The door to the conference room opened, and Alan Rogers walked in. Her boss was an unremarkable middle-aged man of average build who had probably worn his short brown hair in the same boyish style since he was a kid. But he was good at his job, and he held the key to program funding. Luckily, he’d always shown interest in Chloe’s ideas, and he usually supported the new programs she pitched. Unfortunately, he was also a close talker who stepped into people’s personal space and stared into their eyes as he spoke. He’d never done anything inappropriate, but having anyone invade her personal space uninvited was unsettling.
“Serena, I’ll call you later. I have to go.” Chloe set down her phone and said, “Hi, Alan.”
“Getting ready for orientation?” he asked as he walked around the conference table toward her.
“Yes. The kids should be here soon.” She began placing the folders around the table, putting distance between them, a strategy she’d developed early on.
“There’s an assisted living conference coming up in Boston next month covering a gamut of topics that could help our residents. They’re featuring women in management, which I thought you’d enjoy since you’re my shining star.”
“Well, thank you. That sounds interesting,” she said, setting down another packet.
“You know how much I admire you, Chloe. Conferences like this could help us become an even stronger team. I’ll email you the information. It’s a two-day conference, Friday and Saturday. We can drive together and stay at the hotel where the conference is being held, so we don’t miss the morning meetings.”
The idea of driving in the same car with the close talker made her want to decline the offer, but she didn’t want to miss a conference that might be good for her career and the facility. “I’m pretty busy with new program development, so I’m not sure I can afford two days away, but I’ll check it out and let you know.”
“Sounds good,” he said, following her around the table. “I met the men you referred me to for the work on my patio. They’re a little rough around the edges. I thought you said they were friends of yours.”
“They are. They’re good guys, and they do great work.” She set down the last packet, and when she looked up, Alan was right there.
“You trust them?” Alan asked.
“Yes, I do.”
His expression turned serious. “Are you dating one of them?”
“I don’t see how that’s relevant, but no, I’m not.”
“That’s good.” A slow smile lifted his lips. “A woman like you deserves a man fitting your professionalism. A man who can afford to treat you right.”
“I’m sure the Wickeds make fine livings, and you know, not everyone can be as lucky as your wife.” She wasn’t above blowing smoke up the guy’s ass in hopes of ending the conversation so she wouldn’t have to smell his acrid breath anymore.
He held her gaze and said, “There’s enough luck to go around. It’s all about timing.”
Chloe rolled her eyes and took a step back. “Yeah, well, I feel like I’ve been waiting forever.”
“Chloe, you’re not one to rush and make mistakes. The right man at the right time is worth waiting for, don’t you think?”
“There she is!” Rose Masters exclaimed as she barreled into the room, right past Alan, and embraced Chloe. Rose was Chloe’s friends Dean and Jett’s grandmother and a longtime resident of LOCAL. As always, she was with her two best friends, Magdeline and Arlin.
“Mr. Rogers, I have been looking for you.” Magdeline, a tall, wiry woman who possessed enough gumption for ten people, stepped between Chloe and Alan and said, “My daughter has been trying to reach you to discuss financial matters. Did you get her messages?”
“I, um, no. I don’t recall getting them,” Alan answered as Magdeline and Arlin ushered him toward the door.
“Why don’t we go with you to your office,” Arlin suggested. She must have just had her hair done, because it was even brighter orange than usual. “We can call her together.”
Alan glanced at his watch and said, “I have a meeting now, but I’ll look into it as soon as I’m free.”
“Perfect!” Magdeline exclaimed, and she closed the conference room door behind him. She and her friends chuckled like they’d just pulled off the greatest scheme.
Rose shuddered, her snow-white hair bouncing with the movement. “That man gives me the creeps.”
Chloe tried to keep a straight face, but laughter spilled out.
“How did he get this job?” Arlin asked.
“I’ll tell you how. He’s Darren’s son,” Magdeline said. Darren Rogers was the CEO of LOCAL.
