She took it calmly and said, "Thanks. Where are we staying?"
Jack looked confused.
Showtime.
"Right this way, sweetheart," he told her and swatted her backside.
"Carter, what on earth!" his mother exclaimed.
Carter thought he saw Stefan give a little smile.
"Everyone, this is my fiancée, Allie. I met her in a bar."
He saw the shock register on his parents' faces as they took in Allie.
"And this is Maggot," Carter said, holding up the dog.
"We call her Margot, actually," Allie said. The one-eyed dog's tongue flapped out of her mouth, and she drooled.
"I rescued her out of a garbage heap," Carter said proudly.
"Who?" Jack asked. "The girl or the dog?"
"Jack!" Nancy exclaimed.
She had recovered quickly, Carter noticed. Allie was going to need to up her game.
"Allie," Nancy said, "very nice to meet you. Carter has never brought a girlfriend around before."
"Interesting," Allie said.
He could see Jack turn up his nose as the breeze shifted and they got a whiff of the Wildcat.
His mother reached out to pet the shivering little Chihuahua mix. The dog startled and nipped at Nancy's hand.
"Margot only likes Allie," Carter said.
"I'm just looking for a good time," Allie drawled. "Me and your son, we're real in love, you know. I can't wait to marry him." She gave an obnoxious fake giggle and wiggled her hand, the diamond ring flashing.
Nancy cringed, and Jack turned and stormed back into the house.
Carter stifled a laugh as Allie shrugged and picked up the bags and followed Stefan into the house, her boots clopping on the pristine floors.
She didn't even wipe off her shoes, Carter noticed with glee.
7
Allie
Allie felt bad about the first impression she had given Carter's parents. She knew Carter was paying her to act a certain way, but still, it wasn't in her nature to be rude.
The foyer was a rich cream color with large paintings and expensive-looking art decorating the walls. She noticed several wide hallways extending off the marble-floored room. Rising up above them was the most elaborate staircase she had ever seen. It was made out of ornate carved wood and rose majestically to the second floor. Allie wanted to sit in the middle of the grand space and take everything in. But Carter was walking after the butler—a butler!—as though this were the most natural place in the world for a person to be.
She sniffed herself and cringed as she followed Stefan the butler up the curving staircase. She couldn't help but gawk at the wealth she was surrounded by.
"Here is your room," Stefan said as he led them down a wide hallway.
"We're sharing?" Carter asked, sounding annoyed.
