Anything Goes.... Debbi Rawlins
have only five minutes before we meet the guys for dinner.” Carly jabbed a finger at her watch. “You can do your hair out here. I need the bathroom light for my makeup.”
“No kidding. You look like a clown.” Ginger threw her a cool look as she pushed past, curling iron in hand.
Tempted to make a crack about her frizzy hair, Carly held her tongue. Ginger always hogged the bathroom and Carly seldom minded. But this evening she was in a strange mood. Edgy. Uncertain. Scared to death.
It was only dinner, she told herself as she set down her makeup bag, looked in the mirror and sighed. She did look like a clown. Too much blush. The unfortunate bluish eye shadow made her look eerily like her mother’s high-school graduation picture.
She loved her mom, but yuk… Carly was used to wearing a more natural shade when she bothered at all. So why was she making herself crazy? She knew in her heart that Rick wasn’t a candidate for her week of therapeutic debauchery. No, actually she knew intellectually he wasn’t the right one. Her heart foolishly wanted to jump in head-first.
“What are you scrubbing all that off for?” Ginger stared at her from the doorway. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it about you looking like a clown.”
“You were right. This isn’t me.”
“It’s going to be dark. You’ll want to wear more makeup than usual.”
“Mascara and blush will be enough.”
Ginger sighed. “Yeah, I guess he’s pretty much a sure thing.”
Carly slid her a sidelong glance. “What do you mean?”
“I saw the way Rick looked at you.”
“We’re friends. That’s all.” Carly turned back to the mirror and inspected her bald face before reapplying the tinted moisturizer.
“Friends?” Ginger chuckled. “Okay, but don’t tell me you’re not ready to jump his bones.”
“I am most certainly not ready to jump his bones. I haven’t decided yet.” Carly smoothed in some foundation to blot out several obnoxious freckles. “Are you ready?”
“Pretty much.” She reached around Carly for the hairspray. “I don’t understand you. The guy is gorgeous. He obviously wants you. You’ve been doing a little drooling yourself. What’s the problem?”
“You have to ask? This whole week was supposed to be about anonymity.”
“So? Isn’t it better that you know and like him, and who knows what could develop? You said yourself you’d eventually like to get married.”
“Nothing can develop. That’s the—” Carly cut herself short. She didn’t want to get into this discussion with Ginger. Or anyone. It was too hard to explain. Her longings were a mystery even to herself.
Yes, she eventually wanted to have a husband, start a family, and she wanted to do it in Oroville. She loved her home, and she wanted her children to have the same advantages she’d had growing up in a small loving community. The problem was, the guys who lived there were conservative and boring, with not much more ambition than to own a new pickup every three years.
Not like Rick. He’d been exciting and adventurous and had brought out a reckless streak in her she hadn’t known she possessed. The discovery had been both exhilarating and scary, and the careless behavior not always easy to suppress.
Even now she could clearly recall the time he’d suggested they explore the old Colby mine. Condemned since she’d learned how to talk, the mine had been strictly off limits and all the kids in Oroville knew it. None of them would even dream about ignoring the no trespassing sign. But all he’d had had to do was dare her…
She smiled. That was one of her best afternoons ever.
Darn it. She could really like Rick. Heck, she already did. But, at this point, it wasn’t like she’d go home and pine away for him. Intimacy could change that. Then where would she be?
“Damn it. Look at the time. We’re late.” Ginger squeezed her eyes shut and aimed the hairspray at her French braid.
Spray went everywhere, and Carly grabbed her makeup bag and exited the bathroom in a fit of coughing. She applied some blush with a far lighter touch this time and decided to forgo any eye pencil.
“Okay.” Ginger surfaced from the bathroom, and slung her purse over her shoulder. “Ready for action.” She adjusted the top of her turquoise sundress to get maximum cleavage. “I’m talking really ready.” She grinned. “Tony isn’t going to know what hit him.”
Carly laughed as she grabbed her own purse. She couldn’t help it. What a piece of work. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about coercing Tony.”
Ginger got to the door but stopped, her eyes sparkling. “Why? Did Rick say something?”
“Oh, please. He didn’t have to.” Carly made a shooing motion, trying to get her friend out the door. “Tony is definitely hot for you.”
A pleased smile curved Ginger’s lips as she walked out into the corridor. “I’m betting he just might get lucky tonight.”
“Might?” Carly pulled the door closed. “Yeah, right.”
Ginger laughed. “Which reminds me. How are we going to work the room thing?”
Carly frowned at first, and then she got it, petty envy taking a bite out of her. “Just put out the do not disturb sign and I’ll disappear for a while.”
“If he spends the night with me, you can spend it with Rick in their room, right?”
Carly swallowed her disappointment and jealousy. “Sure,” she said, ignoring the butterflies that had turned her stomach into a circus.
“WHAT LOOKS GOOD?” Tony stared at the menu. “Anybody ever have conch chowder?”
Carly had never even heard of the dish. She glanced at Ginger who was too busy making goo-goo eyes at Tony to notice.
“It’s okay,” Rick said. “I prefer abalone myself, but it’s a local favorite. You ought to try it once while we’re here.”
“You’re right. Try everything once is my motto.” Tony grinned at Ginger. “Go back for seconds if you like it.”
She giggled and gave his arm a playful punch.
Carly started to roll her eyes but caught herself. From her peripheral vision, she saw Rick watching her. Instead of acknowledging him, she buried her nose in the menu.
“What are you having, Carly?” He touched her hand and she jerked in surprise, nearly knocking over the pina colada he’d ordered for her before she and Ginger had arrived.
She set down the menu and clasped her hands in her lap. “I’m not sure.”
“Want me to make a couple of suggestions?”
Something in his lowered voice made her look up. He winked and her silly heart fluttered. “I’ll probably have the mango chicken.”
“Oysters,” Tony suggested. “They’re good for—”
Giggling, Ginger nudged him again. “We all know what they’re good for.” With a lift of her chin, she made a teasing sound of disgust. “As if I need an aphrodisiac.”
Tony smiled and whispered something in her ear.
Carly inwardly groaned and quickly picked up the menu again. Why on earth had she agreed to come to dinner with them? Stupid question. She wasn’t ready to be alone with Rick again.
“Come on, children, save this for later.” Rick threw a wadded up cocktail napkin at Tony.
“We have far more interesting matters to discuss later,” Tony said, throwing the napkin