Rose put her hand over her heart and said, “Darren is dreamy. I have no idea how he fathered that man, although I have to say that I’ve heard the board is very happy with the work Alan’s doing.” She took Chloe’s hand and said, “How are you, sweetie?”
“I’m fine, Rose. Really. Alan is harmless.” Chloe was careful not to cross any lines with the residents, although she wanted nothing more than to say she was better now.
“As harmless as a rattlesnake, if you ask me,” Magdeline said. “I wonder what his wife sees in him. She’s a lovely woman.”
Chloe put on her virtual administrator hat and said, “That’s enough, ladies. He’s just a close talker. A lot of people are like that.”
“Do they all make you feel like you need a shower afterward, the way he does?” Arlin asked.
“Oh, please, Arlin,” Rose said. “I’m sure Chloe doesn’t waste her time on close talkers. She probably has a gaggle of more appropriate handsome gentlemen vying for her attention. Why, they’re probably lining up around the block, and they’re the ones needing showers after talking with her. Cold showers.”
“Oh my goodness, Rose. No, that’s not true.” Chloe picked up the folder of presentation materials and began sorting through them.
“What do you mean that’s not true?” Rose asked. “You’re a beautiful, smart woman.”
Chloe met their disbelieving eyes and said, “The dating pool on the Cape is rather slim. I don’t have a lot of luck in that department.”
“Oh, honey, let us fix that for you. Sit.” Magdeline nudged Chloe into a chair.
The three of them pulled chairs around Chloe and sat down, like a firing line.
“Okay. Now, Chloe, tell us how you are meeting men,” Magdeline said authoritatively.
Chloe knew they’d keep asking unless she gave them an answer, so she made it quick in hopes of returning to her meeting preparations. “I use dating apps, and I go to clubs. Well, a club. My friend Colton owns Undercover in Truro, so I hang out there sometimes.”
“Clubs are good. Hot guys hang out at clubs,” Arlin said.
“My granddaughter uses Binder. She said it’s the best way to meet guys,” Magdeline said. “I swear every time I talk to her, she’s going to meet up, or hook up, or whatever up it is you kids do these days.”
“It’s Tinder, Mags,” Arlin corrected her. “It’s a hookup app.”
“That’s what I said. Kids hook up for dates.”
“It’s a sex app, not a dating app,” Arlin clarified. “Geez, Mags, you really need to ask more questions before you go spouting off like that. My daughter told me all about Tinder. Kids go on there for sex. Nothing but sex.” She leaned closer to Rose and lowered her voice to say, “I wish we had that here. It sure would make things a lot easier than all the small talk nonsense we have to go through.”
“Okay, ladies, enough about Tinder.” Chloe had tried Tinder, but she’d known after the first meet-up that it was not the app for her. “And I really don’t want to hear about any sexual trysts going on at LOCAL.”
Arlin and Mags giggled like schoolgirls.
Rose waggled her finger at them and said, “You’re going to get in trouble.”
“Hush.” Arlin waved her hand dismissively. “Sex is a normal part of life.”
“Maybe Chloe should be on Tinder.” Magdeline looked compassionately at
Chloe and said, “Sex is good, sweetheart. It can lead to other things.”
“I know it can, but I don’t think the kind of guy I’m looking for spends time on apps like Tinder. I’m starting to think dating apps aren’t the right choice for me anyway.”
“What kind of man are you looking for?” Rose asked.
“Someone nice, strong-minded but tenderhearted. The kind of men my sister and friends have found. A man who wants to know me for me, not just for sex. Someone who is interesting and funny and maybe holds my hand every once in a while. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I held a man’s hand.”
Rose’s gray-blue eyes warmed. “And he should bring you flowers. Flowers fill a woman’s soul with happiness.” Rose had always been an avid gardener. She helped arrange floral centerpieces for the dining room at LOCAL, and since Dean handled the landscaping for the facility, she gardened with him, as well.
