I say mostly because there are waitresses in the world, and there are actors, and there are police officers; there are charitiesandrafflesandthereismostdefinitelyacitycalledAtlanta,Georgia
“It’sinyour ahem”Thecopontherightpointedtoherchestashegrinned Allie’scheeksflamedasshesnatchedthepenfrombetweentwobuttons.Itwasn’tlikesheputittheretodrawattentionto her her youknows
“Whoathere Iwasaskingforsugar.Formycoffee.”Georgehelduphiscup,hiseyeswidewithinnocence. “Oh.”Allieblinkedwonderingifshe’dmisreadGeorgefromthestart. There goes my tip “Sorry,I’vehadareallybadday and ” “I don’t need your life story, just the sugar.” George’s flirtatious behavior had disappeared the moment she glared daggers.Ifthatwastheworstthingthatcamefromherlittleoutburstshe’dgetofflucky.Sincewhenhadluckeverbeenonher side?
Grittingherteeth,Alliesilentlyreviewedthereasonssheneededthisjob TheStarCaféalwayshadatableopen,usually oneofAllie’s,butthelocalslikedtheold-timievinylboothsandspinningstoolsatthecounter.Acupofcoffeewascheep,the foodwasgoodandgreasy,andthegravywasprettydarngood.Blackandwhitecheckeredtilescoveredthefloorandfaded postersofElvisPresley,TanyaTucker,StevieWonder,andHankWilliams,smiledfrombehindshinychromeandglassframes. The job wasn’t much, but for a womanwho barelyhad a highschool diploma and carried a large amount of debt, it was enough Rightnow,enoughwasgoodenoughtogetherthrough “Yes?”
“Stopharassingthecustomers.”Hewavedhishand,indicatingtheemptybooths.“I’dliketohaveafewofthemcomeback onceinawhile” Then you should stop charging an extra two dollars for gravy on grits “I’ll workthat”Allieforcedher lipsapartinanattemptatasmile.“Seethatyoudo.”Heshuffledacoupleofpapers.
Outofinstinct, Allie didn’tmove. Her dad had hated itwhenshe leftbefore he’d gotteneverylastmeanthoughtoffhis mind Sincetheywere
She narrowed her eyes There was no use arguing with him Sure, taking the money out of her pay was illegal wage deductionbutshewasn’tinapositiontoputupafight.Allieturnedonherheeltowalkawaywithherchinup.
William’svoicerattledacrossthecaféfollowingherlikeabadstench.“Bringmeafreshcoffee,thisone’sgonecold.” “Likehisheart,”AlliemurmuredtoSelina,theotherwaitressonduty SelinawavedtoletWilliamknowshe’dheardhim andthenpouredhiscoffee.“Allowme.”Hereyestwinkledasshedeftlyswitchedthedecafwithregular.“Let him stayupat night I’llbesleepinglikeababy”Alliechuckled
Allieconsideredhim.Lastweekagroupofkidshadshownupandpaintedoverthegraphittionthesideoftheapartment buildingnextdoor What did their shirts say? “Teens onTarget”Letthemhavethefivebucks Awarmfeelingspreadover her.Atleastsomethinggoodwouldcomeoutofthisday.
ThenameswerevaguelyfamiliartoAllie SheleanedintoglanceoverGeorge’sphoneandsawpicturesofthetwoactors and the baseball star. That’s right. Anthonygreenplayed for the Braves. BeauAikenwas always inthe gossip rags at the grocery store. Beau Dubois … he’d done a series of spy movies with lots of hand-to-hand combat, electronic gear, and espionage Reedhadtakenhertoseeoneaboutsixmonthsbeforehetookoffwithhercreditcardandthatdancer She’dliked themovies BeauDuboiswasprettynicetolookatforhoursonend.
“Samething”AlliegotalaughoutofthegroupwhichcaughtWill’sattention Heglaredoverhisbifocals“Justthefood,Allie thesefolksdidn’tcomeinforashowtoo.” “We’ll be praying for ya, Allie,” John said quietly behind his cup. “Thanks.” She smiled. That was sweet, but in her experience,Goddidn’tputmuchstockinluck
Alliehidhersmile.Themeatballsandwichhadthateffectoneveryone.She’dtriedtowarnhim… “Icamebackbecausewewon!”Georgethrew his arms intheair His excitementwas lostonthis small crowed Friday morningshiftswerenotoriouslyslow.
José, Selina’s son, was the world’s biggestbaseball fan, and he was autistic Allie tapped her lips withher penas she thoughtaboutgoing.Joséwasthecutestkidintheworld.He’dgonutsoveraBravesbaseball.Plus, themoneyshe’dsaveonahotelwouldmakeupforwhatevertipsshe’dmiss “HowcanIsaynotoJosé?”Shelaughed “Okay.”Georgerubbedhispalmstogetherashelookedherupanddown.“Doyouhaveanythingelsetowear?”
