Worcester Nights - The Boxed Set (23 page)

She looked down into her glass. “It’ll hurt the first time. I won’t lie to you. You’ll convince yourself that somehow your guy will be different. He’ll be the one to beat the odds and resist everything that makes him male.” She shrugged. “But that’s the point. He
is
male and this is part of it. We like them being male – and that has both bad and good with it. On the good side, of course is the sex.” Her eyes went distant for a moment. “I can still remember the way Liam’s lips tasted, and the feel of his body on top of me. God, Katie, the man was …” Her voice drifted away.

She gave herself a shake. “But there’s a bad side to that drive, of course. That drive means they’re a rooster in a barnyard of hens. They’re a rutting dog in a kennel of bitches in heat. They just can’t help it. They’re driven to fuck, and they do it. Repeatedly.”

My throat was tight, and I found I could only nod.

She finished off her second whiskey, then climbed from her stool. “Anyway, Katie, if you ever need to talk, I’m here for you. I’ve been through it all and came through fine on the other side. You’ll do fine, too.” She moved around the bar, pulling out the cutting board, sliding the knife from the block. “Pass me the limes, would you?”

Chapter 8

S
ean glanced at me as he settled my helmet onto its shelf in the shed. Daylight was just fading through the open door, tracing shadows across his face. “You were quiet the whole way over here, Kay. Are you still stuck on what Bridgit said yesterday?”

I sighed, bringing a smile on my face. “I know. It’s silly. And you were kind to listen to me for half the night. It just … she seemed so caught up in it all. It made me sorry for her.”

He put his arm around me, leading me from the shed. “Well, if you’re lucky, she’ll be here again, and you two can commiserate.”

I bumped him with my hip, and we walked through the door and down the hallway. I stepped into the room –

Sigh.

Mrs. O’Malley was sitting at the bar, her olive green dress making her look like a bulky sack of potatoes. Seamus was standing near the doorway talking to Jimmy, and both looked up as we came in. Seamus spoke up. “There you are, Sean. Got some errands for you to run.” He stepped forward and handed Sean a piece of paper. “Stop by and pick these up from Thomas, then meet us at the warehouse in about an hour. Got to do our sweep; make sure the place is clean.”

Sean took the list from him, nodding. “Sure thing, Seamus.” He came back to me, giving me a long kiss. “We’ll talk later,” he promised. “Everything will be fine. Trust me.”

I nodded, and he slipped down the back hallway.

Seamus turned to Mrs. O’Malley, and he nodded at his sister. “You call me if you need me.”

Her voice held a hint of warmth in it that I rarely heard from her. “Sure thing, Seamus. You take care of yourself.”

She glanced at Jimmy, then turned her gaze back to the limes before her. Her knife moved through them with quick efficiency.

Jimmy’s shoulders slumped, and then he and Seamus were pushing their way through the door.

I came around to join Mrs. O’Malley. “So, we’re getting close, huh? Tomorrow’s Friday, and then the big day is here.”

She glanced up at me, as if something had struck her. “Do you have a dress?”

I thought to my meager closet in the three-decker that I barely visited any more. “Well, there’s the blue knit one I wore to my graduation party, and then there’s this short, black one –”

She shook her head. “No, no, this is a formal event,” she explained as if I were a toddler waddling up in my diapers. “The men will be in tuxes. Surely Jimmy –” She sighed, rolling her eyes, and dug her phone out of her purse. She pressed a button. “Seamus, Bridge here. Yeah, Katie didn’t know about the formal dress. Probably means Jimmy didn’t tell Sean either. Could you … yeah … OK, thanks.” She hung up.

She looked me up and down. Her voice was flat. “Well, no way you’re fitting into one of my dresses. I’ll watch the bar tomorrow so Sean can take you out to Natick, to the mall. The Lord and Taylor there has some nice options. You’ll see what strikes your fancy.”

I knew what type of ending Saturday’s event would actually bring, but still, a flare of interest rose in me. An elegant dress? Sean in a tux? Maybe we could at least enjoy the preparation, and a little of the party, before it all came to a crashing end.

