A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas

by A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas (retail) (epub)

  Lucie shook her head. “We went for a walk then a carriage ride. It was beautiful.”

  “And…” Petra raised her perfect brows as much as her frozen forehead would allow.

  “And what?”

  “Did he?”

  “Did he what?”

  “Oh Lucie, do you not have a romantic bone in that gorgeous curvaceous body of yours? Get what I’m asking.” At that moment, someone turned on a hairdryer and Lucie shrugged to show that she couldn’t hear her friend. “I said…” Petra pointed at her lips. “Did Dale… PROPOSE?” She shouted the last word just as the hairdryer went silent.

  One of the stylists dropped a plastic hair-colour dish and it clattered to the floor, spinning in circles before coming to a shuddering stop.

  Someone snorted.

  Heat crawled over Lucie’s chest, up her neck then into her cheeks. Everyone in the salon was staring at her and she wanted to sink into her boots and disappear.

  But of course that didn’t happen.

  She was still stood there.

  The centre of attention.

  And the more time that passed, the worse it got.

  “Answer her for goodness sake!” Tania shouted from her reclined position at the sinks.

  “Uh…” What do I say? What do I say?

  “Of course he did! No one takes a carriage ride around Central Park with their partner and doesn’t get a proposal, do they?” It was Petra’s mother, Joanna. She marched over to Lucie and stood next to her. “Congratulations! This calls for champagne.” She snapped her fingers at a passing junior stylist and sent the girl in search of bubbly. “Lots of it!” Joanna called after her retreating back.

  “Fabulous news, Lucie.” Petra hugged her. “So happy for you.”

  “Thanks.” Lucie stood with her friend’s collarbone jutting into her cheek and patted her back. There was no point denying her engagement; it would be easier to ‘call it off’ at a later date, although she doubted that she’d ever see most of the women again. But even so… when she’d asked Dale to come to New York with her, they’d just been friends. Since then, they’d become a fake-couple and now they were fake-engaged. She’d have to tell him later and she wondered how he’d take it. It was a good job that he knew her so well; another man might think he was being coerced into something, the way their situation was snowballing. .

  “Heidi!” Joanna called the stylist over. “Now Giana’s done, I want you to give this one the full works.” Heidi nodded and smiled at Lucie. “Be thorough and don’t spare the horses. She needs a complete makeover.” Joanna stage whispered as she headed towards the junior stylist, who had returned with a waiter from the bar, each of them carrying a tray of champagne and sparkling crystal glasses.

  ***

  Two hours later, Lucie almost didn’t recognize her reflection. The woman in front of her had a flawless complexion, perfectly arched brows and killer cheekbones. It was an incredible transformation, as if her fairy godmother had flown in and waved a magic wand. Although she wasn’t convinced that the pain she’d had to endure was worth it, even to look this good. Underneath her brows, the skin throbbed where the hairs had been ripped out and her upper lip tingled unpleasantly. Her scalp ached from where her hair had been brushed and pulled and painted then washed and blow-dried. But the result was an attractive long bob that had been tinted with foils so that whenever she moved, the golden and caramel tones shone through. Somehow, the makeup artist had given her plump lips and smoky eyeshadow that emphasized her blue eyes. She was thrilled, if she was honest with herself.

  “All done!” Heidi removed the black cape that had protected Lucie’s blouse, then stood behind her. “What do you think?”

  “It’s amazing, what you’ve achieved.”

  “If you hadn’t already had a proposal, you’d certainly get one now,” Joanna said from the next chair.

  Lucie smiled at her but the comment stung. Would she really need to alter her appearance so dramatically to get Dale to propose to her? She’d never thought about whether or not he was physically attracted to her – well, not for quite some time anyway. But he was Dale. She took it for granted that it didn’t matter with him; that he cared about her just as she was. But now… she wondered if he actually did find her attractive. And after yesterday’s undeniably charming and romantic carriage ride, she had good reason to wonder. He’d been about to kiss her and to tell her something – she was convinced of it – but the driver had announced their arrival at The Plaza and the moment had been lost. She’d ached all evening to ask him what he was going to say, but had been too afraid. Because how would she respond?

