Chapter Twelve

“You drew out that fight with all the drama and finesse of a teenage girl at cheer camp,” Jess scolded as they approached Ian.

Ian laughed lightly. “Is that true, Ronnie?”

Ronnie gave Ian a sarcastic grin, but didn’t reply. Being the cheerleading coach for his stepdaughter Addie’s high school team, Ronnie had recently become the butt of many jokes. Seth had been teased because he was a male dancer who could dress up a room as well as any professional decorator. It was nice to share the teasing with the oversized, Southern man who would never admit that he liked being a coach for high school sports…especially cheerleading.

“You need to get him a real fight, Jess,” Ronnie said in deflection. “He could have finished this one halfway through the first round. These small fights are not what will get him noticed.”

“I’m working on it,” Jess replied defensively.

“Speaking of work…I have a favor to ask you, Jess,” Seth said.

“That’s funny because I have a favor to ask of you, too.” She smiled. “Ian tells me you can work a dancing pole pretty good for such a big fella.”

Ronnie and Ian laughed for almost a full minute. Seth would take their crap if it meant helping Tori get away from Tim Silver. He needed a way to show Tori that the man was no good. The woman should have used her dad’s money to pay down on her house rather than paying Caleb’s medical bills so she didn’t have to work for the bastard.

Now that she had spent the money, though, Seth would just have to find a way to pay her bills until she found another job. Even more pressing than her job situation was the idea of Tim explaining away his association with prostitutes and convincing Tori that he was a better man for her than Seth. That thought brought about a fear that made Seth desperate…desperate enough to perform whatever dancing favors Jess might ask of him. He really would try pole dancing like a chick, if that’s what it took.

Seth hadn’t asked Tori about the sex part of her relationship with her boss partly because he was afraid to find out, and partly because the idea of her being with another man…

Jealousy like he’d never experienced before seized him at the mere thought of Tori sharing herself with anyone. Action was needed now to make sure her being with another man, especially one like Tim Silver, was never a possibility.

“I’ll show you my dancing talents if you agree to make a man think you’ll sleep with him,” Seth replied.

“In your dreams, buddy,” Jess scoffed. “I only roll one way. Why don’t you offer him a dance and a little something extra afterwards?”

“No, you are taking it wrong. I need your help. Tori needs your help. She just doesn’t know it,” he quickly replied.

“Listen to the man, Jess. Just hear him out,” Ian said. “You saw Tori! She’s puny and she’s engaged to one very undeserving son of a bitch.”

Eyeing Ian thoughtfully, Jess finally looked back to Seth. “Okay, spill, and make it good. If you can spark my interest, I might help you out as long as you agree to do a private party for my friend Courtney out there in return.”

“Your college professor is getting married and you want to hire a stripper for her bachelorette party?” Ian asked with a look of disappointment on his face. “Aside from being ready to marry one man, while wanting a dance from another, she’s a teacher! Isn’t that frowned upon at her job?”

“No. What she does on her own time is her business. Not to mention she’s a college professor, not a regular schoolteacher. Besides, the dance would be because she’s having a baby, Mr. Nosy,” Jess replied.

“Well, if she’s having a baby then she should be getting married…not having Seth bump and grind with her. That’s probably what got her in trouble in the first place,” Ian replied with a look of distaste.

“You know what,” Jess said to Ian defensively. “Never mind, that’s what. One of these days you are going to learn the hard way that life isn’t black and white. Life is made of hues of grey. Some parts are darker than others, but there is no definitive line for you to cross. Or in your case, not cross.”

“Kids, focus,” Seth interrupted. “Tori’s fiancé is also her boss and a connoisseur of local prostitutes. He’s already been busted twice.”

“What? Does she know?” Jess finally stopped glaring at Ian long enough to focus on what Seth was trying to tell her.

“I seriously doubt she has any idea and I can’t bring myself to ask her about it. I also don’t think she knows that he pays well for the services of the women he picks up because he isn’t just your average John. I like a little kink from time to time myself, but this guy’s appetites are…weird.”

“So if I’m getting this right, you want me to offer my own ass for sale to see if boss man takes the bait? How is that going to prove to your girlfriend that her man is anything other than a cheater?” Jess asked.

“I’ve been thinking of nothing else for the past two days. All I can come up with is to video him telling you what kind of things he likes, what he wants for his money…or something. I am open to suggestions from any of you,” he said, looking around at the faces of his closest buddies and Jess.

“So rather than just telling her that this guy is no good, you would rather break her heart with video evidence instead?” Jess asked incredulously.

“No! It’s not like that. It wouldn’t be breaking her heart because she isn’t really in love with him. She’s only engaged to him because they just finished this big project at work and now that the project is over, she could lose her job. The idea is that by being engaged to Tim, they won’t cut her position for fear of losing his dumb ass, too,” he explained. “I just can’t take the risk that between now and then he might convince her to stay with him and actually marry him.”

