Longing: Club Inferno (5 page)

Mortification flooded her and she forced that smile onto her face. The one that said,
You didn’t hurt me. You don’t have the power.
It was a fake, brittle smile but it fit on her like a pair of comfortable jeans. She tossed off an equally carefree laugh. “No, not pregnant. Just fat.”

“What?” Clint dropped his hands in shock. “I wasn’t saying…that is…You’re just…”

So help me God, if he says I’ve got a pretty face, I’m going to smack him.
Anya held up a hand. “Forget it. Let’s just go.”

That just damned figured. She had actually thought he might be into her. But no, he thought she’d gotten knocked up. Worse—he thought she
looked
knocked up. Her steps were angry and fast as she walked into Colleen’s office. Nefertiti’s desk was in the anteroom so she could announce visitors. Since Tee was currently waiting for her signal that the coast was clear, Anya launched herself into Nefertiti’s chair and booted up her computer.

What’s your password?
she texted.
I need to find out where Istvahn is.

Anya refused to look at Clint, who ambled in, closing the door behind him. Nefertiti gave her the password and she was in. She had to squint around before she found the duty logs.

“Look, about what I said,” Clint began.

Anya refused to look up because she didn’t want to start to cry. Istvahn didn’t really have a schedule. Apparently, he came and went like the wind.
Crap.

“You were acting really squirrelly and wanting to go see Mallory.”

“And your first thought was that I was pregnant, not that I got the shit kicked out of me?” Anya snapped, then forced herself to back off at the flash of hurt in his expression.

“That was my first thought, but you seemed fine. And then I didn’t know what to think.”

“It seemed pretty clear to me.” She pointed to her stomach. “You thought I had a bun in the oven.”

“Just-just because of the way Istvahn’s been acting lately and when I saw you and him this morning,” Clint stuttered. “I guess I jumped to the wrong conclusion.”

“I’ll say.” She shut down the computer and moved around the desk. They would just have to hope that Istvahn wasn’t watching the parking garage or his cameras when they left. She didn’t think he’d bar the gates to prevent them from leaving. But she wasn’t entirely sure of that. Anya was about to leave the office when Clint grabbed her by the arm and swung her around.

“Will you look at me, for crying out loud?”

Anya forced her chin up and stared into his eyes. They were so open and honest she could practically see into his soul. Damn it, why did he have to be a nice guy? Jerks she could handle.

“You don’t look pregnant. You look damn hot.”

And then he kissed her. It wasn’t a “sorry” peck on the cheek but a full-blown tongue kiss that had her holding on for dear life. Shock held her in place, and he took advantage of that to drag her in so close that she half came out of her shoes. Kissing Clint was a fantasy she’d indulged herself with, but the fantasy didn’t come close to the erotic reality of his mouth on hers. She let go, let the worry about the play, stupid Rita, and Istvahn just fly out the window. For the first time since Cesare, she rested against a man’s chest and enjoyed the hot slide of his lips without worrying what he was thinking. She deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his strong back. His groan delighted her. His hand slid down to her ass.

“What is it about that desk?”

Anya shrieked and tried to break free, but Clint held her tight against him and lifted his head to shoot a glare at Istvahn.

“Did you find out anything?” Istvahn said, ignoring Clint.

“About what?” Anya babbled.

“What we were talking about.” Istvahn folded his arms in front of him and glared at her. At least she thought he was glaring. It was hard to tell what he was thinking behind those glasses—which was probably why he wore them.

Anya had to think fast. “She wouldn’t let me in, but she’s meeting me for lunch at Shira’s.”

“What time?”

Good question. It would be a two-hour round trip from Mallory’s shelter, not counting the exam time. “It’s a late lunch. Two thirty.”

“Excellent.” He turned to leave.

Inspiration hit Anya like an Acme anvil.

“There’s one problem.”

“Just one?” Clint drawled. She stepped on his foot as inconspicuously but as painfully as she could. He moved out of the way and pinched her ass in retaliation.