  Petra clapped her hands, snapping Lucie out of her musings.

  “Come along, ladies, time to try the dresses on one last time before you wear them for real tomorrow. I hope none of you have put on any weight, because it’ll really make things difficult.” Petra added an odd little laugh, but Lucie suspected that she wasn’t joking and she gulped.

  She hadn’t been looking forward to this part at all.

  ***

  Lucie entered the hotel suite and closed the door behind her then leant heavily against it. After a morning of being primped and pampered, she was quite sleepy.

  “Dale?” Her voice echoed around the empty suite. She plodded across to the bedroom but he wasn’t there, nor was he in the bathroom. Then she spotted a folded piece of paper on the pillow with her name on it.

  She picked up the piece of high-quality notepaper branded with the hotel’s name.

  Luce,

  Gone for a wander. Didn’t know what time you’d return, and know you’ve probably forgotten to check your mobile, so thought I’d better leave you a note. Should be back around four.

  D X

  Lucie checked her watch. One thirty-five. She could just grab half an hour’s sleep. They had the wedding rehearsal dinner later, and she didn’t want to yawn her way through it. A nap would be a good plan.

  She kicked off her shoes, crawled into bed and pulled up the covers.

  ***

  “Luce? Hey, sleepy-head.”

  Lucie was dragged up through the layers of sleep until she opened her eyes and found Dale looking at her.

  “Oh!” Her heart flipped. “What time is it?” She sat up and pushed her hair out of her eyes.

  “Four-thirty. Sorry I’m a bit late, I got carried away.”

  “Doing what?” Lucie clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. It was dry, and tasted like she’d been eating almonds.

  “A bit of shopping.” He smiled then sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s fantastic out there, Luce. I wish you could have seen it. It started snowing again and there are Christmas songs playing in all the shops. The lights everywhere are amazing. I know we saw some of them yesterday, but it’s like it gets better and better the closer to Christmas we get.”

  Lucie watched him as he spoke and goosebumps rose on her arms. He was animated with excitement, his brown eyes twinkling. He must have missed a shave this morning because he had a shadow of dark stubble over his chin. She had a sudden urge to run her hand over it.

  “You okay?” Dale peered at her, his head on one side.

  “Yes, of course. Absolutely fine. I just had a busy morning.”

  “Your hair looks great. Really glamorous and professional.”

  “Professional?”

  “You know… like it’s been done by an expensive stylist. I expect the makeup was good, too.”

  “Was?” Lucie pushed the coverlet back and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

  “Well… it’s a bit smudged now.”

  “Oh no!” Lucie hurried over to the mirror on the wall by the door to the lounge. “I was hoping to avoid having to do it again for this evening.” She stared at her reflection and sighed. She had panda eyes and a dribble streak up one cheek that had cut through the foundation. But her hair still looked good, just a bit more ‘surf-babe’’ than ‘manicured movie-star’.

  “It’s fixa
ble, right?” Dale chuckled and she glared at him.

  “It’s not funny. I just felt exhausted and thought I’d grab a quick nap. I’d better wash this all off and start again.”

  “I could always do it for you.” He shrugged off his coat and hung it over the back of a chair in the corner of the room.

  “Ha! Funny. I still remember when you painted my toenails for me after I’d broken my arm, Dale.”

  “Well, how was I supposed to know that you don’t paint the whole toe?” He grinned and held out his hands. Lucie shook her head as she walked over to the bathroom.

  “I’ll grab a shower then. We need to be at The Plaza by seven.” She grabbed a clip and twirled her hair, then pinned it up.

  “No problem.”

