Boycotts and Barflies (42 page)

“Are you ready for tonight? Or do you  still think he’ll disappear at the stroke of  midnight?” Meg joked as she leaned against one of the mirrors, waiting for  Grace’s answer.

“Honestly, before Christmas, I would have put money on him vanishing.

But now, after spending this last week together, I can’t explain it. I just know

that nothing is going to be able to keep me from him and he would never leave

me. Does that make sense or do I sound like a crazed stalker?” The two women

started laughing together at the lame explanation.

327

“Wel , I want you to know that I am so happy for you, Grace, and very proud of  you for putting yourself out there and trusting Michael with your heart. I think  you finally see how amazing you are. Michael helped you see that; he’s a great  guy.” She gave Grace a big hug when they heard grumbling from behind them. Bianca came out of her dressing room in the most form fitting black dress they  had seen her in all day. The dress had thin, adjustable spaghetti straps and  hugged every one of her glorious curves. She was fidgeting with a bow that  hung from the sweetheart neckline, cursing its existence.

“We can cut this thing off, right?” She bent over and let Meg examine the  stitching that held it in place.

“Yeah, three snips and it’ll be gone. God, you two look amazing. So, do you like  the dresses?” The two women nodded their heads vigorously.

Meg had, immediately upon arrival, found a beautiful white sleeveless dress  with the most spectacular bead work along the bottom hem of the dress and  around  the neckline. It was the first and only dress she tried on, and she looked  like an angel in it.

“Good, now take them off and meet me at the cashier. Then it’s on to the shoe  department.” As Meg went to grab her purse, her phone started singing a new  tune … about keeping “dirty little secrets.” She quickly opened it. “Hey, there,”  she purred into the phone.

“Who was that?” Grace asked Bianca as they walked back to the dressing room. “Ryan.” She giggled.

“When did he make that his ring tone? She never told me he changed it. ”

Bianca glanced over her shoulder at Meg, smirking. “Well, I just found out the  other day. Apparently, they did it quite a while ago.” She gave Grace a gentle  push toward the door. “Come on, let’s get changed. We have a lot to get done  before tonight.”

Grace gave her a small salute before slipping obediently into her dressing room  to change back into her clothes.

Bianca’s voice carried over the wall dividing their dressing rooms. “And we’re  making one more stop to get you something sexy, bl ack, and lacy to wear under  that little number, Grace, so be prepared—and no complaining. If I have to  wrestle you into it myself, you will wear it.”

y

328

With freshly painted nails and a brand new outfit for the party hanging in her room, Grace was trying to keep herself occupied the rest of the afternoon by watching a movie. Michael, however, had started texting her every hour on the hour with his countdown.

Meg had left to drop off Ryan’s shirt for the party, so Bianca and Grace were alone when Michael’s next message arrived.

Seven hours until I get to have to all to myself. I can hardly wait.

You have no idea.

I love you,

M

“So, how are you holding up, Grace?” Bianca asked as she watched her friend

blush at the latest message.

“I’m really excited, but I guess a little nervous too. I’ve wanted this date for so  long. I just hope I don’t do anything to embarrass myself—like hyperventilate  or pass out.”

Bianca laughed out loud. “Just remember to breathe, Grace. I think we might  have some smelling salts in the first aid kit in the kitchen if you want to slip  those into your overnight bag.”

“Wait, overnight bag?” Grace panicked. That was something she hadn’t even considered.

“Um, well … I was just assuming you would stay out all night with him and  sleep there. I’m sorry, my mistake.” Bianca looked very apologetic. “You do  whatever you’re comfortable with, Grace. I shouldn’t have opened my big  mouth.”

“What? No, it’s not that. I mean, I hope he wants me to spend the night. I want  to spend the night. I just … don’t have anything good to wear. And what should  I pack? Is it terribly presumptuous if I show up with a bag in my hand?”

