He stared at her and she could see the initial contempt. After all, who was she to question his instructions, to question him? Just some sweet little woman-child in white. So innocent and yet so demanding. It didn’t help that she was a full foot shorter than him and had to look up just to meet his red-faced gaze.
He snatched the paperwork out of her hands. “Please don’t touch the layout until I return.” He tugged his phone out of his pocket and barreled towards a door marked “employees only.”
“Let’s get out of here. We don’t need him.” Beckett jerked his chin towards the door.
Daisy rubbed her hands up and down her arms to scatter the chill Mr. Hayes left behind. “Actually, I do.”
Beckett snorted again.
Daisy rolled her eyes. “Okay, I don’t actually need this place, but it would help me out a lot if we did a segment here.”
“I don’t understand.”
“RB’s is a partner company to KPaka. I’m in negotiations with them to start an all-natural line of beauty products.”
“So the idea is to make friends with the people who are friends with who you want to be friends with?”
She beamed. “Exactly.”
He glanced at the logo and the chairs. “Then why not just do what he said?”
She pressed her lips together. “Because this is my channel. It’s my name and my brand. I’m pushing out of my comfort zone by being here, but I’m not willing to compromise or change who I am just to fit in with these guys. I want this, Beck, don’t get me wrong. But I’m not willing to sell myself to get it.”
Beckett’s hands dropped to his side, and then he slowly brought them up to rub her arms just as she had a moment ago. While she’d had to rub briskly to work up heat, he was able to create fire with a brush of his fingertips. Her body wanted to lean towards him, lean into him, to settle into his arms and just stay there for a while. This whole situation pushed her beyond the confines of her in-home studio. She hated that she felt vulnerable. Sure, she’d put on a tough face for Mr. Hayes, but in reality, she was just doing her best in a new situation.
Instead of falling into Beckett, she rocked back on her heels. “I’m going to scout a new location.”
He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I’ll hang out here in case the suit comes back.”
Daisy ran her hand over her curls, making sure they hadn’t fallen out when her cheeks steamed. “It’s not all his fault, Beck. He’s trying his best at his job, just like I’m trying my best at mine.”
Beckett frowned.
“What?”
“You’re too nice.”
Her soul lifted at the compliment that wasn’t meant as a compliment. “There’s no such thing,” she said before making her way around the store. There were a few shoppers, all men, who zeroed in on what they wanted, checked size, and headed for the cashier. Oh, that shopping were that simple.
Most of the guys had a decent understanding of how to dress to impress, but there was one man who came in wearing a shirt that fit like a tent. He was heavier, but he didn’t need to wear a larger garment. His tall forehead shone with sweat. He glanced between two mannequins, his frustration evident in the slope of his shoulders.
Daisy headed his direction, ready to take her mind of her own problems and maybe get some insight into the male shopper. “Hello.”
He threw up a hand to stop her from getting any closer. “I’m fine.”
Daisy paused for a moment, unsure how to respond. She cleared her throat. “Are you looking for a shirt?”
He ignored her as he fumbled to hang a button-up shirt back on the rack. The metal clanked and clicked loudly in the muted atmosphere.
Daisy picked up an extra-large in baby blue. “This color would do amazing things with your eyes.” She held it under his chin and he didn’t back away. “I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you have the deepest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Like a clear summer day.” They weren’t at all like Beckett’s blue eyes. His were ice blue with soft flecks of gray and seemed to hold the whole world inside. When she looked into Beckett’s eyes, she felt all warm and chocolatey mixed with the sensation of falling off a cliff.
“I-I don’t mind.” He folded his arms and then dropped them and then folded them again.
“Are you shopping for a special occasion?”
“Job interview.”
“Oh, in that case, you’ll want to get the navy shirt.” She switched out the baby blue for the darker blue. “Navy is linked to intelligence and wisdom, and as a bonus, it will make your eyes pop.”
He offered a small smile. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
The stranger lifted his chest. “I’m going to do it. I’m going to buy this shirt.”
“Wonderful.” Daisy grinned at his exuberance. That was exactly why she loved helping people feel confident. Maybe the guy would get the job and improve his life. Maybe he wouldn’t—but for this moment, he felt good about who he was, and that was pretty darn cool.
“Miss Covington?” Mr. Hayes approached slowly. He looked back and forth between her and the customer. “May I have a word?”
“Of course.” Daisy smiled at the newly confident shopper. “Good luck with your interview.”
He held up the shirt. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” She followed Mr. Hayes into the racks of pants, where he stopped.
“It appears I was misinformed.” He cleared his throat, clearly not used to having to apologize. “You’re welcome to film anywhere you like.”
Daisy checked her grin. “Thank you. I’m quite taken with the green wall near the changing rooms.” Green was a color of safety. She pressed her palm against her belly button. Her stomach still hadn’t settled into taking her channel on the road. And then there was Beckett. He was worse to shop with than Quinton. At least Quin trusted her judgment. Beck acted like she was the devil trying to tempt him into a fiery furnace. She wondered if he could learn to trust her or if this whole makeover was going to be a battle.
