by Alina Jacobs
"I'm going to grab another drink," he said, motioning to the bar.
When Liz's attention was diverted, Carter sped away. He just wanted to be alone.
With Allie.
He pretended to look at his phone as he waited in the short line at the bar.
"What shall I make for you this evening?" said a familiar voice.
"Allie?" Carter gasped.
She gave him a professional smile. "Beer, wine, spirits?"
"Uh, surprise me," he said. What was she doing here?
"Oh," Liz said, coming up behind Carter and looking between him and the dark-haired bartender. "Allie."
"How does an old-fashioned sound?" Allie asked him. Carter nodded.
"I'll be right with you, ma'am," Allie said to Liz.
After she handed him his drink, Carter hovered around the bar, but Allie seemed busy and not as if she wanted to talk.
As the evening's presentation started with his mother greeting the guests, Carter's thoughts and his gaze wandered to Allie. He was continually drawn back by Liz's hand that crept over his back and down to his waist.
Maybe he should just give up on his dreams with Allie. Maybe he was reading something into their relationship that wasn't there.
31
Allie
Allie looked out over the Holbrook Foundation charity ball. There was one person she followed around. Whenever she had a lull in drink orders, she watched Carter. He moved around the room as though he owned it.
She cursed under her breath as she accidentally poured vodka on her sleeve.
Pay attention. But how could she? She was watching this magical evening unfold from behind the glass. She handed an older man his drink, and over his shoulder, she saw Carter, dancing. He was graceful and a natural. She could tell people loved being around him.
She admitted that she enjoyed being around him too. He was fun, energetic, and charming.
He held out a hand to Liz, and the two waltzed around the room.
"They look like dolls, don't they?" one older woman said with a sigh. "Those Holbrook men are something else. Gin and tonic, if you please," she said, putting a dollar in the crystal bowl that served as a tip jar.
Allie felt so stupid, thinking that she could ever be a part of Carter's world. He never in a million years would have asked her to be his plus-one to an event like this. Even when she tried to bring up a simple date, he had laughed at her.
What was wrong with her? Carter treated her just as every other man did.
He's not as bad as Bryce, though. Suppressing a shudder, Allie packed up after the guests had left for the evening.
She was tired at work the next day. Neither Carter nor Liz mentioned the ball.
Carter cornered her outside of the bathroom at the end of the day, though.
"I have to go to my second job," she told him, looking down at the floor. He pulled her chin up and bent down to kiss her.
"I miss you," he whispered in her ear.
She wanted to believe him, but she couldn't. The burden of the untenable situation weighed on her as she trudged to the Olive and Twist.
They were about to open for the evening, and she prepped her bar station and watched as patrons trickled in. While Allie was making drinks, someone approached the bar.
"Today's specials are on the board. I'll be with you in a—Bryce," she said, almost dropping the bottle of expensive liquor she was holding. "What are you doing here?"
Bryce was there, at her bar! She was going to kill Stacy for telling him where she was.
"Well, well, well," he said with a leer. "The last time I saw you, you put a gun in my face. Glad to see you being more hospitable."
"What would you like to order?" she asked him through gritted teeth.
He looked around at the mostly empty bar then leaned in. "I'll take you bent over the bar. We can do it here or go around back."
She turned beet red. "Either order a drink or leave."
"I'll leave, but you'll be seeing more of me," he told her. "I don't like the way things ended between us. Now that I'm back from my security assignment in Nigeria, I plan to pick up right where we left off."
His hand darted out, and he pulled her in for a kiss that felt like a punch. She was too shocked to resist.
When she left for home that night, Allie looked around nervously. What if Bryce had followed her? Her spirits sank as she walked into the old building where Arnold, and now she, lived. It was so dingy and depressing.
Allie paused outside of the studio apartment. She could hear the sounds of a porn film playing through the door, and she felt tears prick her eyes.
Slumping down, she rested her head on her hands. She wanted someone to come save her. It had been months since starting her workplace affair with Carter. She had gotten nowhere. She looked online, sitting in the hallway outside of Arnold's crusty studio apartment.
Don't keep sleeping with him! advice columnists screamed at her.
Men just want easy hookups. Don't be one of them!
Break up with him!
But she didn't want to break up with Carter. Somehow, Allie still had hope that he would see that they could be good together.
"He thinks of you as a transaction," she hissed to herself. She didn't have a lot of experience with rich people, but wasn't that how they treated everyone, like something to be bought and paid for—or in her case, not paid for?
She needed to admit to herself that he was just using her. He wasn't even buying her nice presents. Even Stacy got a better deal with her sugar daddy. She needed to cut him off. But maybe he would see the error of his ways. She didn't know if she could bear to lose what little she had with Carter.
The next day, Allie tried to pretend to be in a better mood. She, Liz, and Carter left the building to go to the noodle place for lunch and talk about their project.
It was the closest she would get to a date with Carter, she thought wistfully. He and Liz looked so perfect together. Allie felt out of place in her cheap clothes.