“Flowers are always nice,” Chloe agreed. “But you know what I would really like? A man who calls just because he’s thinking of me and who doesn’t rely only on texts for foreplay. I mean, texts are fun, but hearing a man’s voice is much more intimate.”
The ladies nodded in agreement.
“Your generation misses out on all the fun,” Arlin said. “Phone calls build anticipation, and nothing will make your heart race like a good round of foreplay. A girl needs to want in order to enjoy.”
“The digital age has its value, but I’m not sure it’s been great for dating,” Magdeline said. “When I think of a relationship, I think of two people finding their best friends.”
“I like that description.” Chloe glanced at the clock. She was enjoying their chat and was glad to see she still had a little time before her meeting. “To me, a relationship is two people who think of each other more than they think of themselves. I’m not a needy person, and I don’t want a knight in shining armor to pay my way or give me all of his attention. I want a partner. Someone to stand by my side, to be happy for my accomplishments, and not freak out when I need a little emotional support. But some guys are so hung up on themselves these days, they’re all they talk about.”
Rose patted her hand and said, “It’s not just these days, honey. Men have always put themselves first. They were the breadwinners for so many years, you can’t really blame them. But we’ve come a long way, and I agree that it needs to continue to change.”
“Yes, and you need a man who doesn’t send pictures of his body parts,” Arlin added. “Do you know Jacob Sellers sent Patti Tegrond a picture of his privates? He said he read online that women liked it.”
Chloe put on her virtual work hat again and said, “He got in a lot of trouble for that. And yes, no body part pictures, please. I’m looking for a professional who does meaningful work and cares about his career.”
Rose pursed her lips and waved her index finger. “But doesn’t care too much. I was married to a physician for a very long time, and while he was charming to his patients, he was cruel to his family and those he thought were beneath him.”
Chloe definitely didn’t want that type of man in her life. She had heard stories about Dean and Jett’s grandfather, and also about their father, who had taken after their grandfather for a long time. Thankfully, their father had changed his ways over the last few years and had become as kind as his sons.
“I didn’t meet my true love, Leon, until very late in life, after my husband died,” Rose said. “We were together for only a couple of years before he passed away. But they were the best years of my life. You never know when love will show up at your door, Chloe. I wouldn’t keep such a black-and-white list of must-haves. The most important things in a relationship are the simple things. Every woman should have a man who makes her tummy tingle as often as he makes her feel safe, valued, and loved.”
“Rose is right—feeling safe, valued, and loved has to be constant. But I still say that tummy tingling needs to go further. Not that sex is everything, but come on, ladies. Good sex is a must,” Magdeline said with an emphatic nod.
“Agreed, but sex eventually wanes,” Arlin reminded her.
“That’s what those little blue pills are for,” Rose said with a wink, making them all laugh. “Chloe, honey, when true love hits, you’ll know it. You might have to kiss a lot of toads, and your forever love may not fit all of the criteria on your wish list. But you’ll know when it’s right. When you meet the man who looks at you like you’re so special, you can feel how much he adores you. The one who is there for you in good times and bad, he’s the man who deserves a chance. Just remember, love is patient and love is kind—”
“And hopefully he has a really hot behind,” Magdeline added with a snort-laugh.
Rose chuckled.
The intercom beeped, and Shelby, the receptionist, said, “Chloe?”
“Yes?”
“The juniors are here for orientation, and Madigan Wicked returned your call. She said she’s tied up until tomorrow but will try you then.”
“Great. Thank you, Shelby.”
“One more thing,” Shelby said. “You got another call for the reference on Janet Kirsh. I put it through to your voicemail.” Janet was a single mother who had worked for LOCAL for a couple of years in the accounting department. She’d left a little more than a year ago to move to Florida.
“Okay. Thank you. I forgot. I’ll return the call before the end of the day.” Chloe and the ladies pushed to their feet.
“Is that about our Janny?” Rose asked. “Wasn’t she looking for a job last Christmas?”
“Yes. She must be having a hard time finding the right company to settle in with,” Chloe explained. Janet had been a stellar employee, but Chloe was contacted every few weeks for references on her.