  Lucie closed the bathroom door and turned the shower on. As the hot water ran and she stepped under the spray, she couldn’t help smiling. Dale hadn’t been kidding about painting her whole toe. He really was that innocent concerning things like makeup and beauty routines. It was as if he didn’t see appearances as being that important. Of course, he looked good effortlessly, with his dark hair and eyes and his deliciously olive skin. It was harder for women, especially women like Lucie who hadn’t been first in the queue when long legs and flawless complexions were being given out. Not that she usually spent much time on her looks. She was happy as long as she looked presentable, and she knew she’d never be Miss World, so what was the point in trying to be something she wasn’t? She had better things to do with her time, like eating good food, discovering new authors and having fun with Dale.

  ***

  Dale waited until he heard the shower running, then dashed back into the lounge. Time to put his plan into action.

  He rummaged in the bags he’d carried around Manhattan that day and pulled out his purchases. He opened the largest box and pulled out the mini pre-lit tree he’d bought in a particularly festive department store. He straightened out the branches, draped two long swathes of silver tinsel on it then located a socket and plugged it in. Next, he grabbed the fairy he’d found in Macy’s and placed it at the top of the tree. It looked just like Lucie, with its blue eyes, rosebud mouth and wavy blonde hair. Of course, Lucie’s hair was a bit different now she’d had it styled – he preferred it natural, when she looked as if she’d been on a windy beach all day, but her new look wasn’t bad. It would just take a bit of getting used to.

  Once the tree was just right, he placed the colourfully wrapped gifts beneath it, arranging them in size order. He suspected Lucie would tease him about that, his touch of OCD, as she called it. He did like things neat and well organized, but he was convinced that it made him good at his job, so he didn’t mind.

  “One more thing,” he said as he took his mobile over to the docking station on a sideboard near the door. He scanned through his iTunes, found the Christmas songs he’d downloaded before they left for New York and hit play. The afternoon light was fading fast and with the lights on the tree, the snow falling outside and the festive music, the room was perfect. He just hoped Lucie would think so too.

  When he heard the bathroom door open, he flung himself onto the sofa and waited. Lucie wandered through into the lounge in one of the fluffy white hotel robes, drying the back of her neck with a small towel. Her hair was still twirled into a loose chignon and tiny damp curls stuck to her cheeks and forehead. “Dale, I was thinking… Oh!”

  “What were you thinking?”

  “Dale, it’s beautiful.”

  He got up and crossed the room to her side. “You sure, Luce? I know I did this at your flat but I thought we should make an effort here too, seeing as how we’ll be here on Christmas Day.”

  She placed a warm hand on his arm and smiled at him. “I’m sure. Thank you. I can’t…” She paused and bit her lip.

  “Luce? The last thing I wanted to do was to upset you.”

  “No, it’s not that I’m sad. It’s just that you keep doing such lovely things for me and I’ve got something else I need to tell you.” She raised watery eyes to meet his.

  “What is it?” He placed his hands on her shoulders but the heat of her skin rising through the robe made him want to pull her closer, so he removed his hands quickly and stuffed them in his pockets.

  “We’re… uh… kind of engaged.”

  “What?” He took a step backwards.

  “Oh, today they were all pestering me and nagging at me in the salon, and I just wanted to shut them up.”

  “Hell of a way to silence them, Luce.”

  She pouted, something that usually worked a treat when she wanted to watch a particular movie or to order the pizza toppings of her choice. Dale just couldn’t resist her when she wanted something. In fact, as he gazed at her now – so close that he could feel the heat coming off her, fresh from the shower in her fluffy white robe – he was finding her pretty hard to resist full stop. He curled his hands into fists in his pockets and dug his nails into his palms.

  Damn she looked good. He could take a step towards her right now and grab hold of the belt of her robe and undo the knot. He could slide the material apart, slip his hands over her warm skin, then scoop her in his arms and take her to bed.

  “Dale, are you listening?”

  “What? Yes. Of course I am.” He pulled his hands out of his pockets and shook them as if they were trying to mislead him.

  “As I was saying, I let slip about the carriage ride in the snow with champagne and they just assumed that you’d proposed.”

  “Like my parents misunderstood, huh?”