“Excuse me?” Allie glanced ather blackskirtand button-up shirt. Her clothingwasn’tfancy, butshe was cleanand put togetherwithherthickbrownhairinaFrenchbraid
George bobbed his head. “Besides Anthony, Mark Dubois and Beau Mckay will be there. I’ve been waiting for three monthstowinthislunchandIdon’twantyoutocomeinall…”Hewavedhishandthroughtheair.“Prissy.”
“You’reembarrassingyourself,”growledJack Georgebackeduptowardthedoor.“Ijustmean canyouglamup makemelookgood?” Alliebarkedalaugh Shecouldn’trememberthelasttimeshe’dspentmorethanfiveminutesinfrontofamirror “Yeah, I’ll be sure to glamup.” Her sarcasmwas lostonGeorge. “Great.” The bell tinkled as he left. “Canyoubelieve thatguy?” askedAllie,hookingherthumbtowardsthedoor “Ignorehim,”advisedSelina.“Whatyouneedtofocusonisthosethreehunksyou’llbesittingnexttoatthislunch.” “Hunks?”askedAllie.
Allie’s cheeks burned. Who hadn’tnoticed Beau’s hazel peepers or Mark’s bulgingmuscles? She wasn’tsure aboutthis baseballplayer,Anthony,asshedidn’tfollowtheteamlikeagoodAtlantanativeshould
“Justpromise me you’ll try maybe wear your hair down.” Her reflectioninthe stainless steel cover for the heatlamp bulbedoutatthetopandthemiddlesuckedin,distortedbythemetal.Shehadanhourglassfigure,allright.“There’snopoint toputtinginthatkindofeffortforonelunch.”
She tookanother lookatherselfinthe heatlamp. She’d never beenone to wear a lotofmakeup. Her dark, thicklashes were a blessing Butmaybe a little blushand some lip gloss wouldn’thurt And she couldn’tremember the lasttime she’d wornherhairdown.Somewhereintheapartmentwasaflatiron;shemightaswellgetsomeuseoutofit.
Intheseatnexttohim,AspenHamilton,Hollywood’srisingstar,checkedher manicure.“Ithinktonightwentwell,don’t you?”MarkadjustedintheleatherseatofhisMaseratiGhibliSQ4 “Ithinkso IcheckedwithAaronbeforeweleft,andhe saidthey’draisedenoughtohelpthefamiliesontheirlistandevenafew more.”Therewerefew perksMarkenjoyedabout celebritystatus beingabletodonatetocauseslikeAaron’sHomesforAutisticChildrenwasoneofthem.Theshallowerside ofhimliked the car, but that was about as far as that end ofthe pool dipped He could give or take the clothingdesigners shippedhim,hopinghe’dbecaughtwearingtheirlabel.Infact,hedidgivethoseboxestoGoodwill.Aspenpulleddownthe sunvisorandcheckedherlipstickinthelightedmirror “That’snotwhatIwastalkingabout”
“Have you thought about doing an auction for your water thingy?” “Waters without Borders is fine.” He’d started the charitytenyearsagoandhadrecentlyhandedoperationsovertoaboardofdirectors.Hestillwentonseveraltripsayearto digwells,layirrigationpipe,andplumbvillages,allinanefforttowipeoutdiseasesspreadbyuncleanwater Waterswithout Borders had beenhis passion, butthe cause outgrew himand his abilities. Besides, withhis divorce, his focus had shifted closer to home He understood the ironyof the situation It tookhis wife and daughter movingout of the house for himto understand how important a home truly was. He wouldn’t make that mistake again and had joined up with several local charitiestobringawarenessandraisefundsfortheirefforts.“TeensonTargetneedsmyattentionnow.”
“Right thelottery.”Sheturneduphernose.
“Youdon’tliketheidea?”
“I don’t like that you’re selling yourself it cheapens you” “I’m not selling myself; I’m selling my time There’s a difference.”“Whatever.”Aspenstaredoutherwindow,herlongblondhair shimmeringineachstreetlighttheypassed “JenniferKayboughtathousanddollars’worthofticketsthisafternoon”
Markdidn’t watchher walkto the door. Instead, he climbed backinto his sports car and drove to Beau’s place. He’d probablyendupcrashingtheretonight WithoutChloe,thehousewasjustanemptyshellofahome
Shakinghishead,hestruggledwithnothavingheraround.HenevershouldhavemarriedJasmine.Whathe’dbelievedwas supportfor his career was actuallygreed She’d eagerlyhitched her wagonto his star and done all she could to propel his careerforward includingsleepingwithaproducerearlyon,whichhehadn’tfoundoutaboutuntiltheywereindivorcecourt. OnceChloewasbornandthepicturesofthethreeofthemleavingthehospital wentout,Jasminelearnedthatababycan bringa lot of attention. She’d petitioned for full custody, and since Markwas oftenout of the countryfor weeks at a time filming,she’dwon.
