A Tiara Under the Tree

by Carolyn Hector

  “I’m good, man,” Dominic said, avoiding the root of Dario’s questioning. “Business is great. Alisha’s coming around to being a responsible adult.”

  “He’s referring to you and Waverly,” Alisha informed Dominic.

  Dominic stood against the island bar. “Thanks,” he replied with a sarcastic smirk.

  “Waverly isn’t your typical girl,” Dario noted.

  “What is his typical girl?” Darren asked, coming into the room. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the counter. “I always assumed he was going to marry a car.”

  “What?” Dominic twisted off the cap of his beer and took a sip. “I’ve dated plenty of women in my lifetime.”

  The three siblings shared a questioning look and then started laughing.

  Dominic shook his head. “Just because the women I dated didn’t land me in jail,” he said, looking at Dario and then at Darren, “or get me hauled into the disciplinary action committee at school, doesn’t mean I didn’t date.”

  His brothers had the decency to look ashamed. Dario had a penchant for dating women who loved to cause a scene. The last one his girlfriend caused was at a restaurant Dario stupidly thought would be a safe place to break up with her.

  “Hey,” Dario said, defending himself. “I was trying to back out of getting her something for Valentine’s Day. I didn’t want her to read too much into our relationship.”

  Darren laughed. “Yeah, but you forgot it was her birthday on the day you decided to break up with her.”

  Dominic shook his head. “Clearly I’ve failed you two.”

  “Okay, fine,” Dario said, “you ‘dated’ women in the past.” He used air quotes around the word dated. “You’ve never brought a woman home to meet us.”

  “Technically you guys are in my house.”

  “Dominic, lead by example,” said Alisha. “Tell them how serious this relationship is.”

  “She’s special.” Dominic didn’t argue. Instead he told his family about the complications with dating someone on the verge of trying to become Miss Georgia. As he spoke he felt stupid...as if he were saving himself. His brothers, who used to look at him with adoration, now looked at him with pity. “I’m fine with the way things are.”

  “If you say so.” Dario drained his beer. “Couldn’t be me.”

  “Don’t let him fool y’all into believing he’s not doing anything with Waverly,” Alisha blurted out. “Every night his car’s been parked in my visitor’s space, yet today is the first day I’ve seen him.”

  “Alisha,” Dominic huffed.

  Alisha shrugged. “What? They’re looking at you with such pity.”

  “It’s not pity,” said Darren. “I just don’t want to see you falling into the same trap Mom fell into when our father was alive.”

  When Dominic was twelve, his mother went through a rough patch of depression. He didn’t know what it was, but he figured she might have taken it hard when John left. Dominic didn’t have too long to wonder what it meant; he was too busy making sure the twins and Alisha were taken care of. “What trap?”

  “Oh, come on, you know how she never dated, either,” said Darren.

  Dominic never thought he would be in the same boat as their mother. He dated women. His siblings just didn’t know. But it did make him wonder if he was letting Waverly’s dream put their future in the back seat.

  Alisha scratched her chin. “You’re right. Mom is very attractive.” She flipped her hair off her shoulders. “Everyone always says how much we look alike. I know how many men hit on me when I go out—I can only imagine how it is with her.” All three Crowne men stopped and stared at their sister. Alisha flicked her hand at them. “But carry on.”

  A few months ago, Will had tried to warn Dominic about the same thing. Waverly’s quest for the title kept her busy. But things were what they were and he understood. “Look, I’m not going to discuss my relationship with you all.”

  “No one is asking you to,” Dario and Darren chimed together.

  Dominic’s cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He wondered if it was Waverly. The clock on the stove behind Dario said it was after five.

  “We just don’t want you to fall to the wayside,” said Dario. “You’re no spring chicken.”

  Dominic flipped his brother the middle finger while he checked his phone.

  Running a pageant-worthy errand with my mom; running late.

  Dominic swiped the screen and drained his beer. It irritated him she broke a promise. He second-guessed himself. Who was he to stand in her way? But he made a mental note; this might be strike one for her. Dominic loved Waverly but he wasn’t going to be strung along. “All right, guys, are we ready to get this decorating thing done?”

