Zoe stood in the center of a group, pressing the pad of her thumb against one woman’s lips. “There you go,” Zoe cooed. “Now you can go all day and drink whatever. I promise that lipstick won’t smear.”
“And my lashes won’t smear against my eyelids.” The woman pressed what looked like a spoon into Zoe’s hand. “You’re a genius, Zoe. Thanks for this beatdown,” the woman said.
The terms women used for their makeup and outfits were violent. Beatdown? There was that word again. Will shook his head and tried to recall the woman’s name. Mack, or Makenzie, or Kenty. She’d come in with Ramon and helped out with dinner and was friendly. Will remembered her mentioning that Lexi put her in charge.
“No problem, Kenzie.” Zoe stepped back to admire the work she’d done. From the back, it appeared she wore a blue flowered sundress and a pair of blue flats.
“There you are, Will,” Kenzie said, eyes wide and long lashes fluttering. “Would you like some coffee or breakfast before we leave for the tour?”
All eyes turned to Will. The women and men—members of the talent search, directors, the emcee, and various coordinators—waited for him to answer, as they clearly had been waiting for him to come downstairs all morning long. Shoulder bags were hiked up on the ladies’ shoulders. The men not watching Kenzie were pacing.
“I’m fine,” Will said, clearing his throat. “I apologize for keeping you waiting.”
“You’re good.” Kenzie ambled over to him and grabbed him by the elbow. “We already paired off—except for Zoe, she was a little late, as well.”
The rest of the group began to move out the doors while Zoe lingered behind. This morning Will had made sure to listen for noise in their joint bathroom so he wouldn’t walk in on her. What had kept her lagging this morning? Will watched Zoe as he made his way to her, taking in the perfectly round bun at the top of her head. “So, you were late also? Hmm, did you oversleep?”
Zoe shrugged her shoulders and unapologetically said, “Never question a woman with perfect winged eyeliner about being late.”
“I have no idea what you just said,” Will admitted, smitten with her confident voice, “but it sounds nice.” He kept his voice on an even keel and made a mental note of her vast experience, which reminded him to keep his mind and hands off Zoe.
Like she often did, Zoe gawked at him, leaving him feeling either the butt of an inside joke or worse, inferior. “And you’re the CEO of Ravens Cosmetics?”
At headquarters, Eva and Dana bailed him out when it came to terminology. Naomi and Joyce prepped him with flash cards before big meetings. In Southwood he was on his own. A nervous chuckle escaped his throat. “I see I’m not going to get away with much with you. What was this beatdown you gave?”
“You’re representing the company as one of the judges?”
Inadequacies washed over him. The pressure reminded him of his first penalty kick. Will had eventually gotten over it and he’d get over not knowing terms. He could learn. “I am.”
“Well, you’ll see my beatdown there.” Zoe winked. Then she let him off the hook with a shake of her head. “Okay, fine, a beatdown is when a woman’s makeup is flawless, which is what my work is. Your company’s products and my skills...” She shook her head again, but this time let out a low whistle.
“Ravens Cosmetics has been sponsoring this pageant for a while now.”
The corners of Zoe’s lips tugged upward. “You guys donate a lot of materials.”
“We do.”
Zoe lifted a lavender tube with RC printed in gold. “Yes. And do you know what this is?”
Confident after remembering what Kenzie said, Will nodded. “Well, it’s our famous lipstick line, Much Needed. You’re holding Much Needed Nude, of course.”
“I...” Zoe said as she pressed the tube against her chest. The dramatic effect was to possibly show her confidence, but all Will saw was the swell of her breasts underneath the dress. “I am what makes this lipstick famous. When I blend this nude with a shade from RC’s Get line, Get Him Back, the deep, winey red mixed with nude gives it a blackberry color that makes for a sensual lip.”
“Interesting use of our products.” Will grinned when she nodded in approval. He admired her. “And that’s a good reason to keep you around, isn’t it.”
“That, and you need my insight on what products and colors to keep. You guys discontinued this merlot color last year, so I make a mental note to check out all the beauty supply stores and drug stores in every town I’m working in to buy every tube I come across.”
Another reason RC needed a Creative Design Director. He needed a better idea of what needed to stay and go. “Duly noted. Low sales of Get Him Back forced us to cut back on the product. But I like your concoction.”