TheymadetheirwaydownthestairstotheornatepooltablelocatedinBeau’smancave.Inallhonesty,thewholehouse was a mancave Beauhad gone throughtwo wives, Hollywood starlets who fell for the dashinghero ofthe bigscreenbut didn’tlovethedramathatcamefrombeingmarriedinthelimelight.Everyfight,everysourlook,everymakeupwashandedto thefanslikeasamplechocolateatthecandycounter
“Sounds good” Markusuallylooked forward to workingoutwithBeau Theywere evenlymatched inweights, so they wouldn’t have to find someone to spot for them. But not eventhe chance to smack-talkwithhis best friend brightened his outlookontheworld
They were just clearing the table, their grilled cheese sandwiches reduced to crusts, when Chloe grabbed a catalogueoffthepileofjunkmailonthecounterandstaredatthecover.
Markglancedover her shoulder toseewhatheldher interest.Therewasawomaninasuitwalkingonabusysidewalk. “Whatareyoulookingat?”heasked “Iwaswonderinghowwecouldhelpthiswoman.”Chloepointedtotheladyinthepicture.
“Yeah, she looks sweet and kind two very attractive qualities in a woman” He set the last of the dishes in the dish washerandpressedstart.Adeephumfilledtheroom.
Theysettled into a game ofUno, Chloe quicklytakingthe lead Her mind was onthe game, while his mind was onhis options. He’d reduced his schedule to the minimum just short of quitting completely. Acting paid for Chloe’s school, the houseshesharedwithhermom,thecarthatdroveher toandfromschool,andhisjoballowedJasminetobeathomewithChloe.Thatwaspartofthedeal.He’dsupportthem both the alimonywas insane until Chloe graduated highschool. He wanted his kid to have atleastone parentathome. He’dgladlybethatparent,butwithhisfinancialobligations,thatwasn’tanoptionrightnow.
Chloe moved her cards around, her lips pressed firmlytogether. That was the Dubois determination right there onhis girl’s face. He wasn’t giving up on gaining full custody after all, the DuBoises weren’t just determined; they could be stubborntoo.
CHAPTER FOUR
Allieslidintothelimousine.Asenseofpossibilitycreptover her skinas thevehiclepulledawayfromthecurb,taking themtotheirmagicalluncheonwiththestars.
The usuallyquiet buildingwas all abustle as tenants crowded out so the fumigators could move in Their energy permeated the walls, givingthe buildingnew life, whichwas funny, consideringthe reasontheywere pilingout the doors. PerhapsavoidingWilliam’slemonydispositionuntilMondaymorningaddedthebouncetoherstep Theluncheonwassofar outofherordinarydaythatshehadn’tbeenabletoeatduetonervesandherstomachgrowled.
Withherdarkhairloosenedfromitsever-presentbraid,brushingherbeltlikeahembrushesthefloor,asenseoffreedom bubbled Freedomfromthedrabdinerwalls,theconstantlyachingfeet,andthepressureofjustgettingby Today,shewasn’t Allie the washed-up waitress. Today well, she wasn’t quite sure who she was. Someone who rode in limos? Her lips puckeredunderthegloss,makingherwanttolaughateverythingandnothing Forthefirsttimeinherlife,Alliebelievedthere mightbemoretothisjourneythanpassingtime.
“YouarehereforthelunchwithMark,Beau,andAnthony,aren’tyou?”“Yes,weare.”GeorgeslunghisarmacrossAllie’s shoulder Deftlysteppingaside,Allietuckedherhairbehindherearandpulled her shoulders forward to ward offthe heebie-geebies. The more familiar George became, the less she wanted to getto knowhim
“Good.Followme.”Shewalkedaheadofthem,herlongstrideindicatingsheknewwhereshewasgoingandexpectedto befollowed.“I’mMarkDubois’spersonal assistant,Kate,andI’ll betakingcareofyourschedulefortheday.”Shestopped justinsidethedoorstothefancypizzaplace,allowingtheminsidebeforeshuttingthedoor. Allieconsideredtherough-hewnlogtablesandmetalchairs.Alargebrickovenroaredbehindthecounter,whereworkers chopped and grated inpreparationfor the afternoon There weren’tanycustomers, and Allie wondered iftheywere justas slowastheStarCaféoriftheplacehadbeenrentedoutfortheoccasion.Probablythelatter.
“I’msorry,sir.”Kate’sauthoritativetonecutoffhisprotests.Thinkingabouthowshewouldfeelifshewasn’tabletoget thatbaseball for José after all Selina haddone for her,Kate offered,“Ionlybroughta baseball,soyoucanhave twoofmy signatures.”“Thanks.”Georgebrightened,andhisearswerebackinplace.AlliecaughtKatestudyingher.“Isthatokay?”she asked,hopingshehadn’tbrokensomerule
“Should be fine,” was Kate’s reply as she led them to a round table covered in papers and pens. “These are your nondisclosurestatements.”“Whatfor?”askedGeorge.
“Me?” Allie pressed her hand to her chest “No No, I’m fine” She stepped closer to Kate and lowered her voice “Actually,Iwaswonderingifwe have tostayatthehotel.”