Jess looked puzzled. She seemed to be contemplating what to say. Finally she sighed. “Where does she work?”

“Some place called the Greater Dayton Healthcare Association. She does some sort of computer work for them. She tried to explain what she does, but it’s way over my head. Why?”

Jess smiled, snapped her fingers and then pointed at him. “I tell you what…I am going to fix this for you without all the girly drama of setting him up. When I do, you are going to owe me, so don’t forget about this little dancing deal you’ve made. Of course, you could just do a background check on him and give her the results. You said he’s already been busted twice for soliciting.”

“I need to make sure there is no way that she will listen to his bullshit excuses. He’s got money and a good job and they have history.… I want to make absolutely sure she knows what a piece of work he really is.”

“So this is really about making sure you win and he loses?” Jess asked.

“No… Yes. I mean, yes. He has to lose because for him to win Tori and treat her like…I just can’t have that,” he managed to explain.

“Then tell her the truth. Let her know how much you care about her and that you are worried about her. You may not be on the board of a major medical technology firm, but you’ve got a lot to offer a woman. I mean, from what I hear…you’ve got moves,” Jess said, and then snickering, began dancing in place.

Ian and Ronnie both laughed and Seth had to chuckle, too. He respected Jess’s advice, but she just didn’t understand what he had at stake in this situation. Tori being hurt was too high a price to pay if he lost her to Tim. Hell, he didn’t even want Tori and Tim to remain friends after this. The guy was a shit-bag. Seth realized in that moment that he was really falling for her…hard.

“Please. Do whatever it is you have in mind. Just make sure it will work and that she will break it off with no chance of going back to him,” he said.

“You just worry about your G-string and which song to dance to at Courtney’s party. Leave the covert operation stuff to me,” Jess said with a laugh.

“I like her,” Ronnie said as he patted Jess approvingly on the arm.

Seth enjoyed the rest of the afternoon spending time with the guys and Tori. Watching the way she loosened up amongst the group made him want her even more. But by the time they made it back to her house, he knew he had just enough time to get Caleb back to their apartment before Seth needed to get on the road to make it to the club on time.

Upon entering Tori’s house, he was surprised to find two teenaged boys hanging out with Zach, Caleb and Addie. Seeing the look of confusion on Tori’s face, he questioned Addie, “What’s going on here, guys?”

“Caleb’s room is downstairs now and I can go down and visit anytime I want to as long as I knock first,” Zach supplied.

“Hi, Sir, I’m Chase and this is Stevie,” a tall boy said, pointing a finger at the other boy. “Sergeant Brown asked us to finish moving the rest of the stuff out of your apartment today. We just got back and unloaded the last of it right before you guys pulled in.”

“Your old apartment still needs to be cleaned, though,” Addie chimed in with a wide smile. “But now that you’re back, we are taking off.”

Caleb smiled at him and his brother’s thoughts were mirrored on his face. He had orchestrated the entire move with Ronnie as a way of throwing his support behind Tori. Seth already wanted Tori all for himself. He was already serious about her, so that wasn’t the problem. The issue was getting her to call off this phony engagement with her boss so he could stop worrying that she might end up actually marrying the guy.

Tori wouldn’t meet his gaze and Seth could only hope that Caleb’s attempts to force them together wouldn’t end up tearing them apart. They weren’t even really a couple yet, but they were friends, and nothing was worth losing that…even a rent-free apartment.

He made it to the club with just enough time to change into his costume before it was his turn, and by the time the show was over, he was more than ready to leave. For the first time ever, he’d not only not looked forward to dancing, but he’d also wanted to be with just one woman tonight…a woman he’d already slept with. A month or so ago, he might have been able to convince himself otherwise, but now, after being with Tori, his heart and body would be able to tell the difference.

Pulling up to Tori’s house and seeing that all the lights were off, he debated going in through the basement entrance since that was now his apartment or using his key and waking her up. After Caleb’s interference, Seth didn’t want to push her any more for fear she would shut down on him again, so he headed around the back of the house to the basement. He let himself in to his new apartment, only to find Zach passed out on the couch Ronnie had pilfered from Kayla before they hooked up.

Knocking softly on the door to Caleb’s room, Seth poked his head inside to find his brother asleep. After closing the door, he headed back to the main area they would be using as a living room. Zach was hugging a stuffed puppy and one leg was almost all the way off the couch. Deciding the kid would be more comfortable in his own bed, Seth hefted him up and headed up the stairs. Putting the kid to bed and tucking him in brought about the same warm feeling he got when Zach tried to imitate him.

