“I do have to get back to work, but thanks for everything. I’m looking forward to wearing the tux on Friday.”
He leaned in to kiss me on the cheek, and I accidentally turned my head and his lips landed on mine. You know, like that awkward hug, only a million times worse.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I…” I stammered, completely humiliated and caught off guard.
He winked as he stepped away. “Don’t be.”
He left me standing in the room alone. I looked around, then stared at his bed. I ran my fingers over the linens. Oh, how delicious to climb under those Egyptian cotton sheets and roll around.
Chapter 14
I hadn’t heard from Hugo or Stella in days. The cufflinks and watch had been my downfall, I knew it. But Hugo seemed to have forgiven the slip or at least gave that impression. The night of the gala arrived, and I hadn’t heard from either of them.
Had I misinterpreted Stella’s comments to Hugo? I thought I’d won them over, that I had secured a job. I’d hoped to see Hugo in his suit before the big event, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen. I guess since he had Stan to tailor his suit, he didn’t need me to do anything else.
That awkward kiss before Hugo walked out played over and over in my mind. He’d winked and laughed it off, but still. Hugo had no interest in me, other than as his stylist on the rare occasion he might be forced to attend another event.And the kiss on the cheek had been meant as a friendly gesture. But the fact that it landed mostly on my lips made me wonder. I cringed every time I thought about it, and I thought about it a lot.
Sharing the bedroom office with my mom proved to be a disaster. If I wanted the desk to work on my blog, she needed it for something. If I used her work station, to prep some clothing layouts for my blog photos, she needed it to cut fabric for her voodoo dolls. I resigned myself to working at the dining room table and carting everything back to my bedroom at the end of the day.
I needed a way to get noticed.
I’d buried myself in my fashion blog. Who knew setting up a blog could be so time-consuming? In the meantime, I’d been preparing myself to become a YouTube star, writing out scripts for weekly fashion tips videos. Heck, my affiliate links had already earned me fifty dollars that week, and links to clothing and accessories on a YouTube video had to have a better audience and sell through. Maybe my next incarnation would be as an online personal stylist. I’d put together outfits in every price range with links to stores for purchase.
And all the while I looked for men’s fashion tips, too. Thinking of Hugo as I made my style choices.
I couldn’t help my physical attraction to Hugo, even if hairy faces weren’t my thing. Cut him off at the neck and he made quite the specimen. I’d be happy to be another form of exercise for him.
I looked down at my body. Not exactly a pillar of healthy eating and wellness, but I could start if it meant spending time with Hugo. I wouldn’t call myself chubby, but I certainly should be taking better care of my body. Who knew when I’d have the chance to get naked with a man again? I needed to think about those things now that I was single again.
I looked at the clock on my computer screen. I couldn’t help but be disappointed at the lack of further communication. Maybe Hugo felt my attraction and didn’t want it to affect me. But it had. I barely knew the man, and yet something about him had penetrated my core. Then again, maybe he’d been my distraction for Miles. When I spent time with Hugo, I didn’t think about Miles. After a few sleepless nights of tossing and turning and waking up to end the nightmares, I’d gotten the visions of him and Marla down to only about thirty times a day. I couldn’t even look past that event to find the good times we’d had prior to that night.
He’d been controlling, and I hadn’t even realized it. My mom said thirty days, yet I’d been gone from California just over a week, and the feelings of love I thought I had for him had already faded. Only the quail-worthy thoughts leaked into my reality now. I’d gotten to know a part of Miles I’d never marry. Thank you, Marla, for saving me.
Hugo had said something similar: after I got to know him, I wouldn’t want to be with him. I didn’t want to get serious with him now, either. Who needed that kind of aggravation after just getting out of a relationship? He probably had women falling at his feet, and I’d be a jealous wreck. I’d never been jealous before, but Miles’ cheating might have changed me.
I looked at the clock again. Almost time for dinner. I told my mom I’d cook, since she’d been busy with a new design for her Etsy store.
I closed my laptop, contemplating my next blog post. Maybe I’d drop the Popovits name after the gala, since they’d likely rank well in a Google search. And I had every right. I’d worked for them.
My phone buzzed in my back pocket. I pulled it out, hoping Gwen wanted to go clubbing, even though we hadn’t planned anything. I needed a distraction from my disappointment at not being a part of Stella and Hugo’s preparations for the night. So many stylists help their clients the day of their events, and I’d hoped to be there for them.
I looked at the screen.
A text from Orlean: Have you heard from Stella or Hugo?
I sent back a frown face emoji.
She sent one back. Then, I wish I was rich enough to afford a ticket to that thing.
Me too!
I put my phone back in my pocket and rummaged around in the kitchen cabinets, looking for something to cook. My phone buzzed again. This time a phone call.
I answered without bothering to check the number, “Maisy’s Studio.”
