Deadly Proposal(70)
“That’s really against the rules,” Anna said, biting her lower lip.
“I would consider it a personal favor.”
Anna glanced around, like she was worried someone was eavesdropping. Finally, she shrugged. “Okay. Let me see what I can find.”
MANDY and Ally were sitting in side-by-side chairs, their feet soaking in hot basins of water, as they gossiped. They’d gone for the waxes first, just to get them out of the way, and now they were relaxing.
“Have you seen his eyes? I just love them,” Ally said.
“Jake is very attractive,” Mandy agreed. “Your mom thinks so, too.”
“My mom? How would she know?”
“I emailed her a picture.”
Ally was scandalized. “Why would you do that?”
“I thought she’d want to see him,” Mandy said, selecting a bright shade of blue nail polish from the rack next to her. “Plus, I figured I owed you for the whole misunderstanding thing.”
Ally scowled. “I said I was sorry.”
“I know.”
“Are you going to keep holding that against me?”
“No,” Mandy said. “I was really just bored. That apartment is really small when you can’t go anywhere else.”
“Well, the good news is, you guys will have a house soon,” Ally said. “Hopefully even that one you already saw. It sounds amazing.”
“I want it,” Mandy admitted. “There’s just something about it. It was like I could picture us there. It just … fit.”
“I’m sure it will work out.”
“I hope so.”
Ally held up two bottles of nail polish. “Which one do you think Jake will like better?”
Mandy looked at them, considering. “Go with the black. He’s got that black leather jacket, and he wears black boots. I think he’s just a black kind of guy.”
Ally nodded, pushing the red bottle back onto the rack. “I bet he likes black lingerie, too. What kind of lingerie does James like?”
“He doesn’t really care about the color,” Mandy replied. “He loves my garters, though. They really get him going.”
“Are they comfortable to wear?”
“It’s kind of like wearing a thong,” Mandy said. “The first time you do it, you think that nothing could be more uncomfortable. Then, by the fifth time, you don’t even notice it.”
“Good to know,” Ally said. “We should go lingerie shopping this week. We haven’t been in forever.”
“That sounds good,” Mandy said. “Maybe we can bring Sophie and Emma with us. And maybe even Heidi. She’s been feeling neglected.”
“Heidi?”
“I want to see if I can pair her up with Clint.”
“The security guard with a crush on you? Why?”
“Because Heidi has a thing for bad boys who treat her terribly, and Clint needs to find someone else to fixate on,” Mandy explained. “They’re both lonely. I’m hoping they can distract each other.”
“That’s a really good idea,” Ally said. “Now that all of my brothers are spoken for, she’s been kind of depressed.”
“It doesn’t help that the only time I’ve spent with her over the past month has been at work or raving like a madwoman in her car,” Mandy said.
“We’re almost there,” Ally said. “It could even be over today, if we’re lucky.”
“God, I hope so,” Mandy said. “I love your brother, but there have been a few times over the past few days where I’ve imagined being able to pop his head like a zit.”
Ally giggled. “He’s overbearing on a normal day. When he goes into protection mode, he’s just unbearable.”
“I’m trying really hard not to snap at him,” Mandy said. “And, you know, I like sex as much as the next person. I don’t know how long I can distract him with it, though. Every once in a while, it would be nice to shower alone.”
Ally tilted her head, snorting. “Sex in the shower is fun sometimes, but other times you just want people to stop touching you so you can wash your own hair, for crying out loud.”
“That’s it exactly,” Mandy said, glancing up when the bell over the front door of the salon jangled. A woman entered, and even though she couldn’t see her clearly, there was something familiar about her.
“Just tell him,” Ally said. “He’ll understand.”
“Yeah … I … Ally.”
“He might pout a little,” Ally said. “He’ll get over it.”
Ally glanced up, her body going still when she saw all of the color drain out of Mandy’s face. “What is it?” She shifted so she could look over her shoulder, her heart filling with dread when she saw the gun in the woman’s hand. “Who is that?”