Do Not Disturb (9 page)

"You are?"

She removed her hand and placed it on her hip.
"You don’t need to be so pleased, you know."

He lifted her off the floor in a hug. "Hey, I
admit it. I have an ego." Setting her down, he kissed her nose. "Just
remember, I'm the man that’s making you suffer and I'm the man that can relieve
it. If we can ever be alone for more than five minutes."

"I'll remember."

"OK then, darling. Let's go get those
children."

He stopped Allison in front of the entry hall
mirror. "Here let me re-hook your bra, or what we've been up to won't be
much of a secret."

"Thanks.” She ran a hand over her hair,
reclasping the loose curls in the barrettes on the sides.

Brett stood behind her and looked at her in the
mirror. "It’ll be soon, Allison."

She shivered at the intensity and passion in his
voice. Not soon enough.

“The annual audit will start next week, Allison. A
group will be in Tuesday.” Walter handed her a folder with details on the new
firm the bank had hired. “Work with Joan to get them settled.”

She scanned the memo from the Joan, then slid out
the annual statement on the company.

“Why did we change anyway?” She skimmed through
the pages of the slick document.

“The head of this firm went to school with the our
new president. Actually I think their families go way back.”

“Connections,” she muttered.

The typical information on a company was there;
accomplishments, client list and...” She stopped at the picture of the
officers. Rows of men in blue suits, mostly older, a token women and...
”Brett.”

“What?”

Snapping the folder shut, she leaned forward in
her seat. “Is there anything else you need?”

Her boss gave her a quizzical look. “No. That’s
all.”

She scooted out of the chair and almost ran to her
office. Shoving the door shut with her foot, she raced around her desk and
flipped open the brochure as she dropped into her chair.  Yes, there he was.

Running her finger along the picture caption, she
found him. “Brett Tyler, Sr. Vice-president.”

She sank back in her chair and stared at the tiny
picture, holding it at an angle to the light from the window. Brett in a suit.
Looking much paler than he did now. No tan. Much more formal. But definitely
Brett.

A Sr. Vice-president at a huge financial services
firm? Why didn’t he tell her? She closed the folder and shoved it to the corner
of her desk.

How could he leave such a great job and why wasn’t
he looking for a similar one in Tampa?

#

The committee members straggled into the school
gymnasium. Allison was a nervous wreck and they acted like this was a dress
rehearsal. She glanced at her watch. The carnival would start in less than an
hour and there were still tasks to be completed.

“Now this is creative.”

She twirled around at Brett’s voice to find him
resting casually against the bake sale table.

“How can you just sit there?” She moved closer to
him. “We need to get everything finished.”

He cocked his head to one side, then touched the
red smeared on her face. “I think you’re dead, with the blood everywhere.” Next
he scrutinized the grease running up her clothes. “And these look like tire
tracks.” He looked up, a gleam in his eye. “You’ve been run over?”

“Yes. Just like I’ve been feeling lately, like
someone run over by a truck.” Placing her hands on her hips, she gathered in
the tattered shirttail hanging from her shoulders and tried to get his
attention away from her costume and back on the problem of the carnival. “And
now I’m beginning to think they’re backing up and aiming at me again.”

“Oh boy.” He captured her shoulders. “I see
stress.”

“Stress. You’ve haven’t seen stress yet.” She
waved the legal pad in her hand. “We’re not close to ready. All this has to be
done.”

“Calm down. This is supposed to be fun.” He turned
her around to face the center of the gym. “Watch.”

The committee members were spreading out around
the floor.

“All I see is chaos. People walking around.” Her
voice inched higher. “We need to review our list.” She put the end of her pen
in her mouth and jerked the cap off with her teeth. Sticking the other end in the
cap she chewed on the plastic and studied the list. “Okay. If we hurry—“

“Allison. It’s under control. Really.” Brett
sounded amused. “Just watch.”

Each committee member moved to their station.
Organization took over. “Oh my, it does look like we might make it.”

“You need to relax. Just sit over here. You’re
looking kind of run down.” He let out a loud laugh as he led her to a metal
chair and sat her down.

Allison moaned loudly at his joke. “Are you
pretending to be a bad a comedian? Is that your costume?”

“No. I’m the dead man in the casket in the haunted
house.” He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “And since you’re already dead
too, I’ll make room for you in there with me and we can finally be alone.”

