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“I’m parked over here,” Rock said, pointing in the direction of the utility pole where two vehicles were parked, a big black pickup truck and a white two-door sedan. She’d never noticed either vehicle in the area before, but something told her the pickup belonged to Rock.
When he pulled out his car remote and the taillights of the pickup blinked, she knew she’d guessed right. Allison eyed the distance from the ground to the truck door. If she had on pants, she could climb up without too much difficulty. However, unless Rock picked her up, she saw no way for her to get inside tonight and maintain any dignity. They’d have to take her car.
Rock opened the passenger side door and waited, reminding her a bit of the Marines she’d walked past when she visited Uncle Warren at the White House. Much like those men, Rock’s posture was perfect and his face was devoid of any emotion. Yep, the man really needed to loosen up a little bit if he was going to have any fun tonight.
“We can’t take your truck tonight. Do you mind if we take my car instead?”
Rock’s jaw moved a fraction of an inch, or she thought it did.
“There’s no way I can get in wearing this dress.” She gestured down to the narrow skirt, which reached her ankles, and his eyes followed her hand.
Closi
ng the door, he nodded. “I didn’t consider that.”
Allison shrugged, her wrap slipping down her shoulder. Before she could pull it back up, the silk brushed against her skin as he moved it for her. Surprised by his thoughtfulness, she smiled at him. “This gown might make it difficult for me to drive. Do you mind?” She held the keys out toward him. She’d driven in similar gowns before, so she could do it, but if she didn’t have too, all the better.
“What’s the best way to reach the George Washington Parkway from here?” he asked, starting up the car once he got behind the wheel.
Making herself comfortable, she reached out and turned on the heated seat. The temperatures had stayed in the low 60s for much of the day, but they were dropping fast and the leather seat was cold. “Take a right out of the driveway and head straight. Then take your first left. That will take us straight to the parkway.”
With another stiff nod, Rock backed out of the driveway and headed down Cameron Street. Several seconds ticked by and she kept waiting for him to say something. Even if he only commented on the weather. Instead, he remained tightlipped and silent as he followed her directions. She’d never cared much for silence. Even when she was alone at home, she liked some kind of background noise whether it came from the stereo or the television. She guessed after growing up in a house with four brothers, silence was just too foreign to her.
“Did you get to see Addie and Trent yesterday?” Since it didn’t look like he planned to say much, she better; otherwise this would be one heck of a quiet ride.
“Yeah, they came by.”
Allison kept up a steady conversation all the way into the city. At first Rock only answered the questions she put out there. By the time they reached the Keystone Hotel, though, he’d started to offer up a little more information and even ask a few impersonal questions of his own. It was a start anyway.
“This is my favorite hotel in DC,” Allison said once they left her car with the valet. “From the ballroom on the top floor, you get an incredible view of the city.”
Rock took her arm as they passed through the glass doors and into the lobby. “There’s a hotel in Providence like that.”
“Do you mean the Bellevue?”
“Yeah, my high school senior prom was held there.”
“I’ve been there a few times. This hotel is similar. I think they were built around the same time, although I like this one a little more.” The elevator doors opened and together they stepped inside. “Most people don’t know this, but the entire third floor is a private apartment. It has its own elevator and everything. Emerson Mulligan, the original owner who built the hotel, set it up for his mistress and their son. He ran his entire hotel chain from the offices on the second floor but lived in Alexandria with his wife and daughters. Supposedly, Mulligan’s wife never found about his mistress or son.”
“Someone found out or ya wouldn’t know,” he said, once again pronouncing the you in the sentence so it sounded like it ended an in an ‘a’ instead. She’d noticed he often did the same thing two nights ago too.
“Mulligan died several years after his wife and left most of his money and multiple homes to his daughters, but he left the company to his son. People who knew Emerson Mulligan say he didn’t believe women belong in business. His son didn’t want anything to do with the company and sold it to my grandfather.”
The elevator doors opened, revealing a sight she’d seen numerous times. Women, many of whom she knew, chatted with each other, their jewelry glittering under the lights. Men dressed in tuxedos stood around, probably discussing politics or the latest stock market numbers. At any other time, she’d jump in the foray, complimenting the woman on their designer dresses and smiling at the men as they asked about her father or one of her uncles. Tonight she glanced at her date instead and again kicked herself for lying to Charles in the first place. Even her brothers didn’t love these things and they knew most of the people in attendance. Rock was going to be bored to death tonight.
Although many people mingled in the lobby area, most had already made their way into the ballroom, and Allison scanned the room for any of her brothers or cousins. Of all the guests there, she assumed Rock would be most comfortable around them. Right away she spotted Trent and Addie at one of the large round tables. “Trent and Addie are sitting over by the window. Let’s join them.”
Several other acquaintances greeted her as they crossed the room, but thankfully none seemed interested in long conversations at the moment, at least not until they passed by Tasha Marshall, a woman a few years younger than her whom she’d known for as long as she could remember.
“Allison,” Tasha called out as she and Rock passed near her table.
For a second, she considered whether or not she could pretend she hadn’t heard Tasha and keep on walking. Over the years, they’d seen each other at countless events. She’d even attended Trent’s wedding with the rest of her family. However, Allison never sought her out for conversations. It wasn’t that she hated Tasha, but rather just found her rather annoying and a bit empty-headed.
Unfortunately, both her mom and dad had drilled too many manners into her and Allison stopped alongside Tasha’s table. “Hi, Tasha. Thank you for coming tonight.”
“Mother and Father asked me to join them,” Tasha answered. “I didn’t know you would be here.”
“I work for the foundation.”
