While she peered through the little pockets, Jesse eyed the disarray, looking for whatever Davey boy had given her. Lipstick, mints, a clear change purse holding a twenty and some coins. He spied her drivers license. Perfect.
Wow, you look good, he said, slipping the small plastic card from the seat. He mentally patted himself on the back for such a sly move. I thought crappy drivers license pictures were some kind of law.
Laws arent really rules, theyre more like guidelines, Audra joked. Jesse cringed at her attitude but didnt figure he had room to take her to task, since hed obviously broken a few ethical laws of his own. The underlying tightness in her voice distracted him from the pleasure of self-flagellation.
And you arent big on guidelines? he asked with a frown. Frustrated with the lack of physical evidence of her connection to Davey, he told himself to get back in cop mode. Jesse memorized her full name, address and license number.
Sure I am. Its a lot easier to break the rules if you know the guidelines first, she said with a wicked grin.
Knowledge is the first step of preparation, huh?
Sure. And a Wicked Chick is always prepared. She leaned back toward the drivers seat and flipped open the glove box. She quickly shuffled through the messy pile of papers and frowned. I have to have one in here.
She moved from shuffling papers to tossing them on the floor. What the hell? How can I not have one? Its the Wicked Chicks number one rule. The only way to play safe is bring your own protection.
I thought rules were more like guidelines. As soon as the words were out, Audra pinned him with a laser glare. Jesse winced. Maybe his sisters were right. Maybe he did always find the perfectly wrong thing to say.
Either way, he felt as if hed been saved from a long fall off a very jagged cliff. Hed just ignore the part of him that was screaming in frustration at being denied that fall. Eight, his ass. Hed have shown her nine, easy. Ten, if he could use props and toys.
But that wasnt an option. At least, not right now. First he had to clear her or, if she was too involved with Dave Larsons current crimefest, bust her.
To be honest, Im not usually the kind of guy who gets that friendly on the first date.
Audra just continued to look at him, frustration and something deeper reflected in her eyes.
Id like to get together sometime, maybe a date? Somewhere with a better setting for interrogation. First hed do a little research, see if he could ferret out her connections. And practice the art of the cold shower.
A date?
Yeah, you know, two people, out in public, getting to know each other.
Sure. Cause guys are always interested in dating a woman they didnt get laid with, right? she asked with a curl of her lip.
Hey, what kind of guy do you think I am? Im interested in you for more than sex.
Sure, she repeated. With a wiggle that made him want to beg, she used her foot to push wide the partially open car door and slid off his lap to stand outside the car. As Jesse painfully unfolded himself from the vehicle, she reached into her purse and pulled out a piece of paper.
Tell you what, heres my business card. You go ahead and give me a call, well do that date.
Jesse read it. Audra Walker, Simply Sensual Lingerie. Designer. Lingerie, huh?
Oh, yeah, lingerie. And Im damned good. Give me that call, Ill model some for you.
Maybe it wasnt too late to climb back in the car? Hed make do without intercourse. They could skip the whole condom issue.
She swung the car door shut and leaned against the fender. Smoothing her hands over her hips, she winked. Dont forget the condom, huh?
EVEN AS A BAD GIRL, lies didnt come easy to Audra. She hadnt been able to admit another failure, so when shed sashayed back into the club, shed smiled and let her friends assume shed done the deed.
Five blood-pumping dances and an order of nachos hadnt blunted her sexual frustration. Finally tired of the unearned congratulations from Suzi and Bea, and the unspoken judgment of Isabel, shed told the girls she was heading out. It wouldve been a clean break if not for the fact that she was Isabels ride home.
Now, with her oldest friend in the passenger seat next to her, Audra flew down the freeway toward Auburn and the small neighborhood theyd grown up in.
Unlike Suzi and Bea, Isabel was into the whole focus-on-building-a-career thing. Shed taken over her parents florist shop and was looking for ways to turn it from a small-town posey-pusher into one of the areas prominent florists.
Audra and Isabel had grown up next door to each other, both living over their parents business. That Isabel had lived over the florist and Audra over a bar probably played into their personalities a bit. As a child, Isabel had been quiet, sweet and a little pudgy. Audra? Shed always been trouble.
Somehow, the two balanced each other out, though.
Congratulations again on netting that deal with the mall, Audra said, remembering Isabels earlier news. Youve been trying to snag that account for almost a year now. Thats great that it finally came together.
They shared a smile. It was obviously a night to celebrate career achievements. Then Audra remembered the by-product of her latest achievement, her failure to live up to the code of the Wicked Chicks, and her mouth drooped.
Theres nothing wrong with being ambitious, Audra, Isabel said, obviously misreading her expression and figuring her frustration was career-focused. After all, for Isabel, most things were. You worked your butt off going to school full-time and working in the boutique, too. You deserved to celebrate your success.
Designing vanilla fluff.
Oh, cmon. Dont let that kind of defeatist thinking take hold. You have to start somewhere. How many people can claim the title of head designer right out of school? So youre not creating quite the kind of thing you want. Put in your time, pay your dues, and youll be there soon enough.
Audra lifted her chin and pulled back her shoulders. Right. Shed get there. Damned if she wouldnt.