“I need you to come and get me,” Hugo whispered into my ear.
“What? Where’s Timmy?” Any girl in her right mind would have responded, “Absolutely, where are you?”
“I gave Timmy the night off. I came to the Diamond gala thing with Stella, and I’d planned to leave with her, but I’d like to leave now. Can you come get me?”
Given I had his car, I couldn’t exactly refuse. “I’m supposed to make dinner for my parents tonight.”
I’d lost my ever loving mind. Stop making excuses and say yes! I knocked myself up beside the head, literally. I smack myself with the heel of my palm.
I’d been dressed in stained sweat pants and an old T-shirt. No makeup and my hair in a braid, I didn’t want Hugo to see me that way. I calculated the time in my head.
“I’ll pay for pizza,” he pleaded.
“Is everything okay?” The crack in his voice said no, but I needed confirmation.
“No, it’s not. Bobby is out of town, and Timmy turned off his phone. I think he knew I’d call him. Please, I don’t want to call my employees or friends to do this.”
Okay then, so I’m neither an employee nor a friend. This would be a great time to return his car. I’d go pick him up at the hotel and have him bring me home, so he could have his car back.
“Doesn’t Stella have a car and driver?” Now I wanted to stay home and make dinner.
Picking him up, giving back the car, I knew, I’d never see him again. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. Longing for Hugo had been a crutch. A crutch I’d seen in the store window, like a puppy I couldn’t have.
“I’ll pay you,” he said, no longer whispering. “Okay? I’ll fucking pay you. Just come get me, I’ll explain when you get here.”
That sounded like a demand, and my mind kicked into gear. “I’ll be there in about forty-five minutes.”
“Make it thirty, and I’ll pay you double.” He disconnected.
Considering I had no idea how much he planned to pay me, how would I know if he paid me double?
I scurried about, changing out of my sweats and pulling on a midi-length black cotton dress. The temps still hovered in the high-eighties, and I wanted to be comfortable when I stood outside waiting for him. I slathered on a bit of sweat proof makeup, lined my lids and brushed on black mascara. I needed a second coat of mascara, but no time for that. Slipping into a pair of black Chuck Taylor sneakers, I knotted my braid at the b
ack of my head. If I didn’t look good, at least I’d look publicly presentable.
I pulled up to the front entrance of the Omni Hotel with five minutes to spare. Not that I’d wanted Hugo’s money, I wanted to be there for him. As much as I’d questioned it, my heart fluttered that he’d called me.
Not an employee or a friend, but someone he felt he could trust. And he could. I got out of the Mercedes, locked the door, and headed for the entrance to the hotel.
The gala had to be held in one of the ballrooms, so I looked around as I entered the hotel to decide which way to proceed. Duh. I pulled my phone out and sent Hugo a text.
I’m in the lobby. Where are you?
I heard a ping somewhere in the immediate area.
I’m right behind you.
I turned to see Hugo wearing the blue suit I’d purchased for him. The gray shoes went perfectly. As my eyes scanned up, I saw he'd shaven and cut his thick brown hair. It looked just like the cut in the photo we’d looked at. Whoa, it looked better on him now than then. And it looked pretty damn good in the picture. No longer did he need to be cut off at the neck to be a specimen of a man. My breath caught as I took in the sight of him.
That’s when I heard the voice. Oh, crap.
“Hugo Popovits, is that you?”
It was Marla.
I looked behind me to see her and Miles sauntering up to Hugo.
I whispered, “Kiss me.”
He didn’t hesitate. He pulled me close and kissed me full on the mouth. He tasted good, like whisky and cinnamon, his lips softer that I’d remembered. Then he kissed a trail up to my ear. “I know that’s Marla, but is that what’s-his-face?”
I nodded slightly. “Miles,” I said.
“Sweetie, you need better taste in men.”
I watched Miles with Marla and instantly realized he looked like a skinny, prissy girly-man. What had I seen in him?
Hugo stepped away from me, but took my hand. I thought he’d respond to Marla, but, instead, he took off running out of the hotel. His grip on my hand so tight, I sprinted to keep up.
“I’m working on it,” I huffed and puffed.
When I looked down, I saw the sparkling sapphire cufflinks.
To Be Continued…
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And now…A preview of my great friend, Magan Vernon’s new romantic comedy: EDGE OF GLORY
Edge of Glory
Friendship, Texas #1
Magan Vernon
Untitled
Text copyright © 2016 by Magan Vernon
All rights reserved
www.maganvernon.com
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form by or any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author.
For information visit www.maganvernon.com
Summary: "Welcome to Conti's. I'm Lia and I'll nguhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
I froze. Directly facing me was Olympic swimmer, Jay Morningstar…and I just made an idiot of myself.
