Calendar Girl

by Georgia Beers

  “That I am,” Addison said, and absently wondered what her stickler-about-sexual-harassment-issues mother would say if asked whether she still wanted Kehoe’s copious investment dollars even though he enjoyed putting his hands all over her daughter as if she were property. She didn’t have a chance to continue that train of thought, though, because anything coherent in her mind simply faded away right then, like morning fog being burned away by the sun. From where she stood with Kehoe, she was almost dead center of the largest room in the convention center, and she could see in every direction. The only direction that caught her eye, however, was the one that led to the open double entrance to the room. Walking through it was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen.

  The dress was black. Sleek. Showed enough skin to warrant a second glance. A third. Maybe a fourth.

  The hair was up. Elegant. Classy. Addison wanted to touch it, play with it, then mess it up.

  Katie was nervous. Addison could tell by the expression on her face: eyes slightly wider than usual. Smile there, but not quite genuine as she stood a few steps in and searched.

  Addison knew exactly who she was searching for.

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she said to Robert Kehoe, as she gently disentangled herself from his grasp. “Excuse me.” And she made her way across the room.

  She could tell exactly when Katie saw her because her face shifted from uncertain to relieved to…something else entirely. Katie’s brown eyes darkened as they ran over Addison’s form, seemingly on their own, something Addison decidedly did not hate. Katie’s throat moved as she swallowed, and she wet her lips.

  Addison stopped in front of her. “My God, you look gorgeous,” she said quietly, and meant every word.

  Katie flushed a pretty pink as she said, “I was going to say exactly the same thing about you. Wow. Red is definitely your color.”

  “You like it?”

  “Like it?” Katie glanced up at her and opened her mouth as if to say more, but then thought better of it. “Yes. I like it. Very much.” She made a show of looking around the room, then cleanly changed the subject. “There are so many people here. People I don’t know.”

  Addison found herself both relieved and disappointed by that. “Yes.”

  Katie moved closer to Addison and said, “Don’t leave me,” with a wink and a grin as she gripped Addison’s wrist.

  “Not a chance.”

  * * *

  Walking through that crowd of wealthy, successful people while at Addison’s side was…it was almost surreal to Katie. Like walking in a dream when your feet don’t feel like they’re actually touching the ground. Like you’re floating. She was out of her depth here, that was undisputed, but at the same time, being next to Addison made her feel strong somehow. Safe. Not something she’d felt with Addison before. In fact, she’d felt the opposite of safe with Addison since the moment they’d met, for the most part. But tonight? Tonight she felt safe, like there was no place she’d rather be. Like there was no place else she should be.

  Fact of the matter was, she had the most beautiful date in the place, hands down. God, could Addison turn heads—and she did. Her dress was fire engine red, with cap sleeves and a plunging V neckline. If Katie was worried about her own cleavage, then Addison must be scandalized by hers. Katie was. The V plunged almost to Addison’s belly button, and Katie absently wondered how she was keeping her breasts in place. Double-sided tape? Had to be. And all that skin was distracting, to say the least, but somehow, Addison looked nothing less than classy. Elegant. Her hair was partially pulled back, the rest hanging in gorgeous, soft-looking waves around her face and shoulders that made Katie’s fingers flex with a nearly uncontrollable urge to touch it, tug gently on it.

  As they strolled through the room, Addison stopped to greet various people. Many were sixty or older. Most were male and white, though there was an occasional woman who made it obvious by her confidence, her carriage, the way she commanded the attention of those around her that she was the one with the checkbook.

  “Addison!” one of those women said, as they approached. “It’s so good to see you. How are you?” She was tall and sophisticated, in a royal blue cocktail dress that made her blue eyes stand out, her silvery hair in an updo.

  “I’m terrific, Mia,” Addison said, as she leaned forward. They air-kissed like women on television. “How are you? And Frank? The kids?”

  “Everybody is just fine. Couldn’t be better.” Mia’s gaze moved to Katie.

