Around the World in 80 Men Series: Books 11-20 (95 page)

She
kept her eyes on the stranger as she reached for the bag of
cosmetics, then when she had a firm grasp she quickly raised it above
her head, then brought it down hard on Tanner's. Before he could even
register the pain or sit up, Morgan threw her legs over the side of
the bed and ran into the bathroom, then locked the door behind her.
She didn't see Angel, and there was no way that she would leave the
room with her friend unaccounted for, so she chose the bathroom until
she could figure out how to take the intruder out. Her adrenaline
was high, to the point she was shaking.
Fuck! Where are you,
Angel!?
The worry for her friend, mixed with her own fear turned
to tears and they fell quickly down her cheeks.

Over
her own sobbing, she heard the wail of pain from the other room,
followed by a loud thump. Morgan crawled into the bathtub and brought
her knees up to her chest, then buried her head. Whoever it was, they
were sure to be pissed and they would try to retaliate. She brought
her head up and watched the doorknob, waiting for it to jiggle.

“Morgan?”
That voice, she knew that voice. She couldn't be sure, so she waited
to hear it again. “Morgan, I...uh...it's Tanner, babe.”

“Tanner?”
It can't be.
You're kidding me?

“That's
what I said.” She heard his unmistakable laughter as she
climbed out of the tub to get a better listen. Nobody else had such a
wonderful and contagious laugh, besides, why would anyone but Angel
know about Tan-Man?

She
took a deep breath and unlocked the door, then opened it. Standing
right in front of her was the gorgeous Aussie. “Oh my God! It
is you! Holy shit! Why? I mean....hi! But...why? Why are you here?”
She was even more surprised seeing Tanner
in
her hotel room
than she had been seeing Finlay at the door of her hotel room in
Florida. Also, the fact Tanner had gotten into the room only meant
Angel was behind the whole thing.

“Nice
to see ya, too!” He laughed again, then grabbed her around the
waist and lifted her in the air. It seemed to be the common thing to
do between the two men, but she embraced the short welcoming.

“No,
I'm happy you're here,” she laughed too, then wiped some
residual tears from her face. “I just...wow. I wish...I would
have....known or...something.”

“I'm
sorry...Angel, you know...he said it was a surprise.” He
shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal, and certainly not
sorry.

“Tanner,
I hit you in the head with my bag...if that hadn't been there, you
would have gotten that lamp upside your melon!” She pointed to
the large sea-foam green and white lamp sitting on the bedside table.
It would have knocked Tanner out, no problem.

“You
would have felt terrible,” he told her as he pulled her in for
another hug and laughed against the side of her head.

“I
would have felt awful, but I guess it's just good that didn't....aw,
dammit!” Morgan looked past Tanner and saw her favorite compact
had practically exploded all over the bed and floor upon impact.
“You're buying me a new one, mister,” she told the
Aussie, poking him in the chest.

“I
didn't break it!”

“Your
head did!”

“Because
you hit me!” Tanner grabbed his head, the spot that was still
sore from the litany of cosmetics that was bashed upon his dome.

“You
were in the bed beside me, what was I supposed to think!?
And...where....is.....Angel?” Her eyes went around the room
slowly as she realized her friend still wasn't there. He had some
serious explaining to do.

“He's
giving us time... alone.” The way he said
alone
made her smile, and the feel of his hands around her waist from
moments prior had suddenly made her ask for many, many more of his
famous hugs.

“Well,
in that case...shit.... be right back.” Nature wasn't going to
wait any longer, and she ran right back into the bathroom to take
care of her morning necessity. Thirty seconds later, the idea of
Tanner's hugs were history. “Damn.” Mother Nature had
even more in store for her, and right on schedule, her monthly curse
arrived. “Why? Why right this second?” She was still
cursing the fact that she was female when the cramps returned in
full force. “No!” Tanner heard that one, and he slammed
the door open to find Morgan on the floor, holding her stomach.

“What's
wrong?” He picked her up, and cradled her in his arms as he
looked her over. She laughed through her pain, and the shock of
being barged in on, and told him that it was no big deal.

“Really...
I just happen to be a baby when it comes to cramps. I'll be
alright.” Cramps. Tanner knew exactly what that meant. He
was disappointed, at least that was his initial response, but then he
saw it the same way as she did, it was no big deal. “Just give
me a few minutes and I'll be right out.” She smiled at the man
who was still holding her, and her smile never left her face as he
ever-so-gently placed her on her feet.

As
promised, Morgan was back out in the main room within moments, and
Tanner had already started a pot of coffee for her. “It'll be
ready in a few minutes.” The Aussie met her halfway to the
kitchenette, and she was happy to get another morning hug before he
took over the bathroom.

She
was left alone, listening to her morning wake-me-up brewing across
the room, and the realization of Tanner being in Rio finally hit her.
Morgan wasn't bothered about him being there, but she planned to
have a long talk with Angel about his need to manipulate her plans.
At least it wasn't Finlay.
Morgan
looked toward the double doors to the balcony and thought about the
Scot. She would see him in a few weeks, and that would leave them
plenty of time to get over their awkward argument, so she was at
least grateful that Angel had kept himself under control.
Why?
Why Tanner?
When the words
swirled in her mind, she realized at least part of the answer to
that.
He thinks I need him.... but.... why?

