Fancy Free

by Shelley Munro

  “How many…um…” Alice blushed. “I don’t know a ladylike way to ask this. How many times do we need to test the models? I know it’s important that we get the product on the market quickly, but how many…uh…times do we do it each night?”

  James smirked. “Who said we have to do it at night? Sex isn’t a nighttime-only activity.”

  “But sex isn’t work,” she retorted, her voice rose enough for the woman sitting next to them to hear. “It’s meant to be fun.”

  The room seemed quieter than it had been seconds before, as if everyone waited with bated breath for the next words in their conversation.

  “Oh sweetheart. The sex will be fun. I have some very special toys for us to try. And some of that massage oil. It will make your breasts gleam in the light.” James glowered at his sister, the rise of his eyebrows a silent dare for her to comment. Let her chew on that.

  The receptionist appeared from behind the counter. “James, the doctor will see you now.”

  “Thanks.” He stood, gesturing for Alice to walk in front of him. Her brandy-colored eyes glinted with heightened emotion. Anger combined with acute humiliation.

  “Did you have to embarrass me like that?” she whispered when she brushed past him.

  Well, hell. He’d managed to piss off Alice too.

  Alice attempted cool dignity, but it was difficult while maneuvering around children and toys. When she’d agreed to help test the condoms, her thoughts had centered on making love. Penetration. Finally. What she hadn’t considered was the embarrassment factor. Jeesh, she’d never been so mortified in all her life. She marched past the inquisitive men and women in the doctor’s room with her head held high, desperately praying she didn’t fall flat on her face.

  She understood James had been teasing. Unfortunately she’d attracted attention to start with, but the casual manner in which he’d spoken of them making love had riled her. It made her realize she wanted more—the experiences she’d missed in the past. She wanted romance along with the hot, down and dirty sex. She wanted flowers and walks under the stars. She wanted chocolate and cozy candlelit dinners. All the discussions about where to do the tests and how to do it made the whole situation feel like work, taking away the spontaneity factor.

  Alice stepped into the room indicated by the receptionist and sat. James followed and dropped onto the seat beside her.

  A young woman stepped into the office and closed the door.

  “Hi, James. I haven’t seen you for ages.”

  “Carol, this is Alice Beasley. We need a prescription for the Pill.”

  Alice was suddenly glad of James’ presence. Their reasons sounded so mercenary, but an unwanted pregnancy would be worse.

  “Have you used this method of contraception before?” the doctor asked.

  “No.” Alice glanced at James. Okay for him to jump in any time now.

  “Alice and I are about to conduct tests on a new condom. We want to make sure she’s covered in case there are problems with the tests.”

  The doctor glanced at her. “Let me ask you a few questions about your health and check your blood pressure. You realize the prescription needs to be taken for several weeks before conception is prevented?”

  “What can we do meantime if one of the condoms rips?” James asked.

  Alice released a shuddery breath only half listening while the doctor mentioned the Morning After Pill, should there be a problem, and suggested use of spermicide as long as it didn’t react with the latex. She hadn’t considered any of this stuff before her agreement to go ahead. At least one of them was thinking with their head.

  Ten minutes later they finished and left, prescription in hand. James paid for the visit and they stepped out into the sunshine. Baskets of flowers hung from the lampposts all the way down the main street. Brilliant pink petunias and bright blue pansies drooped over the edges of wire baskets in colorful balls of floral magnificence. A crocodile line of school children ambled down the footpath, heading for the local swimming pool with their teacher bringing up the rear. Alice smiled at their mischievous and excited faces. A nice town in which to settle down. Alice wondered if the town had any accountants with vacancies.

  After they stopped at the chemist to have the prescription filled, James halted outside the busy cafe opposite the police station. “How about lunch? We can discuss our plan of attack.” He cupped her face in his warm hands, smoothing a thumb across her lips.

  “Okay.” She melted under his bright blue gaze, shivering when he traced her lips with his thumb.

  “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “Everything will work out fine.”