Chapter Nine
Beckett circled the casual clothing twice, looking for a shirt that wouldn’t cost him the shirt off his back. Right after he had that thought, he heard the wha-wha noise in his head … the one Vivian played when Daisy made a bad joke. Sheesh, he’d been hanging out with these two too long. They were rubbing off on him, and not in a good way.
Daisy was talking to some guy on the other side of the floor, holding up shirts. She wasn’t flirting, just being her natural, happy self. He wondered if the guy had asked for her opinion or if she just handed it to him. He really needed to have the “stranger-danger” talk with her. Someone should have had that talk with her already.
Vivian made her way over, her eyes on the camera screen.
He flicked a price tag, feeling edgy and not knowing why. “Where are the clothes made?” Beckett asked Vivian.
“South America.” Vivian shut down the camera and secured it in the case.
He put up both his hands. “I’m not trying on shirts made by children.”
Vivian barely looked at him while she talked. Her hands moved in and out of the camera bag with practiced speed. “The company is all about improving the standard of living in areas around the factory, paying fair wages, and hiring children is against their company creed. Which is kind of an impressive document.”
Beckett chewed his lip. “Did Daisy know all this before we came here?”
“Of course. That’s why we chose this place. She worked the phones all day yesterday to get this set up. It’s a good thing she’s got a lawyer on retainer; otherwise this would have cost more to put together than we’re raising for FreeWater.”
After Kelly’s reaction to Daisy’s offer to help raise awareness and money for FreeWater, Beckett was intrigued that she’d taken her little channel to such a high level of popularity. However, the way Vivian talked, EveryDayGlam! was a business. “Lawyer?”
“Yeah—you’d be surprised how many people
pirate Daisy’s videos and sell cheap versions of her lip balm … and then there’s the sponsor contracts—those are a minefield.”
“This is insane.” Beckett went to run his hands through his hair before he remembered it was back in the dreaded man bun. Daisy made a face when he’d pulled his hair back. He liked seeing her nose wrinkle. “All for makeup and hair tips to address first-world problems.”
“Hang on.” Vivian stepped into his personal space. Tiny lines formed around her mouth and her jaw was hard. “Daisy may not be saving the world by your definition, but it’s because of her I get to be Mom—on my terms. Before that, I was living on my ex-husband’s terms, handing Jason over to a stranger so I could make money to pay for his online gaming.” A puddle’s worth of tears gathered on Vivian’s lower lashes, threatening to fall. Her voice grew lower. “Daisy changed my world. Don’t you dare say a bad word about what she does.”
“I wouldn’t. I—didn’t mean it like that.” Beckett swallowed the bitter taste of regret for having made light of the channel. “I was just surprised. I remember when she first started. Quinton and I used to make jokes about her channel. And now … Now she’s big-time.” And he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that. He was happy that Daisy succeeded where so many had failed, but the idea that she put herself in front of millions of people, and allowed them into her life, was overwhelming.
Vivian chuckled humorlessly. “I get kind of defensive. My ex used to call her Little Miss Priss. Man, I really hate that I married him.”
Beckett patted her shoulder. “I hate that too.” If he had only seen the look in Jason’s eyes when he saw Beckett for the first time, Beckett could have hated him for that. But knowing that the guy made fun of Daisy gave him twice as many reasons to never want to cross paths with Vivian’s ex.
A laugh burst out of Vivian. “At least we can agree on that.” She swiped under her eyes.
Daisy landed next to him. The woman bounded around like the Easter Bunny. Must be those fruit smoothies she has for breakfast.
“Let’s set up by the green wall. Aaaaaaaand—” She spun in a circle. “I want to use that mannequin in the background and those white leather chairs for me and Beckett.”
“I think you’ll be standing most of the time. But the white will break up the green wall nicely. I’ll do a quick screen test to see if you disappear in front of the chair.”
Daisy looked down at her white, knee-length skirt and lightweight cardigan. “I’m so glad I have you.”
“Me too.” Vivian shot Beckett a meaningful look.
He pretended not to notice. Being involved in Daisy’s channel rubbed him the wrong way. He’d never been a big-business kind of guy, much to his father’s disappointment. And he liked the Daisy he grew up with, a lot. He’d liked her a lot. A whole lot more than he’d ever told Quinton.
That’s why being near her was all so difficult. Feelings from long ago continued to rise to the surface, where they mingled with feelings that were not at all innocent. Together, the concoction was lowering his inhibitions. He would never have agreed to this whole makeover thing if Daisy hadn’t been involved.
Daisy picked up the mannequin she’d indicated earlier, the one wearing a pair of khaki pants and a pale gray polo shirt, and danced with him. She glanced over her shoulder at Beckett and dipped her lightweight partner.
What a ham.
Beckett debated asking to cut in. He would hold Daisy close and spin her around the clothing racks and she’d laugh—that beautiful, melodic sound that was sweeter than fresh honeycomb. Just like when they were kids and they’d link hands and spin circles to see how fast they could go before they both fell over.
