Offensive Behavior (Sidelined #1) (21 page)

The arm
behind her back tightened and her hip banged against the bike’s tank, all that
hot metal suddenly too close to her thighs and shins.

He let
go as quickly as he’d grabbed. “Go. I’ll see you, Saturday. We get two nights
together unless you want to give me more. My offer to move in till you and Cara
find a place stands for both of you.”

She
took a step back. “Two nights.” That’s what this thing was because Reid had
catching up to do and she had to stay focused. “I’m not moving in.”

He put
his helmet on and turned the bike over. She watched him pull out and now the
distance between hump day and Saturday night felt like a forced march through
rough terrain. The only peace would be getting out the other side.

But
Saturday did come and it brought on the primping. Cara and Kathryn were old
friends by now and Lizabeth dropped over to see the dress. She had a good
camera and offered to shoot images that Cara could use to promote her
dressmaking.

Skin
scraped, buffed, polished and made-up, hair shining, curled and piled on her
head in an elegant twist, Zarley stood in Kathryn’s living room in a thong arguing
with Cara.

“No
underwear,” Cara said.

The
dress was a sheath, fitted like a second skin, a nude-colored silk with a net
overlay, embroidered with red petals, green leaves and crystals, held up by
magic and angel hair thin straps. It was forest nymph meets sex goddess. Reid’s
eyes were going to bug out of his head when he saw her.

“It’s
tiny, it’ll be fine.” She clipped a crystal earring borrowed from Kathryn’s
gran onto her ear and shook her head.

“Off.” Cara
said. She had two pins in her mouth. Not because she needed to adjust anything,
because she was almost sick with nerves.

“Off.” Kathryn
echoed.

Lizabeth
looked up from fiddling with her camera and made a throat cutting movement.

“Shouldn’t
you both be at work,” Zarley shot back. They were making her nervous. She put
the second earring on and shook her head, letting the crystal drops bounce
against her neck.

“As
soon as you get your naked ass in that dress, we’re out,” Kathryn said.

She
went back to the bedroom and ditched the thong. Slipped the dress carefully
over her head, making sure it didn’t catch on hairpins, the earrings, or brush against
her makeup. It swished down her body, molding to her absolutely everywhere. Yes,
you would’ve seen the outline of the thong. Next came shoes. The only real
expense she’d had. The same nude color, a classic slim high heel with a pointed
toe, gleefully bought on sale.

“Hurry
up,” Kathryn called.

But she
needed a minute. This was a big night for Reid, all his old colleagues, stockholders
and bigwigs in his industry. He’d be networking. She had to pull off
professional date. Not something she’d ever attempted before. It had a
difficulty of ten. She was feeling about eight point five.

She
took a breath and walked into the other room.

“Wow. You
look. Wow. That is going to glue Back Booth’s tongue to his teeth,” said
Kathryn. She flung her arms around Cara. “You’re a genius.”

Cara
suffered the hug. “It’s the fabric.”

“It’s
the body.” Lizabeth took a shot. “Hot, hot, hot, but
tr
é
s
chic
as well, babe.”

Yes,
there was nothing trashy about this dress. Nothing with the stink of failed
gymnast or slutty pole dancer about it. Her hands went to her thighs. “Oh my
God. I’m so nervous.”

The three
other women gawped at her while she stood where Lizabeth pointed.

Cara
took the pins from her mouth and stabbed them into a pincushion she wore on her
wrist. “You nervous?”

“You
never get stage fright,” said Kathryn.

“But
this.” Lizabeth stalked around her, camera to her face. “This is a big deal.”

“And
I’m just an ornament.”

Lizabeth
waved a hand, and Zarley struck a pose for a shot. “What do you mean, hon?”

“My
only function is to look good and not embarrass Reid by picking my nose at the
table or falling over drunk. That’s simply weird.”

“You
sure look good. Say cheese.” Lizabeth clicked and kept clicking.

