a while ago and I haven’t paid him yet.” Her laugh was low and steamy. “Tonight’s on the house and all night long. Tell him, okay?” She hung up.
Mary sat holding the receiver long after the dial tone sounded. She’d asked Dan straight up why he’d taken her to the prom and he’d said because of her inner beauty. She’s stayed awake the first night here thinking about what he’d said. She’d lived for years on the memories of how he’d made her feel that night. Like a princess.
Princess, my ass.
Or was the pity date for tonight’s dance, which he’d insisted on calling a prom? Had he and Pete laughed at her the past two nights before he’d come back here—to her honeymoon suite—and fucked her mindless?
Tears stung her eyes. Had he only made love to her because she had come on her honeymoon without the groom? The first night he’d backed off. Was that to soften her up? He knew his way around women, that was no secret. Had he played her from the start? By keeping her on a line, he avoided other problems, social attachments and had someone willing to screw all week. Willing, she’d practically begged him to fuck her.
God, she was such an idiot. A weak, pathetic, romantic idiot!
Mary sprang from bed. She yanked on jeans and a top, and threw the rest of her clothes in her suitcase. She left the bracelet and everything Dan had bought her on the dresser. Was that another reason why he’d slept with her, to collect for the dresses and jewelry? He could take his gifts and stick them up his—
Three knocks sounded at the bedroom door. “Mary, can you come out here, please?” There was the sonovabitch now.
She threw open the door and strode into the living room ready to blast Dan. Then she saw a familiar figure leaning against the wall. “Ralph.” Great, more trouble. “What are you doing here?”
“Where are you going?” Dan appeared at her side and attempted to wrestle the suitcase from her.
“Home. That was Pete on the phone with some woman who likes sandwiches.” His expression changed from confusion to horror in seconds. “She says to hurry on over because she still owes you for some gifts and tonight she’s ready to pay up. All night long.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“The hell it isn’t. And Pete enlightened me on what a pity date is. He doesn’t mind screwing me if my groom dumped me, or even if I’m married.”
Ralph pushed away from the wall. “Wait a minute, you’ve been with two guys?”
At the same time, Dan pleaded, “Mary, give me a chance to explain.”
“Isn’t there an honest, faithful man in the world, or is it me who’s such bad luck?”
Dan stared, his face crumpled in a look of helplessness. “You won’t listen to me, will you?”
“I think I’ve listened to you too much already.” She faced her former fiancé, who suddenly looked at her with interest. Nothing makes a woman attractive to a man like another man wanting her.
The lack of sleep the past few nights caught up with her. Her shoulders slumped in fatigue. “Why are you here, Ralph?”
“I came to beg you to give me another chance. I’ve left five or six messages on the phone today, and I finally decided I wouldn’t wait for you to call back. I’d fly out instead.” He pointed to Dan. “And what do I find but this bastard looking like he’d just gotten out of bed with you.”
Mary hefted her suitcase and started for the door. “I was here alone to be sweet-talked by him, you loser.”
He blocked her exit. “I know. I deserve all the bad things you can say about me. But, honey, I love you, and I want you back. I’ll do anything you say to earn your trust, Mary, and I swear to God, I will never cheat on you again.”
“Don’t believe him, Mary. Guys like him never change. I love you. Give me a chance.” Dan spoke quietly to her back.
“No, Mary, I love you.”
“I’m going home,” she said. “Ralph, I guess I owe you a second chance. We had made plans for the
Mary sat holding the receiver long after the dial tone sounded. She’d asked Dan straight up why he’d taken her to the prom and he’d said because of her inner beauty. She’s stayed awake the first night here thinking about what he’d said. She’d lived for years on the memories of how he’d made her feel that night. Like a princess.
Princess, my ass.
Or was the pity date for tonight’s dance, which he’d insisted on calling a prom? Had he and Pete laughed at her the past two nights before he’d come back here—to her honeymoon suite—and fucked her mindless?
Tears stung her eyes. Had he only made love to her because she had come on her honeymoon without the groom? The first night he’d backed off. Was that to soften her up? He knew his way around women, that was no secret. Had he played her from the start? By keeping her on a line, he avoided other problems, social attachments and had someone willing to screw all week. Willing, she’d practically begged him to fuck her.
God, she was such an idiot. A weak, pathetic, romantic idiot!
Mary sprang from bed. She yanked on jeans and a top, and threw the rest of her clothes in her suitcase. She left the bracelet and everything Dan had bought her on the dresser. Was that another reason why he’d slept with her, to collect for the dresses and jewelry? He could take his gifts and stick them up his—
Three knocks sounded at the bedroom door. “Mary, can you come out here, please?” There was the sonovabitch now.
She threw open the door and strode into the living room ready to blast Dan. Then she saw a familiar figure leaning against the wall. “Ralph.” Great, more trouble. “What are you doing here?”
“Where are you going?” Dan appeared at her side and attempted to wrestle the suitcase from her.
“Home. That was Pete on the phone with some woman who likes sandwiches.” His expression changed from confusion to horror in seconds. “She says to hurry on over because she still owes you for some gifts and tonight she’s ready to pay up. All night long.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“The hell it isn’t. And Pete enlightened me on what a pity date is. He doesn’t mind screwing me if my groom dumped me, or even if I’m married.”
Ralph pushed away from the wall. “Wait a minute, you’ve been with two guys?”
At the same time, Dan pleaded, “Mary, give me a chance to explain.”
“Isn’t there an honest, faithful man in the world, or is it me who’s such bad luck?”
Dan stared, his face crumpled in a look of helplessness. “You won’t listen to me, will you?”
“I think I’ve listened to you too much already.” She faced her former fiancé, who suddenly looked at her with interest. Nothing makes a woman attractive to a man like another man wanting her.
The lack of sleep the past few nights caught up with her. Her shoulders slumped in fatigue. “Why are you here, Ralph?”
“I came to beg you to give me another chance. I’ve left five or six messages on the phone today, and I finally decided I wouldn’t wait for you to call back. I’d fly out instead.” He pointed to Dan. “And what do I find but this bastard looking like he’d just gotten out of bed with you.”
Mary hefted her suitcase and started for the door. “I was here alone to be sweet-talked by him, you loser.”
He blocked her exit. “I know. I deserve all the bad things you can say about me. But, honey, I love you, and I want you back. I’ll do anything you say to earn your trust, Mary, and I swear to God, I will never cheat on you again.”
“Don’t believe him, Mary. Guys like him never change. I love you. Give me a chance.” Dan spoke quietly to her back.
“No, Mary, I love you.”
“I’m going home,” she said. “Ralph, I guess I owe you a second chance. We had made plans for the
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