She chuckled at the smile on my lips. “I know. Nothing quite like the sight of a man in a tux, right?” She sighed. “You should have seen Liam, when my cousin got married. He was the best man. God, he was handsome. I had on this hot number in emerald green – I was slim back then – and when he got me in that back room …” Her voice faded away.

Joey’s voice was a slur. “Hey there, Kate –”

I nodded, grabbing the Bushmills and going around to his glass. I filled it back up and gave him a pat on the shoulder. He barely seemed to notice, his eyes glued to the set.

I came back around to behind the bar and began emptying the dishwasher. Bridgit picked up the phone and punched a button. “Yeah, it’s me. I’m ready. OK, five minutes.” She hung up again.

By the time I had finished settling the last glasses in their places, Ethan’s taxi came to a stop before the bar. He gave a quick honk.

Mrs. O’Malley nudged her head toward the door. “That’s for you, Katie.” Her eyes shadowed for a moment. “I know you are strong. You’re steel inside. Steel and diamond, like a tennis bracelet that can never be scratched or bent. You’ll be fine.”

I looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Ethan’s going to take you over to Sean’s studio. He’ll wait for you in the parking lot. I’ll be here to talk, when you get back.”

My brain could make no sense of her words. “You want me to go home?”

She gently pushed me toward my coat, and held it out for me. “It’s like a band-aid, Katie. It’s best to rip it off all at once, so you can get through it. Just remember, I’m here waiting for you.”

A tumble of bees began whirling in the pit of my stomach, and I pulled on the jacket, walking across the bar and out the door. I climbed into the cab and Ethan pulled away from the curb without speaking. Surely this was all some sort of a mistake. Mrs. O’Malley’s paranoias were reaching new levels, and now she was sure every man around her would cheat at the drop of a hat. Or maybe she was testing me.

I brightened, and I clung to the idea with both hands. Of course. That had to be it. She wanted to make sure I was steady and reliable before they brought us fully into the group. She wanted to make sure I wouldn’t fold under pressure, or babble under stress. How I behaved would reflect on Sean, and would determine if the group did in fact get together on Saturday.

I laced my fingers in my lap, setting my shoulders. I could get through it. Whatever this test entailed, I would pass it with flying colors.

Ethan turned into our driveway and pulled to a stop in front of the stairs. He turned back to look at me. His elderly eyes seemed shadowed. “I’ll be right here.”

I gave him a smile. “Thanks, Ethan.” I stepped out of the car into the cold dusk and crossed to the stairs. I turned my key in the lock and started up the stairs. I got to the second floor and turned the corner.

There was a noise up ahead, and I froze, flattening myself against the wall. I could see the edge of Sean’s door at the opening to the third floor. There was a thump, and a giggle, and then it opened.

She was statuesque, curvaceous, built like a woman that men would risk kingdoms for. Her dress was crimson, the neckline dipping low into her cleavage, hugging her ample breasts. A golden key nestled deep within. The fabric caressed her down to her waist, then swept out over the curves of her hips.

She bent over to slip a matching high heel onto her foot. She turned to look back behind her, giving her ass a wiggle. “Out of time for more, eh, sweetie? That’s all right, I’ll see you again soon enough. Ciao.” She blew a kiss into the studio, then turned to walk toward the stairs.

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. This couldn’t be true. Not my Sean, not the man who had pledged his love to me, who trusted me with his life. Not the man I had risked everything for.

She sauntered to the stairs, taking the flight down as if it was a catwalk for a Maxim photo shoot. She glanced at me dismissively as she approached – and then she looked over again. Her mouth grew into a glistening smile.

“Why, you must be Katie! I recognize you now. Sean’s told me all about you, of course. What a darling little thing! It’s nice to finally meet you.” She held out a perfectly manicured hand.

I took it, and shook it, my mind a blank.

