“What is with you? Why do you keep looking at your watch?” Clay asked suspiciously. “And why are you all vamped out?” He was sitting on the small Queen Anne love seat in the change room observation area at Hidden Treasures. It was a large, round space filled with mirrors, enough seating for a bridal party and one large crystal chandelier that filled the space with warm, flattering light.
Next to Clay sat Raoul, the mannequin, wearing only skin-tight black briefs. Clay had tucked his breakfast banana into the front of Raoul’s underwear to fill him out a bit. Every once in a while he would adjust the banana to a more pleasing angle.
Jamie stood leaning against the door jamb, watching Clay with annoyance and waiting for Cathy to appear wearing her first outfit.
Jamie was also looking at her watch and growing more irritated by the moment. Her mood was not helped by the fact that it was 11:12 and Kevin was nowhere in sight.
“There’s nothing ‘with me.’ And I am not ‘vamped out.’ I just wanted to set a good example for Cathy.” Jamie said impatiently.
In truth, it had taken her an hour to put this outfit together. The plain, black silk suit was simple but totally sexy, emphasizing her curves and showing a lot of leg. The sky-high pumps and black silk stockings completed her provocative, yet professional look without being too obvious. Or at least that’s what she thought until Clay kindly pointed out that she looked like she was trying too hard. Instantly, she wished she’d gone for a more subtle ensemble. Not that it mattered. Kevin looked like he’d found something or someone better to do anyway. She should have known not to expect him to keep his word.
Clay gave her an evil look. “Why do you look like you just had a bikini wax with carbolic acid then?”
Jamie stomped over to the love seat and removed the banana from Raoul’s private area. She pointed it at Clay’s handsome nose. “My bikini area is acid free, thank you very much. Now, why don’t you make yourself useful and take Raoul back to the show room. You don’t need a date for this.”
“Fine.” Clay said, standing up with exaggerated dignity and straightening his Italian silk tie. “But when I come back I expect you to be in a less ugly frame of mind. Either that or you need to tell me what has your nipples in a twist. Okay?”
Jamie sighed. “Just leave it, Clay. For once, just let it be.”
“Like that’s going to happen,” Clay muttered. He sniffed indignantly, and picked Raoul up from the loveseat. Most people would have just carried the mannequin by the waist, but Clay deftly flipped him until they were entwined in a vertical sixty-nine position. Only Clay’s teasing green eyes were visible over the curve of Raoul’s bottom as he carried him out with the mannequin’s face pressed to the front of his perfectly tailored, grey gabardine trousers.
Despite her annoyance, Jamie chuckled and shook her head as she sat down in the spot just vacated by Raoul.
“Cathy,” she called towards the row of changing stalls. “Is everything alright?”
Cathy didn’t answer so she called again. “Do you need a hand?”
She heard the stall door creak open and then the distinctive sound of bare feet slapping on hardwood floors.
Cathy stepped into view and Jamie couldn’t help it - She gasped and then covered her mouth to mask her shock.
“What?” Cathy said, looking confused. “It looks okay, doesn’t it?”
Clay’s formerly plain little sister was wearing a dress. A very simple wrap dress that Jamie had designed when she was still in school. It was nothing special. But on Cathy it simply worked miracles. The peacock blue and grey swirling pattern flattered Cathy’s pale skin and hair while the cut emphasized her ample curves, displaying her small waist and flaring hips. Her deep cleavage peaked pertly out from the plunging neckline and made Jamie glad she’d somehow managed to convince her friend to have a proper bra fitting. The improvement in her posture and bearing was nothing short of amazing.
Cathy no longer looked like a complete frump-a-dump. She would never grace the cover of Vogue but she did look voluptuous, feminine and downright sexy. From the neck down. The expression on her face, however, was another story. Worry lines bracketed her mouth and her eyes had the hunted look of an awkward teenager waiting to be bullied.
