He shoved his hand back through his hair and pushed back from the desk. It wasn’t his fault that Jameson’s and Felony were in such dire straits. Both places had taken a financial hit when the inflow of David’s bookmaking funds came to an abrupt halt. God only knew what other types of illegal businesses David had been running out of the back rooms. The idea infuriated Jack to the point that his vision turned red around the edges. If David had put half as much effort into running a straight business as he had put into skirting the edges of the law, Jameson’s and Felony would be viable, profitable enterprises.
All of this was old news. Most of his unreasonable anger stemmed from his encounter by the lake with Ally and had been channeled at David as a distraction. He just couldn’t get over the way things had ended with Ally. What had been planned as a meaningless sexual romp had left him empty and bitter. No one was more surprised than him to learn that he wanted more than just a roll in the hay with her, but he had no idea how to go about establishing a deeper relationship with her. A dozen times each day, he had dialed her number then hung up before the first ring. His cowardice pissed him off.
He scrubbed his face again and stood from the desk, paced back and forth a few times before donning the black dress pants, crisp white shirt, and red bow tie that made up Jameson’s uniform. The itchy two-day stubble on his chin begged for a shave, but he didn’t have the time or the motivation. Why did he torture himself over a girl who wasn’t interested in someone like him? Her words echoed in his every waking thought. You are so not my type. What exactly was her type anyway? A tight-assed, douche bag like Brian? He snorted with contempt for himself and bony-assed Brian. Maybe she needed a new type. Maybe he needed to convince her that he could be exactly what she needed.
Penny’s look of sympathy made Ally wither with embarrassment. “I told the woman that you were in a meeting, but she insisted that she see you right away.” Penny’s voice lowered to a confidential whisper. “She seemed…um...unwell. I asked her to wait in your office but she became very upset and caused quite a scene. Someone called security and they escorted her out. She’s downstairs with them now.”
“Oh. Okay.” Great. Unwell was always code for drunk, crazy, or just generally messed up. “Did she say what she wanted?”
“No. She just said it was important that she get in contact with you.” Penny frowned and wrung her hands. “I tried to keep her quiet, but…”
“It’s okay, Penny.” Ally rubbed the strain between her eyebrows with two fingers and drew in a long shaking breath.
“I wanted to tell you before someone else did. Mr. Reyes would freak if he knew about it. You know how he hates a scene.”
“Thanks, Penny. I appreciate your discretion.” Ally squeezed the woman’s hand before the elevator doors opened and she stepped inside.
With the distraction of her mother’s appearance and Jack weighing heavily on her mind, Ally managed to make it to the print shop and endure the rest of the meeting. When she finally returned to her office, the phone rang the minute she stepped inside the door. She hesitated at the threshold, torn between making a run for it or taking another phone call which would no doubt result in another couple hours of work when it was already well past quitting time. Work ethic won out and she lifted the receiver with a sigh.
“Ally Taylor. May I help you?”
“Why didn’t you call me and tell me about Brian?” Ally recognized the accusing voice on the other end of the line immediately. It belonged to Karly, her college roommate. At the sound of Karly’s voice, Ally felt a rush of warmth. She hadn’t realized just how much she missed having a friend until that very moment.
“The customary telephone greeting is hello,” Ally replied, smiling as she spoke.
With Karly on an internship in London, it had been ages since she’d spoken to someone outside of work besides Jack. Consumed with professional obligations followed in quick succession by the Brian-Becca debacle and Jack, she had lost touch with the few friends that she had. She couldn’t stand their pitying stares and obvious discomfort. The couples were especially leery of her, as if she had some dreaded communicable disease that might endanger their own relationships.
Karly was different, though. She was Ally’s friend and had been since they roomed together freshman year in college. Unlike the population at large, Karly disliked Brian from the moment she met him, claiming that he was too polished and too polite to be much of a man. “Men should have a few rough edges to them,” she had said with a wicked giggle and Brian was as smooth as a polished stone. Karly would understand in a way that no one else could.
“Hello? Can you hear me? Why didn’t you call me?” Karly said again in her deep raspy voice. She always sounded as if she was on the verge of laryngitis. “They have phones in London, you know. I had to hear about it from my brother.”
“Oh, great. So your brother knows?” Ally groaned and began to twist the tendril of hair that escaped her ponytail. “He’s in California. How could he know?”
“Because this is big news, Al. You guys were together forever. Everyone just assumed…” Karly’s voice trailed off and Ally realized that the whole incident seemed like ancient history to her now and that she hadn’t even thought about Brian or Becca since she went to the lake with Jack.
“I know. Me, too,” Ally said. “But it’s over and done.”
“I hear they moved in together last week. Brian’s mom is fit to be tied. You know what a snob she is.”
“Yeah, she always hated Becca.” Even speaking Becca’s name made Ally’s gut wrench with sadness. She changed the subject to ease the pain. “How was London?” Karly had been on a work-study program for the last semester, finishing up some post-graduate studies.
“Fine,” Karly replied. “The food was weird and it rained every day.”
“When did you get back? I wish you had called me.”