  She nodded. “It was so awkward and there didn’t seem to be a good way of telling them it wasn’t true.”

  “So I proposed in the carriage, did I?”

  “You did.”

  “Sounds reasonable to me. What about a ring?”

  She waved a hand over her shoulder. “I said we’d agreed to buy one in the new year.”

  “Right. Of course.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “Was it a romantic proposal?”

  Lucie smiled. “I didn’t go into detail. But I guess so.”

  “Good. I wouldn’t want to be disappointing.”

  “You weren’t.” Her eyes filled with mischief.

  “Did we… did we kiss when I proposed?”

  “What?”

  “Well, you know. After you said yes. Did we kiss?”

  “Yes, I think we did.”

  “Was it good?”

  “Dale…”

  He grabbed her hand and whisked her towards him. She gasped but didn’t pull away.

  He slipped his left hand around her waist and pulled her tight against him then gently raised her chin with his free hand. He ran his thumb over her lips and they parted. Then her hands were around his neck and she moved onto her toes.

  And their lips met.

  ***

  He gently released her, stepped backwards and then sank onto the sofa. He buried his face in his hands, knowing that he really should stay in control. To at least think with his head and his heart.

  His mind skipped to When Harry Met Sally… and how he and Lucie had scoffed at the assertion that men and women couldn’t be just friends. Had they been wrong? At home, when they were in their own routines, it was easier to remember who they were and how their dynamic worked, but here in Manhattan, it was proving to be more of a challenge.

  “It’s okay, Dale.” Lucie knelt in front of him.

  “No. It’s not. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  She placed a cool hand over his and caressed his fingers. “I know why you did.”

  He lifted his head and met her gaze. He found understanding there. It was okay. It would be okay. But for now, at least, he had to try and show some self-restraint.

  “Are there presents over there?” She left his side and crouched down next to the Christmas tree, the lights brightening her whole face in the gathering twilight. “Are these for me?”

  “No one else here, and I don’t know the maid well enough to guess what she�
��d like.”

  “But I haven’t… I haven’t got you anything. Well, not much anyway.”

  “I don’t want anything, Luce. I saw a few things today and they kind of fell off the shelves into my hands. Plus, there’s one there that I picked up at the Tonbridge Christmas market.”

  “I thought you only bought Santa hats that day! Dale, I hope you didn’t spend much!”

  He shook his head but didn’t meet her eyes. “Not at all. Right, I’m going to take a shower.” A very cold shower. “And I need to shave.”

  “Okay. See you in a bit.”

  As he left the room, Dale glanced back. Lucie was sat cross-legged on the carpet next to the tree, swaying in time to a Sinatra Christmas classic, completely lost in her thoughts.

  It was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.

  ***

  When Dale emerged from the bathroom, Lucie was ready. She’d fluffed up her hair, done her makeup – although it wasn’t as dramatic as it had been before her nap, she thought she’d done quite a good job – and was wearing the designer black lace and chiffon dress she’d picked up in a sale in London when she’d gone to be measured for her bridesmaid’s gown. The dress had short lace sleeves, a round neckline that showed a hint of cleavage and was gathered just below her bust so that it floated down to just below her knees. It was very flattering, as it hid her lumps and bumps and made her feel smart and attractive. She’d paired it with a pair of Mary-Jane wedges and silver jewellery.

  “Wow!” Dale said when he saw her.

  Lucie grinned. “Thank you.”

  “That dress must’ve been expensive.”

  “It was a bit… but I got it in the sale.”

  He nodded. “It’s lovely.”

  Lucie tried not to stare at him but her eyes kept landing on his naked torso. It glistened with water under the light from the chandelier and the towel he wore was tucked in just below his navel. He was, she could no longer deny it, physically perfect. With his generous nature and ability to make her laugh, he had the whole package.

  Her eyes dropped further and she flushed as they landed on another kind of package.

  Stop it!

  She shook herself.

  This is ridiculous! Pull yourself together.