  James had noticed how jumpy Alice became after the interaction with his sister. Hardly surprising. Meetings with Melissa always spoiled his mood too.

  The casual lunch in the cafe relaxed her noticeably. This was the key, James decided. To take things slow and easy so he didn’t scare her off. The last thing he wanted was for Alice to change her mind. If they tested the condoms instead of outside testers, it cut down on the security measures they’d require. The future of the company depended on positive tests for the new condom. And, dammit, he wanted to get to know her in the carnal sense. Tonight. Yeah, definitely tonight. He’d cook her dinner. They’d have a few drinks. Relax together. A little music. Candles. Yeah, sounded like a plan.

  “What will you have today, James?” the waitress asked.

  After scanning the menu and the special’s board, he decided on a chicken and cranberry Panini while Alice ordered a salad.

  The waitress jotted their orders down before flashing a grin at him. “Where are your followers? Your entourage of protesters?”

  “Hopefully they didn’t notice when we slipped in here,” James said. “The last time they protested outside the café, Ruby threatened to bar me. Ruby owns the cafe,” he added to Alice.

  “Do you think they…” she trailed off to study the waitress.

  James appreciated her reticence in front of strangers, although Alicia had told him her goddaughter bore a wide streak of integrity. “Nah, all their protests are fairly peaceful. They’ve never done anything except shout.”

  “That’s true,” the waitress said. “Word is they settled in Sloan because of the mystical forces present in the town. Evidently it’s conductive to rearing extra-intelligent children. They’re not violent people. They’re very family orientated.” She paused to giggle. “It’s just that condoms are against their beliefs.”

  “Lucky for us not everyone thinks the same way.” James laughed and gave a careless shrug. “The company would go broke in no time.”

  “Yeah, the safe sex message must help sales.” With a cheeky grin the waitress hurried off to deliver the order to the kitchens.

  “Do you think the cult members have anything to do with our problems?” Alice asked in an undertone after a quick glance behind her and to each side.

  James’ mouth twitched and he controlled his amusement with difficulty. He leaned closer, savoring her floral scent. “My gut says no, but I thought I’d mention it to Richard. We need to check out our newer employees as well.”

  Her eyes widened. “Me?”

  “No. Alicia trusted you to look after the company. Besides, our problems started before you arrived.”

  Alice nodded, her forehead puckered in a frown. “I hope we can sort this out. The company can’t afford to lose money if we don’t.”

  “Don’t worry. We have a dedicated team.” Money again. James reminded himself he intended to complete his contract because Alicia had asked him to and not for any other reason.

  The tables were fairly close together, making it difficult to talk in specifics. The elderly woman and her companion from the doctor’s surgery came in and sat at the table next to them. They whispered a lot and Alice became so self-conscious that he took pity on her and confined their discussions to the mundane.

  After a quick lunch, they left the cafe and walked down the main street of Sloan, their reflections display
ed in the windows. When they passed the Children of Nature shop, several robed women poured outside and shouted anti-condom slogans.

  “Just ignore them. That’s what I do.” He slipped his arm around Alice’s waist and drew her against his side.

  She stiffened then relaxed when the women ceased their commotion and returned inside their shop. “Apart from the cult, this is a nice town. Did you grow up here?”

  “Yeah. My parents and grandparents grew up in Sloan. The family business is here.” James didn’t want to talk about his childhood in Sloan and how out of place he felt—a round peg in a square hole. “I’d better get started on those budgets. Rita and I need to finish them today.”

  Alice nodded, a sense of anticipation bubbling through her. Dinner at James’ house. She’d be on his territory. A grown-up date with sex as dessert. Yum. She sure liked dessert. The eagerness spiked into a physical reaction, her nipples suddenly tight and lower, moisture flooded her sex. Alice’s gaze drifted to touch lightly on his butt. Tight. Muscular. Very attractive. She sighed and followed him into his office.

