by Alina Jacobs
"But I took her out for sushi!"
"So you did the bare minimum," Grant said, "and had sex with her in the print closet. That's real classy. I'm sure any girl would appreciate that."
Carter concentrated on his drink. He couldn't look at his cousin—he knew Grant was right.
"Get your shit together, Carter," Grant said. "Relationships take work. Real work."
Grant's words echoed in his head the next week when Carter sat in the office with Allie. She still seemed a little distant. She was on top of the projects they were working on, but he noticed that sometimes she would stare out of the window.
His phone beeped, and he glanced at the message. It was from Grant.
Up your game
Carter showed up at Allie's apartment that Friday night. He had flowers, and Margot was freshly groomed and sporting a large bow.
"I'm taking you away," Carter said as he walked into the apartment.
"I have to—"
"What, work?" he scoffed. "You aren't a bartender anymore."
"I can't…" She gestured to the laptop.
"We're just going down the street," he told her. "I have a nice hotel picked, and they know we're coming. I have a suite booked for tonight and tomorrow night with a whole weekend planned."
"Why?" she asked.
He smiled and shrugged. "I can't take my best girl out? Besides, I already bought tickets."
"I don't know," she said with a frown.
Carter felt himself start to get a little annoyed. He tried to smother it and be more empathetic.
"It will be fun," he said.
He pushed his way past her, and she seemed almost frightened for a moment, but that couldn't be, he thought.
"Here," he said putting the flowers in the tiny sink. "I'll help you pack."
"I don't have anything to wear."
"We aren't meeting the queen of England," Carter told her. "Besides, we're just going a few blocks away. If you really do forget something, we can come back."
As the town car drove them to the hotel, Allie seemed a little apprehensive.
"It's not going to be like last time," he promised. "At least I hope not. Plus you don't look like a cheap hooker. Maybe a high-end escort at worst."
She punched him lightly in the ribs.
The hotel manager greeted them as they arrived. "Right this way, please, Mr. Holbrook. We have your room ready."
"Wow," Allie said as the hotel manager opened the door to the suite, "look at this view!"
Carter smiled, pleased that she was so thrilled with his choice.
He followed her out to the balcony, which overlooked the city.
"It's almost as nice as the penthouse view, but there's no Grant and Kate, which makes it perfect," Carter said, running his hand down her back.
"And there's a fireplace!" Allie exclaimed, walking back inside. "And it's real!"
She was like a little kid, Carter thought as he watched her practically skip from room to room.
There was champagne on ice, and Carter popped the cork and poured them both generous glasses, then he took a couple of the raspberries out of the little silver bowl on the tray and plopped them in the amber liquid.
"I've never seen you this excited," he said, handing Allie her drink.
"I love real estate," she gushed. "Especially nice real estate."
Carter made a mental note of that.
"This bathroom," she purred, opening up the French doors that led to one of the most impressive bathrooms Carter had ever seen.
"I can lie down in this shower!" Allie exclaimed then bounded out to the next room, Margot trotting behind her on the Turkish rugs that covered the hardwood floor.
The suite was two stories; Carter hadn't known that when he booked it. The large window stretched the two stories and gave them an expansive view out over the city.
Carter followed Allie up the curving staircase to the upper floor. It was more of a loft with a bed and an antique wardrobe. She flopped down on the bed and wiggled her toes.
"I could stay here forever," she said and sighed happily.
Carter smiled at her and lay down beside her. Allie pulled him close and kissed him.
"So luxury properties are the way into your heart," he said, slipping his hand under her dress, "Good to know."
From her spot on the floor, Margot whined at them.
"I can't with the dog," Allie murmured. "I feel like she's judging me."
"She wants to be near us," Carter said. "Just like I want to be near you."
"You spoiled her," Allie said to him.
"I know you let her sleep on your bed," Carter whispered back and unzipped her dress.
She was so relaxed, and she melted in his arms.
Carter took a sip of champagne so that she would taste it on his mouth. Then Allie shrieked when he spilled it on her.
"You're going to get it on the comforter!" she protested.
"Hold still," he told her and carefully lapped it off of her body. He felt her shiver.
Yeah, this feels right, he thought.
He kissed her nipples, the same color as the raspberries, then he drained the rest of the champagne and hovered over her. She arched up to meet him.
"I read this story once in the New Yorker magazine about this guy and his wife. She would only orgasm when he fucked her on a piece of expensive antique furniture that she owned. I feel like that’s you," he said, kissing her. "If I fuck you in a multimillion-dollar piece of real estate, you're like a sex bunny."
"A sex bunny?" she said and bit his lip. "What is this? The seventies?"
"The still have sex bunnies," he replied, kissing his way down the length of her.
She gasped as he kissed her between her legs, and he felt her hands tangle in his hair.
"Oh, that's right, they have sex bunnies at those god-awful STD-riddled strip clubs you and your gross marine friends like to go to."
Carter gently nibbled the soft part of her inner thigh. "That’s no way to talk about America's finest," Carter said.