“Isthereaproblem?”
“It’s just … ” How could she explain this? “We’re not a couple and I don’t even know him not really. It’s a bit uncomfortabletothinkofsharingaroom…”Shehadn’tmadethearrangementsandthecontestpageonlymentionedoneroom attheRitz.
Markstoppedata crosswalkonPeachtree Avenue for a womanwitha heavypurse.She waveda thank-youandhe lifted his fingers offthe steeringwheel inreturn Todaywas a beautiful Atlanta day The kind ofdayhe’d like to spendwatchingabaseballgamewherethesunbakedthetopofhisheadandicedlemonadesburnedthebackofhis throat. There was that sense that your teamwas goingto winhanginginthe air. He couldn’t explainwhyhe felt that way, becausetheBraves’designatedhitterwasjoiningthemforlunch Butheletthefeelingcarryhimalong “AnthonyjusttextedtosaythatheandLeticiaaregoingtobealittlelate.”Beaudroppedhisphoneinhislap. “Didhesendanemoji?”askedMark
“Afistbump.”
“Dangit heneversendsmeemojis.”
“Youoverusethem”
“What?”
Beau retrieved his phone and read Mark’s latest text “Hey Beau Hand waving Want to ride together this afternoon? Smileyface.”Hedroppedhisphoneandraisedaneyebrow.“We’retakingyouout coldturkey.”
Markclearedhisthroat.WhilehehadnoromanticfeelingsleftforJasmine,herescapadesrakedagainsthisskin.Mostly because she promoted them heavily on Instagram One day, Chloe was going to see those photos “I think this guy’s a bodybuilder.”
Marksighed Peoplealwayswantedmore He’dhopedtohaveanicelunchwithsomefans talkmoviesandbaseball Not havetoputupawalltoprotecthimselffrombeingsuckeddry. Beauranhishandthroughhishairandshookhishead.“DoesithavetobeattheRtiz?”
“Goodquestion,”mutteredMark They’dsplurgedonthatone,hopingtoencouragethewealthytoopentheirwalletsalittle wider. Anymoneytheyspentwould have to come outofthe funds earned throughthe contest, whichmeantTeens onTarget wouldbeoutanextrathousanddollarsormorebecauseofthelast-minutebooking “Theoriginaldocumentationandadvertisementsdon’tspecify,”repliedKate. “Didtheyask foraroomattheRitz?”askedMark “No,”answeredKate. Beausmirked. “Tell themtheycanhave a second roomand thenbookthemout bythe airport.” Airport hotels weren’t usually as nice as the downtown accommodations, but they would be adequately housed for the night and Teens on Target wouldgetthemaximumamountfromthisfundraiser.
Alliestaredlonginglyatthethreepizzasliningthecounter.Thecookingstaffhadpreparedthemforthephotographersto shoot, and the smell was unbelievable. Who knew pears and blackberries could go on a pizza? This adventure had alreadytaughtherallsortsofthingsabouttheworldbeyondthedinerwalls Shecouldn’tbelieveshewasgoingtohave lunchwithsomeofthehottestmenontheplanet.
Speakingofsuperstars
Allie ranher hand over her silkylocks. The makeover sessionhad beenfun. Theydidn’ttryto cuther hair, butadded a shine spray to what she’d done with a flat iron that morning. With a brushing of mineral powder and a lip stain that was supposedtolastthrougheatingapizza,she’dbeenpronouncedreadytomeetMark,Beau,andAnthony Herstomachtumbled.
Abeautifulwomanwithababybumpcamethroughthefrontdoors Shemovedlikeamodel,allpoiseandposture,heading straightfor Kate. George puthis phone inhis backpocket. She’d givenhimthe silenttreatmentwhenhe offered to see how longthatlipstaincouldreallylast “Allright.”Kateliftedherhandstogettheirattention. Alliesatuptaller.
Katerelaxed.“Thanks.Theguysarealmostready.”Shetooktwostepsawayandpressedherphonetoherear. Georgerubbedhishandstogether “Thisisgonnabeepic”Heglancedoverherandlickedhislips You’re a pig .Allie stuffedher hands inher pockets. Atleast,she triedto stuffher hands inher pockets.The tightjeans made ita struggle She offeredupa quickprayer thatthe extra hotel roomhadbeenmade available Turningtothe pregnant womanwhohadtakenaseatatthenearesttable,Alliesaid,“Hi.”
“Okay,” called Kate as ifthere was a roomfull ofrowdycustomers instead ofthe three ofthem. “It’s time. Thatcurtain willopenandyou’llhaveyourlittlefreak-outandthenyoucanorderwhateverkindofpizzayouwantandeat.Afterthat,we’ll signautographsandyou’llbecheckedintothehotel” “Ithoughtwe’dhavemoretime,”grumbledGeorge.