He let out an even louder laugh and strolled off.

Her eyes followed. Nothing seemed to rile that
man.

Stuffing her ripped and blood spattered purse
under the counter of the bake sale table, she tried to relax. It wasn’t easy
letting someone else take charge. Especially when they were as laid back as Brett.
How did he do it?

"I'm back. When do we start the cake
walk?"

Susan Walker stepped behind the table, whipping
the voluminous skirt of her antebellum costume around her legs. Her smile
calmed Allison's nerves. She’d always liked Susan. Ever since they’d comforted
each other the day they left their daughters together in first grade.

"I thought we'd give everyone thirty minutes
to drift around and see what we're offering at the carnival and then we'd get
going. How’s that?'

"Great. We’ll have some time to catch
up." Susan sat down in the chair next to Allison and scooted it up close.
"Let’s gossip."

Allison laughed at the thought. "I don't know
any gossip, Susan. I'm so swamped at work that I can barely keep up with what's
happening at my own house."

"Okay, then I'll tell you some. I heard that
you're dating Brett Tyler." Susan leaned over and patted Allison’s leg.
"Lucky you."

Her eyes popped open. "Where did you hear
that?"

"Now. Now. No need to keep it a secret.
Brett's a wonderful guy."

"He is nice.” But dating? It seemed like such
an odd term to use for a woman her age. And were they really dating? “But he’s
the opposite of me.”

"What do you mean? I’d think you have a lot
in common.”

“Well, we do have daughters near the same age...”

“No. I mean your financial backgrounds.”

How did Susan know about Brett’s background? Had
he told others about his job in Virginia when he’d done everything he could to
avoid talking about work to her.

This little secret was beginning to annoy her.

“I will tell you though, Bob’s a little jealous of
Brett,” Susan whispered confidentially. “He wishes he were brave enough to
leave the corporate rat race behind, too."

“Really?” They knew a lot more than she did. This
annoyance was quickly turning to anger.

"Yeah. Especially when he found out Brett
made senior vice-president so young. I can’t believe he gave it all up."
Susan's eyes roved to where Brett stood with her husband Bob. "I'm going
to find out what they're talking about since we have a few spare minutes. If I
don’t watch out, Brett will talk Bob into going out on his own, too."

Her friend crossed the gym and linked arms with
her husband. Brett smiled as she joined them.

Allison’s stomach knotted. What was going on here?

Suddenly Brett’s smile disappeared. He looked from
Bob to Susan, then crossed his arms, his back stiff.

Bob clapped him on the back and laughed, but Brett
didn’t participate.

What did Bob say to freeze Brett?

When Susan nodded toward Allison, Brett’s mouth
dropped open.

Something was definitely wrong. His jaw locked and
his eyes narrowed. Neither Bob nor Susan seemed to notice as they kept on
chatting.

Suddenly Brett turned to face Allison and began a
slow looming walk her way. He stopped suddenly, towering over her.

“Could we talk outside please?”

She followed him out the back entrance to the gym,
then stopped suddenly as he whipped around in front of her, a scowl covering
his face.

“What’s going on, Allison?”

She pulled her head back at his reproving tone.
“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.” He closed his eyes and
shook his head. “I can’t believe this. I thought you were different.”

A bitter taste rose in her throat.

“What are you accusing me of?”

He laughed. No it wasn’t a laugh. Definitely no
humor here.

“Susan said you know all about my past job.” He
leaned closer. “How in the world did you find out? And why do you care? Wasn’t
I good enough for you with just a home business?”

The blood rushed to her head. “How dare you, Brett
Tyler.”

“How dare I? You’re the one snooping around in my past.”

“I have not been snooping around in your past. Not
that you would have ever told me anything anyway.” Her ears were ringing. “I
guess I’m good enough to fool around with but not good enough to tell anything
else.”

“How did you find out?”

“Find out what Brett?” She crossed her arms to
cover her breaking heart. “That you were a Sr. Vice-president at some big fancy
firm in Northern Virginia?”

His eyes narrowed.

“Well, Mr. hot-shot, Bob found out from a friend
of his. I didn’t say a word to Susan or Bob about it. They said something to
me.”

“But you knew.”

“Yes I knew.”

“So am I acceptable now?”