  Confused, Alisha shook her head. “I thought we were waiting for Waverly?”

  “Pageant duty calls,” Dominic said, walking out of the kitchen.

  Chapter 11

  The moment Waverly entered Crowne’s Garage the next day, she knew something was wrong. Alisha greeted her as usual, but upon entering Dominic’s office, he scowled. Guilt washed over her for not getting over to his place last night for the tree trimming with his family, but his final text before she stopped hearing from him said that he understood.

  “Hey, babe.” Dominic wiped his hand over his face to fix his frown. He set his phone down on top of his car desk and came around to wash his hands before greeting her, as he always did. Waverly sidestepped him and stood in front of the bathroom.

  “Stop.” She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. “You don’t have to wash up before you touch me.”

  “I don’t want to get grease on you and your white outfit,” said Dominic. He dipped his head down and kissed the tip of her nose. “Hang on.” He slipped into the bathroom and soaped up.

  “It’s cream. And what if I wanted you to grease me up?” Waverly teased.

  Dominic cast a glance over his shoulder. Waverly bit her bottom lip. Any ounce of worry disappeared the moment Dominic’s hands cupped her face and he pressed his lips against hers. “I missed you,” Waverly breathed.

  “You look thin,” said Dominic, pulling his arms around her waist. Waverly loved being in this spot. If possible, she’d stay here forever.

  “I haven’t been away from you that long.”

  “If you say so. What have you been up to?”

  “I’ve been with my mother on a marathon push to garner support for the runoff this week.” Waverly pressed her hands against the buttons of his dark blue coveralls. “What car have you been working on? I didn’t see anything out there.”

  “The twins helped with the cars for the parade, so they’ve moved out of here.” Dominic nodded and stepped backward. “I just sold the Packard.”

  A cracking sensation gripped Waverly’s heart. Images of Dominic’s rain-soaked skin flashed through her mind like a series of lightning strikes. “What?”

  They both had the same thought about the old vehicle. As unromantic as it might sound to others, the Packard held sentimental value. Dominic nodded. “I couldn’t pass up the offer.”

  Waverly managed to nod. This was his profession. He rebuilt cars and sold them to the highest bidder. “I understand.”

  “No, you don’t.” Dominic chuckled and tipped her chin up. Behind him, his phone buzzed from the top of a stack of papers. He stepped back to grab it and swiped the phone, then cursed. “I’m going to kill whoever is doing this.”

  Waverly stepped over to the Dominic’s desk. “What?”

  He held the phone for her to see. Another meme. This one was from the cookie contest at the local elementary school. Someone took a photograph just outside the cafeteria when Dario and Darren grabbed Anson and Dominic’s hands were still around the mayor’s throat. Waverly’s hands were trying to pry betwe
en them on one side of the scuffle and Vera stood on the other with her hands over her face. The caption read Beauty Queen Knockout and changed Waverly’s jacket to a Pink Ladies jacket and swapped the boys’ tops for black T-shirts with T-Birds written on the back.

  “This is crazy,” Waverly said, seething. “Now they’re dragging you guys into this?”

  “I don’t recall anyone being outside,” said Dominic. “Not that I’m excusing my actions.”

  “Everyone was inside.” Waverly chewed her bottom lip. Her heart pounded in her ears as Dominic stared at her. She feared his next words. Getting his brothers involved in her drama was inexcusable. They didn’t ask to be brought into this. Like beauty pageants, colleges held their students to a code of ethics outside campus. Waverly had seen enough news reports about fraternity brothers behaving badly and getting kicked out of school. She’d placed the twins’ educations in jeopardy. “Dominic, I’m so sorry. Your brothers must hate me. Tell Dario and Darren I’ll talk to their school board and explain everything. This isn’t their fault,” she rambled, but Dominic came over and cradled her in his arms.

  “Waverly, I’m not worried about their school and neither are they.”

  “They should be.” Waverly sobbed into his chest as he stroked her hair.