  “This is my personal assistant, Katie Cooper. Katie, this is Mia Carver. She’s the founder of—”

  “Carver Financial,” Katie finished with a nod, as she held out her hand. She’d done her research just in case this exact situation cropped up. “So nice to meet you, Mrs. Carver.”

  “Please. Call me Mia. Mrs. Carver is my mother-in-law.”

  Mia and Addison exchanged a few more pleasantries and then Addison gently took hold of Katie’s elbow and they moved along. In the distance, Katie could see both Addison’s mother and sister. Meredith was deep in conversation with two couples, so Katie turned her attention to Addison’s little sister.

  Katrina looked beautiful, her dress black, her hair swept up like a wave of sunset. She turned to see them approach, and her smile grew wide. She held out a hand as they got closer and pulled Katie into a hug. “I’m so glad you came. I didn’t know Addison was bringing you. Are you having fun?”

  “I am,” Katie said honestly. “It’s…a lot.” She pursed her lips and scrunched them to the side, which made Katrina chuckle.

  “It definitely is.” She turned her attention to Addison as she asked, “Do you remember the first gala we came to with Mom?”

  “God, yes.” Addison’s blue eyes widened at the recollection. “We were so cocky.” They both laughed and Addison fixed her gaze on Katie, told her the story. “The three of us had all been put in our positions with F.E. and, frankly, we all kind of thought we were hot shit.”

  “We so did,” Katrina said with an eye roll.

  “And Mom had prepared us, told us that things would be formal, that there would be very important people here, and above all else, we were”—Katrina joined her as they said in tandem—“not to embarrass her.”

  “And?” Katie asked, thoroughly enjoying the banter between the sisters.

  “I spilled champagne on the CEO of a tech company,” Addison said, matter-of-factly.

  “I walked right into the dean of a prominent university while holding a plate of Swedish meatballs,” Katrina added.

  “And Jared hit on the daughter—and VP—of the head of the city’s largest bank.” That line came from Meredith as she joined them.

  “Truth,” Addison said. A server carrying a tray of champagne walked near them and Addison grabbed two flutes, handed one to Katie. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Addison,” Meredith said. Katie was struck by how very regal she always looked. Any time they’d met, even casually in Meredith’s office, Katie thought of her as incredibly polished and dignified and not a little bit intimidating. Tonight was no different. Her dress was a shimmering silver and draped off one shoulder. Her blond hair was styled simply but still looked elegant, and her entire body sparkled with diamond jewelry—chunky earrings, two huge rings, and a heavy-looking bracelet that somehow still came off as feminine. “I see you brought your assistant.” Her eyes landed on Katie, and while her smile seemed friendly, Katie bristled slightly at the tone she used on “assistant.”

  “I brought Katie,” Addison said, stressing her name. “Yes. Katie, you remember my mother?”

  “Of course.” Katie reached a hand out. “Always good to see you, Mrs. Fairchild.”

  “There’s James Lang over there,” Meredith said to Addison as she let go of Katie’s hand. “He’s been asking to speak with you.”

  Addison leaned toward Katie’s ear. “James Lang owns three complexes in another county and he’s been thinking about selling for a while now.”r />
  “Then go,” Katie told her, waving her away with a hand. “Go talk to him. I’ll be fine.”

  “I’ve got her,” Katrina said.

  Katie tried not to stare as Addison walked away from them. Not to stare at the triangle of bare back her dress left visible. Not to stare at the way the lights seemed to make her hair glimmer. Not to stare at that gentle sway of her hips as she moved. After a moment, she caught herself, blinked rapidly, and took too large a swallow of her champagne. When she glanced at Katrina, there was a smile on her face, and she knew she’d been caught.

  “So, Katie,” Katrina said, mercifully not mentioning the ogling. “Tell me what you’ve been doing for Addison. What tasks?”

  Meredith Fairchild standing so close made Katie nervous. She wasn’t sure why, as she’d spoken with her more than once. But there was something about her tonight that felt…different. Less friendly. When Meredith seemed to recognize somebody she wanted to talk to and excused herself, the wave of relief that washed through Katie surprised her in its intensity.