“A few days ago, I guess.” Without pausing, she launched right into her attack. “I’m worried about you, Al. Are you okay? You must be devastated.”
Ally sighed. Why did everyone ask that same question, like she’d just been released from prison?
“Ally?”
“I’m fine,” she replied. “It was rough at first but I’m good now.”
“Liar.” Karly’s voice held a tinge of humor but mostly concern for her friend. “I need to see you. I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me you’re fine.”
“I’m fine. I promise. And I’ve met someone.” Ally smiled as she heard Karly’s sharp intake of breath.
“Seriously? OMG! This is big. I want to hear all about him.”
“I could use a drink. Want to meet somewhere? ”
“That sounds great! I am so ready for a beer.”
“How about Jameson’s Pub? In about thirty minutes? He works there on Tuesdays. Maybe you’ll get to meet him.” It was a bold move on her part. She didn’t take emotional risks, or at least she hadn’t before she met Jack. Maybe he would be there, maybe he wouldn’t. All she knew was that she needed to see him again.
CHAPTER 8
ALLY STOOD in front of Jameson’s Pub, stricken with a case of nerves. An elegant English tavern, famous for its variety of ales and “pub grub”, Jameson’s was a favorite watering hole for the upwardly mobile after-work crowd. Once she had been part of that crowd, but that had been over a year ago, long before her life went pear-shaped. Now she felt awkward as she hesitated at the entrance, wondering if Karly was already inside. Just knowing that Jack was inside made her palms sweat and butterflies skitter in her stomach. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. She thought briefly about walking the other direction, but any qualms she had were soothed when Karly bounded up to the front door like an overzealous cocker spaniel, her strawberry blond curls springing with every step. When she reached Ally, she threw her arms around her neck and squeezed with surprising strength. Unsettled by the emotional greeting, Ally smiled and gently disentangled herself.
“I thought you might chicken o
ut,” Karly said in her croaky voice that was much too big for her petite stature. At five-six, Ally towered over the tiny girl. She was like a pixie on steroids; miniature, vibrant, and bursting with personality.
“Are you kidding? And miss out on you? You’re crazy,” Ally said. The smile on her face felt genuine for the first time in weeks, since she’d gone out with Jack.
Karly stepped into the golden light of the pub. Ally followed, blinking against the dimness after the brilliance of the summer sun, enjoying the rush of cool air conditioning. Warm and inviting with lots of dark wood paneling and brass details, Jameson’s was the perfect place for conversation and casual business luncheons. Half a dozen intimate booths surrounded the perimeter of the main room. A beam of sunlight glanced off the ornate mirror behind the long, antique bar and momentarily blinded her.
As her eyes adjusted to the light, she scanned the room. No sign of Jack. Maybe he wasn’t there. She took a seat at the bar and breathed a sigh of relief and disappointment. She ran a hand over her hair, which was swept back in a sleek ponytail, tapped a fingernail on the bar and contemplated her drink options. Over the past week, she’d made a concerted effort to avoid hard liquor, but under the circumstances a little liquid courage might ease the strain.
Someone came through the double swinging doors from the kitchen into the bar area. Ally looked up and stared into the twinkling brown eyes of Captain Mayhem himself. Her cheeks flamed and her mouth went dry. If he was surprised or happy to see her, he didn’t show it. He put down the glass he had been holding, wiped his hands on the white apron tied around his narrow waist, and flipped a checkered bar towel over his shoulder as he strode toward her.
With a ghost of a smile on his lips and the flicker of anger in his eyes, Jack stopped in front of her and leaned one elbow on the counter to study her. He looked more handsome than ever in a crisp white dress shirt, tailored black dress pants, and a red bow tie. The white linen of his shirt set off the bronze of his skin and the dark stubble of growth on his jaw. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
“What can I get for you, ladies?” The sultry baritone, smooth as scotch over ice, sent moisture pooling between her thighs.
“Are you speaking to me again?” To her immense relief, her voice sounded normal despite the trembling of her hands.
“Jury is still out.” The volume of his voice lowered to an intimate level. “Depends on what you’ve got to say to me.” He tapped the counter with his hand, the mask slid over his features, and he spoke in a normal tone. “So what’ll it be?
“Can I get a Jack and Coke? And Karly wants a fuzzy navel.” Damn it, he wasn’t going to make this easy for her. Attraction pulsed between them like a live wire stretched taut and about to snap. The intensity of feeling rubbed her already frayed nerves raw.
From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Karly at the jukebox, shoving dollars into the machine like a crazy woman, as if music might calm the undercurrent of tension in the room, now made all the more intense by Jack’s appearance.
“What are you doing here anyway? Slumming?” The hard edge of his voice caught her by surprise.
“It’s not like that, Jack.”
“Then what’s it like, Ally? Tell me. I’m curious.” She had forgotten how deep and seductive his voice could be. He licked his lips, concentrating all her attention on his mouth. How she would love to bite his full lower lip. The thought raised her temperature another degree. Jack smiled as if he could read her thoughts, as if daring her to follow through.
“Everything okay here?” Karly popped up beside Ally, her keen eyes darting from Jack to Ally and back again. “What did I miss?”
