Boycotts and Barflies (18 page)

“Come in!” she yelled from the family room. Grace glanced over to see Michael carrying a pizza box and Jack with a bunch of beer. “Hi, guys, just give 135

me a second. I must kill … this last zombie …” she said as she focused on the  screen intently. “God, I love this laser,” she mumbled to herself.

Jack came running over to the television. “No way! You play? Ryan, check this  out!” Jack threw himself to the floor next to her and started coaching her  through the level.

“Finish for me.” Grace flipped the controller to him and headed over to find  Michael who was putting the beer in the refrigerator.

“Whoa, Grace, you’re playing at a legendary skill level? Holy shit!” Jack yelled  from the other room.

“If it’s too hard, you can stop and change it back to easy.” The temptation to

give Jack just a little grief was too much for Grace to resist.

“He takes his status as a gamer very seriously. You may have just started a

war.” Michael offered the warning, not having any idea how capable she was of

defending herself. She gave him a wink and a hug.

“What was that for?” he asked laughing.

“No reason,” she answered with a smile. “Come on, you guys. Let’s eat this

pizza.”

Grace put out some plates for them, and they made themselves at home.

Ryan and Jack grabbed a few pieces and ran back to the couch to play video

games while she and Michael chose to sit at the counter.

“How many controllers do you have?” Ryan called.

“Four, and yes, I will play head-to-head if you want, but I warn you, I’m really

good. Or we can do teams,” Grace said, winking at Michael.

“OK, teams. But you get Michael. He  sucks.” Ryan laughed.

Twenty minutes later, Grace had single-handedly beaten both Ryan and Jack

into oblivion.

“Who taught you to play like that?” Jack asked when it was all over, totally

stunned.

She shrugged her shoulders. “Bianca.” A number of different emotions danced across Jack’s face: wonder, shock, amazement, and, final y, lust.Apparently another reason for him to want her.

Grace patted Jack on the head as she stood up and laughed. “I’m going to warm up some soup.” She headed into the kitchen, taking the leftover chicken noodle soup out of the refrigerator and bent down to find a pot to warm it up in. When she stood back up,  Michael was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, watching her.

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“Yes?” she asked as she dumped the soup into the pot.

“Nothing. Just watching. Is that OK?” He pushed himself off the counter and  inched his way closer.

“Um, sure, watch away.” Grace grabbed the wooden spoon and started  nervously stirring. She could feel him creeping closer and closer, until she felt  his body make contact with her back. He leaned his head to the left and gently  pressed his lips to her neck.

“What are you doing?” she sputtered, trying to control her ragged breathing. “I’m not violating any rules by doing this, don’t worry. It’s another loophole.”

Thank God for loopholes, Grace thought, her hands starting to shake as she stirred.

“Here, let me help you with that.” He took his right hand and reached around  Grace’s body, putting his hand on hers, helping her stir the soup on the stove.  His left arm snaked around her waist.

“Michael …” she quietly moaned.

“Yes?”

But before she could answer, he started kissing her shoulder and across the back of her neck to the other shoulder. “That is so … not … fair …” Grace gasped as she leaned her body back into his, her knees going weak when she felt his muscular arms wrapped around her.

His mouth moved up to her ear and she could hear his breathing picked up as he whispered, “Did I tell you how sexy you look in your pajamas? You know what would make it even sexier? If you were wearing something of mine.” He gave a little tug on the side of her shirt, and Grace couldn’t take it anymore. Even though she was blushing from all the attention and loving every minute of it, her body was screaming for things she couldn’t  have. Trying to regain control of her raging hormones, she spun around to find the biggest grin on his face.

“You need to take three steps back, mister,” she said, poking him in the chest.

He held his hands up in surrender and took three of the smallest steps possible

away from her. “That kind of thing isn’t going to help us win the bet.

As a matter of fact, that kind of thing will make me lose it, right here and now,

on the kitchen counter, while Jack and Ryan watch,” Grace hissed, which only

made his smile grow.

“Really?” His eyes twinkled with excitement.

“Yeah, really. Now, come on, haven’t you noticed? Jack’s on the phone giving

someone, I’ll guess Bianca, the play-by-play. I feel like I’m in some horrible 137

porno.” Grace turned and glared at Jack, who tried to hide the phone under his  leg. “If you want to watch something, Jack, go to channel eight hundred twentythree. The code to unlock the porn is Bianca!” she yelled.

“Gotta go!” he said quietly and clicked the phone  shut.

Grace took the soup and carefully poured it into a bowl. “You, stay here.”

She pointed at one side of the counter in the kitchen. Michael obediently stood  in that spot and watched her take the soup and walk around to the stools to the  other side of the counter and sit down. Grace hoped that the wide piece of  granite between them would be enough distance to allow her to maintain a

coherent thought around him. When Michael leaned his chest across the  counter, baby blues blazing, she knew she was in trouble.

I am so screwed.

“OK, we need a plan, Michael. They’re obviously all conspiring against us.

Here’s my suggestion. Do you guys work on Saturday?” He shook his head no

as his lustful eyes burned into her. “So, when Bianca and Meg get back, we need  to get them all together somehow.” Grace tapped her spoon on the counter as  she plotted. Out of the blue, she came up with a great idea. “Jack needs to offer  to go to the Home and Garden Expo with Bianca. Just tell him that nothing gets  her worked up like new p aint colors and interior finishes; he should be all over  it. She already gave him a little taste of her ‘creativity’ the other day when they  kissed. I’ll go so it won’t be a date, and I can do a little spying. If he plays his  cards right, she should be putty in his hands. Then you need to get Ryan to let  Meg drag him around the mall, and you can go with them. Holiday sales should  push her to the edge.”