“What?” Istvahn asked over his shoulder.

“She’s been avoiding this guy.”

He stopped dead and turned around. “What guy?”

“A guy she danced with last night at Club Inferno.”

“Last night?” Istvahn raised his voice slightly. “Club Inferno?”

“He’s been hanging around Shira’s, thinking she works there. Maybe you could check and see if he’s nosing around?”

“What’s his name?”

“John,” Anya lied on the fly.

“I’ll look into it.” He left the office.

Anya texted
NOW
to Nefertiti and the race was on.

The drive to Mallory’s shelter was spent in stilted silence and awkward glances. After they all scrambled into the car like characters from a Benny Hill skit, it was decided that the ladies should sit in the backseat. Nefertiti, for the most part, just wrapped her sweater around herself and rested her head on the window. Anya and Clint stared at each other in the passenger’s-side mirror while Max drove on the fast side of the law.

Mallory was waiting for them when they came into the lobby. She was a mini version of Colleen in no way but personality. Mallory’s blond curls were scattered and coming out of her tight bun, whereas Colleen was always perfectly coiffed. Mallory’s scrubs had all sorts of stains on them. Colleen would toss out a garment if there was a wrinkle. The sisters had big hearts, though, and Anya felt bad about leaving Colleen out of this. But it was Nefertiti’s story. After a quick hello to everyone else, Mallory ran into her fiancé’s arms and gave Max a big kiss.

“Come on,” Nefertiti said, dragging Mallory away from Max. “Before I lose my nerve.”

Max smiled goofily and went to get coffee. Anya shrugged at Clint and followed the women into the exam room.

“I feel like this is all my fault,” Mallory said as they waited for the ultrasound machine to confirm what the urine test had already said.

“You didn’t fuck me up against a wall in time with Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Closer,’ ” Nefertiti said.

“That’s an image I’m going to have forever,” Anya said. “So when Istvahn asks you why I blush and snicker every time he walks in the room you can let him know I’m singing, ‘I want to fuck you like an animal,’ in my head.”

Mallory shuddered. “Thanks for the earworm. I know we didn’t force you two together, but Colleen and I made that stupid bet.”

Nefertiti snorted. “I was already pregnant by that time. The bet just made him more shy.”

“Shy?” Mallory said.

“He’s actually really funny too.”

“Pregnancy hormones have scrambled your brain.”

“What am I going to do?” Nefertiti said.

“Whatever you want to.” Anya held her hand.

“I live at Couture. I’ve got nowhere to go. I mean, I’ve got some savings, but everything I have is with Colleen.”

“What makes you think you have to go?” Mallory said.

“I can’t stay.”

“If I know Colleen, she’ll remodel your office so it has a nursery in it and hire a nanny.”

“She shouldn’t have to do that.”

“She’d want to,” Mallory said. “You and Istvahn were there for her after Alfie. You’re her family too.”

“What about Istvahn? He’s like a baby chick.”

“Okay, stop now,” Anya said. “For real, or I’m the one who’s going to barf.”

“He imprinted on Alfie. When Alfie passed, Istvahn felt it was his duty to protect his widow. Truthfully, she was our friend long before she became our boss. It could kill him to leave her, leave this place that we helped create. So that means I’m the one who has to go.”

“She’ll make him do the right thing,” Mallory said.

“I don’t want that. I don’t want him to want me just because of the baby. And that will be just what happens. He’s got to love me for me. Want to be with me because he can’t stand being apart from me. I’m not going to settle for anything less.”

“No problem,” Anya said, dusting off her hands. “We can do that. We’ve got a few months.”

“Maybe less than that,” Mallory said doubtfully. “She’s almost past her first trimester. It’s going to get pretty obvious.”

“Leave the creative dressing to me,” Anya said. “You”—she pointed to Nefertiti—“have to get Colleen on board. And it would help to be seen with a large dish of chocolates on your desk.”

“Why chocolates?”

“In case anyone is crass enough to wonder why you’ve put on weight, the chocolates will stop all but the truly obnoxious from asking why your face looks fuller.”

