Page 3 of Claiming His Prize

“Do you want one?”

“I just kind of assumed that’s what people do. You know,” he said teasingly, “your kind of people. Have people over, show off their stuff, accept gifts...”

Allison laughed. “You just want presents.”

“And admiration. Lots of fawning compliments. Maybe a bit of jealousy.”

“Silly man,” she murmured, focusing her attention on smoothing her fingers through his hair. So thick and soft, she loved to play with it and try to mess it up, although all he had to do was run his hand through it, and it would fall back into place.“I don’t know about a housewarming party, but I’d love to have Diana over, maybe Chad.Any of your friends you’d like to invite.”

Todd raised his eyebrows. “Are Diana and Chad the only friends you have?”

“The only close ones I’ve had in a while,” she said indifferently.She rarely found herself missing any of her old friends. Occasionally, Chrissy, but whenever they talked on the phone, it became more and more apparent, she and Chrissy weren’t as close as they had once been. “I have some friends at work and some acquaintances through classes, but...” She shrugged. “I stopped talking to a lot of my old friends. We don’t have much in common anymore. I don’t really have time for more friends right now, anyway.”

“I have a couple friends I wouldn’t mind inviting. We’ll keep it small. Four friends and they can each bring a date.”

“Will I need to cook something?”

“A few things.” He grinned up at her, tapping his finger on her nose. While Allison had slowly been learning to cook over the past year, she wasn’t sure she was up to doing anything she’d be proud to serve at a party. “We’re keeping it small and casual, remember? Nothing too fancy. And I’ll grill. You can just do sides and dessert.”

“Mmm, carrot sticks and instant mashed potatoes… yum!” They both laughed, and Todd pulled her face down for a kiss.

Allison couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so happy.

* * *

Allison smiled as she looked around the rather successful party. It truly was casual, nothing like the parties her parents threw where she had played hostess.There was a distinct lack of judgment for one, and her new home was nothing like theirs, butshe thought it had come out rather nicely.While she and Todd had resumed their usual schedules of work for him and work and school for her, they’d had time in the evenings to put a few final touches in place before the weekend, like the print of a painting on the wall in front of her.She’d stopped to study it on the way to the backyard, thinking how marvelous it was to have a print of a painting. Her parents would be apoplectic at the idea of not having the actual painting, but she rather liked it.

Especially because it wasn’t an expensive print; she’d picked it up at BB&B, already framed, for thirty bucks.Another thing her parents would have had a fit over. She liked the man and woman dancing in the rain, the entire thing in black, white, and grey, except for the red dress the woman was wearing.When she looked at the painting, it made her think about love, but it also seemed like a comfortable, comforting piece. It reminded her it was the little things in life, like dancing in the rain, which were important.

Smiling happily, she turned her attention back to the party outside.Todd had invited a couple of friends, surprisingly, only one from his frat. The rest were from work.Brad and Chris, friends from work, had brought their wives, Wendy and Tina, and his frat buddy, Jake, had come alone. He and Chad were having a grand time, joking about forming a bachelor’s club and arguing about whether Todd would qualify.

The big surprise guest of the day was Roger.When Diana had first called to ask Allison if she could bring him, she had at first hesitated bringing it up to Todd. After all, that was kind of awkward, wasn’t it? Diana had insisted it wasn’t necessary, she just wanted to ask, but Allison realized if Roger and Diana continued to date and she wanted to spend time with Diana, it would be best to set the tone now.Make sure Todd realized there was nothing romantic between them anymore, and that she didn’t feel that hanging out with Roger was a big deal.

When she’d asked him about it, she thought that she’d seen a flicker of something in his eyes, but he’d readily agreed Diana could bring her boyfriend—even though he was Allison’s ex.He knew Allison had never been in love with Roger, she’d reassured him of that, although she didn’t bring it up again when asking if it was okay if Roger came to the party. Extra reassurance on top of what she’d already given him just seemed like making it a bigger issue than it needed to be, and he hadn’t really seemed to need it.

So far, it hadn’t been awkward, except Todd and Roger seemed to have disappeared. She’d gone inside to see if they were in the kitchen, but she couldn’t find them anywhere. Returning outside, she scanned the yard.It wasn’t like it was that big a yard. Pursing her lips, she wondered where they’d gone.

“I have to say, as great as this house is, I miss living with you.”Coming up beside her, sipping on one of the fruity mixed drinks with colorful swirly straws Allison had provided, Diana managed to look simultaneously happy and pathetic, widening her eyes to increase the latter.

Allison grinned. “I miss living with you too. I’m glad you could make it today. Any idea where your man has wandered off to?”

“Somewhere with yours,” Diana said, making a face. There was something in her expression that made Allison feel like her friend was hesitant to say more, which, for Diana, was extremely unusual. She was one of the most outspoken people Allison knew. It was one of the things that had attracted her to Diana as a friend.

“Do you know what they’re talking about?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”Stirring her swirly straw, Diana stared at her drink. The petite Asian was a pretty, confident, confrontational person, so Allison was surprised to see her looking so uncomfortable, which made her nervous as well. Before her own nerves could get the better of her, Diana sighed.“Your dad told Roger he should try to get back together with you.”

“What?!”

“Yeah, I know,” Diana said, rolling her eyes. There was both frustration and anger in her voice, probably as much on Allison’s behalf as on her own. “Roger told him he had a new girlfriend, then your dad asked if Roger had a friend, he could set you up with.”

“Unbelievable.” Allison was fuming, though she wasn’t really shocked or even all that surprised, just frustrated and annoyed. It was just like her parents to try to insert themselves into her life through someone else, now she wasn’t talking to them, and who cares what she wanted. Then something else Diana had said caught her attention.

“Wait, so you guys are official now?”

Diana giggled and finally met Allison’s eyes again. “Well, we weren’t when he said that, but I guess now we are. I don’t mind.”

“And ah... is he everything you hoped he’d be?” Allison asked, teasingly referring to the talk she and Diana had had when Diana had first admitted she was interested in Roger.After watching Allison’s relationship with Todd, Diana had finally realized she wanted a man who was more dominant in the bedroom, but for some reason, most of the guys she ended up with weren’t.She would put up a challenge for dominance, and they would end up rolling over for her.

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