Michael’s forehead crinkled in concern. “When do I get to see you?”

“You don’t, but I’ll have my phone, so call me. Focus on the end result: the  sooner we get them out of the bet, the sooner we win.”

He took the spoon out of her bowl and took a sip of soup. Then he slowly licked  his lips to get the last drop off the side of his mouth.

“Yeah, we really need to  hurry up and win this bet,” Grace groaned as she  turned on her heel and went back over to the couch.

Jack and Ryan had figured out that Grace had been kidding about the porn channel and had gone back to playing games. She sat safely on one end of the couch and pointed at the opposite end when Michael came over to sit. He rolled his eyes and sighed, but sat on his corner, twirling a piece of hair on top of his head as he stared at Grace with a flirtatious expression on his face.

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Even with all the yelling Jack and Ryan were doing, Grace found herself getting really sleepy. When she could barely keep her eyes open, she crawled across the couch and laid her head in Michael’s lap. He gently stroked her hair and arm as she laid there with him, relaxing her completely. In a matter of minutes,  Grace was sound asleep.

She heard  quiet voices and felt herself jerk awake. “What’s going on?” Disoriented, Grace rubbed her eyes, trying to get them to function. Michael’s arms were around her, as she felt him lift her off the couch.

“We’re going home, sleepy head. You need your rest,” he said sweetly, as Grace  nuzzled her head to his chest.

“Jack, Ryan, wait. Before you leave, go snoop around in the girls’ rooms; you  never know what you might find. Jack, top drawer; Ryan, top shelf in the closet,  blue box,” she managed to get out before Michael had her inside her bedroom,  laying her down in bed.

Grace shimmied under the blankets and settled her head down on the pillow so  she could see Michael’s face. He perched himself on the edge of her bed,

looking at the flowers he had sent, which were  sitting on the dresser.

“Good thing you were already in your pajamas or I would have had to change  you,” he teased.

Grace swatted him weakly with a pillow. “You wish.”

“Yes, I most certainly do!” he laughed, making the bed shake gently.

“I wish you could stay. I don’t like it when you leave,” Grace whispered.

“I don’t like leaving you either. It gets harder every time.” The sincerity of his  admission made Grace smile.

“Thanks for coming over tonight and keeping me company.” Exhaustion began  to take over as  she stifled a yawn. He brushed the hair off of her face and kissed

her cheek.

“You really are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen, Grace. Sleep well.”  She closed her eyes and heard the squeak of the bed springs as he stood up to  leave.

“Good night,  Michael,” she whispered.

“Good night, Grace,” he said as he shut the door.

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Chapter 12

T his blows!  – G

Trust me, this blows more.  – M

Just call me already. My fingers hurt.  – G

“What were we thinking?” Grace asked, as the phone finally rang in her hand.

“This was your plan, there, chief, not mine. As I recall, I protested because I

wouldn’t get to see you at all today,” Michael grumbled.

“Where are you now?” she asked as she climbed on an ergonomically designed

stainless steel barstool.

“I am lying on a bench outside some underwear store,” Michael sighed. “They’re in there alone? Are you nuts? Meg could be doing some sexy fashion  show for him or dragging him into the dressing room. Get in there and keep an  eye on them!” Grace nearly shouted at him.

“Please don’t make me go in there. A single guy should not enter that place  alone. The sales girls are downright scary. Now, if you were with me that  would be totally different.”

“Well, I’m not. Get your butt in there. The whole reason I’m here and you’re  there is to get them to break; so go make a few suggestive remarks to fire up  Ryan.

Someone has to cave.” And I’ll be damned if it’s me, Grace thought to herself. She heard a groan as Michael stood up from his bench. “Fine. I’ll go in, but  you’re staying on the phone with me. Going in … Oh lord, here comes the

sales girl to help me.” Grace could hear the little tramp’s flirty voice on the  other end of the phone.

“Can I help you, sir?”

“Um, no. I’m just looking for my friends. There they are! Thank you.”

“If you need anything, my name is Jenny. I’d be happy to help you.” The woman  stressed the “anything” a bit more than Grace would have liked.

“Michael,” she shouted into the phone, “go find Meg and stop flirting.”

“I wasn’t the one flirting and unbuttoning my blouse at a customer,” he replied. “She did what?”

“That’s what you get for sending me into this store alone. OK, I see them.

Meg’s shopping for, um, things …” His voice trailed off.

“That’s really specific. What things?  And where’s Ryan?”

“Ryan has a pile of lace panties in his hand right now and looks like he wants to  die. I think Meg is looking at … What are those? Head bands? Oh, nope, thongs.  Now she’s moving over to the really tiny pajama section. Uh - oh, here comes

that barracuda again.”

“Sir, have you found anything you like? I’d be happy to try on that garter belt  for you so you can see what it looks like on.” Grace heard the evil little voice  purr in the background.

“Michael, why do you have a garter belt in your hand?” Grace teased.

“What? No, I don’t. Sorry, miss, I don’t need any help, but thanks,” Michael  sputtered.

“My name’s Jenny. What’s yours?”

Grace fumed as she heard the woman giggling. “Get out of there. You’re  obviously too cute for your own good. If that girl follows you, let me know, and  I’ll call in Meg for backup.” Grace laughed when she heard him sigh in relief. “Freedom!” He sighed heavily as she heard the bags he was carrying crunching  over the phone. “I’m now back safely on my bench, but that salesgirl is staring

out the window at me. I think she just blew me a kiss. So how’s the design  expo?”

“Hell on Earth. How many shades of brown does one person need to see? Bianca’s made us walk at least ten miles, and of course she has to stop at every  single booth and ask questions, making it take twice as long. Who cares about a  shower door that squeegees itself?” Grace grumbled as she watched people  stroll past.