“Maybe we can talk later?” Ally asked. He nodded his assent and with his best smoldering look, turned his back and went about the business of preparing drinks for them. Karly watched the broad V of his torso with obvious approval as he worked.
“Talk about what? What’s going on?” Karly’s eyes went round with suspense. “Shiver me timbers! He’s freaking hot, girlfriend. All he needs is a hook and an eye patch and — well, I’d walk the plank for that one.” She laid a hand on Ally’s arm and squeezed. “He was looking at you like he wanted to do you right here on top of the bar. Do you know him?”
“No…yes…sort of.” Ally a shrugged her shoulders, uncertain how to explain their dysfunctional relationship.
“Spill it,” Karly demanded. “Right now. I want details.”
Ally sighed. “I met him at Felony. He manages both places.”
“Felony? That’s a rough place.” Karly’s eyes widened in a mixture of awe and surprise. She let out a low whistle. “You’ve got a whole other side to you that I had no idea about. Will you take me there sometime?” At Ally’s scowl, Karly shrugged. “Sorry. Sorry. Go on.”
“Well…” Ally drew in a deep breath for strength. “We’ve hung out a few times. That’s all.”
Karly’s eyes narrowed. “And…?”
“He brought lunch to my office. And we had sex.” The confession tumbled out in a rush like water falling from a pitcher.
“Shut the front door!” Karly slapped her hand on the counter, overcome with shock. “I have seriously underestimated you.”
“Shhh…you don’t have to tell the whole freaking bar.” Ally felt the heat of embarrassment race up her neck. “I know, right? He is so not my type.”
“Geesh!” Karly fanned her cheeks with a drink coaster to cool her own blush. “Believe me, honey. He’s every woman’s type. So how was it?”
Ally couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s enthusiasm despite her personal misgivings about the whole event. “It was smoking hot, but I made an ass out of myself and we haven’t spoken until just now.”
“I seriously doubt that you made an ass out of yourself. He doesn’t seem to be too concerned about it.”
“No, I did. And he was being so sweet. We had wine and cheese by the lake and then I insulted him.”
“Verbal diarrhea?” Ally nodded and Karly set down the coaster then gave Jack another more thorough appraisal. “Seriously? Why would you do that? What exactly set you off?”
Ally hung her head and stared at her lap, head shaking back and forth. Karly was the only person in the world she could trust with her secret. When she spoke, it was in a whisper. “I’m not sure what happened. He’s such a player, you know? And I’ve only been with Brian. I guess I just panicked. I thought I’d blow him off before he could ditch me.”
“You had sex with him and blew him off?” The break between jukebox songs hit just as Karly spoke. Her words echoed around the quiet bar and taunted Ally.
“Shhhh...inside voice, remember?” Ally thumped the girl on the back of the head with her hand in an affectionate reprimand. “You don’t have to tell the whole damn place.”
“Sorry! Sorry.” Karly looked over her shoulder as if about to divulge a national secret. “He’s freaking gorgeous,” Karly said, as if that made everything alright. “I’m sure you already know this, but you don’t have to marry every guy you sleep with, Al.”
Ally kept her eyes glued to Jack’s reflection in the mirror as he opened a new bottle of bourbon. He glanced up and gave her a quick smile that melted her insides. She smiled back. “But he’s such a whore dog.”
“You know what that means? It means he’s got experience. That he knows what he’s doing.”
“Oh, he definitely knows what he’s doing.” She smiled at the thought then turned back to Karly. “But enough about me. How was London? Did you meet anyone there?”
Karly’s shoulders slumped and the sparkle in her eyes dimmed a little. A dozen different emotions flickered across her delicate features. “I did. His name was Jerome and we had an affair for eight glorious weeks. Sex twice a day, intimate dinners, and weekends away at the most romantic places. One time we stayed in a castle that belonged to one of his friends. Then the day before I left, he said that he really enjoyed our time together but that he was engaged to someone and gettin
g married in a few weeks.”
“Oh, Karly, I’m so sorry.” Ally’s heart ached for her friend. Karly had dozens of failed relationships in her past and Ally had no idea why. The girl was pretty and smart and full of personality. “Here I’ve been going on about myself. You should have told me.”
“It’s okay,” Karly said in a tone that meant it clearly wasn’t. “He was ten years older than me and had a bald spot. The sex was great though.” She chewed on the end of her stir stick as she mulled over memories. “I’m sure I would’ve been tired of him in another month anyway.”
“Maybe we can go out this weekend. You know – have a girls’ night out.”
“Yes!” Karly’s eyes brightened. “I want to go to Felony. The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.”
Sitting alone at the bar with another drink, Ally contemplated her friend’s advice while she watched Jack work. He completely ignored her as he moved around the pub with an easy grace, taking orders and chatting with the customers, joking with the men and flirting with the women. His silence stung more than any verbal reproach. When she finally caught his eye, he held up a finger in a request to wait for him.
A few minutes later, he leaned over the bar in front of her. “What’s up? Where’s your friend?”
“She had to go,” Ally said. Butterflies twittered in her stomach and her palms began to sweat. This was harder than she thought it would be. “Look, do you think we could go somewhere and talk later?”
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