Your Alibi

by Annie Dean

  "Yeah."

  Awkward.

  Secrets they'd been pretending they didn't have, up until tonight, lay between them like railroad tracks. Someone had to cross, but it wouldn't be easy. She sighed.

  "I'll tell you,” she murmured. “You have a right to know, and it doesn't matter what you write about me."

  "Oh, baby.” His hands skated down her back, up again, tracing the divots in her spine. “I was just mad. I wouldn't do that to you."

  "This place thrived before,” she said slowly. “But when we lost my mom, I don't know—maybe it just felt sad here, but people stopped coming, trickled off slowly until we had no guests at all. I had to figure something out ... we've lived in this house my whole life. And I know Manu hates me for what I'm doing, but I had ... I had to..."

  His arms tightened on her, his chin coming to rest against the top of her head. “You had a good reason, I know. I just want the truth, honey."

  She swallowed. “I saw an article in Maxim magazine about this company that provided people alibis if they wanted to cheat. And I thought: I could do that. I even have somewhere they could supposedly be. So I bought the web address and started advertising. Maxed my last credit card before the money started coming in. Now business is pretty good. I earn enough to keep us going and make some inroads on my debts."

  She didn't mention Fast Eddie, but he probably knew. With an ache in her chest, she went on, “Your wife is using my service. She's never been here, Sean. I've never met her. I don't have a clue where she goes or who she's with, and that's the truth. I provide an alibi when someone calls to check, as you did, and I also produce certificates for bogus seminars. I've got a mini print shop in my closet, for Christ's sake."

  He exhaled slowly. “Yeah, I saw that.” Just when the silence was about to make her start babbling nervously, he smoothed her hair away from her face and kissed her lightly. “I knew something was off. I've known for months, but this last time I couldn't sit home wondering. Now you've told me some, and I'll get the rest from Cami."

  "You probably think I'm awful now, just like Manu.” Hearing his words in her head all over again, Addie felt tears threatening, which was ridiculous. She wasn't some overly emotional creampuff who enjoyed a nice fuck and then broke down bawling. “I did what I had to do. I just had no idea it would get this complicated."

  Sean propped himself up on an elbow, seeming to study her in the pearly light. “It's always complicated when you lie, baby, and you do it for a living. I don't say I approve of it, wrong is wrong...” He held up a hand when she tried to protest. “—but I respect the hell out of you for keeping your family together. You're incredibly strong, Addie, but maybe Manu had a point when he said you could learn to lean a little bit. Maybe this wasn't your only option; it just felt like it."

  She wanted to be pissed but couldn't work up the energy. “Maybe. I don't understand why your wife would need an alibi, though."

  "I don't either.” His voice held so much raw anguish. Wincing, she felt as if she'd rubbed salt in some unseen wound.

  Although she knew it was a bad idea, she said it anyway, wanting that stark look off his face. “There's something wrong with her. If I was in her shoes, I'd stay home every night with a smile."

  He smiled then. “You would, huh?"

  "Well. Yeah. What happened?” She figured he'd know what she was asking.

  "'Not with a bang but a whimper,'” he quoted, and she almost remembered what poem that was from. “We started talking less and touching less."

  Addie listened as he poured it all out; she listened and she held him, jaw set. She really wanted to punch the woman who had set all this motion. Camille Duncan sounded snotty and overbred on the phone ... bet I could take her. What kind of name is that anyway? Sounds like tea.

  "And that's why,” Sean was saying, his face against her tousled hair, “you just about killed me when I thought...” He took a deep breath and released it, like he just couldn't say that out loud.

  Her heart twisted and then chilled cold as the ice from Lorene's freezer. “I guess you don't think that anymore. And now that you got what you came for, I guess you'll be going, huh? You have a lot of stuff to do."

  "I should,” he admitted. “Cami has left me seven messages and I haven't talked to anyone at home since I've been here. Frankly, I don't care. See, there's a story here, love. Just not the one I threatened you with earlier."