Be grateful for what you do have, she told herself. It was hard not to feel inferior.
"Allie!" someone called.
She whirled around. There was Stacy, clopping toward her on platform stilettos.
"What are you doing here, Stacy?" Allie said, aghast.
"Carter!" Stacy squealed and threw herself in his arms.
Liz looked appalled, and Carter froze as Stacy kissed him on the mouth.
"Stacy," Allie hissed and hauled her old roommate off of Carter. "You guys go on ahead," she said.
"We’ll order for you," Carter told her and hurried off.
"I want to come too." Stacy pouted.
"Stacy, why are you here?" Allie growled.
"I moved here! You inspired me! I have a job and an apartment. I'm living with someone you know." She smiled coyly.
Allie did not take the bait.
"Stacy, you can’t just stalk Carter."
"I’m not here because of Carter," she protested.
Several people in suits looked at them strongly as they exited the building.
"Keep your voice down! I can’t afford to lose this internship," Allie said. "Why didn’t you stay in North Carolina?"
"You said that you were doing really well here," Stacy whined. "I'm tired of that two-bit town. I want to do something different. Plus," she said, "there are a lot of rich men here."
"Except that you clearly are here after Carter," Allie said with a frown.
"I already told you," Stacy hissed. "He’s mine. We’re going to be married. He just has to see that I’m the one for him."
"Go home or go back to work or whatever you’re doing, Stacy," Allie said. "I don’t have time for this." She walked away.
"I’ll call you!" Stacy shrieked after her. During lunch, she received a text message with an address and an emoji-littered note to meet at Stacy's after work.
Her curiosity got the better of her, and she dodged Carter's advances after work and met Stacy in front of her
new apartment.
"Hi," Stacy cooed when she came down to meet Allie in the lobby. Allie followed her former roommate to the elevator, and they were let off on one of the upper floors. Stacy skipped to the apartment and opened the door.
As she peered into the luxury condo, everything in Allie seethed with jealousy.
"It is a beautiful space," she strangled out.
Tuning Stacy out as she chattered about the glorious condo, Allie studied the surroundings in awe. The condo had expansive windows that let in a lot of natural light. The kitchen was all white with gleaming white marble countertops with a touch of grey striations. There were tasteful brass accents in the drawer pulls and the lamps. The furniture was clearly high-end, and the finishing touches made the whole place look like something out of a design blog. There was even a small balcony overflowing with potted plants.
Allie wanted to curl up and cry.
"How did you afford this?" she asked Stacy.
"I have a sugar daddy!" Stacy said, whipping out her phone to show Allie a picture.
Harris Holbrook. Great. Just great. She wondered if she should bring it up with Carter.
She received a message on her phone after she left Stacy's building. Could it be him? No. It was Bryce. He wanted to meet to talk about their relationship.
"That's never going to happen," she muttered to herself.
She wished she could block Bryce from her phone, but she wanted to keep tabs on him to see if he would escalate.
It was just one more thing to add to her already unbearable load. Between the intense work and the horrible home life, she felt frazzled. She couldn't sleep enough, and she was always on edge.
She envied the other girls—the well-dressed ones whose boyfriends came to take them on nice trips and paid for their apartments. A boyfriend like that would solve all of her problems.
"You never had anything with Carter," she told herself. "Men like him don't like girls like you."
She felt tears prick her eyes. She worked so hard and never made any progress.
"Why is life so unfair?" she whispered
She sniffed and blew her nose, thankful that the people she passed on the sidewalk ignored her.
"Just concentrate on finishing this internship. Earn your degree. Find a job. That's all you can do," she said under her breath, wiping the last of the tears off of her face.
This was it—she was cutting it off with Carter. She needed to have more self-respect.
32
Carter
A week after the ball, Carter waited around for the office to clear out then cornered Allie. She had rebuffed him daily, and he could barely sleep from the pent-up desire.
"Why are you acting like this? I know you want me."
He grabbed her and pulled her to him. She smelled like expensive alcohol and citrus. He kissed her, but she didn't kiss him back.
"Allie," he said, "I need you."
"This isn't going to work between us," she said.
"You don't mean that." He cupped her face and smiled softly at her. Pulling her close, he felt her relax and finally kiss him back.
He pulled her with him to the print closet.
"We could get a hotel room," he offered.
"This is fine," she said.
Allie didn’t sound all that enthusiastic, but as he slowly undressed her and put his mouth on her skin, tasting the faint oaky taste of whisky, he felt the wetness between her legs and knew she wanted this. Carter felt almost light-headed and groaned as he buried himself inside of her.
"I think I could get drunk on you," he whispered. Her mouth was as smooth as bourbon, and he stroked her, wanting to see her face as she came. It gave him a high knowing he could undo her and break through the tough exterior.
She felt so tight as he eased inside of her.
"Relax," he said as he stroked her. He felt her wrap herself around him as he moved in her with slow, lazy thrusts.
