Do Not Disturb (15 page)

"But--”

He tightened his hold. "Don't push me on
this, Allison. You don't know what they're like." He loosened his grip
when she grimaced. "Sorry, darling. It's just hard for me when it comes to
my parents. They can be so... He shook his head. ”Don’t get me wrong. I do love
them and I know they love me. I just need to do this on my own. Without their
help, their connections, their influence.”

How bad could they be? Brett was so wonderful.

She lay her head on his chest. “But you miss them
don’t you?”

She felt him swallow. “Yes.” He gave her a squeeze
and turned back toward his house. "I think it's best if we don't talk
about this anymore. I'm not going to change my mind."

#

"Why do some parents not like their children,
Mom?"

Allison rubbed cleansing cream on her face,
pretending to be busy while she sorted out her thoughts. Kelly sat on the edge
of the tub in Allison's bathroom, her pink robe hanging open over her matching
pajamas.

She looks so innocent, Allison thought. And yet
she's not. She's growing up too fast and notices too much.

"I wish I knew, sweetie." Allison splashed
water on her face and grappled for a towel, her eyes closed. Hanging the wet
towel on the rack, she stepped in front of her daughter. "Did Caroline say
something?"

Kelly nodded. "She said her father and his
parents aren’t getting along right now." She looked up, her brows
furrowed. "Do you know why that happens?"

"Sometimes people just think differently. And
sometimes they can't accept it when others, especially their children, don't do
what they want them to do."

"Huh?" Kelly wrinkled her nose.

How could she explain this? It was so foreign to
her. To have parents like Brett's. It was hard to accept there wasn't some way
to bridge the gap.

"It seems that Mr. Tyler's parents didn't
want him to move to Florida. They wanted him to stay in Virginia and keep his
old job."

Kelly slid off the bathtub and followed her mother
into the bedroom. She hopped on the end of the bed as Allison pulled down the
covers and plumped pillows against the wall.

"But Caroline said he was unhappy. Why
wouldn't Mr. Tyler's parents want him to do what makes him happy?"

Allison sank against the pillows, stretching her
legs out in front of her. "I don't know, sweetie. I just don't know."

After tucking in Kelly, Allison turned out the
light in her bedroom and slid under the covers, suddenly very chilled.

What kind of family did Brett come from anyway?
She was afraid to ask him because he was so sensitive about money, but it
sounded like the Tylers were rich. Very rich.

Allison tried to relax, but just the thought of
how different Brett's life must have been growing up, so different from her
simple life. Just the thought made Allison's stomach knot up.

Were they controlling like James’ parents? Brett
certainly seemed to do what he wanted, where James always gave in. And he did
say they loved him and he loved them.

She’d spent most of her life trying to control
exactly what happened. Planning the next steps. Especially after her pregnancy
changed her whole life.

It was important to know what you wanted and to go
after it. Otherwise things didn’t work out.

She flipped on her side.

But Brett was running away from control.

"No. I can't do that, Brett." Allison
slid her chair away from the table and picked up her glass. She tucked the
phone between her shoulder and ear and opened the refrigerator. "I took
off all day yesterday, so today I have to catch up on some work."

"But you have to eat, Allison."

"I'll just grab something here." She
leaned against the counter and sipped the iced tea.

"But I want to see you." Brett lowered
his voice, sounding sexy. "And I bet you want to see me, too.”

"Brett." She smiled at the image of
Brett in bed and then glanced at the piles of papers next to her laptop on the
table. "Believe me, your idea is more appealing than the bank’s audit plan,
but you know I can't take the time."

"I understand." He paused. "But
that doesn't mean I want you any less. I want to make love to you again and I
can't see where you're going to able to fit me into your schedule this
week."

She squinted her eyes. Was he resenting her long
hours?

"But I'm willing to wait," Brett said.
"You're worth it."

She let out the breath she was holding.
"Thanks. You're very understanding and I appreciate it."

"I have my moments. But my patience will grow
thin as the week wears on, so...try to find some time for us. I promise it’ll
be nice and relaxing."

"You have to stop talking like that. I have
to get back to work now."

