by Marie Force
It wasn’t her goal to make everyone, including Blaine, mad. Her goal was to make sales inside the store, and from now on, that was where all her energy would be focused. If only they allowed her to remain open. All day, she’d tried not to think too much about what she’d do if they shut her down. She and Ashleigh would have to move to the mainland so she could get a job that paid well enough to dig her out of the enormous debt she’d incurred to open the store.
The thought of leaving their home and their family and friends nearly brought her to tears, so Tiffany pushed it to the back of her mind as people began to file in for the meeting. She turned to see if anyone she knew was there and almost fell over in shock as Mac and Maddie came in with their entire cadre of friends and family in tow. Francine and Ned, Big Mac and Linda, Evan and Grace, Grant and Stephanie, Jenny, Sydney, Luke, Owen, Laura, Sarah, Charlie, Shane, Janey, Joe, Seamus, Carolina… They kept coming and coming, filing into the rows of chairs behind Tiffany. Even the women Maddie used to work with at the hotel and the old men who hung around at the marina were there. Patty came in with Wyatt and flashed her boss a big smile and a thumbs-up.
When Maddie reached forward to squeeze Tiffany’s shoulder, the dam nearly broke. “Don’t cry,” she whispered. “And don’t worry. We won’t let them hurt you.”
“Thank you so much,” Tiffany said, reaching back to clutch her sister’s hand.
“We got your back,” Mac said.
Tiffany smiled at him, thankful for his support.
Kara and Dan came in next. His arm was in a sling, and he moved slowly and carefully until he reached the seat next to her.
“I thought you might need your lawyer.”
“You shouldn’t even be out of bed!” Tiffany cried.
“Thank you,” Kara said. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Ladies,” Dan said, dismissing their concerns with the sweep of his hand. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”
Over his shoulder, Tiffany saw Jim glaring at her as if he couldn’t wait to savor her defeat. That alone would’ve been enough for her to fight like a tomcat, but having all her friends and family behind her made her realize she didn’t need Jim or the anger or the bitterness he caused anymore. He no longer had the power to hurt her. She and her daughter were well loved, and that was all she needed.
As she had that thought, Blaine came in, looking ridiculously sexy in his uniform. As he shook hands and joked around with Mac and the other McCarthys, Tiffany was filled with yearning. She’d missed him more than she’d realized and wondered if he’d missed her at all. That he never glanced her way as he took a seat in the front row on the other side told her he was probably relieved to be rid of her and the threat she posed to his career.
The other side of the aisle filled with a variety of stern-looking older people who probably couldn’t wait to air their disapproval of her store. Tiffany wondered if Blaine’s mother was among them. Then Verna Upton came in with several of her friends in tow and buoyed Tiffany’s spirits with a friendly wave as the mayor gaveled the meeting to order.
While the council moved swiftly through the first part of their agenda, Tiffany battled out-of-control nerves. Her entire life hinged on the outcome of this meeting, and, despite the show of support behind her, the council might not be swayed. If that happened—
“Royal, you added the matter of the Naughty & Nice shop to the agenda,” Mayor Upton said.
Royal cleared his throat and directed his attention to Tiffany. “Mrs. Sturgil.”
“Objection.” Jim jumped to his feet. “She’s no longer Mrs. Sturgil.”
“Sit down, Mr. Sturgil,” the mayor said disdainfully. “This isn’t a courtroom, and you’re out of line.”
“Douche bag,” Mac muttered, nearly making Tiffany giggle.
Apparently, Maddie wasn’t as strong and tittered with laughter.
“Ms. Sturgil, please move to the microphone,” Royal said.
With every eye in the crowded room on her, Tiffany got up and walked to the microphone located in the center aisle.
“You’re the owner and proprietor of the boutique, Naughty & Nice, on Ocean Road?” Royal asked.
“I am.”
“And what do you sell in this boutique?”
With her hands tightly clasped at her waist, Tiffany cleared her throat and fought to keep the nerves out of her voice. “Gifts, candles, lotions, underwear, lingerie and other novelty items.”
“Would you please describe these novelty items?”
A male voice rang out from the back of the room. “Dildos and vibrators!”
Nervous laughter rippled through the crowd.
Tiffany felt her face get very warm and probably very red.
“Please contain your outbursts, or I’ll clear the room,” Mayor Upton said sternly.
“Ms. Sturgil?” Royal said.
“I sell a number of products designed to enhance sexual pleasure.” She’d spent all day working out that rather innocuous way to say “sex toys” without using the words “sex toys.”
“And why was it that you felt Gansett Island needed a store such as yours?”
Relieved that he hadn’t asked her to elaborate on her products, Tiffany was pleased he’d posed that particular question. “Because I believe we had more than enough T-shirt and souvenir shops, and my research showed that stores such as mine were very successful in other tourist towns. I can provide the council with sales data from similar stores in Newport, Nantucket and Mystic, if you are interested.”
“I’d be very interested,” Royal said. The other council members nodded in agreement.
