Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie Page A

Phin, imploring instead of hostile: Get me out of this . Then she drained her rum and Coke. Phin thought about offering her a ride home and decided to keep her trapped there a while longer. For one thing, she felt really good pressed up against him, which was selfish of him but fortunately, he didn't have a problem with selfish. For another, if she got tanked, maybe she'd come across with more information about the movie. He looked down her dress again. It was a real shame he wasn't in a position to encourage her to come across with some other stuff, too. That was the trouble with dangerous women: They were almost always attractive. "The devil's candy," he remembered. "Women who would ruin you as soon as look at you."
    Sophie looked up at him pitifully, but before he could say anything,Georgiabellowed, "Frank!" and Frank turned around from Clea to scowl at her. "Sophie needs a drink, honey."
    "No, really," Sophie said, but Frank nodded and came over a minute later with another rum and Coke.
    "Clea said this is what you're drinking," he told her, delighted to be reporting that he'd had a conversation with Clea, and Phin thought, Frank, you're a moron and your wife is going to kill you.
    "Thanks," Sophie said. "But really, you shouldn't have."
    "Well, we're all so pleased you're here." Frank smiled at Sophie and Amy.
    "Yes, we are."Georgiatoasted Sophie with her drink and spilled some of it on the table in the process.
    "And that you brought Clea back to us," Frank finished.
    Georgiaput her glass down.
    Frank looked back at Clea and Rob. "That boy of mine," he said. "He's so starstruck, he doesn't know which end is up."
    Phin looked around Frank and saw Rob at the bar being dazzled by Clea, who looked pleased to have him there.
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    "If he's not careful, Rachel's going to get jealous," Frank said. "I better go tell him to take care of what he's got."
    "Good advice,"Georgiasaid, but Frank was already heading back to the bar. She turned to Sophie, "I'm sorry, but Clea Whipple is a fucking bitch from hell."
    Phin winced, but Sophie just said, "Cheers," and drank another slug of rum and Diet Coke.
    "She's still trying to get him, that bitch,"Georgiasaid. "She's never gonna learn. She tried to get him in high school, bet she didn't tell you that, did she?"
    "Uh, yeah, she did," Sophie said into her drink, butGeorgiawasn't listening, which was about par for Georgia, Phin thought. Center of the universe, at least in her own mind, that wasGeorgia.
    "Thought she was going to get him, but she didn't. I fixed that. I fixed that good."Georgiadrank again.
    "You gotta keep men in line or they'll just run all over you."
    Phinspared a moment of sympathy for Frank until he looked back and saw him at the bar, leaning into Clea's cleavage. Get a grip, Frank , he thought, and then he looked down Sophie's dress and thought, Never mind, Frank .
    "But I got what I wanted,"Georgiasaid. "You can get what you want, too." She squinted at Sophie.
    "What do you want?"
    "World peace," Sophie said, and tried to move away fromGeorgiaa little. Since that pressed her up even closer to Phin, he tried to think kinder thoughts aboutGeorgia, but it was hard.
    "I got everything I wanted,"Georgiasaid. "Except a little girl. I never got my little girl. Boys aren't the same."
    "This is true," Sophie said, and shifted on the booth seat again. Very true, Phin thought gratefully, as the lavender in Sophie's hair drifted up to him again. Of course, if he'd been born female, there'd be blood in his brain right now, but a little light-headedness seemed a small price to pay for the rush he was getting every time Sophie moved. He tried not to think about that, but that was hard, too. Everything was hard.
    "I really wanted a little girl,"Georgiasaid. "I really did. But we never got one. When that bitch got her big Hollywoodbreak, Frank said we could try, and we tried and tried but I never did get my girl. And I had the cutest clothes already bought for her."
    "Oh, God,"