Jamie desperately wanted to reassure her friend that she wasn’t that self-conscious girl anymore. Cathy never had to worry about being invisible or the object of scorn ever again. She was actually quite pretty if she could just lose that deer-in-the-headlights expression.
Clay’s friend, Kharlos, from one of Kitsilano’s finest salons had highlighted Cathy’s hair and styled it into a modern, shoulder-length bob that drew attention to her gorgeous cat-like eyes. Clay himself had insisted that she invest in some contact lenses and had applied her makeup. Having worked in the theatre department throughout college he was a master at creating a dramatic yet natural look that emphasized Cathy’s positive features without making her look like a drag queen.
All she needed was some confidence and she could walk into any room and feel like she owned the place. Unfortunately, all the makeup and hair products in the world wouldn’t be worth much if she didn’t believe in herself. A lifetime of insecurity would sabotage her transformation if she couldn’t get comfortable with her new look. She would revert to her old schlumpy ways in ten seconds flat if they couldn’t convince her it was worth it to make the effort.
“Oh my God. Cat!” Clay cried out from the entryway. “You look so freaking hot. We have the best genes ever!” He stepped into the display area and hugged his sister fiercely for a moment before spinning her around until she was facing the wall of antique mirrors.
Cathy stared at her reflection for a long moment, running her hands down her body and shaking her head in disbelief. The wary look was starting to fade from her face, but she wasn’t smiling either.
“Well, what do you think?” Jamie asked eagerly from the love seat.
“I don’t believe it.” Cathy whispered, looking into her own eyes as if reassuring herself that it was really her own reflection looking back at her. “I actually look presentable.”
Clay’s eye bugged out of his head in shock. “Presentable? You think you look presentable?” That’s like saying that my ass is presentable when we all know it’s so much more.”
“Clay.” Jamie said, giving him a warning look. “Give her a chance. She’s not used to this version of herself. It may take a second to adjust.”
Clay rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry. But I need more than that. We performed a miracle of biblical proportions here. Stacey and Clinton couldn’t have done better and all she can give us in ‘presentable?’ How about dazzling? Or striking? Or I’ll even accept adorable. But presentable? No fucking way.”
Cathy turned from the mirror and gave her brother a puzzled look. “Clay? What’s wrong? Why are you getting so worked up about this?”
Clay crossed his arms and looked up at the ceiling. When he finally spoke, his voice actually broke. “I’ve watched you scurrying around with that lame-ass inferiority complex your whole life. You’ve been convinced you were plain since we were kids despite the many, many times that I assured you otherwise. Now, after years of begging you to make an effort with your appearance I finally see that I was right all along.” He gently took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror again.
“You’re pretty, Cat. Really pretty. And it doesn’t matter because you’re so damn determined to stay in your comfortable, boring rut that you’re willing to ignore what’s right in front of you. I thought this makeover would make a difference, but I was wrong. You’re just too scared. Too unwilling to try. Too damn lazy. What a monumental waste.” With that he let go of her and walked back to stand beside Jamie, shaking his head in disappointment.
Cathy gaped, looking completely shell-shocked at her brother`s unexpectedly heated words.
Jamie had a hard time resisting her impulse to step in and comfort her but Clay had a point and maybe Cathy needed to hear and accep
t what he was telling her. So, she sat still and waited, inwardly praying that Cathy wouldn’t just run back to the change room and adorn herself in the ugly brown sweat suit she`d been wearing when she arrived earlier that morning.
But Cathy surprised them both by squaring her shoulders and raising her eyes to look in the mirror again. “You think I’m pretty?”
“Yes!” Jamie and Clay shouted in unison.
“Seriously?” She squeaked, touching her own cheek. “You’re not just saying that? Because you want to build up my confidence?”
“No!” They answered in unison again.
Jamie felt herself getting a little choked up as she watched Cathy look at herself with new appreciation. Needing some outlet for her emotions, she reached up and squeezed Clay’s hand. He looked down at her and gave her a cheeky grin, but his eyes also looked suspiciously shiny as he twined his fingers with hers.