"You mean I'm distracting?"

She eased away from the counter and sank into the
hard wooden chair. "Yes. You're very distracting. So, I'm going to hang up
now."

"Don't forget, while you're planning your
week down to the last minute to put in at least two hours with me."

"I'll see what I can do." Allison
laughed. "Good-night, Brett. Go do some of your own work."

She set down the phone and rested her head in her
upturned palms, her elbows on the table. Amazing, she thought. This is one of
the first times she'd actually rather be doing something else other than
working or being with Kelly. Something with a man.

She looked at her calendar for the week. Even more
amazing. She was actually planning a...a what would she call it?

Using her finger she taced over the days and
hours, finding a couple of potential breaks in the schedule. She paused for
another second and then wrote a single word. Brett.

Leaning back in her chair, she smiled. An
appointment with Brett. No one could look at the schedule and know what that
meant.

#

"Why didn't they tell us?" Allison
searched the accounting files on her computer Tuesday afternoon. "They had
to know the new deadline."

"Stop there. That's what we need." Joan
pointed to a number on the computer screen. "I don't know who's really
behind the new date, Allison. They just said they needed all this additional
information. Now." Joan scrolled through some spreadsheets on her laptop,
plugging in the new information they’d located.

"It just seems a little unusual to me. This
is normally so routine.” Allison reached for another folder of notes.

“Arghhh.” Joan dropped back in her chair and
clutched her stomach.

“What?” Allison shoved her chair back sending it
slamming into her credenza as she leapt up and ran around the desk. “Are you
all right?”

Joan squinted her eyes shut and bared her teeth as
she squeezed Allison’s outstretched hand. “I...think...” She groaned and threw
back her head. “It’s time.”

“Sit still, I’ll call Brad and then get you to the
hospital.”

Joan jerked Allison’s hand back as she moved
toward the phone. “I think we’d better call an ambulance. The pains are pretty
severe. And the doctor said it could be any day now.”

“I can’t believe he told you that and you’re still
at work.” Grabbing the phone with one hand and punching 911 with the other, she
glared at her friend. “Are you crazy?”

Joan shrugged and started to smile when another
pain hit her. “Ohhhhh.”

Allison dropped the phone and ran to her office
door. “Susy, get a wet cloth in here for Joan.”

When she turned around, Joan had the audit
schedule in her hand. "I'll explain this to the accounting supervisor.
He'll have to change the deadline."

Allison snatched the schedule out of Joan’s hands.
"Would you quit worrying. I'll figure out how to finish this."

"Don't be ridiculous, Allison. You can't do
all the work by yourself and I don’t know when they’ll find someone to help
you, we’re so short staffed. They'll just have to adjust the dates."

“I’m not even going to discuss this with you.
You’re having babies,” she placed her hands on her hips and leaned over Joan,
“maybe right here in this office if you don’t relax and the ambulance doesn’t
hurry up. So the audit is the last thing you need to worry about.”

Suzy rushed in dripping water on Joan’s blouse as
she slapped a wet paper towel across her forehead. “How do you feel? Are you in
labor? Do you hurt?” She whipped the cloth away and dropped another sopping one
in its place. “I can’t believe this.”

Joan laughed and hugged her stomach. “Calm down,
Suzy. I’ll be fine.”

Allison grabbed Suzy by the arms and escorted her
out the door. “Watch for the paramedics at the elevator and show them where we
are.”

Fifteen minutes later, Joan was off to the
hospital, still moaning, but at least the babies had waited. Allison mopped up
the mess Suzy had made, then dropped in her chair, her hands still shaking from
the excitement. She knew Joan had never dreamed she’d have children and as much
as she carried on about being too old, she and Brad were thrilled.

Allison punched a number on her speed dial, then
began reviewing each line of their workplan, making notes in the margins of the
paper as she waited. "Hurry up and answer."

"Hello." Brett picked up on the fourth
ring.

"It's Allison. I need a huge favor and I
don't want you to get mad. Okay?" She paused only for a breath.