Katecounteddownfromthree,andthecurtainpartedtoreveal threeofthemostbeautiful menAlliehadever seen.First was the athlete, Anthony He wore a tight-fittingBraves shirtthataccentuated his muscles and complemented his darkskin, alongwithapairofjeans.
Next was Beau Mckay Though he was seriously good-lookin’ in his well-fitted jeans and button-up shirt, Allie was surprised to see a touchofgrayathis temples and wrinkles around his mouth. Inhis movies, he still appeared freshoutof actingschool,thoughhisskillswerefarbeyondabeginner
Lastly,thoughcertainlynotleast,wasMarkDubois.ItwasagoodthingAlliehadstartedontheotherendofthetrio,orher eyeswouldhavenevergottenpastMark.Hishair,longerontopandshavedonthesides,wasboynext-dooradorable,while his turquoise blue eyes electrified her heart, shockingthe organinto palpitations His broad shoulders and trimwaist were drapedineasygoingfadedjeansandawhiteT-shirtthatpulledacrosshismuscles.Holymoly,theguywasface-fanninghot.
For the teens. “Eeeeee!” Allie did a little hoppingdance and thenwentrightahead and fanned her face. She needed it morethanshewouldadmitoutloud.Shesighedheavily,placingherotherhandoverherheart.
Allie heldback,lettinghimhave his moment.After all,neither one ofthemwouldbe here ifhe hadn’tboughtthatraffle ticketinthefirstplace Plus,shewasn’tsurewhattosay Hi, I’m Allie, would you like gravy on that? was all thatcameto mind.
WhenhegottoBeau,Georgeslappedhimonbothshoulders.“Ican’tbelieveit’syou.Saytheline goon,sayit!” Beau’s mouthtwistedwryly.How manytimes hadheperformedthis for fans?Poor guy.Allieshookher head.Wait,this wasBeauMckay Atlanta’sself-proclaimedplayer. Poor little rich guy indeed.
“Andwhomightyoube?”Beauputhisarmaroundherwaist.Allielookedupandintohisalluringhazeleyes.He’dturned on the on screen charmhe used to seduce women, and she played along for the kids Giggling, because the roomwas tipping,sheplacedherhandonhiswell-definedchest.“I’m,like,yourbiggestfan.”Shequicklyremovedherhandandpressed herpalmoverhermouthtostoptwittering Beau’ssmilewarmedconsiderably “Let’sgetatable”
“Hi,” she half whispered, uncomfortable under his attention. Not uncomfortable like she was with George. That was repulsionmixedwiththe panic ofhavinga spider inyour hair This uncomfortable feelingcame fromknowinghe couldsee rightthroughheract.Likeheknewshewasn’tsomefancy-pantswoman.
Theotherthreetooktheirseatsaroundthetable,withMarkendinguponherleft Hesmelledofsomemanlycologneand leather. Heaven help me. Where does a guy pick up the smell of leather? Beau was bad enough with his cocky grin and expensivecologne,butshecouldwritehimoffasamanlookingforafling
Markwas somethingelse altogether. He was … interesting. Takinga deep breath, she reminded herself that todaywas aboutlivingliketheotherhalf,aboutbeinginafairytale,andbydarnitshehadonhersparklepants.Shewasonthevergeof introducingherselftoMarkwithaconfidenthandshakewhenBeauleanedforward
She wouldn’tmindbeingprotectedbythosearms Stiflingagiggle,shetookanotherdrinkofwaterbeforesherealizedshe hadn’tansweredhim.“I’msorry,whatdidyouask?”
Markinclinedhishead.WhenthecurtainhadopenedandAlliesquealed,he’dbrushedheroffasanothercrazedfan. But when their eyes met across the restaurant, he’d practically tripped into her gaze That had never happened before nottohim.
Hewantedhergazeback,wantedthatlinktoher,andfoundhimselffrustratedthatshe’dtakenitaway. “Iworkas the maintenance personfor the buildingIlive in So Icleanoutdrains and stufflike that” She made a funny face.
“Oh,there’sworkinvolved,butthosekidsarethebestpartofmyweek.They’resosweetandlovetosingandmove,and they’resofulloflove.Theydon’tcareifyou’reawashed-up,divorcedwaitressorabloomin’ billionaire they just want to spend time with someone who thinks they’re wonderful” She ducked her head “I’m rambling.”
Allie cleared her throat “Icanbe like Noah ” she began Her voice was pure and sweet Gainingconfidence as she went,shedidlittlehandmovementsforeachline,hereyesdancingandherbodyswaying,puttingonaperformancethatdrew intheguysontheothersideofthetable Theirconversationstopped
Markhad the insane desire to move withher. No wonder the kids loved her. She was he stopped dead inhis thoughts real .
Mark nudged her with his shoulder, the contact zinging right to his gut and then bouncing around. “You should try performingsomewhere.Atleastkaraoke it’sobviousyoulovetosing.” “Thanks,butthatshipsankafewyearsago.”