Tiffany returned to her seat and retrieved the copies she’d made earlier in the day that showed significant revenues from the other stores and distributed them to each member. Returning to the microphone, she said, “I realize this is something very different in our town, but judging by our early data, I expect the store will do quite well in its current location. Our business has more than doubled during Race Week, and we hope that will continue throughout the season.”
“About your advertising strategies—”
Tiffany held up a hand to stop him. “I’ve reconsidered my strategies and will be going in a different direction in the future.”
A buzz of chatter cut through the audience.
“And that direction won’t include public indecency?” Royal asked.
“Your definition of indecency and mine differ, but it will not include women in skimpy outfits outside the store.”
“Very good. Now I’ll open the floor to anyone who wishes to speak on this matter.”
She walked away feeling like she’d done a good job defending her store, but by the time Tiffany returned to her seat, a long line had formed behind the microphone.
Blaine bided his time as one detractor after another questioned the town council’s judgment, morals, ethics and values by allowing a store like Tiffany’s in their town. Unfortunately, only the mayor and Royal seemed to be supportive of Tiffany. The other five members were nodding in approval of the comments from Tiffany’s foes.
When Linda McCarthy approached the microphone, Blaine held his breath. He wasn’t sure if she’d be for or against the shop.
“I have patronized Ms. Sturgil’s store,” Linda said to startled gasps from her children and others in the audience. “The merchandise is sexy but tasteful and the more adult items are kept in a separate area. There’s absolutely nothing indecent about the store, and with all the legitimate problems this town has, I can’t believe the council is wasting its time on this.”
The crowd behind Tiffany cheered long and hard after Linda sat down.
Blaine wanted to cheer, too, until Jim Sturgil had his turn.
“I wanted to raise my daughter here because of the values this town has always had,” Jim said. “Lately, however, I have to question whether this is the best place for her to live.” He glared at Tiffany. “She’s just doing this to spite me for leaving her—”
“What do you think you’re doing?” Jim asked indignantly. “It’s my turn.”
Into the microphone, Blaine said, “It was your turn. Now it’s mine. You want to talk about values, Sturgil? What kind of man lets his wife work two jobs to put him through law school and then leaves her when the money starts rolling in?”
Jim’s eyes bugged out of his head, and for a moment, Blaine thought Jim might be stupid enough to hit him. He really, really wished he would.
“What kind of man asks his very nice wife for a divorce, moves out of the house and takes all the furniture, leaving the wife who put him through law school and his young child in an empty house?”
Jim’s fist rolled into a ball, and Blaine gave him a challenging look that dared him to go for it. Assaulting a police officer could get him disbarred, which Jim well knew.
“Sit down, Sturgil,” the mayor ordered.
“You heard the mayor,” Blaine said. “And we’ve all heard enough out of you.”
Everyone sitting behind Tiffany whooped and clapped. Blaine didn’t dare look at her, or he might lose his nerve. To the council, he said, “This whole thing is ridiculous. For better or worse, the town approved Ms. Sturgil’s application, and now you’ve got to live with it. She has the same right to make a living here that all of you do. She’s an accomplished businesswoman who has run two successful businesses on this island for years. She pays her taxes just like everyone else. This is a witch hunt because you’re all afraid of something different. To you, this is about sex toys and sexy nighties. To her, it’s about food on the table and a roof over her child’s head.”
“She’s caused at least one accident on Ocean Road,” one of the councilmen reminded him.
“How was that her fault? Was she driving the car? Did she take her eyes off the road and run into another car? We cited the driver who caused the accident, not her.”
“She caused a distraction.”
“And she’s said she won’t do that anymore.”
“I’m ready for a vote,” the mayor said.
Blaine glanced to the back of the room, pleased to see that everyone was in place. “Before the council votes, I’d like to remind you that you represent the citizens of this town. It might be helpful get a sense of where the citizens stand on this matter. With the election coming up in November, I’d think you’d want to be sure you’re following their wishes.”
After some whispered discussion among the council members, the mayor said, “I’ll allow that. With a show of hands, how many are opposed to the Naughty & Nice shop remaining open?”
Quite a few hands were raised, including Jim’s and Blaine’s mother’s in the back of the room.
“And how many are in favor of the shop remaining open?”
All the hands on the side of the room where Tiffany sat went up, along with the hand of every police officer, firefighter, first responder, paramedic, ambulance driver and the guys Blaine worked out with at the gym. He’d even gotten Linc and some of the officers from the coast guard station to come into town for the meeting.
Blaine finally allowed himself to look over at Tiffany and caught the exact moment when she realized what he’d done. Her eyes got very big when she saw the men and women in uniform lining the back wall casting their votes for her.
With their help, she had more than enough votes to sway the council.
“Motion to table the matter of the Naughty & Nice store indefinitely,” Royal said.
“Second,” one of the others said.
“All those in favor?” the mayor asked.
All seven members voted “aye.”
Pandemonium broke out as Tiffany’s family and friends surrounded her to celebrate the victory. The enormous smile on her face pleased him tremendously.
“That was rather ballsy of you, Chief Taylor,” Mayor Upton said over the din of celebration. “Taking on the council that you report to.”