Tears collected at the corner of her eyes. She
couldn’t tell if they resulted from the anger at his words or the pain at
realizing their relationship was dying.

“Acceptable? I have no idea what you’re talking
about.” She had to get away from him before she cried. “But next time you want
to keep a secret you’d better make sure your picture isn’t in the annual report
of your company’s customers.”

She twirled around and stalked off just as the
tears streamed down the side of her face, dripping red fake blood onto her
shirt. Damn him.

#

As Allison cut out the lights in the hall and
closed the door to her bedroom, she still wanted to cry. Her entire body was
racked with pain. Even her jaw muscles hurt from trying to smile.

She’d spent most of the night watching Brett out
of the corner of her eye. Avoiding him. Not that he was seeking her out.

She sat on the floor next to her bedside table and
spread her legs out in front of her.

What was going on with him? Not telling her about
his background and then freaking out when she found out. Accusing her of
checking up on him. She was disgusted. She dropped her head against the edge of
the mattress and closed her eyes to keep the tears from escaping again when the
phone rang.

She snatched it on the first ring to keep it from
waking Kelly. “Hello.”

“Allison, It’s Brett.”

What did he want now? To yell at her some more?
She didn’t answer.

"I’m sure you don't want to talk to me, but
please give me a minute." He actually sounded like he was pleading.

"Why?” The lump in her throat made sound
difficult, giving her voice a strangled tone. “You certainly weren't interested
in giving me any time tonight. I don't know why you think I should extend you
the courtesy now."

"You're right."

He’d never sounded like this. Was he actually in
pain? She swiped at a tear with the back of her hand. Well she sure as hell
hoped so. She was in agony.

“I’d like to try and explain--”

She cut him off, her anger oozing out. "I’m
not sure I’m interested in any of your explanations."

"Look Allison. I want to apologize. I was
wrong and ...I’d really like to explain.”

 She waited. He continued, his voice scratchy.
"Would you let me come by for a few minutes tomorrow?"

Only his breathing broke the silence.

"Please. I won't stay long."

Might as well get it all over with. "Kelly’s
going to a friend's house to work on a project at two. You can stop by
then."

"Thanks. I’ll see you then."

She hung up without saying goodbye, giving in to
the tears that had backed up for hours. Around three o’clock, exhaustion took
control of her body, sending her into a restless sleep.

#

Allison rolled out of bed Sunday morning and
dragged her body to the bathroom. Seeing her face made her want to cry again.
Red and splotched, with puffy eyes. There wasn't enough make-up in Tampa to fix
that mess.

She turned on the shower and stepped in. As the
water pelted her back, she attempted to organize her feelings.

What was going on? Did she even care?

Wasn’t this exactly the type of thing she’d wanted
to avoid? Emotions. Pain. Misunderstandings.

She flipped the shower head to massage and stood
there for fifteen minutes, hoping to wash away the knots in her muscles.

“Relationships,” she moaned as water trickled down
her face. “I don’t need a man.”

When her skin began to pucker, she knew her refuge
in the shower was over. Time to get out, get dressed and face Brett.

#

She poured a glass of juice while she yelled down
the hall at Kelly. "Get your books. We’ll go to breakfast and then I’ll
drop you off at Jennie’s. I need to be back at the house by two.”

Kelly stuck her head around the corner of the
kitchen. "What's going on, Mom? We never go out for breakfast.” She came into
the kitchen, her eyes wide. “What’s wrong with your face?”

“Nothing. I just got some soap in my eyes.”
Allison placed her glass in the sink and kissed the top of her daughter’s head.
“It’s time we did something different on a Sunday. Get dressed.”

“Yippee. I’ll be ready in five minutes.” Kelly
raced out of the room as Allison strolled around the room looking for the shoes
she’d slung at the wall the night before.

#

The breakfast, what little bit she’d eaten,
churned in her stomach. It was still a few minutes before two.

She really didn’t want to do this. Why had she
agreed to see him? It would’ve been better to just break it off and get back to
her life with work and Kelly.

The doorbell rang.

She plodded to the door, her legs heavy weights.

Brett waited on the stoop, his hands shoved into
the pockets of wrinkled shorts. His shirttail hung out, shaving obviously
hadn’t even entered his mind and God knows where those tennis shoes had been
hiding. The laces looked like they would dissolve at the slightest touch and
the dirt and grass stains...