Closing the door to Zach’s room after ensuring he was comfortably situated, Seth turned to find Tori standing in the doorway of her bedroom. Her bare legs and feet peeking out from beneath the thin white fabric of her T-shirt set him on fire in an instant. Her hair was full and her eyes were sleepy, and he wanted nothing more than to lose himself in her warmth.

“Sorry if I woke you,” he whispered.

“He insisted on waiting up for you and he’s getting too heavy for me to cart up two flights of stairs. Caleb said Zach would be fine down there until you got home, so thank you for putting him to bed. I’m sure you’re tired,” she said quietly.

His feet carried him to where she stood. The drive back had been full of thoughts about waiting for her to come to him, letting her make the next move, not sleeping with her while she was engaged to another man. But now…he wasn’t sure he could stick to his convictions.

Considering his past, it was ironic that his conscience would show up now with Tori Stewart. Perhaps it was because this time he was in love with the bride-to-be. Knowing he had a minimal chance of seeing a woman again usually made him feel secure. When applied to Tori, the thought made him sick to his stomach. He had always thought he was using those women, those brides looking for one last fling before committing. In fact, he was the one who’d been used. Not this time, though, and definitely not by Tori… His heart couldn’t take that.

As much as he wanted to pull her to him, hold her close, smell her hair and make love to her…he wanted her all for himself even more. So rather than kissing her soft lips, stripping the T-shirt off of her and making her whimper and beg for him, he simply reached out and touched her cheek. She looked at him with questions in her eyes and he nearly gave in to his craving for her, but instead dropped his hand and stepped back.

“Night, Tori. Sleep well,” he whispered.

Then he forced his feet to carry him down two flights of stairs and away from his desire for her. Karma no longer needed to punish him for his past indiscretions; he was doing a fine job of policing himself. The sentence might be killing him, but he was guilty and deserved it. His crime had been stealing girlfriends, wives and future brides for a single night. His punishment might be to have Tori end up with a man unworthy of her love.

Seth had moments of sheer stupidity, but if dancing had taught him anything, it was that a woman might want something exciting for an evening, but for the long term they always went back to comfortable…no matter how dull. Making love with Tori had made him forget that fact, but seeing a woman place her hand on his chest tonight while wearing an engagement ring was a big reminder. Tori was no different, and unless he could show her that her version of a good and comfortable man was anything but, he might eventually lose her.

Losing her would be worse than death. It would be a life sentence of heartache for him. To continue an affair with her while waiting to see if she ended up choosing another man just wasn’t something he could do.

By Wednesday, his self-imposed punishment had him wound up too tightly. Fighting his own desires was one of the worst struggles he’d ever faced. He was trying to be patient and give Jess time to implement whatever plan she had decided on, but he had to fight against calling her daily to ask what the plan was and how long until she executed it. Keeping his hands to himself in the meantime so that Tori’s decision to dump Tim wouldn’t be based solely on passion was just as hard as waiting for Jess to report back.

Eddie called about a couple of shows that would take Seth away for the weekend, which was just the distraction he needed. His heart was no longer into dancing now that the excitement of hooking up with different women had been replaced with a soul deep need for one specific woman. He figured these two shows would be his last—unless Tori chose him and ended up losing her job along with her fiancé. Decision made, Seth called Rusty and told him he’d decided not to enter the police academy. He’d decided to go for a degree in architectural design. He could use his creative side, and it was better money and wouldn’t entail working nights or carrying a gun on a daily basis.

He spent Thursday enrolling and signing up for classes and then packing for his weekend trip. Staying busy still wasn’t enough to keep his mind off of Tori, especially while they were living under the same roof. By the time he was ready to head out of town on Friday morning, he needed to put some space between himself and Tori before he said to hell with it and acted out one of the fantasies on repeat in his head.

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he headed up the stairs to let her know he was leaving and found her looking out the kitchen window.

When she heard him, she turned away and swiped at a tear before saying, “So you’ll be back on Sunday?”

It would probably be a mistake, but he set his bag on the floor, approached her from behind and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her back against his chest to rest his chin on the top of her head.

She curled her hands around his arm. “Did I do something wrong, Seth?”

“Not at all. I just can’t be with you while you’re with him. Regardless of the fact that you see this engagement of yours as temporary, I just can’t do it. I don’t share well…temporarily or otherwise,” he said.

“I put out a few résumés this week for other positions, but until I’m moved to a permanent assignment or land a different job…I need this one. Without it, I can’t keep this house and Zach absolutely loves you guys being here. I love you being here, too,” she finished in a whisper. “I just thought you didn’t want me anymore like that, and that’s why you’ve been so tense around me the past couple of days. You don’t have to be with me in order to stay here, but I don’t want this tension between us. I want my friend back.”

“I told you, I will always be your friend, but right now I feel…I feel so possessive of you. I know you are doing what you think is best, but I am jealous as hell. I’m sorry I’ve been taking out my personal drama on you…and Caleb, too. When I get back on Sunday we’ll do something fun. I’ll make it up to you,” he replied.