Her nipples were taut and erect, and his skin burned when they rubbed against him. He bent down, grasped one in his teeth, and tugged slightly on it, making her moan.
Her hips rolled against him, and he bucked against her, needing release.
"Carter," she cried as he strained into her, sending them both over the edge.
When it was over, he held her close to him, basking in the heat and scent of her.
"I miss you," he said, kissing her cheek. "I never see you."
She looked away from him. "I think this is the last time we should do this. It's not professional."
"Who cares? Why?"
"I don't want to do this with you anymore," she said firmly.
Carter felt as if she had just slapped him.
"Oh… I… you don't want me?"
Allie looked at him for a moment. "No," she said. "No, Carter, I don't want you."
She hurriedly dressed and practically ran out of the office after grabbing her bag.
In a daze, Carter returned to the penthouse.
"You were at the office late," Grant commented when Carter walked through the door.
He felt sick as he thought of Allie—the way she wrapped around him, how somehow he had ruined his chances with her.
"Was working on a project," he said numbly. How could she not want him? How did he screw this up?
"You need to meet people and stop working so much," Grant told him.
"What about Liz?" Kate said. "Take her out. You two were spending a lot of time together at the foundation dinner."
"I'll think about it."
Carter couldn't sleep that night. He flipped through pictures of Allie that she had sent him.
What did I do wrong?
He wandered around the penthouse and drifted out to the deck. He leaned over the balcony railing and watched the cars drive past far below.
"What's wrong, Carter?" Grant said. His voice was careful and measured. "Why don't you come inside?"
"Away from the ledge, you mean?" Carter said.
He turned around and looked at Grant. His cousin's stance was loose, and Carter knew he was readying himself to lunge at Carter.
Carter shook his head and went inside. Grant locked the door behind them.
"Sit down. Talk to me."
Carter wanted to spill his guts about Allie. He struggled briefly then made his decision.
"You can't tell my father," he said finally.
Grant cocked an eyebrow, and Carter took a deep breath.
"I've been having a relationship with Allie."
"So you just lied about breaking it off with her," Grant said.
"Well, it's broken off now," Carter said crossly. "She doesn't want anything to do with me."
Grant looked at him with sympathy. "It's probably for the best. She didn't really seem like your type."
"How do you know what my type is?"
Grant held up a hand. "I don't. She just didn't seem like she cared about you that much is all. She didn't seem particularly shaken up after the car accident is all."
Carter stared out of the window.
"There are other people out there," Grant said.
"I feel like she was the one," Carter said softly.
"There's no such thing," Grant told him. "There are lots of people you could have a happy life with."
"I guess so. I just feel like I messed up. If I had been better…"
"Sometime you mess up and you can't fix it. You just have to learn and apply those lessons the next time."
Carter didn't sleep the rest of the night, and Grant stayed up with him.
And after taking a cold shower to try to wake up, Carter went into the office. He greeted Liz as they both poured their coffee in the break room.
I'm done with Allie, he told himself. She doesn't want me? Fine. I don't want her, either.
A part of him whispered, You're not over her at all.
Out of spite, he turned to Liz and asked, "Would you like to go grab a drink tonight with me?"
She beamed at him. "I'd love to! Ther
e’s this great place a few blocks away."
"Sounds good," Carter said.
"So you asked Liz out?" Kate asked when he went up to Grant’s office for lunch.
"I did."
"You don’t sound excited," Kate said, taking a bite of her salad.
"Don’t break her heart," Grant warned.
Liz suggested they go to a bar called the Olive and Twist. It was a cute, upscale place with minimalist décor.
"The tables are all full right now, but we can seat you at the bar," the hostess said to them.
After following her, Carter and Liz sat down at the bar, and the hostess placed menus in front of them.
"They have great cocktails," Liz said while Carter helped her with her coat. "I haven’t been here in months."
"Hi," said a familiar voice.
"Allie," Liz said with a frown. "What are you doing here?"
"You just can’t stay away from the bar, can you?" Carter asked with a chuckle. "I should jump up here on the table."
"Don’t you dare," she said to him.
Liz looked confused.
"Apricot sour?" Allie asked him.
"Yes, please."
"And for you, Liz?"
"I'll just have the Bee’s Knees."
"Coming right up."
"So have you talked to anyone back in Les DesChamps?" Carter asked Allie while she made their drinks.
"I talked to Bert; he was a bit overwhelmed. They’re hiring some more people."
"I’m sure they aren’t as good as you," Carter said with a wink.
"That’s what I hear," Allie replied.
"Why was your creepy roommate in the city?"
Allie rolled her eyes. She seemed so sure of herself, Carter thought as he watched her make the drinks. It was hypnotic.
"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Stacy is your grandfather's latest sugar baby."
"Oh boy," Carter said.
"Apricot sour, just the way you like it. And a Bee's Knees for you, Liz," she said, sliding the drinks to them.
Carter sipped his drink and watched her work.
"Do you miss the Marines?" Allie asked him.
"Not one bit."
She grinned at him. "You miss it a little bit."