  “Don’t worry about her,” Katrina said quietly, near Katie’s ear. “Her bark is usually much worse than her bite.”

  “Usually?”

  Katrina grinned. “Usually. So, back to you. Do you enjoy working for Fairchild Rentals?”

  Again, as she had been the first time they’d met in Addison’s loft, Katie was struck by the differences between Katrina and Addison. They looked enough alike to be sisters, but Katrina was softer. She didn’t have the intimidation factor that Addison did…maybe she’d worked on that, since she ran a hospital. Katie imagined empathy was a necessary trait for such a job. Katrina had kind eyes and you immediately felt comfortable around her. Katie had no qualms whatsoever about talking to her.

  “I enjoy it now,” Katie said with a chuckle. “Not at first.”

  “She was giving you stupid stuff to do.”

  Katie nodded, surprised. “Did she tell you that?”

  “No. I just know my sister. She’s a bit of a control freak.” Katrina held her thumb and forefinger mere millimeters apart. “She doesn’t like to give up anything to anybody, even when it’s for her own good. She’s always been that way.”

  “How come?” It occurred to Katie that maybe her question was out of line. That maybe it was too personal, none of her business, and Katrina would tell her so. But she had the weirdest, strongest urge to know. To understand. Addison worked like a fiend, and from what Katie had seen over the past month or two, she didn’t have to. She had lots of help at her disposal. Lots of options.

  “I have theories,” Katrina said, her voice almost wistful. “Jared and I have talked about it a lot over the years.”

  “Jared’s your brother?”

  Katrina nodded. “He’s the youngest. I’m in the middle. Addie’s the oldest.”

  “Right.”

  “I think our mother was hardest on her, trained her early on that she had to be the best, no matter what. After all, my mother started her own company in a male-dominated field. She’d met just about every obstacle possible by then, and I think she wanted to prepare Addison early, so she’d be ready. Then, after Jared and I came along, she eased up, relaxed a bit in general, but Addison really didn’t. I think she equates her level of success with her worth to our mother.” She wrinkled her nose and looked at Katie.

  “That makes me sad,” Katie said, and she meant it. The idea of Addison basing her worth as a human on how successful she was at work was kind of heartbreaking.

  “Me, too. I’ve tried to talk to her about it, but she won’t listen.”

  “She’s definitely stubborn.”

  Katrina snorted. “You think? And once my mom retires and passes the torch along to Addie, she’ll never have a chance to slow down. She won’t let herself.”

  “I worry about her.” Katie said it quietly, actually didn’t mean to say it aloud at all, but Katrina heard.

  “You’ve been good for her.” At Katie’s furrowed brow, Katrina went on. “I’ve seen a bit of a change. Not huge, but a little bit of a softening. A little bit of a drop in her shoulders, a very subtle relaxation. For Addie? That is huge.” She studied Katie for a moment before adding, “I think you put her at ease.” They both noticed a man gesture to Katrina from several people away. “I need to go talk to this man,” she told Katie.

  And then she was alone.

  Meredith wasn’t far, but she was absorbed in conversation, and honestly, Katie found herself slightly uncomfortable around her for the first time. Rather than inch her way closer to that small group, Katie lifted her chin and did her best to project confidence and surety. She finished her champagne and set the empty flute on a table behind her, where it was almost immediately picked up by a member of the waitstaff. His cohort drifted by and offered her another, which she took. She sipped and scanned the room over the rim of her glass.