Did you want to read that book I was telling you about yesterday? Isabel asked, referring to the latest motivational tome shed discovered. Audra had to hand it to her friend: Isabel was just as confident and determined to make her business a success as the Wicked Chicks were to live life to the fullest.
Nah, Ill let you read it and give me the rundown, as always, Audra said with a wink.
Instead of her usual nod of agreement, Isabel frowned.
You know, she said hesitantly, you might want to read it yourself. Maybe itd help you figure out why you agreed to debase yourself with meaningless sex, just for the sake of a girls club youve outgrown.
Debase? Audra asked, ignoring the club reference, Whats so debasing about doing a hot, sexy guy? Now, if shed had to do that geek, well, that wouldve been beyond debasing. But Jesse? Her mouth still watered at the memory of his fingers, his lips. Oh, God. His tongue. She squirmed in her seat and shook her head at Isabel. Look, I like sex. Just because youre trying out this chastity thing doesnt mean my choices are wrong.
But this wasnt your choice, Audra. Why do you let them push you into those dares? I thought you said you were glad youd grown out of that type of thing.
But this wasnt your choice, Audra. Why do you let them push you into those dares? I thought you said you were glad youd grown out of that type of thing.
Audras jaw worked. So what if shed backslid a little? It wasnt just that Suzi and Bea were two of her closest friends. Her image, the sexy persona shed developed in her teens, defined her. It made her special. Made her more than the pitiful little castoff of dismal parents who fought over her custody. Not over who got to keep her, but over who had to keep her.
It gave her control. Over herself, her life, the people around her. Isabel just didnt get that. She had two parents who adored her, who thought shed hung the moon. Sure, shed dealt with her share of crap growing up. But not like Audra.
Unlike the Wicked Chicks, Isabel preferred to stay in the background, to live the quiet life. In a lot of ways, it was amazing she and Audra had been able to maintain their friendship all these years.
Especially in the face of snotty-ass attitudes like she was currently copping.
Look, Audra, Im not judging you.
At Audras sneer, she shrugged and admitted, Okay, maybe a little. But thats just, you knowme. I dont get the whole sex-without-emotions thing.
Emotions cant be trusted. Not when it comes to men, Audra stated adamantly as she pulled off the freeway. Shed learned that the hard way. The only guy she even considered semireliable was her brother. And that was more because she trusted his wife than out of any deep faith in him sticking around.
Think of guys like dessert. Some you want to spend a lot of time on, savor. Get to know, maybe try a few more times to see if theyre as good as you remember. Others are like M&Ms. Quick, easy and clean. An easy between-meal treat that satisfies, but isnt really worth remembering afterward.
Isabels laughter gurgled out, as Audra had intended. She glanced over and gave her friend a wink. Isabel rolled her eyes and shrugged. Theyd been through over this same ground too many times before. They knew the drill.
Audra focused on negotiating streets she knew like the back of her hand. Finally, she pulled up in front of the small building that housed Isabels flower shop and her apartment above. Audras gaze landed on the neon lights flashing beer logos in the windows of the Good Times Sports Bar.
The difference in the two was as glaring-bright. Audras brother, Drew, had taken over the bar after their father died. Hed put some effort into cleaning it up, but it was still a bar. Its edgy brick facade was in sharp contrast to the pale green florist shop with its apricot trim and flower-filled window boxes.
It was above that bar Audra had learned to set her goals, bust her ass and stand up for herself.
Sowhat was this guy? Isabel asked. Tiramisu or M&Ms?
After barely a taste, shed bet he was tiramisu all the way. Since Wicked Chicks didnt admit failure, Audra gave her friend a wink and her naughtiest grin.
Lets just say it would be my pleasure to try another taste of him, she drawled.
Its probably just as well you wont, Isabel advised as she gathered her bag and opened the car door. You need to focus on your career. This is no time to let some three-course dessert pull you off track.
Hey, when have I ever let a guy matter enough to distract me from anything?
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Audra winced. While that would have worked with Suzi or Bea, Isabel knew Audras history as well as her own. Once upon a time, Audra had thought love might exist. Shed believed a guy was more important than she was and had gladly handed him her dreams on a silver platter. Too bad he hadnt been interested enough to even lift the lid.
Luckily, her friend didnt press her advantage. She just patted Audras hand where it rested on the gearshift knob and slid out of the car.
Oh, hey, I almost forgot your souvenir. Isabel grinned and pulled a long strip of tacky green fabric from her bag. The tie. Audra took it with a wince. Ugly.
Isabels grin faded as she shut the car door with a little wave. Youre there, Audra. Staring success in the face. Dont blow it.
Audra rolled her eyes and, without a word, slammed the car in gear and shot away from the curb.
Tension flamed its way over her shoulders and down her neck. And no wonder. Shed been fighting to prove herself all freaking night. Sure, shed convinced her friends to chill out.
The cost? Instead of celebrating the first step of achieving her dreams, she was now wrestling with a pack of doubts. To say nothing of feeling overwhelmed by what could only be described as an identity crisis.
At this rate, shed soon be one of those boring goody-goodys who worked all week for someone elses glory. Then spent Saturday night home alone. Maybe a pint of Chunky Monkey for company. Her friends would drop her a line now and then, a pity call for old times sake.
She was worried. Hell, she should be worried.
And yet all she could think about was whether or not shed ever hear from Jesse again to finish what theyd started.
Maybe Isabel had a point?