  James stepped behind his desk and turned abruptly, catching her stare at his butt. He winked. “Wanna help me with the budgets for the bank?”

  “Sure.” Untrue. What she had in mind didn’t come close to banking, not unless deposits in the sperm bank counted. “I’m a trained accountant. Budgets are my thing.”

  “Let’s get to work then,” he said. “The sooner the budgets are completed, the quicker we’ll get to the tests of Rodney’s latest invention.”

  As incentives went, Alice thought it was a pretty good one.

  Chapter Seven

  Alice refused James’ offer to pick her up from the bed and breakfast. She decided she’d prefer to walk and explore Sloan a little. After all, she intended to live here for a minimum of six months and it wasn’t a long walk to the house he rented on the outskirts of the town. About half an hour, James said.

  Dressed in a black and white floral skirt, a baggy black blouse and a black cardigan, Alice wandered down the main street, past the cafe where they’d eaten lunch. It appeared they did an evening meal as well since diners occupied most of the outside tables. She paused to check out the mannequins in the window of Kellie Anne’s Ladies Wear. The dresses looked surprisingly fashionable in pastel pink, turquoise and white, and made Alice wonder if she shouldn’t get a couple of new things. Something in this season’s colors to enliven her mostly black and white wardrobe. Then she thought about the expense. She glanced down at her scruffy black sandals, old, in need of replacement. Maybe not. She couldn’t afford to dip into her savings, especially now since she’d had a change of circumstances. And definitely not when things looked a bit shaky at Fancy Free.

  After a quick glance at her watch, Alice hurried on, past the huge hall where the lawyer had read the will. The town clock struck six when she turned onto River Road. The water appeared more of a stream than a river. A group of young boys fished from the bridge that crossed the stream. They didn’t seem to be catching anything but their boyish laughter made her grin.

  The startled quack of ducks filled the air. Alice slowed to watch the argumentative water birds, took the time to appreciate the musical tinkle of the rushing water and the rustle of the breeze through the totara trees that edged the stream. Aware of the passage of time, she continued to walk. The road curled around the base of a hill, gradually rising until Alice could see across the valley. Winded by the unaccustomed exertion, she paused at the top to study the view. Wheat and corn grew in the paddocks, the gold and green colors of the crops like a patchwork quilt on the hillside.

  A strange metallic grinding sound made her head jerk up. She whirled around, her hand pressed to her heart. A bright lime green van chugged up the hill and pulled up beside her with a screech of brakes. The window wound down on the passenger side.

  “You’re the condom heiress.” It sounded like an accusation.

  Alice blinked. She rubbed her eyes, her mouth falling open in astonishment. The passenger wore full clown makeup while the driver sported a tan and white dog suit.

  Just like the business cards she’d received. Talk about peculiar.

  Instinct made her back away. She glanced left and right in the hope of other traffic. The hairs at the back of her neck prickled. Why were they in disguise? Had they followed her? “Are you lost? Do you need directions?” Alice regretted the tremor of her voice, but despite the red painted smile on the clown’s face, she sensed a swirl of anger.

  “You must stop this madness. Condoms are the modern man’s plague. Man should beget children. The woman who founded Fancy Free has brainwashed the entire town, the public.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Alice backed away a little more and prepared to run. Condoms promoted the safe sex message—a good thing for everyone concerned given AIDS—but she didn’t intend to argue the point.

  “That’s right.” The driver’s voice emerged low and whispery. Creepy. Alice couldn’t decide on the dog’s gender, but the clown sounded masculine.

  Alice backed away even farther before breaking into a run.

  “You can run, but you can’t hide,” the clown shouted.

  To Alice’s relief, she didn’t hear the van follow but glanced back over her shoulder to check. She didn’t care what anyone said. The cult members acted mightily peculiar, and she wouldn’t be surprised if they had something to do with the sabotage at Fancy Free. She hastened her footsteps until she sprinted, aware of her vulnerability on the quiet road.