“Youcould ”MarkwascutoffbyKate,whoappearedinfrontoftheirtable “Has everyone had enough to eat?” She didn’t wait for a response. “Okay then, let’s come over here and get those autographsgoing”Georgepoutedlikeafive-year-oldashegotoutofhisseat Markreachedouttoputhishandonthesmallof Allie’sbackandyankeditbackatthelastsecond.Stuffinghishandsinhispocketsseemedlikeagoodidea.Shecheckedher phone.
“Sounds like a kid; you should take him,” said Mark. He’d stuck close to her side and at one point Allie swore he’d touchedherback Whensheturned,hishandwasinhispocket Maybeshe’donlybeenhopingforthecontact Allieshookherheadslightly.“Hehasautismandafewotherhealthproblems.Gettinghimtohissocialgroupisamajor effort Hecouldn’tsitinthestadiumseatsforlong”
“AtAaron’sHomeforAutisticChildren TheyhaveacraftclassonFridaysthatheloves” Anthonyhandedherbackthebaseball.“MaybeIcouldhelpwiththat.”HegesturedtothepregnantwomanAlliehadtalked toaboutbeingamom.She’dhungoutinthecornerwithKateandafewoftheotherstaffmembersduringthelunch.Maybeshe wasAnthony’spersonalassistant ThatwouldexplainthefunnylookshegavewhenAllieaskedifshe’dwonacontesttoo She glidedovertotheirgroup seriouslysograceful.
“Didwe give awayall the VIPtickets yet?” Anthonyasked She placedher handonAnthony’s arm Notina possessive way, butinanI-can-hardly-stand-being-so-close-and-not-touching-youway. Allie glanced downto see their matchingrings. Oh!Nothispersonalassistant,hiswife Shewatchedthetwoofthemdiscusstheticketsituationallwhilehavingawholeother conversation onethataskedhowshewasfeeling,sherepliedthatshewastiredbuthappytobehere,andhesaidIloveyou allwithoutspeakingaword.
Allie stole a glance at Mark. Falling into eye-conversations wouldn’t be difficult with him. Her cheeks burned. She shouldn’tevenentertainthoughtslikethatabouthim. Different universes “Ithinkwehaveafewleft,why?”askedLeticia.
“There’sakidnamedJoséwhoneedstoseeahomegame.”Anthonybrushedhiswife’shairoverhershoulder. Surprised byhis generosity, Allie waved her hands “Youdon’thave to do that, really the baseball will be more than enough.”
To her surprise, Beauhugged her He had to bend downto gethis arms around her, and the experience broughtto mind beinghuggedbyabear,hewassodarnbig,butthesentimentbehindthecontactwassweet,brotherlyeven.
“Doyouwantmetosignsomethingtoo?”Markasked.Therewasanedgetohisquestionthattookheroffguard. Despiteknowingthiswouldbeherlastconversationwiththefamousmoviestar,Alliecouldn’thelpbutblush.“Sorry,I’m all outofnapkins”Mark’sshouldersfell likeshe’dhurthisfeelings Poor famous Hollywood star There were probably fiftywomenoutsiderightnowwhowouldlovetohavehisautograph.Littleol’AllieGraycouldn’thurthisfeelings…could she?ShewatchedhimfromthecornerofhereyeashethankedKateandtheotherswhomadethisallpossible
“Itwas.Thanksforthetip.”Allieleanedherheadagainsttheseat,soakinginthecleancarpetscentandthefeelof richleather againsther skin Leather,likeMark Hemusthaveleather seatsinhiscar andthat’show hepickedupthescent Sensuous warmth ran through her veins as the pictured him driving off, wearing his shades, his strong jaw flexing as he maneuvereddeftlythroughdowntowntraffic.
Alliepressedherfisttoherstomach Hercreditcardhaddisappearedwithherex-husband Thebill,however,showedup onthe fifteenthof everymonth. The companyshut downthe card, but there were still a couple thousand dollars’worthof chargestoclearup Inthemeantime,shecouldn’tqualifyforanewone
KatepointedtoGeorge “Thisisyour stop”SheturnedtoAllie Her facehadasoftnessthatshedidn’toffer toGeorge, and Allie was grateful she was still on Kate’s good side. She might not be after she explained her credit card situation. Sleepinginthebathtubwaslookinglikeaviableoption.
Katepluckedatherskirt.“Thehotelis…lessthanideal.Wecandropyouoffathomeifyou’drathertakeacashvoucher.” Allie shookher head. “Myapartment buildingis beingfumigated and I can’t go backfor twenty-four hours. I’mreally gratefulforthespareroom Idon’tcarewhathotelit’sat.”
“Youmightonceyouseeit,”mutteredKate.