"Could you possibly pick up Kelly and let her
stay with you and Caroline tonight? Joan went into labor and had to leave. The
auditors need additional information and have moved up the deadline and I have
to work late. I'll be here until at least ten and I don't want Kelly to wait up
for me. I know we had plans for tomorrow night, but I'm going to have to cancel
them because --"

"Slow down, Allison," Brett interrupted.

She slumped in her chair, her pulse racing, her
chest heaving.

"I'll get Kelly. Does she have a key to your
house to pick up clothes for tomorrow?"

"Yes and I can --"

"You can just stay and finish your project.
I'll take her over after school."

"Thanks, Brett. I hate to ask this, but I
didn't know what else to do at the last minute."

"It's not a problem. I'll bring something for
you to eat around six."

She took a breath, but Brett heard her.

"No arguments. I'll see you then."

She heard the click of him hanging up and dropped
her hand to her lap. She couldn’t believe she’d called Brett. Not her parents,
not her friend who usually kept Kelly. No, she’d automatically dialed Brett.
This was not good. Relying on him was becoming a habit.

She sat up and shoved her phone away from her work
space.

She didn't have time to think about that now.

#

The new schedule shot out of the printer just as
Brett knocked on her office door. Allison smelled the food before she looked
up, her stomach growling in gratitude.

"I heard that." He smiled as he set down
a container and thermos.

She patted her stomach and attempted a frown, but
her lips moved upward, giving her away. "I think my body remembers your
cooking." She tore the aluminum foil off, releasing the steam and garlic
of enough spaghetti and bread for at least three meals.

"How long did you think I'd be here?"
She shot Brett a grateful look. "I will go home before Friday you
know."

He reached into a paper bag and drew out
silverware, paper towels and a plastic cup. After placing them in front of her,
he settled in the chair across from her and leaned back, lacing his fingers
behind his head.

"I know how distracted you get and I don't
want you to pass out from hunger."

She stabbed the pasta with her fork and shoved it
in her mouth, chewing quickly. "You are too good to me, Brett." She
poured iced tea from the thermos into the cup. "I guess I owe you
now."

"Yes you do. And I intend to get payment as
soon as this project is finished."

"I see." She blushed at the fire in his
eyes.

"I'm sure you do." He glanced around the
table. "How's it going?"

She held up a hand as she swallowed. "Pretty
good. I created a new schedule and talked to the audit supervisor, explaining
the emergency. I’ll assign some other staff tomorrow to fill in the gaps. They
won’t know as much as Joan, but we’ll manage."

Brett nodded. "That's good." He placed
his elbows on the table and stared at her.

She paused, her fork halfway to her mouth.
"Do I have sauce on my face?" She dropped the fork and wiped her
mouth with her napkin.

"No. I just like looking at you. Now I can
see those conservative suits and know what's underneath them. Before I had to
use my imagination. But now..." He pointed to her chest. "I know what
sexy underwear you have. And how you look with the sexy underwear off."

Her mouth dropped open. "Brett," she
said, her voice low. "Don’t talk like that here."

He swerved his head to the closed door and then
lifted his eyes to the tops of the walls, scanning the room. "Why? I don't
see anybody around. Are there hidden cameras?"

"No there aren't any hidden cameras."
She threw the plastic top of the thermos at his arm. "You just need to
behave." She placed the foil over the remaining food and dropped her trash
in the wastebasket by her chair. "Maybe you'd better check on the girls.
Who knows what they're up to by now?"

"Sure. Use me as a servant. I bring you food
and now I've done my duty." He clutched his heart. "Cast aside. To be
replaced by calculators and balance sheets."

She jumped out of her chair and moved around the
table to stand in front of him. “Forgive the garlic.” She impulsively kissed
his lips, shocking him and herself. "Thanks for the food. And the
visit." She placed her hand over his on his chest. "And for taking
care of Kelly. I can't believe I called you to ask you to help. It seems I've
been leaning on you a lot lately and  - "

He placed a finger over her lips. "Say no
more." He turned his hand up to capture her fingers. "Remember what
we agreed. That's what friends are for. We help each other. Right?"

She looked into his handsome face. She’d never had
a friend like this before. But she liked it and that was scary.

"Friends."