  “Waverly, you have a stalker.”

  Blood cold, Waverly stopped crying. Panic set into her system. Images of murder victims flashed through her mind, with cut-out magazine letters pasted in cryptic words next to their lifeless bodies. She blinked in disbelief. Surely she would know if she had a stalker. She had no letters, no cut-off Barbie doll heads. “Oh, please, this is probably one of Vera’s tricks”

  “Except Vera is in the photos with you for a few of these.”

  “I’m not going to be scared into giving up my spot. I’ve come too far,” Waverly vowed.

  * * *

  “With everything going on, are you sure you want to do this?”

  Waverly glanced up from the makeup chair backstage of the Trustees Theater in Savannah and glanced into the mirror at Zoe Baldwin, now creative design director at Ravens Cosmetics, slipping her blush brush into the front pocket of her smock. Titus did not work out for Ravens and the company had to let him go. Last Waverly heard, he was doing makeup web tutorials. The engagement ring on Zoe’s left hand blinded Waverly for a moment and reminded her that one day she hoped to have a rock like that. A streak of jealousy washed over Waverly. She wanted to be engaged. She wanted to marry Dominic one day. And she was sure he wanted to marry her. So she had, what? Two more years, if things went according to plan?

  “Everything I’ve worked for,” Waverly began, “all starts here.”

  Mayor Anson insisted that, since she represented Southwood, he needed to be at the runoff. He stood in the doorway with a dozen roses. “Yes, I understand.” Anson nodded, but Waverly didn’t believe him. “And I want you to know if you don’t win today...”

  “Excuse me?” Waverly and Zoe, as well as Jillian from her corner of the dressing room, chorused. Jillian set her magazine down and crossed the dressing room in her gold jumpsuit like she’d walked the stage back in the day.

  “Anson?” Jillian cooed. “We all have faith in you as a future congressman. Why would you question Waverly’s chances?”

  “Sorry.” Anson half smiled in apology. The two of them got along so well. For all Anson’s attempts to show off Vera as his girlfriend, he certainly fell into Jillian’s matchmaking attempts. If her mother had things her way, Anson would eventually be governor and Waverly, a former Miss Georgia, would be his wife. “I just want to be realistic. Waverly knows whatever the outcome, I’m proud to have her representing my city.”

  The last time Anson gave a pep talk to Waverly about her future as a beauty queen, he’d alluded to her not winning. Did he know something she didn’t? The Morality Committee sat on as judges and took in the responses from social media. Waverly had been in the lead with the most votes from the public for the longest time, but Vera received a push when the memes from the cookie contest painted Vera as a referee in another meme. Someone fixed the photograph to have Waverly’s hair teased up on top of her head and had her looking like Don King egging on her fighters, the Crownes.

  “Thanks, Mayor Ascot,” Dominic said, coming up behind the man. Dominic clapped Anson so hard on the shoulder, the mayor’s head rattled. “Leave.”

  “Mr. Crowne,” Jillian hissed, snaking her arm through the crook of Anson’s elbow. “Do you always have to verbally prove you’re from the wrong side of the tracks?”

  “Don’t forget a thug from the wrong side of the tracks,” Dominic quipped. Jillian, at a loss for words, scoffed. “Always a pleasure seeing you.” Dominic nodded as her mother reached for Anson’s arm to leave the dressing room.

  Waverly’s pulse raced as she laughed. From the wrong side of tracks or not, the man could definitely wear a suit. To most, it was just plain black. To Waverly, this was the same suit she’d gone with him to have tailored. Behind the privacy of the dressing room curtains at the tailor’s, Waverly and Dominic had shared another immoral moment together. Unlike the Packard, he was going to have to keep the suit and put it on at nighttime to seduce her, just as lingerie set the tone for men. Waverly licked her lips as her mother and Anson finally stormed out of the dressing room.

  “Waverly,” Zoe said, “you’re making my job too easy and too fun. Dominic, you’re too much.”

  “Thanks, Zoe,” Waverly said, watching Zoe pack up her makeup in the signature Ravens Cosmetics lavender box. “Have you and Will set a date yet?”