"What will you do to me?" she said, pretending to be scared.
He pulled her hands above her head. "Try me and see."
Then he entered her swiftly, and she gasped, arching into him as her rode her.
Allie didn't last that long, which was good because Carter didn't either.
"This is what trying to be a gentleman for you the last few weeks gets me," he said, pulling her against his bare chest and removing the condom.
Allie traced her finger along the ridges of his muscles, smiling every time he shivered from the sensation.
"I know," she said. "I was starting to become a bit worried about you. I thought maybe you were drinking too much."
He slapped her lightly on the buttocks then grabbed his phone to answer a text from the hotel's butler asking about dinner. He told them to bring it up in twenty minutes.
"I guess I'll shower," Allie said, reading over his shoulder.
"I said twenty minutes for a reason," he growled, pulling her back toward him.
He lasted longer that time and left her lying in bed as he tipped the waiter who brought the food.
As he walked down the stairs, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror that hung on the wall.
He was wearing the hotel bathrobe and had messy hair.
"I look like a complete dick," he said and stuck out his tongue.
From her vantage point, Allie laughed breathlessly, and he grinned at her.
"You look like a billion dollars," she said and winked at him.
The next morning after they woke up, they ate breakfast on the terrace and watched the city come to life. Then Carter took Allie around to his favorite museums, and that evening, they went to a Broadway show.
"I've never been to a play or anything like that," Allie told him as he handed the usher their tickets.
"You'll like this," Carter said. "It earned excellent reviews."
After the musical was over, he took her for r
amen.
"Ramen?" Allie asked when they stopped in front of the tiny restaurant.
"This is the best ramen in the United States," he told her. "It's a pop-up shop, and it's only around for a few days, then they're moving on to the next stop while their San Francisco restaurant is being renovated. Do you have any idea how hard it was to get tickets?"
When they returned to the luxurious suite later that evening, Carter decided he would never tire of seeing the delight in her eyes when she was in the elegant interior.
I wonder if I could buy Allie her own condo, he thought as she lay half sprawled on him after another marathon session.
His leg was falling asleep, but Carter didn't want to move. He felt as if he was exactly where he wanted to be.
61
Allie
The weekend with Carter had been enjoyable. Actually, no, she thought, it had been magical. It was as close to a scene in one of the romantic comedies that she used to watch with Stacy as she was ever going to experience. At the start of the weekend, she had felt like a complete imposter, but by Sunday afternoon, Allie had felt much more relaxed.
Her relationship with Carter felt a lot warmer as well. Every night, Carter would bring her to dinner, and they would eat at the little folding table in her small studio. He talked about his travels, both in the military and when he was a student, and she told him about the places she wanted to see.
"I'd love to see Japan," she told him one evening.
"We should go sometime," Carter said. "I bet we could make up a work excuse for it." He winked at her.
Their next trip was not to Japan, however, but rather, back to New Cardiff and the Holbrook estate. The pair drove in a comfortable silence, listening to a podcast on the history of the Japanese yakuza.
All of Allie's tension came back as soon as they set foot inside the large house, however.
As soon as Allie set Margot down, Stacy bounded into the room and threw her arms around Allie.
"Hi!" Stacy drawled. Stacy's dress was several sizes too small, and she also sported egregiously long extensions in her hair. They went all the way down to her waist.
"Carter!" Stacy jumped up on him.
"You need to stop that," Allie said sharply.
Stacy pouted and twirled a finger through her hair.
"I just want to say hi," she said, making sure that they noticed the large diamond ring as she patted her hair back in place. "Carter's going to be my step-grandson, after all!"
Carter had a look on his face as though he'd just bitten into something squishy and foul tasting.
"I’m going to see if your mother needs help," Allie told Carter.
"I'm going to come with you," he said, glancing meaningfully at Stacy.
Later, as the family sat around the table for a tense dinner, Allie wondered why Harris had called them all there.
Stacy was feeding Harris small bites of food. Allie caught Kate's look from across the table. Everyone seemed apprehensive.
After the plates were cleared away, Harris clinked his coffee cup.
"I know you are wondering why you are all here. Stacy and I have some great news."
Oh no, Allie thought.
Stacy stood up, rubbing her belly. "We're pregnant!" she squealed.
"No," Jack said, clearly horrified.
"I cannot believe you!" Allie yelled at Stacy, standing up and smacking her hands on the table.
"Careful," Stacy said, clutching her slightly rounded tummy. "The baby!"
"I am so sorry," Allie said to Carter’s family. "I should have… I don't know."
She sat back down, at a loss. Carter didn't look at her. He seemed just as stunned as the rest of his family.
"It's not your fault, dear," Nancy said.
"She was my friend and my roommate."
"Harris is a horny old man," Walter said. "He has terrible judgment, and it's become worse as he's aged."
"Hey! I'm standing right here, you know!" Harris complained.
"Maybe we can still convince him not to marry her," Grant mused, ignoring his grandfather.
It was tense when Allie and Carter drove back from the Holbrook estate. Once again, they had cut their visit short.