  People watching was something Katie had always enjoyed, even as a kid. She loved to come up with stories for other people in restaurants or stores or the library. Now her eyes traveled over all the sparkling, gorgeous colors, and for the first time since she’d arrived, she noticed the holiday decorations. An enormously beautiful Christmas tree decorated in twinkling white lights stood sentry in a corner. All the tables were lined with white lights and pine boughs. Wreaths hung on the walls, and when she cocked her head to listen, she picked up Christmas music being piped in at a very low volume. Her head began to bob, as if on its own, to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”

  She took another sip of her champagne as she continued her people watching, but her gaze was snagged just like a fish on a hook. There was Addison, directly across from her, talking with a very handsome man. He apparently said something funny and she laughed, tossed her head back and exposed her long, elegant throat for all to see. For Katie to see. The sound of that laughter carried across the room and Katie was reminded how wonderful it was, how rarely she heard it. From where she stood, the man’s dark hair looked thick and lustrous—and also like a gale force wind wouldn’t move it. His teeth were very white and every time he leaned closer to Addison, he put a hand on her upper arm.

  Katie felt her nostrils flare the second time he did it, but she immediately recognized the feeling as jealousy and shockingly inappropriate and did her best to tamp it down. Which didn’t work because, of course, she was jealous. Of course she was. They’d only had the one kiss, but God, the chemistry? They had it in crazy amounts. Nobody could make Katie feel literally weak in the knees with just a look from across the room the way Addison could. For about the millionth time, Katie wondered why Addison had never mentioned that kiss, but—also for the millionth time—she remembered that she had never mentioned it either and was just as much to blame for any feelings of incompleteness that resulted.

  Maybe it was time to talk about it.

  Was it? Or was it too late? She remembered thinking a while ago that she would just make it weird if she brought it up. That was still a valid concern, but…

  Was this the champagne talking?

  Maybe she should just casually touch on it… Oh, hey, Addison. Remember that time we made out in your office? Yeah, what was that anyway? And could we do it again? Because the sight of you in this red dress is…doing things to me. Naughty, naughty things…

  Yes. This was definitely the champagne talking.

  Katie looked at the glass she held, studied the golden liquid, watched the bubbles form and surface. Champagne is beautiful. It really is. So pretty.

  “God,” she muttered to herself. “I need to eat.”

  She set the champagne down right where she’d set the last one, and it was scooped up just as quickly, which made Katie stifle a giggle as she looked for some food.

  Which, it turned out, was everywhere. How had she not seen it? There was a huge table against one wall covered with hors d’oeuvres, and she got herself a plate and began filling it. A crab cake, many crackers topped with cheese, and three stuffed mushroom caps made
up her first course. She popped a cracker into her mouth and instantly felt better. As she reached for a napkin, she felt her. It was so weird, how she knew Addison was behind her before she even spoke.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice low, a little husky, and insanely sexy.

  Katie finished chewing, swallowed, gave herself a beat before responding. “For?”

  “I promised I wouldn’t leave you alone, and that’s exactly what I did not twenty minutes into this gathering.”

  Katie turned to face her and was once again unexpectedly hit by Addison’s beauty. God, it should be illegal for somebody to look like this. And her proximity; she was standing very much in Katie’s space. Which Katie didn’t mind even a tiny bit. Her stomach fluttered in the most pleasant of ways.

  Addison smiled hesitantly, obviously worried Katie was upset with her.

  Without thinking about it, Katie reached up with one hand and touched the side of Addison’s face, stroked it just once, tried not to notice how dark Addison’s eyes went. “No worries. I’m a big girl, and you have to mingle.” Removing her hand, she forced a chuckle. “I realized I hadn’t eaten when the champagne started to go right to my head.” And other places…

  And in that exact moment, Katie realized that she wasn’t the only one fighting against the current here. Current? No. Riptide was more accurate. They stood like that, face-to-face, their bodies mere inches apart, eyes locked on one another, for what felt like a very long time. Katie swallowed hard, the food on her plate suddenly forgotten as she sank into those blue eyes, into that gaze that contained so much more than what anybody looking at the two of them from afar could see.

  “Come with me,” Addison said, and just the sound of those three words—the slight tremor, the low register, the commanding tone—had Katie’s breath hitching in her throat. She set her plate down and allowed Addison to take her by the hand.

  There was nobody else in that party room. No party guests. No waitstaff. All Katie could see was the enticing vision of red in front of her, and there was no way in the world she wasn’t going to follow it.