  "Huh?” Her brain felt heavy, and she really wanted to let herself drift off, stop thinking about cheating hearts and professional liars for a while.

  "Let me stay, Addie. Show me exactly what you do and how you do it, then I'll write a profile that will goose your business revenue. I won't release particulars, except for your website, and if we're lucky the article will get picked up in syndication. You couldn't pay for publicity like this."

  It took her a minute to process. “You—why would you do that for me?"

  He appeared to consider the question. “Because I can,” he answered finally. “Because you were straight with me when we got right down to it.” His eyes looked tired, but he mustered a smile. “Even if you lie for a living."

  "Not to you,” she whispered, snuggling against him. “All right, let's do it then. I'll teach you all my dirty little secrets. How long do you have?"

  "Week and a half, and then I have to get back and take care of things."

  Addie nodded and made herself smile, but she knew it wasn't nearly long enough.

  Chapter Seventeen

  It was Wednesday, late morning sunshine streaming in the window.

  Addie was gone but the bed still smelled like her. Hell, his skin did too. Sean grinned when he saw she'd left his rent money and his damage deposit on the dresser, as if paying for that wild night. He stretched, staring at the ceiling and considering a career as a man-whore. Somehow he didn't think he'd make a living that way, even if she made him feel sexy as hell, a boost he desperately needed.

  Hard to believe he'd only been here since Sunday, but it had been almost a week since he left Virginia. He hadn't spoken to Cami since, and he knew he had to talk things over with her. Just not right now. Because the idea that she'd been lying to him for months, using this service to cover an affair—and there was no other reasonable explanation—took some getting used to. So he'd do Addie a good turn before going back to deal with the mess waiting for him.

  Maybe he should feel guilty about what he'd done here, but he didn't. Sean couldn't regret a single sticky, sweaty moment he'd spent in bed with Addie, and in fact, he hoped there would be a repeat before long. After going untouched for so long, he felt like he was entitled to some fun.

  With a sigh, he rolled out of bed and saw she'd cleared away the damage from the night before, but his clothes were pretty well ruined. The pocket of his shorts hung from a thread, and he didn't want to go out naked. Manu might kill him if he caught sight of him leaving her room like that.

  As he was debating the least humiliating options, someone tapped on the door. Grabbing the first thing to hand, he covered up with a pillow as Addie came in. She stopped short and grinned at him. “Getting to know my bedding, huh? That one doesn't put out on the first date."

  "Do you have clothes for me or are you just here to taunt me?"

  "Aw,” she said, crossing to give him a kiss and a pair of pants. “Can't it be both?"

  "Mmm.” He returned the kiss, biting down on her lower lip, and she pressed up against him, pulling the pillow out of his hands. “Yeah, both. But keep that up and I won't want to get dressed after all."

  "We already had morning sex,” she pointed out. “And evening sex. Middle of the night sex. I'm thinking we might want to give it a rest before we scrape all our skin off. Besides, I have work to do and you're supposed to be writing about me."

  Grumbling, he put on the track pants. “Do I get a shower and breakfast before we buckle down? I'm supposed to be on vacation here."

  Addie laughed. “Don't bitch, this was your idea. Kitchen,
ten minutes. I'll make you some French toast."

  "Lucky for you, I happen to like French toast,” he muttered, heading down the hall to take the world's fastest shower.

  Maybe half an hour later, he showed up for breakfast, as instructed. Manu was nowhere to be seen, but from the racket coming from downstairs, Lem must be hard at work. The kitchen smelled like cinnamon and nutmeg, and she'd cut some fresh flowers from the garden out front, stashed in a sage ceramic vase. Cami would have trimmed them relentlessly, adjusting heights and plucking petals for symmetry, but he liked the careless charm.

  She slid a plate in front of him: French toast done golden brown and lightly sprinkled with sugar, three strips of bacon, and a drizzle of real maple syrup. He raised a brow, trying not to feel ridiculously pleased. “You trying to kill me?"

  "It's turkey bacon,” she said, like that made up for the butter, sugar, and syrup.