“Some things are more important than jobs.”
“I hope you’ll invite me to the wedding.”
Blaine’s eyes bugged out of his head as he stared at the mayor. “Wedding? What wedding?”
Upton smiled knowingly and started to walk away, shooting over his shoulder, “Get a goddamned haircut, will you?”
Mona, the mayor’s assistant, gave Blaine a hug. “If she won’t marry you, I will.”
Laughing, Blaine hugged her back and saw his mother waiting for a word with him. “You’re on, Mona.”
“I see some things never change,” his mother said, arms crossed and mouth set with displeasure.
“That’s right, Mom. Apparently, I don’t know any other way to fall in love than to go all the way.”
“I honestly hope it works out better this time than it has in the past.”
“It already has. No matter what happens, I’ve already had more with her than I’ve ever had with anyone else.”
“Is that so?” Tiffany asked.
He hadn’t noticed her approach them. Nodding, he looked down at her, greedily taking in every detail of her gorgeous face after several torturous days without her. Sliding his arm around her shoulders and bringing her in close to him, he said, “Mom, this is Tiffany.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Taylor.”
Because she was too polite not to, his mother shook Tiffany’s outstretched hand. “Likewise. I hope you and your daughter will come to dinner soon so we can get to know each other.”
“We’d love that.”
“Thanks, Mom,” he said, relieved to realize she was going to give Tiffany a chance.
“I’ll see you soon, son,” Mrs. Taylor said, going up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek.
“Yes, you will.”
After his mother walked away, Blaine glanced at his watch. “I need to get back to work.”
“What time are you done?” Tiffany asked.
“Midnight.”
She waggled her finger to bring him down to her and whispered in his ear, “Leave your door unlocked. I want you completely naked in bed. Any questions?”
Just one, Blaine thought. How was he supposed to walk out of town hall sporting an erection? “Um, no. No questions.”
“Good. See you later.”
Tiffany sauntered off to rejoin her sister and the rest of her family, putting some extra wiggle in her walk for his benefit.
It was official—she’d be the absolute living, breathing death of him, and he absolutely couldn’t wait.
Epilogue
At one thirty the next morning, Tiffany tiptoed into Blaine’s house and closed the door softly behind her. The last time she attempted this mission, she’d had no idea how she would be received. This time, she had no doubt at all about the reception she could expect, and her entire body zinged with anticipation. After what he’d done for her, she couldn’t wait to worship every inch of him. If she could only give him a fraction of what he’d given her, she’d leave happy.
She moved stealthily into the bedroom, pleased that he’d left the light on in the bathroom. He appeared to be asleep, but she wasn’t entirely sure. Since she wouldn’t put it past him to fake sleep, she moved quickly to retrieve the items she’d brought with her from the bag she carried.
Beginning with the handcuffs, she slid one cuff on his wrist and lifted his arm to bring it closer to the headboard. If he was faking sleep, he was doing a hell of a job. His arm weighed a ton! By the time she got the cuffs looped around one of the rails on his headboard and secured his second hand, she’d worked up a sweat. He let out a soft snore that startled her. He really was asleep!
She bounded off the bed to remove her clothes, slid the blindfold into place and then drew the sheet down over his hips, exposing his raging erection. “You are faking!”
Laughing, he said, “You really think I’d be asleep when you ordered me to be naked in bed when you got here?”
W
anting to see his gorgeous, devious eyes, she pushed up the blindfold. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because that was one hell of a show. I liked the striptease the best. Can we do that again sometime? Soon?”
“I ought to leave you like this and let them find your carcass sometime next week.”
“You wouldn’t do that to me.”
Leaning over him, she kissed him, softly and slowly. “No, I wouldn’t, especially not after what you did for me.”
“You liked that, huh?”
“I loved it. I’m not sure which part I loved best—it’s a toss-up between you publicly humiliating Jim and getting all your friends to vote for me.”
“Humiliating Jim wasn’t part of the plan, but I have to say it was the highlight of the evening for me, too.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much for risking your job and your career and your reputation and your mother’s wrath to stand up for me. No one has ever done anything like that for me before.”
“No one has ever loved you as much as I do.”
She hadn’t seen that coming and stared at him, almost waiting for him to take it back. “You do?”
Nodding, he said, “For a very long time now, I suspect.”
“I love you, too. For probably just as long.”
“Now that you have me,” he said, smiling suggestively and tugging on the cuffs, “whatever will you do with me?”
“I have a few ideas.” She slid the blindfold back over his eyes and began with kisses all over his face and neck and then torturing him with suggestive strokes of her breasts and hair over his chest and belly.
“Do you promise you’ll never leave me no matter how mad you get with me?”
“God, yes. I promise.” His groan and the arch of his hips made her smile with satisfaction. “Why would I leave the best thing to ever happen to me?”
Pleased with his answer, she touched him everywhere but where he wanted her most, starting at his feet and working her way slowly up his legs, only to deny him time and again, making him thrash and pull against the cuffs.
“Do you promise to never again use your badge to bully me?”