The rest of the table looked up to see my standing there with my mouth practically gaping. His coach, who I recognized from TV interviews, and even two other swimmers from the Olympic team. They didn't say anything, they didn't even blink.
"Uh…I mean…"
I couldn't even put together my words and Jay Morningstar was just staring at me with that Wheaties box smile and those icy blue eyes.
What was I supposed to say? Sorry I just made a weird noise, it's just that I have a poster of you on my wall where you are wearing nothing more than your gold medals, a smile, and a pair of man panties?
On the night of his father's presidential election he takes a detour and meets a waitress at a local hole-in-the wall. Samantha "Sam" Green is just as broken as he is, but covers it up with enough snark so no one tries to get too close.
First Edition, July 2016
Cover Design by Kassi Snider https://kassicoop.com/
Edited by Anna Gorman
For more information about the author:
Website: www.maganvernon.com
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Chapter 15
Some girls have all the luck and some girls spend New Year's Eve working at their parents' restaurant.
"Order up, Lia."
I turned toward the kitchen just as a wave of steam from a plate of linguini rose up and hit me in the face like a giant, pungent cloud.
"Ack." I vigorously wiped my eyes and hoped I didn't have dough underneath my fingernails that would blind me.
"Sonny, can you warn me next time you are about to put down a plate of food?"
"Ey, I said order up," My brother, Sonny, yelled over the clanging of pots and pans. The only thing I could see was the top of his head and the shine on his slicked back hair.
"Hey, no fighting the two of you. Che Cazzo!" Ma's voice boomed.
"We weren't fighting, Ma, Lia just can't take a joke," Sonny said, giving her his trademark shit-eating grin.
I glared at my older brother. The pain in the ass. Of course, Ma smiled at him. Every Italian mother loved her son, and my ma had two of them. My oldest brother, Nicky, was married and living with his wife in town, but I had a feeling Sonny would never move out of my parents’ house.
Sonny graduated from Texas A&M and then moved right back in. I thought maybe with him back home my parents would ease up their strictness on me. No such luck.
Just like always: Sonny could do no wrong and Rosalia was the delicate flower.
"It's not bad enough that I have to spend my New Year’s Eve stuck here," I mumbled, grabbing the tray of food and quickly darting toward the nearby tables, so I wouldn't have to get an earful from my mother.
The air was stiff in the restaurant, every single booth was full, and every time the front door opened, everyone leaned in to catch some of the cold, Texas air, which was an oxy-moron in itself. It never got cold in Texas and now that it was in the teens, everyone thought it was the end of the world. Stores were out of milk and bread, and everyone coming into the restaurant was layered in whatever warm clothes they could find.
I dropped off the tray of pasta to its respective table and headed over to a corner booth that had just piled in. I tried to put on my best smile and then a squeaky voice caught me from a table behind one of the lemon trees.
"What is with this restaurant? We've been waiting like forty-five minutes. It's times like this that I really miss Austin. At least they have more than one decent restaurant."
As if my night wasn't bad already, it had to be Christy Quinn's whiney voice behind the tree. I would rather be cleaning up Nonna's goat’s poop than deal with her. I put on the best smile that I could and walked over to her booth where, of course, she had to be sitting with the rest of her drones. Seriously, carbon copies of her that just said what she wanted them to say.
"Welcome to Conti's. I'm Lia, and I'll be your server tonight, is there anything that I can start you out with?" I could have said that line in my sleep and no matter how much I hated staring at Christy's stupid powder-covered face, I could still take an order.
"Do you have anything that is, like, not carb filled or fried?" Teagan Munson's hair was so blown out and hair sprayed I wondered if she was hiding an entire colony of bees in there.
"Teagan, you know this is an Italian restaurant, right?" Marcus Benjamin laughed. He looked even more like a horse face when he laughed, with his stupid overly bleached teeth taking over his whole face.
"Yeah, but they have to have something else." Teagan turned toward Joey Bianchi. "You're like Italian, or whatever, don’t they have something else?"
"Yeah, Joey, you even dated our friend Rosalia back in the day, so I'm sure she could show you all of the best sausages," Marcus quipped.
Neighhhhhhhhhh, Neigggggggggggggh. It was the only thing I could think every time the guy opened his mouth.
"Oh please, Marcus, you know that Lia doesn't like sausage." Christy tossed back her glossy, black hair.
Obviously, I was still standing right there.
"Do you guys still need a few minutes to look over the menu?" Don't cry Lia, don't cry. A few more months and you'll be away at school and away from the lame lesbian jokes.
With very strict parents, I didn't have much of a social life in high school. I had an early curfew and didn't do many extra circulars. Since I didn't dare try to date anyone and have to bring them home to my overbearing parents, I was labeled as a lesbian early on. I guess it was the best comeback that kids could come up with and it stuck.
Hello (Dressing A Billionaire #1) Page 11