Grace jumped up in a panic and started racing off to her room to rummage  through her drawers. Flannel pants and boxers tumbled onto the floor at her  feet as she searched for something suitable for the occasion.

Bianca calmly walked up behind Grace with a small, pink bag in her hand.

“Did you  really think we’d let you go off on a date this important unprepared  and inappropriately dressed?” She extended her hand with the bag dangling  from her index finger.

Relieved, Grace took the bag and emptied the contents onto the bed. There was  a brand new  white lace bra and panty set for the following day, a short green

329

nightgown and a toothbrush. She spun around and hugged Bianca with all her  might. “Thank you. I love you!”

“And what am I, chopped liver?” a whiny voice said from the doorway behind  them. Meg had just returned and wanted a little love for her part in the  purchases. She stuck out a pouty lip until Grace burst out laughing.

“I love you too, Meg. Now, I need a bag so I can pack this stuff and a change of  cloth es. Any suggestions?” Grace gave her a knowing look, quite certain that  Meg had the perfect bag sitting over in her room with all the tags still attached. “As a matter of fact …” Meg grinned and skipped off to her room only to return  a second later with a  small black suitcase just bigger than a briefcase, but very  subtle so Grace wouldn’t look like she was moving in or anything. Meg ran to  Grace’s closet, picked out a few clothes for the following day, folded them, and

pressed them into the bottom of the suitcase. She carefully laid the lacy  garments on top, tucking Grace’s toiletries and toothbrush off to the side. With  the straps clasped tightly, holding everything in place, she zipped the case  closed and set it on the bed.

“There, you’re all ready for your hot date. I threw in an extra shirt in case you

make it an extended stay. Do you even know where he’s taking you?” Meg

asked as she bounced up and down with excitement.

“I have no idea. He won’t tell me anything. All I know is that I’m supposed to

wear my dress … and that’s it. I feel like a bunch of butterflies have taken up  permanent residence in my stomach, and he keeps sending me these messages,  each more sexy than the last. I just hope I can control myself at the club.” Grace  had to sit down as her pulse skyrocketed, just thinking about Michael and how  tempting he was going to look tonight, especially knowing that at the stroke of  midnight, the bet ended.

“How are you holding up?” Grace was a trembling, sputtering mess, while Meg  sat there, perfectly  composed and looking like she didn’t have a care in the  world.

“Me? Oh, I’m getting rather excited. I can’t wait for tonight. It’s going to be  amazing.” She looked over to Bianca. “Full of fun surprises, I think.”

“You’ve been so quiet about things. What do you and Ryan have planned?

For, you know, after midnight?” Grace asked suggestively.

Meg blushed. “Well, I assume pretty much the same thing as you and Michael.  Bianca, is Jack spending the night over here with you?” Bianca nodded 330

her head, grinning. “Then I guess we’ll go over to Ryan’s for some, um, privacy.”

She giggled, refusing to make eye contact with Grace.

In the middle of their laughter, Grace heard her phone beep with Michael’s

latest message.

Six more hours until midnight.

Are you ready to come with me?

On our date

I love you,

M

“Argh! He’s killing me, totally and completely killing me. Hide my keys please  so I don’t go over to his place right now.” Grace went to the wicker basket in  the kitchen and grabbed the set of keys that were inside and tossed them over  to Bianca, who promptly stuffed them down the front of her blouse. Leaning  against the granite counter top, Grace took a shaky breath. “OK, I’m better.

Come on, I need to eat a little something and feed this flock of butterflies.” About an hour later, she was in the shower, letting the hot water work its magic and soothe her overly tense muscles. It did absolutely nothing to kill the butterflies, quench her insatiable desire for Michael, or slow her thundering heart, but when she stepped out, Grace did find herself significantly more relaxed.