Carter seemed uncharacteristically cold, Allie thought as she sat next to him in the dark. When the car dropped them off at her building, the paparazzi were outside. Carter gave a strained smile and posed with Allie, then they went into the building.
"I don't understand why you have to live here," he grumbled as she unlocked the door. "Also, who in the hell is calling the paparazzi? They're everywhere. They're worse than the subway rats."
He watched her unpack her travel bag.
"You should buy some new clothes," he said abruptly.
"My clothes are fine," she said.
Carter pulled up the latest tabloid photo of her, shoved the phone in her face, and said, "You look a bit dour."
"Dour? I'm dressed professionally."
"I'm just saying since this whole… thing… is partially my fault, if you wanted to buy some nicer clothes—"
"I don't—"
Carter plowed on. "If you want better clothes, I'll pay for it."
"I don't need you to pay for my clothes!" she seethed.
"I can give you money for utilities as well," he said.
"No."
"I'm over here all the time—"
"I'm not like Stacy!" she shouted at him. "I don't just trap men for their money."
"I know!" Carter shouted. "I know, but I'm trying to be nice. You need to learn to accept help. You can't just do it all by yourself."
"I always have," she said stubbornly.
Carter blew a breath between his teeth and pulled her close to him and kissed her.
"Let me buy you a nice place," he murmured.
Buy her a place to live? Allie mentally freaked. That was a big step and a big commitment. She didn't know if she could handle that with Carter. Didn't people only move in together if they were in love? Did Carter love her? Did she love him? She didn't want to answer that question.
She didn't know if she could handle him actually loving her. Honestly, she was afraid Carter would grow to be disappointed with her.
Carter stayed the night, though, and practically every night after.
"You sure you don't want to stay in your luxury penthouse?" she asked him one night as he set dinner on the countertop.
"It's weird being the third wheel with Kate and Grant," Carter said, "and I like the privacy of your apartment."
Allie was trying to make the studio feel more like home, but it was so tiny.
When she first moved in, the studio felt cozy with just her and Margot part-time. But now that Carter practically lived there full-time, it felt oppressive. He was so tall—his dark hair almost brushed the ceiling—his shoes were big, and his clothes took up a ton of space. He also left dishes in her tiny sink, and of course she didn't have a dishwasher, let alone a maid.
"Pick up your shit!" she finally exploded at him, grabbing up his socks off of the floor and throwing them at him.
"Your stuff is everywhere too," he retorted, pointing to all of the wedding planning stuff she had on almost every available surface.
"I have to do this!" she yelled, causing Margot to stand up on the bed and start barking.
"No, you don't."
"You don't understand! The wedding is next weekend!" Allie snapped.
"Yeah, I guess don't," Carter said. "I'll see you at the wedding," he told her as he grabbed up his things and left.
"That's not—"
The door slammed behind him, and Allie suddenly felt very alone. She hadn't realized how much she had counted on Carter's being there.
62
Carter
Carter huffed around Grant's penthouse. Allie and Liz were taking off the whole week from work because of Brandy's wedding. Carter felt bad about how he had left things, but he hadn't been able to talk to Allie before she left.
"They're
staging for the decorations," Kate explained after listening to Carter's complaints. "Weddings are a lot of work."
"This had better be some wedding," Grant said as he flipped through that day's newspaper.
"Why doesn't she hire someone to do it?" Carter asked.
"Brandy probably ran them off," Grant said.
"Ginny told me Brandy's been particularly unpleasant lately," Kate added.
"I can't believe Allie," Carter said, circling back to the thoughts that plagued him.
"She'll come around," Grant said.
"After the way she blew up at me, I don't know if she actually wants to be around me anymore."
"Her apartment is a small space," Kate said. "I think you two would be fine if you can convince her to move in somewhere larger."
"But you do need to pick up your stuff," Grant added, pointing to a laundry basket on the table. "That’s what the cleaner picked up of yours when she came by today."
Carter grimaced.
"I'm sure she'll stop being so irritable after this wedding is over," Kate said.
"At least it's not a dry wedding," Grant commented.
"Oof," Kate said.
"Yeah, I went to one military wedding that was dry," Carter said. "The bride's family was very religious, and so there was no alcohol."
"Was it as bad as it sounds?"
"Worse."
"This wedding will be fine," Grant said with a yawn. "It will all be over in a couple of days. There will be slight drama but nothing serious. Then when you get married, you can rail around and be a groomzilla and pay everyone back."
Carter shook his head. "I don't think Allie would go for that."
"Are you actually thinking of marriage with her?"
"I don't know. I guess so. Maybe."
"Allie would be a great wife," Kate said. "She's competent, independent, and doesn't freak out over nonsense. She's also trustworthy, and you can rely on her. I regularly ask her to help me with various tasks, and she always delivers."
Carter frowned. "I don't know. She's never that effusive."
"You mean like Stacy?" Grant asked.
Carter shuddered. "I guess I'd rather not have that extreme."