest seating area away from the cocktail party and everyone else, where it was quiet and relatively secluded.
She sat down on the cushioned love seat situated in front of a low burning fire pit, and he settled in right beside her, so close that their thighs touched. The pressure was subtle, but made her very much aware of how alone they were, how intimate the setting was. Not that she was complaining. She felt more at ease with him than she did with anyone else back inside, and at the moment, there was nowhere else she’d rather be.
She took a drink of her cream liquor, enjoying the buttery toffee taste, with just a hint of whiskey. “I’m so sorry about what happened back there with Tim,” she said, feeling the need to address the other man’s surly disposition.
“You have nothing to apologize for.” Will shrugged those well-developed shoulders of his. “Tim is…”
“An arrogant ass?” she supplied for him.
He chuckled lightly. The sound was deeper and richer than she remembered and created a bit of sensual havoc in the pit of her belly.
“I won’t argue with that,” he said, taking a drink before he continued. “Though I’m sure Tim has a lot of pent-up frustrations over what happened to him in college, not to mention the loss of his football career.”
Will had never been one to bad mouth anyone, even if they deserved it, and that rare and genuine quality obviously hadn’t changed. “Doesn’t mean that it makes it okay to treat people rudely.”
“What happened back there with Tim doesn’t matter to me,” he said, the confidence in his voice backing up his claim. “Like I said, the only reason I’m here is to see you. Nothing else matters.”
The notion that he’d come to the reunion just for her gave Ali a little thrill. Okay, a huge thrill, but she managed to keep that bit of pleasure to herself. Because underneath it all, that cautious part of her couldn’t stop wondering what his motivations were for wanting to see her again.
He stared at her face, the affection in his gaze unmistakable as he took in her features. “You look great, by the way.” His voice dropped to a low, husky pitch, and he reached up, grazing the pad of his thumb along her jaw in a soft caress. “You were pretty at eighteen. Now, you’re stunningly beautiful.”
It was a bold move for someone who’d once been so shy around her, but she couldn’t deny that this more assertive man attracted her all the more. Ali swallowed hard as his hand fell away, but the sensual warmth of his touch remained, creating a nice little buzz along her nerve endings that had nothing to do with the Baileys Irish Cream.
She smiled at Will, unable to remember the last time she’d received such a sweet, feel-good kind of compliment from a man. “You look great, too,” she said, returning the sentiment.
“Yeah, amazing what ten years can do for a guy, huh?” His tone was wry. “Though I’m still not used to the whole suit and tie thing.”
Maybe not, but he certainly looked good in one. Very polished and stylish. Like a man who finally felt comfortable in his own skin.
She took another long sip of her drink, watching Will over the rim of the glass, her curiosity getting the best of her. “After all this time, why would you come here of all places just to see me? You could have friended me on Facebook.” She deliberately kept her voice light and teasing.
“Too clichéd,” he said, a charming grin curving his full lips. “Everybody does the social networking thing these days. Me, I wanted to be original and actually talk to you, face-to-face. Though I have to confess, I did a Google search on you.”
She laughed, glad to see that he still had that same quirky sense of humor she’d loved back in high school. “Did you find out anything I might not know about?”
He thought for a moment, the flickering flames from the fire pit casting a warm orange glow between them. “Well, I know that you started your own business doing personalized stationery and custom invitations and announcements, and you appear to be doing very well with it. You were very talented with your graphic art, and I’m glad to see you doing something you love.
”
Will had been one of the few people she’d shown her designs to back in high school. She remembered how impressed he’d been, and how he’d encouraged her to take more classes to make the most of her abilities. As an only child, she’d always had the support of her parents, no matter her endeavors, which made it so much easier for her to follow, and achieve, her true goals and dreams.
“Most of the orders and requests are internet based, but word of mouth and advertising have increased my business to the point that I’m completely self-sufficient,” she said, setting her empty glass on a nearby table. “Last year, I was finally able to quit my full-time job and focus completely on Paper Bliss Designs.” She was very proud of that.
Setting his glass next to hers, he stretched his arm along the back of the love seat, his fingers brushing oh-so-subtly along the bare skin at the base of her neck. “I also read that your fiancé left you standing at the altar,” he said quietly.
She closed her eyes and groaned, feeling a sensation similar to being kicked in the gut. It looked like one of her most personal and private decisions had once made it into an article somewhere on the World Wide Web. Then again, she’d been engaged to a very prominent man, and the Chicago wedding had been a high-society event—until the morning of the wedding when Michael had called off the ceremony just before she was to walk down the aisle.
The very public rejection, along with the gossip that had ensued, had been painful to deal with and had initially touched on old insecurities. But while Michael’s last-minute decision to stop the wedding had been devastating in that moment, in the long run she’d been grateful. It had been the right thing to do. For both of them.
Opening her eyes again, she rubbed her fingers across her brow and shook her head. “Wow, the internet is worse than being in high school. Just about everything is documented and archived, just to humiliate you forever.”
He nodded in understanding. “Trust me, I feel your pain. I’ve tried to keep my personal life as private as possible, but the internet makes that difficult sometimes.”
The Guy Most Likely To...: Underneath It AllCan't Get You Out of My HeadA Moment Like This Page 8
