“Shit. It’s going straight to voicemail.”
There was an urgency , an underlying panic in Alex’s voice.
“What happened at work today?” she asked, her heart racing with sudden fear.
“I did what you said. I went into his office and confronted him,” Alex said, starting to pace across the living room.
Allie watched his nervous movements and took a deep breath. “What happened?” she repeated. “What did you say?”
“I told him to hit me.”
Allie felt a brief spurt of laughter erupt at Alex’s words and she rolled her eyes. “Typical male suggestion. Why talk about emotions when you can fight? You’ve got a small bruise on your forehead, but I suspect that’s from the bagel. Since I don’t see any other visible wounds, I assume he didn’t take you up on your offer.”
“No, but we did argue and then…”
“And then?” she prodded.
“We had sex.”
Whatever Allie had been expecting to hear, those three words were not it. “You had sex? With each other?”
“No, Allie, with the cleaning lady,” Alex replied hotly. “Yes with each other!”
“Well…that’s great!” She smiled, pleased that things finally seemed to be falling into place.
“Yeah, great,” Alex agreed.
“That’s better than great. It’s terrific! How was it?”
Alex laughed and shook his head at her. She was one in a million and he thanked God for her every day. “It was earth-shattering. Awesome. There aren’t words to describe it. He wanted to be there, Allie. He wanted me. I never thought…”
Allie put her hands on her hips and feigned anger at Alex’s narrative. “I can’t believe you guys didn’t wait for me,” she joked.
“I told Charlie you’d be pissed about that but…” Again Alex paused and Allie suddenly recalled Charlie’s MIA status.
“But?”
“He seemed to think you would be upset.”
“Well, I am upset, but probably not in the way Charlie meant,” she said. “What can I say? I’m selfish. I don’t like the idea of being left out of the fun, but I think maybe it was better that the two of you were alone together this first time. Maybe it took some of the pressure off him—wondering and worrying about my response.”
“I don’t know if you’re right about that. Charlie seemed to view what we did as us cheating on you.”
Allie was astonished by Alex’s words. “What? Is he insane? Where the hell would he get that idea?”
Alex laughed. “That’s what I said, but I think this sort of falls under the category you mentioned before. Charlie’s ideas of the world are different from ours. He tends to get hung up on so-called normal things.”
Allie bit her lower lip and pondered his words, fighting back her own laughter. “You know what the problem is?”
“What?” he asked.
“Nice, ordinary Charlie has been sucked into Allie and Alex Land, where anything goes. I think it’s safe to assume we’ve rocked his foundation quite soundly.”
“Shit, I’d say we’ve crushed his foundation to dust. What the hell are we going to do, Allie? What if he’s taken off for good?”
“He hasn’t,” Allie replied, unsure why she was so certain of that fact. “For one thing, Charlie is as reliable as the tide. He wouldn’t just take off from the firm without a word. He’s also pretty predictable in a male sort of way.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alex asked.
“If he thinks he’s been unfaithful to me, he’s probably hit a local bar and is drinking a bit of liquid courage in order to confess.”
“The Way Down Under Club.”
“What?” Allie asked.
“He’ll be at the club. We have our own rooms there and I’ll bet you anything—”
“Wait a minute. You have your own rooms? At a sex club?”
Alex grinned guiltily. “Did I forget to mention we’re part-owners?”
Allie narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, I think you did.”
“He’ll be at the club,” Alex repeated, and Allie had to agree.
She turned quickly, walking back toward Alex’s
There was an urgency , an underlying panic in Alex’s voice.
“What happened at work today?” she asked, her heart racing with sudden fear.
“I did what you said. I went into his office and confronted him,” Alex said, starting to pace across the living room.
Allie watched his nervous movements and took a deep breath. “What happened?” she repeated. “What did you say?”
“I told him to hit me.”
Allie felt a brief spurt of laughter erupt at Alex’s words and she rolled her eyes. “Typical male suggestion. Why talk about emotions when you can fight? You’ve got a small bruise on your forehead, but I suspect that’s from the bagel. Since I don’t see any other visible wounds, I assume he didn’t take you up on your offer.”
“No, but we did argue and then…”
“And then?” she prodded.
“We had sex.”
Whatever Allie had been expecting to hear, those three words were not it. “You had sex? With each other?”
“No, Allie, with the cleaning lady,” Alex replied hotly. “Yes with each other!”
“Well…that’s great!” She smiled, pleased that things finally seemed to be falling into place.
“Yeah, great,” Alex agreed.
“That’s better than great. It’s terrific! How was it?”
Alex laughed and shook his head at her. She was one in a million and he thanked God for her every day. “It was earth-shattering. Awesome. There aren’t words to describe it. He wanted to be there, Allie. He wanted me. I never thought…”
Allie put her hands on her hips and feigned anger at Alex’s narrative. “I can’t believe you guys didn’t wait for me,” she joked.
“I told Charlie you’d be pissed about that but…” Again Alex paused and Allie suddenly recalled Charlie’s MIA status.
“But?”
“He seemed to think you would be upset.”
“Well, I am upset, but probably not in the way Charlie meant,” she said. “What can I say? I’m selfish. I don’t like the idea of being left out of the fun, but I think maybe it was better that the two of you were alone together this first time. Maybe it took some of the pressure off him—wondering and worrying about my response.”
“I don’t know if you’re right about that. Charlie seemed to view what we did as us cheating on you.”
Allie was astonished by Alex’s words. “What? Is he insane? Where the hell would he get that idea?”
Alex laughed. “That’s what I said, but I think this sort of falls under the category you mentioned before. Charlie’s ideas of the world are different from ours. He tends to get hung up on so-called normal things.”
Allie bit her lower lip and pondered his words, fighting back her own laughter. “You know what the problem is?”
“What?” he asked.
“Nice, ordinary Charlie has been sucked into Allie and Alex Land, where anything goes. I think it’s safe to assume we’ve rocked his foundation quite soundly.”
“Shit, I’d say we’ve crushed his foundation to dust. What the hell are we going to do, Allie? What if he’s taken off for good?”
“He hasn’t,” Allie replied, unsure why she was so certain of that fact. “For one thing, Charlie is as reliable as the tide. He wouldn’t just take off from the firm without a word. He’s also pretty predictable in a male sort of way.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alex asked.
“If he thinks he’s been unfaithful to me, he’s probably hit a local bar and is drinking a bit of liquid courage in order to confess.”
“The Way Down Under Club.”
“What?” Allie asked.
“He’ll be at the club. We have our own rooms there and I’ll bet you anything—”
“Wait a minute. You have your own rooms? At a sex club?”
Alex grinned guiltily. “Did I forget to mention we’re part-owners?”
Allie narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, I think you did.”
“He’ll be at the club,” Alex repeated, and Allie had to agree.
She turned quickly, walking back toward Alex’s
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