Charlie All Night by Jennifer Cruise Read Free Book Online Page A

hated to ruin her plans, she looked so cute
trying to sell them to him, but he
was not going to be a success. "I
don't want to be famous. I just want a nice little radio show for a
few
weeks. That's all."

Allie shoved her glasses back up her nose. "But, Charlie-"

"No," Charlie said firmly.

Joe stood up. "I'd love to stay and watch this, but I have to go to
work in the morning. Good night, all."

He disappeared into the bathroom, and Charlie leaned back on the couch.

"I think we should talk about this," Allie said.

"I don't," Charlie said, but Allie did anyway, explaining all the good
things that would come his way
if he just put himself in her hands.

She was a good persuader, and under any other circumstances he might
have listened just because
she talked such a good fight, but he was
only temporary. He wasn't staying. He wasn't going to be
a success.

He wouldn't mind being in her hands, though.

He jerked his mind away from the thought when Joe came out of the
bathroom in his robe.

"Bathroom's all yours. Good night." Joe looked at Allie and shook his
head, and then he went into
his bedroom and closed the door.

Charlie frowned at Allie. She'd abandoned her argument about his career
and was now looking at him
as if she was sizing him up. He had the
damnedest feeling she was going to try a new attack. It wasn't
a
reassuring feeling. "Why did Joe shake his head?"

"What?" Allie stood up and moved to stand beside him, : smiling
brightly. "Nevermind. My bedroom,
as you know, is on the left. Want
to see it
again?"

"Come here, McGuffey." He pulled her down beside him, : trapping her
hand in his. "What are you
up to? Tell me everything, now. I can take
it."

"I was going to tell you, anyway." She sat stiff and straight. "I just
wanted to be in my nightgown
to do it."

"Your nightgown." Charlie clamped down on his evil thoughts and patted
her hand. "Well, I'm sorry
I'm going to miss that. Why your nightgown?"

She sighed. "Joe thinks this is a bad idea."

"Joe's no dummy. If he thinks it is, it probably is."

"I think so, too. Forget it." She stood up, and he caught her hand.

"Oh, no, you don't. Just in case you change your mind, I need to be
prepared. Are we going to go Vaseline Mark's car windows? Put Tabasco
in Lisa's diaphragm?"

Allie sat down again next to him. "All right. I have a favor to ask."

Charlie tried to look encouraging. "Shoot." Allie looked so
uncomfortable, he was ready for anything.

She took a deep breath. "I want you to sleep with me."
    *  *  *
Charlie didnt say anything, and she stole a glance at him.

He looked stunned.

She should have know it wouldn't work. She wasn't the seductress type.
She flopped back against the couch, defeated. "I know it's dumb, but I
had this plan. I thought maybe if I slept with somebody else,
I'd get
over Mark permanently. Sort of like getting right back on the horse
after you've been thrown."

Charlie made a sound like a strangled laugh.

"What did you say?"

"I whinnied."

Allie fought back a smile. "You laughed. Okay, go ahead. I just..." The
words were too dumb to say
out loud, so she shut up and shrugged
instead.

Charlie leaned back beside her. "Why don't you tell me about it?"

Allie hesitated and then gave in. "Well, it's hard to explain without
sounding stupid. Everybody at the station thinks Mark is God. We were
working together, making the show a hit, and when we started dating, it
just felt right, I guess." She wrinkled her nose as she thought. "And
he was really good to
me." She turned her head to look Charlie in the
eye, trying to make him understand. "I know he
wasn't impressive today,
but he really was good to me. I've never been that anxious to settle
down,
but I thought we'd be together forever, working on the show." She shook
her head in disgust. "I was
stupid. But it was still hard to give up. And I still miss it." She
stopped and frowned. "But you know,
I think I miss the relationship
more than I miss him."

Charlie shook his head. "Everybody at