“But
I’m set dressing. I’m usually the main event.” It wasn’t a boast and no one
took it that way, it was her reality. She was used to eyes on her, but not for
simply looking good, for having talent. Even the drunks at the bar who lusted
after her body got hung up on what it could do.

“You’re
the main event for Reid,” said Cara.

“Turn
side on,” said Lizabeth.

Zarley
followed Lizabeth’s stage directions. Cara hadn’t warmed to Reid. His manner
made her anxious and she responded by being prickly. Part of her resented the
ease with which he could afford the kind of fabrics she coveted to work with. And
since the fire, her limp had been worse. Sleeping on a rollout bed wasn’t good
for her.

“This
dress is a miracle. I’m not even sure how it stays up. I feel beautiful.” That
was true, even if beautiful came with a side of redundant. She was going into a
ballroom full of people she didn’t know and would never meet again, with no
purpose other than to reflect well on Reid by looking pretty and not saying
anything dumb. It rankled, and that was a buzz kill. “Thank you, Car.”

“We
have to scoot,” Kathryn said, picking up her bag and Lizabeth’s. “This dress is
a fantastic calling card,” she said to Cara.

“I’ll
email you what I got,” said Lizabeth and they were gone.

Cara
burst into tears.

“Oh,
God, what’s wrong?”

She
held Zarley off with her arms out in front. “Don’t touch me, you’ll get mussed.
I’m fine,” she sniffed, rubbing her face. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever made
and you look stunning.”

“I knew
you could do it.”

“Well,
I didn’t. That new machine is different to my old one. The fabric was so
delicate, the whole way it’s supposed to fit and hang, I didn’t know if I was
good enough.”

Zarley
sighed. This was worse than the buzz kill of her own anxiety. This was all of
Cara’s insecurities tripped by the loss of her job and their apartment, brought
back to life on a night she should be celebrating.

“But
you did do it. You made a miracle dress.”

“It
really is the body it’s on, Zar.”

“And
when you sell it, it’ll get more attention and—”

“I
can’t sell it.”

“That
was the plan.”

“It’s
tailored for you. It’s not going to fit just anyone.”

She
should’ve realized that. It was the same with her stage costumes. No one could
borrow them because they were an exact fit for Zarley.

“It’s
going to be all right. We’ll find a new place to live. You’ll get a job. You’ll
get new dressmaking commissions.”

Cara
nodded, but she wouldn’t meet Zarley’s eyes. “He’ll be here in any minute.”

“How
much pain are you in?”

Cara’s
bottom wobbled. “It’s the bed. It’s too soft, but I’m back on
anti-inflammatories, it’ll be better in a day or two.”

Oh not
good, there had to be a better solution than Cara in more than usual pain. But
Kathryn’s doorbell rang and Cara hit the door release to let Reid into the
building. They heard him on the stairs and then he was at the door.

“I’ll
get it.” Cara’s eyes and face were red, but both of them knew Reid wouldn’t be
focused on her. She went down Kathryn’s narrow hall and Zarley heard her open
the door and greet Reid.

He came
into the room and her performance anxiety, her worry over Cara turned to vapor from
the scorching look he gave her.

“Hot
damn.” He plucked at his lip, eyes roaming over her body. “You can’t be real. Cara,
did you paint that on her?”

“That
might’ve been easier,” Cara said, coming up behind him. She’d splashed water on
her face.

“Zarley,
you’re going to blow the room up.”

“I hope
not, messy,” she said. “You don’t look too rough yourself.” He looked very fine.
He was a jeans and shirt man. She’d seen him in sweats and briefs and nothing,
but never in a suit, the full force of Reid in black tie was impressive.

“That’s
a tailor-made suit?” Cara said, impressed. She had her phone in one hand,
Zarley’s in the other. She made them pose together, standing close, Zarley’s
arm looped over Reid’s. They kept sneaking looks at each other. Zarley hoped at
least one of Cara’s photos came out okay. She broke from him and reached for
her cell. Snapped a shot of Reid and Cara and then they both watched Cara limp
to Kathryn’s sofa and sit.