“I can do that,” she said.

The ultrasound technician came in.

“We should give you some privacy.” Mallory leaned in to give Tee a hug. “Take lots of pictures,” Mallory told the tech. “Istvahn will want to see them.”

“If you say so,” Nefertiti said.

“Do you want me to stay?” Anya asked.

“Hell no.”

“Thank God.”

Mallory went back to check on a few families. Anya wandered back to the waiting area. Max was eyeing the parking lot for gang threats or a parade of clowns—who knew? When Colleen bought the place, the neighborhood had been neglected and run-down, with hot-and-cold-ru
nning gangs. Since the clinic opened, the local gangs had backed off a bit, and slowly but surely the community was rebuilding. From what Colleen told her they even had interest in a veterinarian and a bodega moving into the empty stores next door.

Clint looked like he was taking a nap, but he opened one eye when she sat down next to him.

“I missed you in yoga class today.”

“I was a little busy.” Anya fussed with her skirt while she looked at him through her eyelashes. “I’ve never seen you there.”

“It’s because I stay in the back and stare at your rack in the mirror.”

“That’s got to be the creepiest thing I’ve ever heard,” Anya said, but inwardly she was doing a fist pump. The girls had come through again.

Clint shrugged. “I figured I’d come clean. Now it’s your turn.”

“My turn?”

“I’ve never seen you in the pool.”

“I swim.” Anya fixed her gaze on the framed Norman Rockwell lithograph on the wall.

“You do not.”

“All right. I stare at your ass.”

He grinned. “I knew it.”

“So now what?”

“You want to do more than look?”

“Now?” she said. “We’ll get arrested. Unless there’s an empty examination room?” It felt good to flirt. She was high on adrenaline. She was going to make Istvahn admit he loved Tee before the baby came. She was going to get that part in the play and the hot guy. Of course, her stomach chose that moment to growl like a baby dinosaur.

“You eat today?” he asked.

“I meant to grab a smoothie after the pool, but I got sidetracked.”

“Is there a cafeteria in this place?” Clint got up.

“No, and I wouldn’t go walking around looking for a pizza joint either,” Max said over his shoulder. He didn’t move from his vigilant pose.

Pizza.
She nearly swooned.

Clint dug into his pants for some change. “How about a stale granola bar? My treat.”

“I think I can make it until we get back to Shira’s.” Shira’s? What was she thinking? There was no way she’d get a bland salad there. She could kiss the falafel and hummus good-bye—too much oil, even it was the good stuff. Maybe she could get a couple of kebobs and have them hold the rice.

Clint was snapping his fingers in front of her eyes. “Earth to Anya.”

“Sorry, I was doing creative visualization.”

“Were you thinking about my body?” He gave her a wide smile.

“Yes,” she assured him with a wink.

“Why don’t you come to my pole-dancing class tonight?”

Anya rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that pole reminds me of the rope in gym class. I don’t have the upper-arm strength for it.”

“You got the legs for it.” Clint leered.

“How would you know?”

“Well, there was the pool. But mostly because of yoga. I tried to sit in on one of your talk-dirty classes the other day, but I got so hard I was afraid to walk into the classroom.”

Anya laughed and clapped her hands to her mouth. “You told me you had another class in the same room.”

“I should have told you to lock the door.”

“Why didn’t you?” she asked.

“You might have said no.” He reached out and cupped the back of her head. He caught her lips with a playful kiss. Anya’s world tilted.

“I won’t try pole dancing,” she said. “But pretty much that’s all I’m going to say no to.”

“I like how that sounds. What are you doing tonight?” He played with her hair.

“I hadn’t made plans.” Anya didn’t mean to sound breathless, but she was.

“It’s game night in Club Inferno.”

She swallowed hard. “What type of games?”

“Monopoly. Parcheesi. Stuff like that.”

“Board games, huh?” Anya stepped in closer and put her hand on the small of his back. “Sounds boring.”