He stepped forward just as Mr. Hayes appeared, his arms full of clothes on hangers. “I thought you might like to try these shirts. They’re from our Rugged Man collection.”
Daisy set the mannequin down with a mask of seriousness—as if she hadn’t been goofing off only moments before. She fingered the fabric, asking questions about the construction and design, and Beckett watched the girl he’d known morph into a savvy business woman.
She was cute and fun when she played, but Daisy was downright hot when she was all business. He had the strangest urge to buy a leather jacket and be the bad boy in her life. He could get a motorcycle—a big, black Harley with lots of chrome. He really liked the idea of Daisy holding on tight and leaning into the curves with him.
Who was he kidding? He didn’t need a leather jacket—he was the bad boy, the love ’em and leave ’em type. He hadn’t had a serious relationship in years because no woman could compete with his job.
He studied the floor, ashamed that he even considered the possibility of a future that included him and Daisy together. Her life was here, and his life was … everywhere. She deserved better than a man who dropped in every couple months. He knew all that—knew it right down to his bones. What he didn’t know was why that guy sounded so darn smart and why he suddenly wanted to be that man for her.
Chapter Ten
EveryDayGlam! Beauty Tip
Frown lines, often called the “11” wrinkles because of their shape between the eyebrows, don’t have to get you down.
One of the top reasons wrinkles form is because of dehydration. Drinking 8 8-oz. cups of water a day will help keep your skin looking plump. On top of drinking enough water, use a hydrating facial wash. You can cleanse with coconut oil, or try the rose water cleanser below for an extra level of hydration that will turn that frown upside down.
Chapter Eleven
EveryDayGlam! Beauty Tip
Rose Water Facial Cleanse
Combine five drops of extra virgin olive oil and five drops of rose water in the palm of your hand.
Apply to your face, gently moving in an upward motion. Allow the oil to set for one minute. Use another cotton ball to gently wipe away the excess. Rinse your face with warm, clean water and pat away the extra moisture and your frown.
Daisy and Vivian dropped Beckett off at the house. It was on the way to Vivian’s and she had the feeling he needed some alone time after being poked and prodded, dressed and re-dressed all day. He’d been a good sport about trying on a dozen shirts and letting Daisy explain to the camera why each one didn’t fit before they found one that did. He was as natural as he could be in front of the camera, but the tightness around his eyes betrayed his inner discomfort at being her personal Ken doll.
They had way more footage than they needed and Vivian wanted to upload it to her computer to edit. She had more storage space on her hard drive, but Daisy’s internet was faster, so they would upload to MyHeartChannel from Daisy’s first thing in the morning.
“How do you think it went today?” Daisy flipped on her turn signal and maneuvered into the left-hand lane. They had another day of shopping coming up and she wanted to streamline the process.
“Fine.” Vivian fiddled with the air conditioning vents.
“I’m thinking of going to the store on my own and setting things aside before we film. That should save us an hour, maybe two.”
“Beckett will like that.”
Something in Vivian’s voice, a hint of sarcasm or perhaps even venom, caught Daisy by surprise. “Why do you say that?”
“He was down on the whole thing and your channel.”
“He was?” Daisy wracked her brain to think of anything Beckett had said or done to get this kind of negative reaction out of Vivian.
“He thinks it’s all superficial and said something about you focusing on first-world problems.” Vivian recounted her conversation with Beckett at the store.
“I can’t believe he said that.” Daisy sat back in the driver’s seat, needing the support after hearing that Beckett thought her show was a joke. He hadn’t said as much, but Vivian painted a clear picture of his disdain for her “lipstick and hair tips.”
His barb hit a spot on her pride she didn’t know existed. Of course she was proud of what she did on her show. New, positive comments posted c
ontinually. And just yesterday she received an email from Syndey from Sydney Says It All thanking her for her upside-down ponytail tutorial. She adored Sydney’s dating advice. Not that she’d used much of it lately. Men tended to think she was looking for an excuse to end the evening early when she said she had to go to bed by ten so she could be up at five-thirty to go to work. It didn’t help that she had a rule against dating fans. The few times she’d bent the rule, she’d come away feeling like a trophy selfie or something they’d conquered.
Much like she felt now after hearing Beckett’s comments. Like what she did was cheap and of little worth.
“He said he was surprised that you’ve succeeded with your channel.” Vivian checked and double-checked her camera bag. “I think he’s been out of the country for too long.”
Daisy’s heart pulled tight inside her chest. She didn’t expect Beckett to watch each episode, but his attack came from the clear blue sky. “I thought he respected what we do.”
Vivian zipped up her bag with ferocity. “EveryDayGlam! is one of the most respected channels on all of MyHeartChannel. You do so much for the MyHeartChannel community and your fellow vloggers. Not to mention all the effort you’re putting in to help FreeWater. The exposure they’ve gained so far is worth thousands of dollars, and we already have enough money raised to film the next episode.”
EveryDayLove!: A MyHeartChannel Romance Page 6