“So, what you are worried about?”
“I’m not worried,” I denied.
“Bull. Try again.”
“I’m…I was…um…thinking. Wondering.”
“About Josh?”
“God, no.”
“Good, because he’s not worth another minute of your life.”
“He’s not worth my life? Then why am I going to this party again?”
She sat me down on the dining chair she’d pulled into my bedroom and started working on my hair. Her sister was a stylist and had taught her a million tricks, which explained why her natural curls never looked frizzy or unkempt even on windy or humid days.
I draped a towel over my chest and started with my makeup while she separated my hair into sections and pinned it up all over my head.
She waved the curling iron around to make her point. “To show whats-her-face that you’re okay. To rise above the mean little shits who seek to drag you down and be gracious in your good fortune.”
“Good fortune?”
“She’s settling for Josh. You’ve got Max,” she told me.
“I haven’t got Max,” I reminded.
“She doesn’t know that,” she said merrily.
“Tonight, you will go out there and enjoy yourself. Show her you’re doing just fine.” I saw a twinkle in her eye before she continued, “And if you happen to do a little canoodling with a guy about a million times hotter than Josh could be in his wildest dreams, well…”
“There will be no canoodling,” I shot back.
“And you wonder why I think of you as an old lady.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head with the expression of a disappointed mother.
“You’re assuming he’ll even want to canoodle with me. I told you, he agreed that we’d be friends.”
“Friends, my ass. Honey, when he sees you looking as good as you’re going to look when I’m finished with you, you’ll be lucky to make it to the party.” She winked at me in the mirror.
“I don’t think so.”
Her sigh echoed throughout the room. “What is it about Max that pushes you away like this? From what you’ve told me he’s funny and charming. And he swooped in to save you when Josh was being an insensitive asshole. I’m sorry, but I don’t know why you didn’t wake up in his bed this morning.
She doesn’t know I very nearly did.
“Well, I guess I’m just going to need to hang around here until he comes and find out for myself.”
“Don’t you dare,” I threatened.
She snorted with laughter. “If you don’t think I’m not gonna stick around to get a look at him, you’re insane.”
Mimi
I sighed. “Fine, but don’t say or do anything that will embarrass me.”
“I wonder why he’s still unattached.”
“Maybe he’s got a dead girl in his closet that he cuddles every night.”
“Don’t be silly. Maybe he’s been burned in the past. You know how that feels.”
“Or maybe he’s obsessed with his mother and no woman will ever measure up.”
She laughed. “He’s probably too busy for a relationship, or he’s waiting for someone as special as you to come along.”
“Or the truth. He’s a serial womanizer.”
“Not everything has to be so serious, Mimi. It’s okay for you to have a little fun, you know.”
“I can have fun without sex, thanks. Sex with Josh is what got me into this mess. I followed my sex drive and look where it got me.” I looked into my best friend’s eyes, reflected over my head. “Please, let me heal up a little before I get back out there, okay.”
“Of course. You do what feels good to you. I shouldn’t push you like I do. I just want you to be happy.”
I reach back and touch her hand. “I know you want what’s best for me.”
“I love you, Mimi.”
“I know. I love you too, Megan.”
She laughed. “Geez. How the hell did we get here?”
I laughed too. “No idea, but you know what would make me happy right now?”
“What?”
“A whole carton of chocolate ice cream and a pack of cigarettes.”
“You haven’t smoked since graduation.”
“It’s never too late to restart a bad habit. I have to do something for my nerves and I can’t chew on my nails since I just got them done.”
“Just relax and let me work my magic.”
And she did, curling and twisting and pinning until my hair was arranged in a curly mass on the back of my head. I couldn’t have done something like that in a million years—I’d have burns all over my fingers and a bird’s nest to show for it if I tried.
One thing I could do though was makeup. The smoky eye I gave myself looked pretty awesome with scarlet lips.
Megan was right, I thought as I stood up. I looked great. After the damage I did to my credit card with a manicure, pedicure, new dress, and purse, I damn well should. I’d be paying off my night out for a long time, but if I pulled this off with my pride intact, it would be worth it.
There was a little piece of me—maybe more than a little piece—that wanted to make Josh sorry for what he’d done. I wanted him to look at me tonight and regret cheating on me.
“Thanks, Megan,” I said touching my hair. “You’re like a real-life unicorn. Just too good to be true.”
She made an exaggerated bow.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Three minutes later than when you asked me last time,” she muttered, as she cleaned up our mess.
“God, I’m nervous,” I said, laying my hand on my stomach.
“There’s nothing to be nervous about. You look stunning.”
I slid my feet into her five-inch, pencil-thin heels and did a little tour of my bedroom to acclimate myself. “I have butterflies.”
“Get over it,” she said without turning around.
“Maybe it’s nausea.”
She whirled. “Don’t throw up on the shoes, or I swear to God our friendship is over.”
“I’m glad to know where I fall on your list of priorities.” I sat down, my knees like jelly. “I can’t believe this has me so worked up. I wish I hadn’t run into them that day. I wish Max hadn’t interfered. I could have just turned them down and that would have been that.”