  "Oh, of course.” But he ate every last bite while she watched, as if his eating were a personal accomplishment. “So what now?"

  "Back to my room.” He must have gotten a devilish gleam in his eye because she added, “To work!"

  "Right. Work.” She couldn't stop him from staring at her ass in the tight yellow shorts she had on this morning, though.

  God, she's sexy. It looked like she had been working out because she was a little sweaty and clad in spandex. He really liked the sports bra that left her tummy bare, and as they stepped into her room, he couldn't resist running his palm against her skin. She rewarded him with a little shiver.

  "Cut it out! I'm going to show you my daily routine. Well, it was my routine before you showed up. I get up, take a shower, fix breakfast, do my yoga routine, and then I check on Your Alibi."

  Sean nodded, forcing himself to focus. “Actually, let me get my pocket recorder. Bring up the site for me while I'm gone?"

  She nodded, and he sprinted up the stairs to get the tools of his trade. Never mind doing her a favor, this would make an excellent story. Anything that featured sex, deception, and controversy would sell papers.

  When he got back to her room, he took a look at the site. He could tell she'd used a standard business template and then fed her information into it, but it looked professional, if not full of flash animations. Then again, perhaps such simplicity served better since her clients sought discretion.

  "All of my contact form e-mails wind up here...” Bringing up her inbox, she skimmed a few. “Looks like I have three potential new clients. I'll respond to them via e-mail, articulating my service, and if they wish to go forward, then they need to submit a credit card payment. I use a shopping cart service for that. They take a small portion of each transaction, but it's worth it, and the charge doesn't say Your Alibi, of course."

  Tilting the laptop toward him, he read over her site content, making notes on a yellow legal pad. “You offer two different packages?

  "Yeah, the basic package is a simple alibi and the client comes up with whatever rationale for him being at this location on his own. I provide him a phone number and this address, which he can leave with his spouse or partner. I do caution clients against giving out the address, however, because someone could decide to verify in person. If you'd arrived on time, there would've been nothing I could do. As it was, you were still suspicious. I didn't have anything to do with your delays,” she added with a grin.

  He didn't want to think about how this affected him personally, so he made his tone brisk. “How much does the basic package run?"

  "The cost of however many days the client would allegedly be staying here. So if I provide an alibi for three nights, it would be $225."

  "Wow,” he said, shaking his head. “You make the same as if you had that many guests, but with none of the hassle, and there's no limit either. It doesn't matter how many rooms you have to rent."

  "Exactly!” Addie seemed pleased that he saw the open-ended potential. And he did, although he still thought it was morally objectionable. He understood Manu's outrage, as she was pandering to the unfaithful. “The deluxe package includes me working up a reason why the client would be called away from home. He fills out a questionnaire and I design a bogus seminar or retreat that dovetails with his occupation. I also create a certificate of completion and will produce ‘photos’ at additional cost that show him with other conference participants."

  "No wonder you have a print shop in your closet,” he said, impressed despite himself. “You use stock photos?"

  She nodded. “I have a set of CDs that are great in conjunction with Photoshop. That's only been ordered once so far. Mostly a seminar prospectus and certificate of completion seems to be enough."

  "How do you work the alibis?"

  "For alibis, I have a special number that I forward to my cell phone if I go out. If requested, I pretend to ring the room and then ask if I can take a message. If they leave one, I then text my clients’ cell phone and let them know to call home. Clients receive a different number for support, and I don't bother forwarding. That goes to voicemail.” She sighed. “Those are the calls that Manu took for me yesterday. I wouldn't have gone if it wasn't urgent because now I have a pile of calls to return, and he hates me."

  "I'm sure he doesn't.” He brushed his knuckles over her cheek, noticing that she had a dimple in her lower lip and a light smattering of freckles on her nose.

  "You don't know him.” Addie hunched her shoulders as she replied to her e-mails, answering some questions about the service. “I really let him down. He thought ... I guess he had me on a pedestal, but I don't belong up there."