During her shower, the smell of the coconut shampoo made her smile, mainly because she lost herself in a few naughty thoughts about Michael that involved drinking daiquiris, in bed, naked. Of course the image faded instantly when, in her daze, Grace let some of the shampoo trickle into her eye, causing a horrible, burning pain. She turned into the water jet and rinsed her eyes clean of all traces of soap before she was permanently blinded.

Grace climbed out of the shower and started to dry off. She’d barely managed to wrap the towel around her body when the phone rang. She dashed out of the bathroom and grabbed the phone off the bed. “Michael, if you’re calling to leave me some sexy or suggestive message about all the things that we’re going to be doing in,” she glanced at her watch, “four hours and twenty nine minutes, I will scream. I can only resist you for so long. Keep it up much longer, and I’m going

to come over to your place and  ”—

“Grace?”

No, no, no. This isn’t happening.

331

“Um, hi, Mom. Wow, this is awkward. What I just said … yeah, it was … um, a  joke. Ha ha ha, right? … Shit. What do you want?” Grace buried her face into her hands and wished she could suck that little rant back onto her mouth.

“Well, no need to curse at me, dear. We were just calling to say Happy New  Year. I figured you and Michael had plans, so we wanted to catch you before  you went out for the evening.” Grace’s stomach sank when she heard giggling  on the other end of the phone and Susan’s muffled laughter.

“Tell me I’m not on speaker phone, Mother. For the love of all that is holy!

You know I hate being on speaker phone,” Grace growled.

“Happy New Year, Grace!” yelled the other laughing female voices in the  background.

“Mother, who else is there? No. Please don’t tell me you’re spending New Years  Eve with  ”—

“Liz and Evelyn, dear.”

“Kill. Me. Now.” Grace covered the phone and a string of profanities flew fro m  her lips.

“Oh, dear, now stop. We were all young and in love once. Weren’t we, ladies?”  There was a loud chorus of yeses in the background. “We remember what it  was like. Just make sure that you two are … you know, careful and well … use  protection, dear. You do have condoms, right? Or wait, Liz, do you know if  Michael has some condoms at his place?”

“Stop!” Grace screamed into the phone, causing the women on the other end to  laugh hysterical y. “I’m going to hang up now, Mother, and we willnever speak  of this conversation again. Liz, Evelyn, I love you both. Happy New Year. ” Grace heard Susan sing “You kids have fun!” into the phone as she hung up. Again, Grace buried her face into her pillow and screamed as loud as she could. Get them out of your head, Grace. Tonight is about you and Michael. Not Susan,

not Evelyn or Liz. Think about Michael. Hunky, sexy Michael. Her mind, of

course, went straight into the gutter which didn’t help her already flustered

state.

“Grace? Why are you screaming in here? Did Michael send you another  message?” Meg asked as she cautiously opened the bedroom door. “Oh my  gosh, why aren’t you ready? They’ll be here soon,” Meg yelled as she ran to the  bed, grabbed Grace’s arm, and dragged her into the bathroom to begin

franti cally working on her hair.

“Sorry, I got sidetracked humiliating myself on the phone with my mother, Liz,  and Evelyn.” Meg froze with the brush hanging in mid air, a confused look 332

on her face. Grace held up her hand to stop her question. “Don’t even ask. If I  tell you, I might burst into tears. All I can say is the word condom came up in  the conversation.” Meg’s mouth fell open in stunned silence; then she focused  and went back to work, drying Grace’s hair.

Twenty minutes later, Grace looked beautiful, her hair cascading over her  shoulders in big, black curls which had a stunning shine to them. Bianca had  helped get her makeup perfect before she rushed back to her room to put on  her dress and touch up her own makeup. Meg had cranked up the music in the  apartment and was apparently dancing around the family room to pass the  time. While Grace was applying one last coat of mascara, she heard her phone  beep with Michael’s latest message. With a trembling hand, she picked it up  and took a deep breath before reading it.

Four more hours until you are all MINE .

Are you bringing the condoms or do you just want to use the ones I have here?

Yes, they called me, too .

I love you!