  “Yeah,” Dominic chimed in. “I need to know when to get the rest of our brothers together for one hell of a bachelor party.” He rubbed his hands together in mischief.

  Waverly crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “They could never party like the pageant scene, am I right?”

  With a shake of her head, Zoe gave Waverly a high five. “All right, let me go find my fiancé, Will.”

  Dominic pointed his thumb down the hall. “Last I saw, my brother was speaking with some cousins of his down the hall.”

  “Thanks,” said Zoe. She collected her box on the table in front of the mirror. “I’ll see you after the talent portion.”

  “Cool.”

  Zoe headed toward the door, patting Dominic on the shoulder on her way out. “See you in the audience. Will said you’re going to need a crew to keep you down in your seat during the swimsuit portion.”

  “Swimsuit?” Dominic repeated. He glared in Waverly’s direction with raised brows. “This is a runoff, correct?”

  “Here.” Zoe cleared her throat. “I believe you dropped this.”

  Waverly cocked her head to see what Zoe handed him. It looked like a cell phone but it was not his. Distracted by the swimsuit issue, Dominic slid it into the pocket of his black slacks. Zoe disappeared out the door.

  “Swimsuit, Waverly?”

  Waverly nibbled her lips, covered in pink Pageant Pleasures lipstick. “Didn’t I mention it?”

  “Didn’t I mention I don’t like to share?”

  The anger in his voice was real but not threatening. Waverly had purposely left out the swimsuit portion in her description, not knowing how he would respond. “It’s part of the pageant.”

  Dominic crossed the room. Waverly’s heart raced. He clamped his hands on either side of the arms of the chair and brought her face close to his. “You’re lucky I’m secure.”

  His lips hovered over hers, careful not to mess up her lipstick. Waverly shivered at the erotic warmth of his breath. Dominic traced the pale pink sweetheart neckline of her gown. Due to the untraditional runoff, Lexi was able to design a gown for Waverly that fit her curves perfectly.

  “Sorry to interrupt.”

  A deep voice entered the room and caused Dominic to growl before he stoo
d upright and turned around. Waverly leaned forward in her chair. Her eyes narrowed at the man in the doorway. He wore a pair of faded denim jeans, black boots and a white T-shirt, a page straight out of her history. “Johnny Del Vecchio?”

  At the mention of the name, Dominic turned his head toward Waverly. She shrugged.

  Johnny stepped farther into the room and closer to Waverly. Dominic crossed his arms over his chest. “All right. You got me.” Johnny laughed. “I am not sorry for interrupting. Johnny, Johnny Del Vecchio,” he said to Dominic.

  Dominic didn’t budge. Waverly didn’t expect him to. With Dominic’s suggestion that a stalker created the memes, the police chief interrogated Waverly about everyone she’d come across recently. The story of her being kicked out of the last pageant held in Savannah had been brought up, thanks to her mother.

  “You show up now?” Dominic adjusted his arms across his chest.

  “Yeah, I did, considering this was the place I saw Waverly,” said Johnny.

  “Relax, Dominic.” Waverly tugged the hem of Dominic’s black jacket. “I told you all before, he’s okay.”

  “The stalker thing?” Johnny asked. “It’s real?”

  “Of course it’s real,” Dominic barked. “What do you know?”

  “Nothing other than my lawyer mentioning it to me,” said Johnny. “The cops wanted to talk to me about you. You really have a stalker.”

  “Yes,” said Dominic.

  Waverly stood up and shook her head. Dominic didn’t budge to let her by. “It appears someone has been watching my moves and posting them to the web. You look...great, Johnny.” Waverly said. Dominic moved just enough to give her a questioning glance.

  “Actually I don’t look anything like a biker in my real job. I’m forced to wear a suit and tie every day.” Johnny laughed. “When I learned you’d be here for a pageant, I knew your mom would be around. I just wanted to irk her.”

  Muscles visibly relaxing, Dominic extended his hand for Johnny to shake. “Dominic Crowne.”