Alliebrushedherworriesaside Shewouldlockherselfintheroomandnotcomeoutuntilmorningifneedbe Anyplace was better thanthe street. “Listen.” She scooted forward inher seat. “Ihave a confession.” “What’s that?” Kate cocked her head
Reliefwashed over her like warmbathwater ona cold day She hated havingthis creditissue hangover her Facingthe
issueagainhadtakenalltheconfidenceshe’dgainedtalkingwithMarkandsmasheditdeepdown insidewhereshelostsightofwhoshecouldhavebeen.Reedshouldn’thavethatmuchinfluenceoverheranymore,andyet somehow,someway,hemanagedtodarkenevenherfairy-taleafternoon WhatsheneededwasabigdoseofMark.Sheblushedjustthinkingabouthim.Unfortunately,theclockhadstruckmidnight andshe’dturnedintoapumpkin Ormaybeshewasthemouse,timidandvulnerable Eitherway,shewasn’ttheprincess Theypulledtoastopoutsideofatwo-storyhotel withabrokenfrontdoor andwindow units leavingstains under every window Grittingherteeth,shesteeledherselftosleepwiththelightsontokeepthecockroachesatbay Shewasbacktoherreality,andshemightaswellgetusedtoit.
CHAPTER SIX
MarkhungaroundthepizzaplacewithBeau,Anthony,andLeticia.Thelateafternoonsunbathedtheplaceinarosy glow.The staffloweredthe blinds,givingthe guys some privacysince there were twohundredplus fans outside. The securitydetail had the perimeter under control and the chef cranked out pizzas for the remainingstaff They trickledout,givingtheimpressiontheeventwaswindingdown.
“Hey, Kate how’d itgo?” Better to startwithgeneralities thanjump rightinto findingoutifAllie had enoughbubble bath Beaunudgedhim,andheputthecallonspeakerphone “Betterthanexpected.They’reallsettledforthenight.”
“Whatroomatthe Ritz?” askedLeticia “I’dlike tosendover some ofmybathsalts” Leticia hada small companythat madeherbal bodylotionsandsoaps.Markhadgivenalargebaskettohismomfor Christmas.Sheravedover them,sohe’d sentanother justtospoilher.
Marktookthecall offspeaker Theconversationhadn’ttoldhimaboutAllie’swell-being orifshelikedtheroom She probablylovedthe complementarybathrobes andfruitbaskets.Maybe she’dthrownherselfacross the bed,her arms spread wide. He wasn’taboutto askfor particulars withBeauand Anthonyonthe call, though. He’d never hear the end ofitfrom them.
He’d meta womanwho hadn’tasked for a partofhimand he wasn’tquite sure whatto do abouther He stared atthe buttonsastheelevatortookhimtothesecondfloor.Hecouldstillhearherclearvoiceandseethejoylightupherfaceasshe talked about those kids. He wished his church had a children’s choir. Chloe could sing and she’d love to participate. Performinginagroupwouldbeagoodwayforhertogetusedtobeinginfrontofpeopletoo.
“I can’t I was just delivering this to Allie is she around?” He couldn’t imagine her hanging out with these two, but strangerthingshadhappened.Shewassonice,maybeshe’daskedthemtostayforawhilebeforegoingtotheirhotel.
“Wesureare.”Sheranherhanddownherchest,openingherrobeafewmoreinchesintheprocess.Markquicklyaverted his eyes. Wait IfGeorge was here, that meant that Allie was at a dive hotel. “Youguys canhave this, then. Have a great night.”MarkshovedthebagofbathstuffatGeorgeandtookoffdownthehallway.Theelevatordidn’topenrightaway,sohe hitthestairwell,pullinghisphoneoutofhisbackpocketasheran.
Ifhisskincrawledwhenhewalkedpassedtheseguys,howhadAlliefelt?Hewassuchanidiotforsendingherhere He knockedquicklyandtookastepback,hissensesonhighalertandhismartialartstrainingsparkingtolife.
The curtain parted letting a sliver of light escape “Allie? It’s me, Mark,” he said to the crack, sounding stupid and desperate.Heownedbothemotionsbecausehe’dbeenstupidtoletherstayhereandnotcheckdeeperintothearrangements. Andhewasdesperatetogetthislittlerayofsunshineoutofthedarkness.
Markscanned the place. Amaroon, navy, and greenstriped blanketcovered the bed and two flatpillows. Several dark stainsdottedthecarpet,someofthembiggerthanhishand,andthepictureonthewalltilted.Hersuitcasewasonasmallstand nearthebathroom Heslappedshutthelidandzippeditclosed He’dreplacewhatevertheyleftbehind “Youshouldbeatthe Ritz. This was a mistake.” He pounded the side of his fist against the wall. “Ahuge, stupid mistake. Come on, my car’s outside”
Allieliftedherpalms “I’mkindofusedtolife not turningout I’vegothorribleluck Butthankyousomuchforworrying aboutme.Thisisthesweetestthinganyone’severdone.”
Markchuckled “Surelynot”
Shenodded.“It’strue.”
Markreachedoutandtouchedherhand,warmthandelectricityfiringaway HelikedAllie furthermore,herespectedher for smiling through a bad situation. Jasmine would have thrown a fit and dressed him down like a drill sergeant with a hangover.Actually,sheprobablywould’vehadahorrifichangoverandtakenitoutonhim.