“Why do
you limp?” Reid asked. He’d asked about Cara’s limp, the night of the fire. He’d
asked again when they were haggling over whether he’d buy her a new sewing
machine. Both times she fobbed him off. And when he’d asked Zarley, she’d told
him it was Cara’s story to tell. He didn’t look like he was going to be fobbed
off now.

“Why do
you need to know?” Cara fired back at him.

“It’s
worse than it was before.”

“Good
days and bad days. You’d better be going.” She was staying on Kathryn’s airbed
tonight. Would that be worse than Gavin’s trundle?

“And
today is a bad day?”

“What’s
it to you?”

“Nothing.”
Reid looked at Zarley, his expression a mixture of fondness and meet me at the
dining room table, be naked. “But it’s something to Zarley and she’s something
to me, so why do you limp and what can you do about it?”

Something
to him
. Hopefully more than a pretty bauble, a sexual
spirit guide, a fellow traveler on his lonely road.

Cara glared
at Zarley. “You two should go.”

Zarley
took the hint and slipped her hand into Reid’s. He grasped it and squeezed but
didn’t take his eyes off Cara.

“Why is
it such a secret?”

“It’s
not a secret. It’s none of your business.”

“You’d
rather I assume, so I’ll assume. You were a gymnast like Zarley. I can see it
in your body. You got hurt. How hard would that be to tell me?”

Cara ignored
him and pointed the remote at the TV.

“You
don’t have insurance. I could help you out.”

That
got Cara’s attention, but not in a good way. “It’s not something you can buy,
Reid. I can’t be fixed. Don’t step on the dress or manhandle it. Close the door
on your way out and have a great night.”

He
frowned. He didn’t respond to the yank Zarley gave his hand.

“What
was the job you lost?”

Cara
folded her arms and puffed her hair with a huffed out breath. “He does not give
up, does he?”

Zarley
squeezed Reid’s hand. She’d come to learn that month in Lucky’s where he
wallowed was uncharacteristic, because Reid didn’t give up. “Cara was help desk
for a tech company,” she said.

Cara
snapped, “You want to hope I didn’t leave any pins in the seams when you sit
down, Zar.”

“I’ll
have the HR director of Plus call you. Her name is Sarina. If they have
anything going she’ll let you know.”

Cara’s
mouth dropped open. “I’ve been a bitch, why would you do that.”

“It’s
not a job, it’s an in.”

“Thank
you.”

Reid
gave Cara a nod, dropped Zarley’s hand as if he knew the girls would want to
talk. He went up the hall to the door. They heard him open it.

“He’s a
pain in the neck. You’re not keeping him,” Cara mouthed, but she was smiling.

Zarley
mouthed back her agreement. “Only for the sex and parties.”

Cara
laughed and made a shooing motion. “Have a wonderful night. Do my dress proud.”

She
blew Cara a kiss, scooped up her borrowed clutch, Kathryn’s groovy gran again,
and met Reid at the stairs, pulling the door closed behind her.

He was
leaning on the banister, looking down through the stairwell. “I keep thinking
I’ve already seen how beautiful you are. On your pole, in your jeans and
hoodie, in the videos of your floor routines, on my bike.” The glance he gave
her made her heart shimmer. “In my bed.” And then triple salto, backward
layout. “But you keep surprising me and I’ve never been a guy who liked
surprises. I don’t have the words to describe how insanely gorgeous you are. But
it’s not the dress and your hair, how good you smell. I don’t care what you’re
wearing.” He straightened up and she didn’t feel so much like a decoration anymore.
“It’s you, Zarley. To the bone and back.”

Better,
she felt appreciated, respected, above and beyond the sex.

She
took his outstretched hand. Tongue thick and useless in her mouth. They went
down the stairs together and out into the breath of evening. She wanted words
to tell him how he’d made her feel, how their thing had come to mean more than
she’d expected it could.