Her grin grew rapturous, and she looked down at me with glowing eyes. “My, but aren’t you a sweet thing. Those jeans must be just the item for hanging around at that bar. Such a pain to wear, though.” She ran a hand down the silk of her dress. “I prefer something I can slide right out of, when the time is tight.”

My throat constricted, and I leant against the wall.

She leant forward, dropping her voice. “But you know what I mean, don’t you. Sean’s like some sort of a god. He just looks at you, and your body flares to life. You can’t help it. He’s like chocolate dosed with every other aphrodisiac known to mankind.”

Chocolate.
My mind flailed to find some reason – any reason – that would explain this all. Maybe Mrs. O’Malley had set this all up. She’d sent this slut up to hang around Sean’s room as if she’d been with him. It was all a setup.

She hadn’t been, of course. This was a test.

My breathing slowed a bit, and my heart stepped down its speed from Monaco Grand Prix level to simply racing on the Mass Pike. I strove to keep my voice steady. “I don’t think I caught your name.”

Her grin deepened, showing sharp canines. “Francesca. I’m surprised Sean hasn’t mentioned me to you. He’s a naughty boy.”

A flare of jealousy coursed through me, but I tamped it down with deliberate effort. This was all a hoax. I just had to get through it. “I’m sure he is,” I agreed.

She leant forward, dropping her voice. “I can think of the ideal punishment. Get him into that bed of his and make him pleasure you all night long. You know he can do it. And then the next morning he’s as fresh as an alpha wolf. Up and eager for more.”

I gripped the bannister behind me. The O’Malleys listened in on us, of course. That’s how they knew this, to test me. She’d been briefed well.

Francesca’s eyes gleamed. “And that trio of freckles, on his hip – they’re like an arrow. Pointing straight down at his cock. I swear, there are few men hung like Sean.”

My heart was racing faster again, and it was all I could do to keep my breathing steady. Somehow she knew that. Maybe Seamus had spotted it during their beating of him. Sure, he’d still had his shirt and jeans on when I’d found him, but –

She gave a low laugh. “And, of course, there’s his love of photography.”

I closed my eyes. It couldn’t be true. Had I been stupid this entire time? What did I really know about him? With all these hot girls coming and going, maybe it was natural for him to take what was offered, to give in when one of them leant forward and offered a rosy nipple on an ample bosom. Maybe –

I shook my head, clinging to a tiny thread of sanity. This was all a test. Sean wasn’t even up there. I just had to make it through this, report back to Mrs. O’Malley, and Saturday’s final event would go on as planned. Sean and his crew would round up the entire pornography ring. We could move on.

I took in a deep breath.

There was a creak from above us.

Sean’s head poked out from the door, and I stepped down a stair so he couldn’t see me. He called out, “Francesca, you still there?”

Her face brightened with satisfaction, and she glanced at me before replying. “I’m here, sweetie.”

“Remember about tomorrow night. I need you ready for me on time.”

“Of course, darling. See you then.”

The door swung shut with a click.

I leaned against the bannister, the world weaving.

She gave me a wink. “Well, I’m off. Lots to do before Friday. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again soon. Ciao!” She turned with a swirl of crimson, her hips swaying as she moved into the shadows.

The click of her heels faded into the distance, and all I could hear was the deep inhales, the shaky exhales. The world still ebbed and flowed; the bannister was slick beneath my sweaty palms. Time became lost.

There was a thump from above, and I realized in a panic that Sean could be leaving at any moment. He couldn’t find me here. Not now, not when my mind was such a chaotic whirl. I scampered down the stairs, nearly tripping, and when I came out Ethan was waiting for me, the taxi still running. I yanked open the door and tumbled into the back seat.

The moment I closed the door he eased away from the curb. We rode in silence for a minute. When he spoke, his voice was low and gentle. “I’m sorry, Katie. I saw the woman come out. She was … well, I see why Sean gave in.”

The words wrenched a hole in my heart, and I twined my fingers together. I would not cry. I would not cry.

I blinked, and we’d pulled up in front of the bar. I knew I should reach for the door handle, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Sean would be coming back here soon. He’d walk in, and I’d look into his eyes, and …