Hetookjustamomenttosearchhereyes,lookingforthatelementoffalsitythatwouldbetrayheroptimismasanact Every actress he’dever playedacross fromhada partofthemlocked away. He did ittoo. Lockingawayemotions was the keyto takinga passionate moment, like anonscreenkiss witha beautiful woman, and manipulate the actioninto whatthe director wanted.Allie’seyeswerelikeplantationdoorsthrownopen hecouldseerightintoherheart.
“Ipromise I’mgoingto make this rightfor you Anthony’s place is like a castle Ithinkitactuallyhas a turret is that whatthoseroundthingsonthecornersarecalled?”Hekepthishandsgrippingthewheelasifhewereinahigh-speedchase. HeglancedovertocatchAllierubbingherlipstogether.
“Theysureare”Shesighed
“I’msosorry.Again hadIknownyou’dendupinthat ”Allieplacedherpetitehandonhisarm.“Stopapologizing.It’s fine I’mfine We’reallfinehere”
“More like a nightmare,” Markquipped. And thinkingofthis innocent, darlingwomanstranded inthatcrap hole was a nightmare Allie chuckled “Maybe for you ButIdon’tusuallyeatlunchwithmovie stars and spend the nightata baseball player’shouse.Idon’trideincarswithseatwarmersorcamerasorchrome.AndI ”Shebitherlipandlookeddownather hands.“Idon’thavesomeonecaringaboutwhereIam.Thiswholedayandnighthasbeenwonderful,thankyou.”Theguiltthat haddrivenMarkforthelasthourgrewtwelvesizes.He’dplacedherinphysicaldangerandshethankedhim.Hestoppedata lightandconsideredAllie.“You’rereallynotangry?”
“Angry?Todaywillbeimpossibletotop”
This womandeserved so muchbetter thanwhatshe’d beenhanded inlife. “Oh, I’ll top it.” His hand found hers and he gentlysqueezed Oncehe’dgottenaholdofher,hewasn’tsureifhecouldletgo Herskinwassilkyagainsthis,sendingslow, loopywavesofwantingthroughhislowerbelly.
LeticiawhiskedherawayfromMarkbeforeshehadachancetosaygoodnight Ashame She’denjoyedtalkingtohimon the ride over.The wayhe lookedather,like she was justa normal personandwasn’ta giantstepawayfromhis kind,was nice Hemaynotseethedifferencesbetweentheirlives,butshecertainlycould
Perhapshisobtusenesswasbecausehehadn’tbeentothedinerorwalkedherneighborhood.Hetreatedherlikeshewas special Hebelievedshewasnodifferentthanhim Butshewas Sheknewit.
“You’rehere”Theburstofhappinessshefeltatseeinghimshowedonherface,andshedidn’tcare She’dthoughthewas goneandheappearedoutofnowhere. The fairy tale continues.
“Thisiswonderful Youdidn’thavetogotosomuchtroubleonmyaccount”Alliepickedupaplate “Anthonyloves to cook. We bothgrew up inlarge families, and withmyfamilyinPeruand his onthe coast, we miss havingbigbreakfasts”“IcancomeovereverySundayifyou’remakingbiscuitsandgravy,”jokedMark HegaveAnthonya shove.
“Pleasedo,”Leticiareplied “Youtoo,Allie We’dlovetohaveyouagain” Allie selected a waffle. “Thatwould be lovely, thankyou.” Where had thatcome from? Lovely? She didn’tuse flouncy wordslikethat.Princesssyndromewaskickingin.
“Letmehelpyouwiththat”Markputaheartydollopofwhippedcreamonherwaffle Allielaughed.“Thanks,butIlikealittlewafflewithmywhippedcream.”Shewenttotakethespoonfromhimtoscoopoff atleasthalfthe whippedcream,buthe didn’tremove his handandshe endedupwrappingher fingers aroundhis His chest brushed againsther backand she foughtthe urge to leanagainsthim. Lettinggo, she sether plate onthe counter before she droppedit
Allieturnedfromthetenderscene,focusinginsteadonherbreakfast Markhadmentionedhehadadaughterandshecould probablyfindoutallaboutthegirlwithonequickGooglesearch.Butshekindoflikedgettingto hearaboutherthroughMark theinformationwouldbeintimateandpersonal She momentarily wondered if the disclaimer statement she’d signed yesterday applied to this morning too. Not that it matteredtoher iftheagreementheldor not,becauseshewasn’tthetypetogorunningtothepress.ButMarkmentioninghis daughterinsuchacasualwaydidmattertoher,becauseitshowedhetrustedher atleastalittlebit likeafriend.Shetucked thethoughtofbeingfriendswithMarkintoasidepocketsoshecouldpull itoutandexamineitlater.Beingfriendswiththe superstar was anintriguingconcept Not because sucha friendship would meanseat warmers and scented bodysoaps, but because friends watched out for one another. He’d done that last night and she vowed to return the favor by guarding his privacy