  Over the crest of the hill, the road forked to the right. A group of four houses sat halfway along. She searched for the red mailbox James had told her about and found it a few meters past a yellow weatherboard house, the last in the cluster of houses. James’ house was at the end of a right of way. At the red mailbox, she darted past and continued to run up the dirt road, each breath a gasp that sounded like the set of bellows her father used to blow the fire to life.

  James’ house was white. After another glance over her shoulder, she saw the van hadn’t followed and her steps slowed. The paint peeled and flaked in places but it had potential. Just the sort of house she’d pictured in her mind thousands of times, the sort of house she hoped to own one day soon. She walked up the cobblestone path, a quick pause to catch her breath before knocking on the brightly painted blue door.

  James opened the door almost straight away, a grin on his lips that brought his dimple into prominence. “Hi.”

  “Hi,” Alice parroted, and a sense of shyness hit. With his dark hair damp from the shower, he stole her breath. The faded blue denims and the white T-shirt set off his body, attracted attention and let her know that here was indeed a bad boy who knew all about sex. His sensual grin reinforced the impression.

  He studied her closely, his smile slowly fading. “Are you all right? You look a bit flushed.”

  “I saw a dog and a clown in a lime-green van,” she blurted. “They stopped and lectured me about condoms.” A shudder racked her body. “They gave me a heck of a fright.”

  “I can’t see anyone.” James leaned down and kissed her lightly, nibbling at her lips with his teeth before tasting her more fully. When he pulled away, all she could think about was having dessert before the main course. Talk about flustered. “Nope. You haven’t had too many drinks.”

  Indignant, she opened her mouth to hotly dispute the claim, but he forestalled her piqued words with another kiss. This time he used tongue and took his time. Alice stood passively, allowing him to suck on her lips, her tongue. He probed the seam of her lips, right at the corner of her mouth, entering and withdrawing in slow, steady moves that left her breathless. When they finally drew apart, her knees shook.

  “Who drove the van? The dog or the clown?” James pulled away and stroked her cheek with his forefinger. “Any flying saucers or little green men?”

  Alice drew up, her eyes narrowing on him in a steely glare. “The dog was the driver, and you’re right. I haven’t
had a single alcoholic beverage.”

  “Shh, I’m only teasing.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “According to Luke Morgan—he’s one of the local cops and a close friend—a lot of the Sloan residents have seen the dog and clown recently but from a distance.” He grinned. “With the rest of the locals I would have called it a bad batch of beer at the pub, but I know you haven’t had time to drink anything stronger than coffee today.” His eyes gleamed with laughter and lazy sexual heat. “It’s probably nothing to worry about. A publicity stunt or for kids’ birthday parties. Come on inside.”

  “I don’t think they had anything to do with children’s parties. They mentioned condoms.”

  James frowned. “They did? Tell Richard when you see him.”

  “I will.” They’d scared her more than she’d let on, especially since the business cards and other strange things had a dog and clown theme going on. She definitely intended to speak with Richard. After kicking off her sandals, she followed James down a tiled passage into the kitchen. Her thoughts centered on the van and she made a mental note to listen carefully to the local gossip and check out the paper to read Ms. Knowall’s column for more information on this clown and dog. James might think them harmless, but he hadn’t been present to feel the bad vibes. The dog hadn’t said much, but even so, she hoped to avoid them in the future.

  The rich scent of a tomato sauce filled the air when she stepped inside the kitchen. Curiosity made her scan the room, eager to learn more about James. She hadn’t known what to expect. Maybe clothes tossed randomly around the room and lots of clutter and mess. Sort of like her parents’ house, although the tidy home with everything in its place took her by surprise. The kitchen wasn’t huge but the breakfast bar would receive the morning sun. Modern stainless steel appliances and a gas cooker rounded out the room. A plain white clock hung on the wall, clacking merrily while it counted off the seconds. A blackboard hung on the wall with the start of a shopping list scrawled on it. The mottled gray countertop held two empty white bowls. A cutting board sat beside them, a tomato ready to slice.