Page 61 of This Time Around
“It’s fine,” Jack said. “I know she’s had a tough time.”
Gary turned to Allie and raked his fingers through his hair. “I want to apologize on my wife’s behalf. She’s not normally like this. She had a little too much to drink and?—”
“Not a problem,” Allie said, slipping her phone back into her bag. “I’ve had to handle similar situations before.”
Jack frowned. “You’ve fended off other attacks by drunk sisters of your ex-fiancé’s late-wife?”
Allie gave him a look. “I said similar, not identical.”
“Really, I’m so very sorry.” Gary looked around, seeming to realize for the first time that they’d become the center of attention. “I’m going to get her back to the hotel now.”
Jack stepped aside to let them pass. “Good to see you, man,” he murmured. “Maybe we can grab pizza or something if you’re in town for a few days. Paige would love to see you guys.”
Gary grimaced. “Maybe when she sobers up.”
“Good plan.”
The whole room stared as Gary and Missy made their way to the door. As soon as they disappeared through it, everyone began murmuring again. Jack stepped closer to Allie, not sure where to begin.
“That was unbelievable,” he said.
“Well, she’s grieving. People do strange things when they?—”
“No, I meant you.” Jack shook his head. “Diffusing the situation like that? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Thanks.” Allie smiled and peeled the sticky top of her dress away from her chest. “I’ve done a lot of coursework in handling workplace conflict.”
“The way you negotiated with her—you would have been an incredible lawyer.”
Her smile vanished and she gave him a cool look. “Well now I’m an incredible Certified Association Executive,” she said. “And I happen to be pretty good at it.”
“I’m sure you are,” he said quickly, pissed at himself for managing to offend her. “I didn’t mean to suggest that being an attorney is the only good use for conflict-management skills. I just meant that was pretty impressive.”
“Thanks.” Allie peeled the dress off her chest again, then seemed to give up. She sighed and glanced around the room. “Those books we were talking about earlier with Botox and Silver Sequins—the ones by Vivienne Brandt?”
Botox? Silver Sequins? “Oh—you mean Stacey and Jen?”
“Whatever.” Allie mopped at her arms with a napkin. “I’ve learned a lot from Dr. Viv about responding with empathy to people going through difficult stuff. Between reading self-help stuff like that and having to deal with drunk, entitled doctors, I’m not to shabby at handling people who are having a hard time.”
“Not too shabby is the understatement of a lifetime.” God, she was amazing.
Still mopping her cleavage, Allie shrugged. “I hope that didn’t embarrass you too much.”
“Me? You’re the one who had wine dumped over your head. I’m so sorry that happened.”
“It’s okay. Any idea where the restroom is? I might need some wet paper towels before I turn into a sticky mess.”
Jack slid an arm around her shoulder, not caring that the wine soaked through his sleeve. “I think fate is trying to tell me something.”
Allie stared up at him, her expression wary. “What’s that?”
“That I’m not meant to be at my reunion.”
She shook her head and grabbed another napkin off the table behind her. “I don’t want you to leave on account of me.” She made another attempt to mop at her arm, which only seemed to spread the sticky liquid around. “We’ve been here less than thirty minutes. Surely you want to spend time reconnecting with everyone. Really, Jack, I can just catch a cab?—”
“Allie,” he said, leaning close enough for her hair to tickle his nose. “The only person I give a shit about reconnecting with is standing right here, dripping wine on my shoes. Now let’s get out of here.”
Allie had planned to have Jack run her back to the B&B so she could pick up her car and head home alone for a shower.