“That’s a shame. She was a doll,” Arlin said. “And her little boy is just the cutest.”
“He called everyone Gamma,” Rose said thoughtfully.
What Chloe remembered most about Janet’s bright-eyed little boy was the way Janet talked about him like he was the greatest gift she’d ever been given. “Maybe this reference will land her the right job. Thank you for the talk, ladies.”
“And for interrupting you know who,” Arlin said with a wink.
Chloe shook her head at the women who had become like the grandmothers she’d never had, and not for the first time, she felt blessed to have them in her life. “I never said that.”
“All your secrets are safe with us,” Magdeline said as she embraced Chloe.
Chloe embraced Arlin and Rose, too, and after they left the room, she thought about the things they’d said.
Feeling safe, valued, and loved has to be constant…When you meet the man who looks at you like you’re so special, you can feel how much he adores you, the one who is there for you in good times and bad, he’s the man who deserves a chance.
She remembered the way her date had looked at her last night like she was a business associate and how Justin had looked at her like she was the only woman in the room. Even when she’d first seen Justin standing by the bar, their connection had been magnetic. She’d actually had to cross her legs and squeeze her thighs together, because every time he looked at her like that, her pulse revved up and her girlie parts threw a little party. She was female, after all. She knew sexy when she saw it, and Justin Wicked was sex personified. He was also charming and funny. He didn’t just walk; he swaggered with confidence and bravado. He was tough and rugged and insanely hot with his always-tousled brown hair, intense blue eyes that looked a little haunted, and hard, broad body that Chloe had spent too many sleepless nights thinking about. And that slightly crooked, cocky smile…Shocks of heat sparked beneath her skin. The desires he ignited felt dangerous and forbidden, which made him even more enticing, though she knew they shouldn’t.
Justin made her feel things no other man had ever come close to, and she definitely felt safe when she was with him, but after the childhood she’d endured, she knew falling for a tough biker wasn’t safe for her
heart.
Chapter Three
JUSTIN SAT AT a table with his cousins and brothers in the Dark Knights’ clubhouse Wednesday evening for church, just as he had every Wednesday evening for nearly thirteen years, since he’d officially been accepted into the Dark Knights. From the outside, the clubhouse was nothing more than an old brick schoolhouse located a few minutes down the road from the Salty Hog. Justin could still remember how desperately he’d wanted to earn the honor of wearing the Dark Knights’ patches and attend their meetings when he was a teenager, and the rush of adrenaline and pride he’d felt the first time he’d walked through those doors and into a meeting. That pride had only grown in the years since.
Preacher and Conroy held court at the head table alongside the club secretary and treasurer. Buster, Preacher’s golden retriever mixed with who-knew-what, sat at his feet under the table. Preacher and Gunner always brought one or two of their dogs with them to church. As Preacher discussed prospects and club finances, Justin looked around the room at the men he felt like he’d known his entire life. Like the exterior of the clubhouse, some of the brotherhood had weathered and aged over the years, while others had gotten inked, had families, and beefed up or slimmed down. They had members from all walks of life, from doctors and lawyers to blue-collar workers, and even a stay-at-home father. Beneath the clothes they were all the same fiercely dedicated, upstanding men. Just like the strong, stable structure around them, the hearts of the brotherhood had remained loyal and unyielding.
Justin’s thoughts found their way back to Chloe, as they always did. Trying to unravel her refusal to go out with him was an ongoing frustration. He was determined to figure out why and change her mind. He’d been biding his time, letting her get all that other nonsense about her suit-wearing Prince Charming out of her head, but maybe it was time to stop waiting and show her who he really was.
“Wake up, dude,” Baz said, jerking Justin from his thoughts. Baz pushed a hand through his longish blond hair and flashed the charming smile that made women lose their minds. He nodded in the direction of Cuffs, who was heading up to the front of the room, and said, “Dogfighting ring update.”
A Little Bit Wicked (The Wickeds Page 3