“And what would you be doing tonight instead?” She sat beside me, patting me on the knee.
“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be ready to throw up on your shoes. That much I know for sure.”
“You’re going to a fabulous party, instead,” she said firmly. “With a guy who makes you laugh. If nothing else, you will have a great time together. Forget the reason you’re even there. Just have fun.”
I looked out the window nervously. “What’s the weather like outside?”
“And now I’m a meteorologist,” she muttered, checking an app on her phone. “It’s chilly. Clear. No rain, thank God. I didn’t do your hair for nothing.”
“What time is it now?” I got up, pacing.
“It’s almost eight. He’ll be here any minute. Would you please calm down?”
“I don’t know what it is,” I admitted. “All of Lillian’s friends probably know who I am. They know Josh and I were sleeping together. What if they start something with me?”
“You’ll call me and I’ll get there and kick some ass,” she growled. “But I don’t think it will come to that. This isn’t a revenge story.”
“I hope not.”
“Besides, you won’t be alone. Max knows what’s up. He’ll protect you. I just have a feeling about him.”
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. The sound of the bell must have triggered my bladder since I had to pee all of a sudden, but I didn’t dare leave Megan alone with Max—I didn’t trust her mouth. She scrambled to her feet to answer while I checked my reflection once more.
“Hi,” I heard Max say, surprise in his voice. “I’m here for Mimi.”
She didn’t reply rig
ht away. I turned to see why and instantly understood. He took my breath away, too. Something deep in the pit of my body roared to life, while I pressed my lips together to contain the helpless groan that threatened to slip out of my mouth. I started rethinking my “no sex” rule then and there.
Mimi
I couldn’t have described him in all his glory if I tried for a week. There just weren’t words in the English language, to describe the aura that seemed to surround him. Gorgeous, sexy, debonair—I could have gone on and on, but it wouldn’t have been nearly enough.
All I could do was admire how majestic he looked in his black suit, the collar of his white shirt open at the throat just like it had been that night on the front steps. He wore a black trench coat with a gray scarf that matched his steely eyes. How were other men at the party going to cope with all this masculine perfection?
His eyes shifted from Megan to me, and I wondered if I imagined them widening just a little bit.
“Wow,” he breathed.
Every cell in my body tingled at that single sound, that one-syllable word coming from his mouth. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand to attention. A shiver ran through me as his eyes took me in from head to toe.
“Do I pass muster?” I murmured.
He didn’t say a word. He just kept staring.
“So, I’m Megan,” my best friend said, still standing at the door. “Nice to meet you.”
“Oh!” Max chuckled, then shook her hand. “It’s good to meet you. Max Black.”
“I know,” she said, sounding a little giggly. I told myself that couldn’t be her. She was the most together person I knew. Men didn’t make her giggle like that. I rarely made her giggle and I was her best damn friend.
“Well, this is great, but I think we should go. We don’t want to miss the effigy I’m sure Lillian and her friends are burning in my honor.”
I pulled my coat from the rack, and Max was by my side in a moment to help me put it on. Did I imagine his hand lingering on my shoulder? It felt pretty good, imaginary or not.
“I’ve got your back,” Max assured me. “Nobody’s burning you in effigy while I’m around.”
“I feel so much better now,” I joked, but when I looked at him—we were a bit closer in height, thanks to Megan’s shoes—he wasn’t smiling. He meant it. For once, he was being dead serious.
Megan went into the bedroom to get her things together, leaving me alone with Max for a moment. He looked me up and down again. “Speaking strictly from the friend zone, you look incredible,” he said softly.
I felt myself blushing all over and couldn’t meet his gaze. The tightening in my chest and core were too much. “You don’t look so bad yourself,” I said awkwardly. Boy, what an understatement. There should be an award for understatements like that.
“I clean up all right,” he shrugged. “But you…”
“You know, you’re starting to make me wonder how bad I look the rest of the time,” I whispered with a wink.
His eyes gleamed. “I remember what you looked like last night.”
I swallowed hard. My decision to stay away from him after tonight was already flying into the danger zone. “Huh, trust you to only remember that.”
“Oh, no. I remember all the way back to the night we met.”
My heart skipped a beat when I heard the intimate tone of his voice. Was I kidding myself? Because he was sounding like he was really into me. Unless it was just his technique. I stared into his eyes. I wanted to make a joke. Say something funny, break the tension, but I was completely tongue-tied.
“All right, kids. Have fun,” Megan said, putting on her coat as she walked through the living room. She was not looking at either of us. I could already imagine what was going on in her head. I might as well clear a huge chunk of tomorrow to make time for the marathon phone call we’d have.
“We’re out of here too. We’ll take the elevator together,” Max suggested. I almost wished he’d let her go since I suddenly wanted to be alone with him. I wanted him to look at me the way he had when he first saw me, as I tingled and shivered and felt warm all over. I decided my credit card could handle the damage if it meant him looking at me that way.
The three of us left the apartment and walked down the hall. Max chatted with Megan. Once she got over that first surge of blood to her brain at the sight of him—I knew how that went since I felt the same way when I saw him in that suit and coat—she more than held her own. As always, she was witty and funny and interesting. I wished I could be like her.