“You don’t think I’m showing too much boobage?” Cathy asked, trying to pull the sides of the dress together to cover up her impressive décolletage.
Clay and Jamie were going to respond with another resounding ‘no,’ but a deep voice from the showroom entrance beat them to it.
“Not possible to have too much of a good thing.” Kevin said, stepping into the observation area with an appreciative grin as he took in Cathy’s form in front of the mirrors.
Jamie’s body didn’t give a damn about her reservations regarding the handsome writer. Her heart skipped a beat and her stomach dropped as she turned to look at him. He was here and there was no denying that she was thrilled to see him. Late or not, his arrival was the most exciting thing to happen in her store that day. Maybe ever.
Appreciation surged through her as she noted the way his dark, fitted suit clung perfectly to his massive shoulders. Beneath that he wore an equally dark shirt with a forest green tie. She couldn’t stop staring at that tie. She could easily imaging using it to restrain him as she toyed with that extremely fit and powerful body until he begged for mercy.
Forcing her gaze away from that tempting accessory she ignored his smug smile and took in the rest of his appearance. Good Lord, he’d even combed his usually tousled sandy hair back into a smooth, elegant style that looked like he’d just stepped out of a boardroom. For once, he looked more corporate than cowboy. And Jamie loved every square inch of his transformation. She could almost pretend he was someone else. Someone she didn’t know, without his sordid past or his annoying habit of driving her crazy.
Pulling herself together Jamie stood up. She tried to tug her hand out of Clay’s suddenly knuckle-crunching grip, but he held firm and even moved a few inches over until he was pressed against her side.
She gave Clay a puzzled look for a moment but he just stared blankly at her like he held her hand and invaded her personal space on a regular basis. Sighing she gave up and turned her attention back to Kevin.
“Can I help you with something?” She asked, sounding way more composed than she felt.
Kevin glanced at her. For just an instant his gaze flashed with heat as their eyes locked but then he noticed Clay hovering and his eyes went positively frosty.
Then he did the unthinkable. He ignored her completely and approached Cathy instead.
“Forgive me for barging in like this,” he said, stepping forward until he was standing directly behind her. His tall frame in the dark suit made the perfect backdrop for Cathy’s bright ensemble and he smiled warmly at her reflection. “But can I just say that you look incredible in that dress before I get kicked the hell out of here.”
Cathy didn’t respond. Instead she turned her panicked gaze towards Clay and Jamie, but they just watched, awestruck as Kevin leaned down and stage-whispered in her ear. “No wonder no one’s out in the showroom. Everything worth seeing is in here.”
That did it. Cathy actually giggled. And Jamie saw red.
“What are you doing back here?” Cathy asked, her tone breathless with nerves.
“Well, I was looking for someone. A beautiful woman, in fact. Looks like I came to the right place,” he said with a teasing smile.
Jamie resisted the urge to hurl her breakfast coffee all over the shag rug. Did this actually work for him? From the way Cathy was simpering up at Kevin it evidently did. Were women really this easily charmed? Just a few compliments and he was golden? That definitely wouldn’t work on her. Or would it? If she’d just met him and he was showering all that attention on her, would she feel differently? Or was she jealous and this was just a case of sour grapes? Definitely not. He was lame and her best friend would support her theory. She was almost sure of it.
Squeezing his hand to get his attention, Jamie smirked at Clay and rolled her eyes, but he didn’t return her look. He just turned his gaze back to the handsome blonde couple in front of the mirrors, watching in complete fascination as the tall writer introduced himself to Cathy and made her laugh several times.
Annoyed, Jamie elbowed Clay in the side and whispered. “Hey. This isn’t Animal Planet. We’re not here to just observe. Say something sarcastic to him. Mock him. Make him cry if you have to, but don’t just stand there.”