She turned in his arms and his eyes dipped to her mouth. He wanted to kiss her more than anything and show her she was a friend—and so much more. Instead, he only smiled and held out his hand to shake hers. “Friends?”

“Friends,” she said with a smile and a laugh of her own as she shook his hand.

Eddie picked him up a few minutes later and though the drive was long, it wasn’t as bad as it would have been if he hadn’t taken the time to patch things up with Tori first. He’d known things were different between them this past week. Saturday at the fight and during the party afterward, things had been great, but after dancing that night and being smacked with reality, he’d crawled back into his hole. She was right, though. He had been so busy preparing for rejection, he’d forgotten his promise to be her friend.

As he entered his motel room, his cell phone rang. Pulling it out, he noticed Ian’s number on the display and answered.

“Seth, it’s me, Jess. Hey, I believe your little girlfriend is in a meeting with my dad this very afternoon and I would expect that things will be different for her come next week,” she said with a smile and a song in her voice.

“Your dad? What does he have to do with anything? You were supposed to help me set up Tim Silver so Tori would know firsthand what an ass he is and never give him a second thought,” he replied.

“Well, actually, I didn’t need to go to all that trouble. See, my dad is your girlfriend’s boss and also Tim Silver’s boss. When you said Tim’s name at the fight, I knew that your Tori was the same Tori my dad raves about. Anyway, when I stopped by for dinner with my parents on Wednesday evening, I let slip what was going on with Tim and Tori. Not surprisingly, my dad was disgusted by the whole thing. From what I gathered between my dad’s endless stream of profanities was that it was Tim’s position they were looking to cut, but he told them that if they eliminated his position, Tori would likely follow him elsewhere,” she said. “My dad felt obligated to call Tori into the office today to tell her personally that she need not fear losing her position…regardless of what happens with Tim professionally or personally. He also intends to let her know that Tim’s position is being eliminated primarily because it isn’t needed and secondly because his recent behavior is a negative reflection on the company.”

“That is so great, Jess! I could just kiss you! Thank you. This is huge. Without him holding her job over her head, it gives her the freedom to choose who she wants to be with,” he said.

Would she pick him? Seth might be a stripper, but he was working on a career change. He wouldn’t be young forever and quite honestly, he didn’t like being out of town, away from Tori and Zach. He didn’t have a criminal record and he didn’t pick up prostitutes. A chance was all he’d asked for, all he’d wanted, and Jess had effectively given him that. The problem now was that he was due on stage in two hours and again tomorrow night, so all he could do was wait for Tori to call him.

“Now don’t forget, we had a deal. I fix Tori’s issue and you dance for Courtney’s party. I’m pretty sure this will be the first and possibly only baby shower you’ll ever dance at so…I will take care of the costume and I’ll send you the musical selections. I’ll let you know when and where. All you have to do is show up,” Jess said with a laugh.

His gut told him this would be a far cry from anything else he’d ever done—and anything he was likely to do in the future—and Jess’s laughter confirmed his hunch. If things worked out with Tori, it would be worth an evening’s entertainment. He wished he hadn’t promised Eddie he would do these two shows so he could turn around and head back to Dayton now. Not one to break his word, though, he instead called Caleb and confirmed that Tori had indeed gone to a meeting. He left his motel information and room number in case either one of them needed anything.

By the end of the evening when Tori still hadn’t called, he began to worry that perhaps she wasn’t choosing him after all. Perhaps she wasn’t going to choose him or Tim. Maybe this was her chance to find someone truly worthy of her. She was a great mom, a hard worker, an excellent friend and a firecracker in bed. Another man, a smarter man than him, would see that much faster. A worthy man would not say something stupid and start off in last place right out of the gate.

During the drive back to the hotel after the show, he did the math in his head for how long it would take to drive back to Dayton and then back here for the show tomorrow night. Maybe Eddie would let him borrow his car.… It would take too much time, though, and it was too late now to call her. She would be sleeping. Hopefully alone, and missing him as much as he missed her.

When they parked in front of his motel room, he spotted Tori’s car and his heart nearly burst from his chest. She closed her door as he got out of Eddie’s car. She waited nervously as he quickly made his way over to her. Eddie made a beeline for his own room.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I came because I need to know that you don’t hate me for faking an engagement to another man and to let you know I have since broken things off with that man. I couldn’t sleep and I figured that we do some of our best talking when one of us is next to naked and the other is fully clothed,” she said shyly.

Glancing down at her hand, he noticed the dreaded engagement ring was gone. When her eyes finally made it from the ground to meet his gaze, he smiled at her. “So who strips and who keeps their clothes on?”

“I was thinking maybe we could talk first…and that we might both end up naked this time,” she said quietly.