  No, you belong on top of me. The surge of lust made him shiver. Christ, it was like a dam had broken with the end of the long drought, and now all he could think about was sex. Resolutely, he put it out of his head for the moment, though.

  "Give him some time. Maybe bake something he really likes and then see if he'll listen to your side of things."

  She paused in her typing to glance his way. “The only thing that will satisfy him is if I shut down the site and stop offering the service. But what will we live on then?"

  He had no easy answer. There couldn't be much work way out in the middle of nowhere, and Doghouse Junction wasn't exactly a thriving economic Mecca. From what he remembered, there had been perhaps five businesses open, not counting Lorene's Kwik-Stop, which lay about halfway in between the Grail and town.

  "I don't know,” he said at last. “I guess if people are going to cheat anyway, you may as well profit from it."

  "That's what I thought!"

  "So how much for the deluxe package?” he asked, skimming through some sample seminars she'd created.

  They were very good, very thorough. She even listed the names of keynote speakers and if he'd been presented with something like them, he might've been less suspicious. Cami shouldn't have been so cheap, he thought grimly.

  "Same rate as basic for the time I alibi, plus a flat $250 for all my work."

  Sean ran some numbers in his head, made a few notes. “So a deluxe alibi for ten days would run about a thousand dollars?"

  "That's right. I generally don't receive orders for that long, though. A weekend is much more common, although I have done a two-week sales training conference once. That got a little bit tricky toward the end, but with some fast text messaging, and the client claiming to be in the shower when I rang his room, we pulled it off. Check out my testimonials page.” Oddly, she sounded proud of her achievement, and maybe she should be, running this by herself for all intents and purposes.

  "Fast, friendly, discreet,” he read aloud. “Highly recommend this service. Thanks for letting me take my assistant to Vegas. RT in Phoenix.” There were more along the same lines, happy little cheaters who got away with it, thanks to Addie. “I'll need specific anecdotes to punch the story up. But we can get to those later."

  That was enough for today, he decided. Learning about this made him feel dirty, as if he'd become an accessory. He'd write the article for shock value and to help her pr
omote her business, but that didn't mean he sanctioned the idea. But she didn't want his approval, so that became a moot point.

  "Okay. I need to make some calls, Sean, and for the sake of client confidentiality, you shouldn't listen. You want to go swimming or something?"

  Despite himself, he smiled at the solemnity with which she pronounced ‘client confidentiality’ as if she were an attorney or a physician with a sacred trust. But then, it was important to do your job well, no matter what it happened to be. He stood up then and kissed her lightly.

  "Maybe later. I want to put my notes in order first."

  She paused, cordless phone in hand. “Sounds good. I'll catch up to you this afternoon then. I'll have some time before I go out this evening."

  Hand on the doorknob, he knew he shouldn't pick up that cue. Just knew it. “Oh? Where you going?"

  "Ben Fuller's taking me out tonight. I'll leave something in the fridge for you, Manu and Pop, don't worry."

  Yeah, because that was the first thing on my mind, after hearing that. What I'll have for dinner.

  He really wished he had the right to slam the door as he left.

  Chapter Eighteen

  "No, I don't mind,” Addie said, as she climbed into Ben's car. “The bar has good pizza and a big TV. No reason we should drive to Dulzura."

  Nobody would ever call The Bar in Doghouse Junction a romantic place, but she'd mainly agreed to dinner so that the deputy wouldn't feel indebted to her, before she called in a favor of her own. Most likely she could have told him they were even, but it seemed rude to cancel, so she climbed into his patrol car wearing denim shorts and a green halter top, plus Copper Kiss lipstick. With some amusement, she decided he just might leap out of his skin if she touched him.

  "There's a game on,” Ben replied, almost apologetically.

  She thought hard, and then after a moment came up with: “Dodgers?"

  "Yeah. They're off to a great start this year.” He seemed to relax a little as he drove, and they chatted about baseball, although what she knew about the sport wouldn't fill a Dixie cup.