Hell! Red paused. She had a sense that her cover was about to be exposed if she didn't act quickly. And the wedding would be ruined because no guy would marry somebody who would spy on him!
"I was acquainted with him when we first arrived," she said, relieved that she'd been able to come up with a defence so quickly. "I assumed you meant for us to have some naughty fun with him later, but he looks quite intoxicated."
"He's nervous about getting married Tylerorrow," Charlie grumbled, "and he doesn't need to be driven over to the brink with a little number like the one you had set up on that coffee table."
"Oh my!" Red explained. "Sorry." She may have sounded honest and put the issue to rest, but the little devil inside her drove her to continue, "I just have no idea what happened there. I got lost for a second. They just sort of — leaped out, you know. I mean, my confidence! A will of their own, if you know what I mean."
As Charlie turned away, the barman snorted and laughed. Several of the men in the room grinned. Charlie grabbed her arm.
"Hey! What the—aah! You can look, but you can't touch," Red growled.
He took a step back. "I employed all of you with the condition that this party remain..."
"Exciting but tame?" Red spoke for him, the little devil pushing her.
How can this jackass spoil one of her most enjoyable nights ever? He was taking something daring and exhilarating and twisting it into something horrible and boring.
Charlie paused and breathed heavily.
"Boring?" she replied as she took a drink of wine.
"You have quite an attitude," he noted.
"Well, do you bully everyone else around like this, or is it just me?" Red wondered what she was saying with her glossy red lips. Yet there was something about him that seemed to make her want to provoke him. A little too much or too little.
But she was having fun.
"At this time," he added quietly, "it appears to be just you."
"Interesting," she thought as she took another gulp of her drink.
Hey, hey," Charlie replied as he took the rigid glass from her grip. "Take it easy on the alcohol, woman."
She burst out laughing. "Killjoy. There isn't any booze in that drink."
"Ah, actually there is," the barman apologised. "I added some, um, vodka."
"Amazing," she replied, her gaze fixed on him. "It tasted exactly like a punch I had back in college," she said, glaring at the barman. "Which of you added the alcohol? I might give some—"
Charlie groaned, grabbed her arm, and slung her over his shoulder.
"Hey! Put me down!"
A few minutes later, following yet another round of laughter from the crowd,
Charlie returned to his room and sat her down on the leather couch.
"Perhaps you can sleep it off while the other three girls do the partying."
She placed a hand on her brow. "I'm feeling a little dizzy, like the earth is rotating backwards, yeah?"
"Did you get drunk while dancing?"
"No," she said emphatically. It's not like it's any of your concern."
"But it is, indeed. "I planned this party."
Whoops. The last thing she wanted to do was get Helena, Pamela, and Nancy into trouble.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, attempting to convey the appropriate level of regret in her tone.
"Somehow, I disbelieve that."
"Oh, come on, how am I supposed to apologise to you if all you do is make whatever I say seem like a lie?"
"You're doing a fantastic job on your own."
She stared at him, then removed her mask and placed it on the coffee table. She closed her eyes and sat down on the brown leather couch. "I'm just going to act; you're not here," she said quietly.
"It's a mutual feeling. Good for you to shut it up!"
"Assh*le!"
"I heard that!" Charlie frowned.
"Ha! I meant for you to hear it."
He rolled his eyes as the phone rang about three minutes after she sat down on the couch.
Red smirked.
He responded, and she overheard the brief, gruff side of his talk before he left her. It gave her comfort to know that he wasn't acting this way just for her. He seemed to be boring and bossy with everyone, even the guy he was supposed to be talking on the phone with.
He marched out of the room, the phone still ringing. Red looked at the receiver. She stood up and went to the large desk, picking it up on the spur of the moment.
"Justin?" she inquired.
"Hey, who's this?" replied an intriguing masculine voice.
She chose to go right to the point. "Is he always this awful?"
"Charlie? Awful? Nah, he's generally far worse."
She burst out laughing.
"So he's denying having any fun again, huh?"
"That is something you could say." She made the decision to throw caution to the wind. Impulsively, she described what had transpired on the spur of the moment earlier.
"Are you saying you danced topless and Charlie objected? WOW!"
"Oh yes. He is a caveman. I can't deny it."
"He's been working too hard; how old are you anyway?"
"Seventeen, hehhe!"
"That's funny; really, how old are you?"
"Twenty-five."
"Sure?"
Red rolled her eyes. "I'm Twenty-five, silly."
Wow, okay," Justin let out a sigh. "He's losing it. Poor Charlie."
Red grinned. "So, how can I get him to let himself up and have a great time?" she wondered, marvelling at how the wine made her ideas practically fly off her tongue.
Hmm, not bad. Let me see, um, I have just the plan," Justin responded after a little silence.
"What?"
"Charlie can't say no to a challenge; it must be passed down through generations, because his grandfather is the same way; just dare him to do something, and he'll be mush in your palms."
"Hmmm," she hummed softly. "That sounds intriguing."
"Just make sure you truly desire him to do what you challenge him to do, because once he starts, he won't stop."
"Ha! Got it."
You've got a name, dear?"
She hiccuped once more. "Um, ah…Daisy."
Justin burst out laughing. "I'm going to wish you luck, Daisy, and we'd better get off the phone before Charlie realises I've been divulging his secrets."
"All right, Justin."
"My pleasure, but I believe it will be Charlie's."
She giggled, dropped the phone, and stumbled back to the couch, where she laid down and closed her eyes. She'd pretend to sleep, then collect her thoughts, marshal her troops, and decide what to do next.
She was sound asleep when Charlie returned to the room.