Tanner
took a quick shower, and sent a text to Angel that it was safe to
return. He wanted more time with Morgan, but he also knew that she
flew all the way to Rio to see Angel, not him. Tanner smiled after
he sent the text, wondering if would have been so noble if Morgan
hadn't suffered from
cramps
right then. He knew the answer, but wouldn't admit it, not even to
himself.

Chapter
Three

“
No,
bitch! Aw, come the fuck on, don't go in there! Muthafuckin' killer
is in there!”

“Ange...”

“Aw,
hell no! She did it, she went in there! Her ass gonna die and oh,
sweet Jesus! Her titties are hanging out and everything. She's gonna
die and her titties are...oh my God! There he is! Turn around! You
stupid bitch, turn around!”

“Angel!”
Morgan tried for the second time to get her friend to shush during
the horror movie the three of them had rented. Outside, on the patio,
there was a DVD player, perfect for the trio to catch a flick and
soak in the tub...if only Angel would not comment on every single
move the characters made, then they could hear it as well.

Truth
be told though, Angel was terrified of horror movies and it seemingly
helped him cope by narrating the action scenes. At that point, they
probably could have turned the volume down all the way and still have
known what was happening. Currently, the stupid bitch with her
titties hanging about was moments away from getting the machete
treatment.

“The
fuck was that? Her hair! Did you see it? It was muthafuckin'
wet....then muthafuckin' dry...then muthafuckin' wet!”

“Well,
maybe they wanted it that muthafuckin' way!” Tanner was
laughing, not even paying attention to the movie. Angel was much
better entertainment anyway.

Angel
ignored the fact Tanner had mocked him and continued describing the
way the topless girl died. Morgan excused herself to grab a glass of
wine and Tanner followed her into the kitchen, leaving Angel alone to
talk to himself. Although, that didn't last long, being the scared
man that he was.

“I
guess we're done with the movie?” Morgan laughed as she noticed
her audience of two leaning on the cozy island counter top.

“I
just wanted to see if you needed anything,” Tanner answered her
with a warm smile, then he and Morgan looked to Angel to hear his
excuse.

“I
ain't making up any excuses. I just wanted to see your....” he
gave Tanner a firm smack to his rear, then finished his sentence,
“ass walk through this room.”

Tanner
jumped with the swat to his butt, then cleared his throat and offered
to help Morgan pour her wine. All three of them laughed and Tan-Man
earned himself another smack, which had the blonde woman in near
tears from the look on Tanner's face.

“Actually,
uhm...Angel...can I..uh...” She nodded her head toward the
hallway so the two of them could get a word in private. Angel's own
look suddenly turned to that of a puppy who just got caught peeing on
the carpet. He knew the talk was coming, he just hadn't known when.
Morgan had put it off as long as possible and just enjoyed the day
with her friends, but as it was already getting dark, the talk needed
to be had so she at least knew what she was supposed to be getting
out of having Tanner there...other than his fun, of course. Angel
nodded, then followed Morgan to the door with his tail between his
legs, whimpering for forgiveness.

“I
know, I know...” he said as they walked through the door. When
they were both outside, Morgan propped her back against the door and
crossed her arms, giving him her best 'explain' look. She even threw
in a hitchhiking backward thumb toward the room for good measure.
“Look, Boo Boo...when Finny was all mad and shit, it made me
mad. I know, I don't have a say in any of it, but I heard the hurt in
your voice and all I wanted to do was make it better. After I got off
the phone with Fin the first time, I called Tanner and told him you
were coming to Rio for a week off. Well, Tan-Man had a week off too!
What a fuckin' coincidence, right!?”

His
humor made her smile twitch, but she held back her laughter, hoping
he would keep things on a more serious level.

“So
I thought to myself, 'you sexy self, what can you do with this
knowledge?' Morgan is off....Tanner is off. Well, fuck me! They've
got to get together! So uh. That's what happened. Now your sweet ass
is here, his tanned hide is here and we're a big ass happy family!
Let's drink!” Angel tried pushing past her, hoping to get out
of a lecture, but Morgan put her arm up, blocking the doorway.

“Angel...why?
I didn't need...help...or to...feel better.” She lowered her
voice in case Tanner was eavesdropping and grabbed Angel's hand, then
walked him down the hallway a bit. “You are my best friend. I
mean, in the whole goddamn world...what, six, seven billion people?
And
you,
” she poked him, “are my best friend. If
anyone can make me 'feel better', it was you all along. I'm not mad
Tanner is here, but you...”
Should have talked about it
first...
Morgan sighed as she realized what Fin must have felt
when he got that first phone call, just on a smaller level. Angel was
the king of not talking about things first, and Morgan had to admit,
it irritated her, but she wasn't mad. She could definitely understand
Finlay's reason of anger and in that moment, she made a promise to
herself to always talk to the source first.
Okay, not a
promise...sometimes, I just need to vent, but I'll
try
to talk
to the source first...
It was during those brief moments in the
hallway that Morgan also realized that she and Angel were more alike
than either of them thought. She had a flash of seeing them grow old
together, and making all of their mistakes along the way. She only
hoped that they made many more good decisions, and not just screw ups
as they were both currently good at.

She
further explained to Angel that he was all she needed to put a smile
on her face and her friend began to get all watery eyed. “Now,
you need to
go find a cosmetic
because
your
face is
melting and that shit just ain't cute!” The two of them laughed
and embraced each other in a long hug, then made their way back to
the room.