Still, even though he talked with her, his hand was on my elbow as we left the building.
“Have a great night,” Megan called out. I threw a glance her way as I climbed into the limo—yes, another limo—and she gave me two thumbs up. Then, when Max wasn’t looking, she fanned herself and while rounding her eyes and panting. I rolled my eyes and the limo pulled away from the curb.
“She seems nice,” Max said with a smile.
“She’s the best.” But I wasn’t smiling. It hit me harder than ever that we were heading into the belly of the beast. I hoped it wouldn’t be as bad as I kept imagining it.
“You’ll be fine,” he said, reading my mind. His hand touched mine, tentatively at first. When I didn’t pull away, his fingers closed over mine and squeezed, gently. A lightning bolt traveled up my arm and all through my body. “We’ll have a good time.”
“I hope you’re right,” I breathed, my heart racing. I told myself it was only nerves and not his touch.
Mimi
Max held his hand out to help me out of the limo. He didn’t let go when we stood nearly eye-to-eye.
“I didn’t realize how tall you are,” he said softly.
“It’s the shoes, of course.”
He leaned forward just the smallest bit, and for one breathless moment, I thought he was going to kiss me right there on the sidewalk, but of course, he didn’t and I couldn’t help the jab of disappointed that filled my heart.
We turned to face the hotel. The red-carpeted steps leading to gold-trimmed doors reeked of glamor and luxury. That was exactly why I was surprised that Josh was holding his party here.
Doormen nodded at Max and he nodded back. “Have you ever been here before?” Max asked as we walked up the steps.
“Never. This is a little high-rent for my taste.”
“You live in a high-rent area.”
“My grandmother did,” I reminded him, as the bellmen inside started spinning the heavy revolving doors.
“Of course,” he said smoothly as he joined me inside.
“Thank you, Mr. Black,” the bellman said, as Max slipped him a tip.
“I guess that means you’ve been here before?” I said.
“A few times,” Max replied, sounding like it was no big deal. Right. No big deal, indeed. I almost fell over when I looked around and saw what we’d just walked into.
“Jeez, Louise,” I whispered, looking around. It was pure indulgence with marble everywhere, the lofty ceiling had a mural of blue skies and cherubs. Even the post box was gilded in gold with a stunning carving of an eagle perched on the top of it.
Max snorted. “Do people still say that?”
“I just did.” I ignored his attitude and feasted my eyes on the marble floors, the high ceilings, gold trimmed everything. The chandeliers sparkled, the floors shone. It was like stepping into a palace. I realized I’d stopped dead in my tracks and felt embarrassed. “I’m like a country bumpkin,” I muttered.
He smiled indulgently. “It’s sorta cute.”
“I’m not going for cute tonight,” I reminded him.
He took my arm. “No, you’ve gone for ravishing and nailed it.”
“I still feel like I’m in way over my head all of a sudden,” I admitted.
“Why? Because of all this?” He waved a dismissive hand as we walked slowly in the direction of the elevator. “Don’t let this get to you. It’s just a place. Anybody with enough money can rent a ballroom
for the night. So what?”
“So, I’m not used to things like this. Especially not when I’m going to my ex’s engagement party.”
“Stop thinking of him as your ex,” Max advised, and he wasn’t joking for once. “He’s one of your managers. You work with him. That’s it.”
“Okay, you’re right. I have to change my mindset.”
“Besides, I’m the one you should be focusing in on tonight,” he reminded me.
“Huh?” We stepped into the elevator. I was glad we were the only two in there.
“I’m your boyfriend, remember?” He flashed one of his patented sexy smirks and my stomach did a slow flip-flop.
“Oh, right. Damn it, I forgot all about that.”
He grinned. “You’re breaking my heart, baby.”
I grinned back. “I can’t help it if you’re a forgettable person.”
He snapped his fingers, looking rueful. “And I thought my grandpa keeps forgetting my name because he’s senile. Now I know better.”
I shook my head. It was impossible to stay serious when I was with him, but I needed to be serious just then. “What should we do now? I mean, how should we act?”
“Like we’re in love,” he murmured, and I gasped softly when I felt his hands on my waist. He pulled me in just a little, just until our bodies touched. His eyes searched my face before locking with mine. I couldn’t breathe. All the air left the wood-paneled elevator car. The doors would open and they’d find me passed out on the floor. Or dead, because my heart stopped. Either way, there would be one less person at the party. Josh could use the money I saved him to buy a wreath for my funeral.
“Right. We’re in love. We’re in love.” My voice shook a little when I spoke.
“Careful,” he whispered with a sly smile. “Say that enough times, and it could come true.”
My heart skipped a beat. “I could never be in love with a man who enjoys running. I’m sorry.”
When the doors opened, we were both laughing. That was a good start, I decided. We looked like a happy couple.
We stepped into the ballroom together, and I was successful in holding back my utter amazement. The vaulted ceiling was dappled with big, fluffy clouds and dotted with gorgeous, golden chandeliers that cast their glamorous light over the room.
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