House Of Payne: Scout by Stacy Gail Read Free Book Online Page B

all got to put on a show of normal at these get-togethers.”
    “Shit shit shit shit .” She’d been so wrapped up in piecing together the perfect anniversary party that she forgot to take care of the most fundamental rule of at least appearing happy with a plus-one in tow. With a growl, she began slinging cookies that had already cooled into a plastic container. “I’m doomed . Maybe I can call in sick at the last minute.”
    “It’s your turn to throw their anniversary party this year. You can’t call in sick.”
    “Ugh, I’m so stupid.” Snapping the lid shut on the cookies, she just stopped herself from dragging her hands through her hair. It was up in twin victory rolls, so messing it up wasn’t an option. “I’m so screwed, girl. Oh, my God.”
    “No. Well...kind of, yeah.” Sass did some hair-pulling of her own by tucking long dark strands of straight hair behind her ears, making her look like a twelve-year-old. “There’s got to be someone you can call.”
    “There isn’t.”
    “What about the psycho guy at work? Doesn’t he owe you?”
    “Twist?” Scout shuddered delicately. “Yeah, he owes me, but I’d rather go stag than go with him.”
    “Yikes. That bad?”
    “Only when he’s conscious. Or not concentrating on his work,” she added fairly. “The man’s a genius when it comes to Goth body art. Not my personal taste, the whole darker-is-better thing, but he’s got a huge following and he’s arguably the best at what he does. Which probably explains why Payne hasn’t fired his ass after all the shit he’s pulled.”
    Her former foster sister scrunched her nose in irritation. “Okay, so no Payne and no Twist. Anyone else? How about someone with a regular name, like Bob or Mike?”
    “Why would I know anyone like that?”
    “Right. What was I thinking?”
    “Who do I know who could be my plus-one at a moment’s notice?” For a full second her brain helpfully coughed up the image of Ivar. But that came just a little too close to playing with fire, considering what her instincts told her about him. “This is pointless. The only people I know have weird names and are unavailable. Feel free to call me pathetic.”
    “Pathetic,” Sass said, obedient for the first and only time in her life. Then she shook her head. “Let’s look through my phone and go guy-shopping, what do you say? I have pics on most of them and some are hot enough to make you want to strip down until you’re wearing nothing but a smile.”
    “Sounds great, but I’m not that desperate.”
    “The party starts in three hours.”
    Oh, man . “Okay, I am desperate, but I’ll figure it out.”
    But by the time Scout made it back to her place, showered and changed into a white wiggle dress with cherries all over it, the answer to her predicament hadn’t miraculously appeared. The real problem was that every time she tried to figure out who she could bribe, coerce or otherwise trick into being her date for the evening, Ivar and his exquisitely chiseled face popped into her head.
    No. Just no.
    Damn it, she had to find someone, fast . But not Ivar. Since she didn’t know why she felt she couldn’t trust the man, bringing him into her personal world would be like inviting an animal that may or may not be rabid into the dance hall.
    So, no Ivar.
    No matter how many times he popped into her head.
    “Darius, I don’t suppose your wife would mind if I borrowed you for an evening, would she? I need to drag someone along to a family get-together in the worst way.” She stopped at the security desk in her building’s lobby and handed over her valet ticket to Zed, who looked happy to bail once she popped her question. Usually she parked her own car, but with her hands full of cookies and party decorations, she needed curb service and a helping hand.
    Darius, one of her favorite doormen, bugged his eyes out at her. “I don’t even go to my own family get-togethers. Why would you want to torture me with yours?