Clay shuffled them several feet away until they were out of earshot. “I’m sorry,” he hissed. “I know some kind of macho, brotherly protective instinct should be kicking in right about now, but I can’t look away. It’s like a really hot train wreck. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Cat giggle before. She’s practically flirting. It’s unnatural. And who the hell is this guy? He looks familiar.”
“You don’t remember Kevin? From the wedding?”
Clay’s green eyes went wide in recognition. “Seriously? Duncan’s best man? The last time I saw him he was stumbling into his suite with THREE Hawaiian hoochies!” He gave Kevin a lecherous once over. “He cleans up niiii-ce!” He sighed, drawing out the word ‘nice’ for several lewd syllables for emphasis.
“Down boy. Pretty sure he plays exclusively for the hetero team.”
“And how do you know that exactly? Have you played with him yourself?” He raised a speculative golden eyebrow at her.
Jamie paused long enough to cause a gleeful smile to break out on Clay’s face. “No. Of course not. When have I had time? But from what I’ve heard, I’m in the minority. He’s not exactly discriminating.” Her voice sounded more bitter than she’d intended, but Clay was too busy staring at Kevin to notice.
“And what is he doing here exactly? Cruising lingerie change rooms for new conquests? Seems pretty shady for a renowned lady killer.”
Jamie debated lying to Clay but decided to come clean. He was a pain, but she valued his friendship and he didn’t deserve her dishonesty. “No. Nothing like that. I asked him to come here.”
He turned to face her. “What? You asked a complete hound-dog to come here and molest my sister? Why?”
“To flirt with your sister. Not molest her. Build up her confidence.” She gestured to where Cathy was smiling up at Kevin in complete adoration. “And it’s working. See. He’s making her feel pretty. Mission accomplished.”
Clay looked at her like she had a screw loose. “Then what?”
She shrugged. “Then nothing. She feels better and he goes away. End of story.”
“James!” Clay put his hands on his slim hips. “What were you thinking? How’s she going to feel when he leaves and doesn’t even ask for her number? Or worse yet. What if he takes her number and then doesn’t call? She’ll feel more like a wallflower than ever!”
Jamie felt her stomach drop. Clay made an excellent point. She hadn’t really thought this out. She’d just wanted Cathy to realize she was worthy of male attention. But if Kevin rejected her then she might just regress to her pre-makeover demeanor and this project would be over before it started.
Jamie felt like the worst Love Guru ever. She wracked her brain, trying to come up with a solution but she drew a blank.
Stepping forward she approached Kevin and Cathy with Clay trailing close behind her, his handsome face a ma
sk of disapproval. Composing her lips into a cool, professional smile was difficult as Jamie noted the charming way Kevin was focusing on Cathy. She, in turn, was staring up at him with nervous awe.
“Excuse me, Sir. But is there something we can help you with?” She asked Kevin in her most indifferent tone.
His friendly demeanor disappeared in the blink of an eye as he glanced in her direction. “No, I don’t think so,” he said dismissively, and then turned his attention back to Cathy.
Had he actually just done that? Again?
Jamie felt herself flush in reaction. There was no getting around it. Being ignored by Kevin enraged her. Her sensible notions regarding avoiding him fled and all she could think about was staking her claim. In that moment, she suddenly felt like pushing her friend back in the change room so she could have his undivided attention back on her. Where it belonged.
She’d planned all this, but she hadn’t counted on how it would actually feel to watch Kevin seduce another woman. His very convincing flirtatious act, if it was an act, made her want to howl in frustration.
She had made the colossal mistake of underestimating Cathy’s appeal. She’d thought the younger woman was still too awkward and self-conscious to attract a man like Kevin. But judging by the sparks flying between the pair she’d obviously made a terrible error in judgment. It looked suspiciously like Kevin was doing more than feigning interest here. And she was the one responsible for bringing them together. Her own stupidity and arrogance appalled her.
But she wasn’t done with him yet.
The Love Laws Page 9