“You need to keep that in mind when you’re going over your list of interviewees. What was I? Number six?” Zoe winked.
“Actually you’re a ten,” Will said as he wiggled his brows at her.
A horn sounded outside and her gold hoops jingled as she bobbed her head back and forth and said, “We need to get going before Kenzie has a fit.”
“She scares me,” said Will. He ambled down the steps and extended his elbow for Zoe to take.
Zoe accepted his gesture, wrapping her blue-polish-tipped fingers against his skin. An image popped into Will’s mind, one of Zoe touching him this same way, only with her wearing a white dress and him a tuxedo.
“You should be scared of her. Kenzie used to be the head cheerleader for Southwood High. She is used to commanding large crowds of people to having spirit.”
“Ah, Southwood High,” Will joked. “Will we be visiting the school today on our tour?”
“Probably.”
The bright sun accosted his eyes. Will blinked several times, and while he waited for his eyes to adjust, the sweet scent of blooming magnolias filled the air. When his eyes cleared, all the faces of the guests peered out the van’s window at the two of them. He felt the flex of excitement when Zoe’s hand twitched.
Ramon Torres stepped out of the driver’s side and lifted his aviator glasses. “You folks are welcome to ride with us, but Will, man, I think with your height you might be a little uncomfortable in the back.”
The last thing he wanted to do was make someone else switch seats. Will turned his head toward the spot where the Maserati sat parked under a magnolia tree. He turned back to Zoe. “You’re familiar with the area in case we get lost while following them, right?”
There was a slight rise and fall of her breasts as Zoe gulped. “What?”
“How ’bout we follow you all?” Will asked Ramon, who sent a head nod as an answer.
So much for trying to keep his distance from Zoe, Will thought. “I hope your heart wasn’t set on driving in the van.”
Zoe chewed on her bottom lip before rolling her eyes. “Fine, but don’t try that old trick of running out of gas on a country road.”
The warm air filled his lungs when he took in a deep breath at the sight of her long legs in her dress as she wiggled away. “Yeah, well, so far every road around here is a country road.”
“Cute,” Zoe called over her shoulder.
Will took a few long strides and caught up with her before she reached the passenger’s side of the car. “Let me get that for you,” he said, leaning down. The motion brought him closer to her ear. He was sure the sweet magnolia smell came from Zoe.
“Thanks,” she said, glancing up.
And he was supposed to stay away from her? Even if Zoe earned the title of CDD, Will wasn’t sure he would be able to. She was intoxicating. He inhaled once more before closing the car door after she was secured inside. Will walked around the car to get to his spot. The engine purred to life and he maneuvered down the drive to catch up with the van.
While Zoe pointed out various his
toric sites, Will enjoyed listening to her speak. During the interview she’d been so poised and proper. Right now, the country air relaxed her. She smiled and his world lit up. At one point while they were driving, Will almost ran off the road watching Zoe pull her thick black hair loose from the bun at the top of her head.
She asked for the top to be put down so they could enjoy the morning sun. The women he usually dated did not appreciate the top being down. And the women he’d dated in the past did not sing along with the songs on the radio. Zoe sang absentmindedly and made no apology when she got half the lyrics wrong.
Entertained, he followed the van closely and they stopped for lunch at a local restaurant. During the tour, they passed the First Bank of Southwood, which Lexi’s parents owned. Like many businesses in Overtown, businesses in Southwood had begun due to the lack of support from other places. Will and Zoe passed Lexi’s shop, Grits and Glam Gowns, in front of which a crowd of girls lined the sidewalk. Strange, considering it was a school day.
A lush park across the street from the shop was filled with kids kicking around a large red ball. Plastic lined a baseball diamond so the kids could slide into the bases for a large game of kickball–Slip ’N Slide. They drove by the courthouse and the town square where, according to legend, Confederate and Union soldiers decided to stop fighting and live peacefully together. The town had its history, Will thought. The best part of the tour was Zoe. She was a natural spokesperson, something to consider for the job.
After putting the car in Park under a shady weeping willow, Will strolled over to his personal tour guide’s side of the car to let her out.
“Thank you,” Zoe said breathlessly.
“You okay?”
“I just realized I missed breakfast this morning and got a little lightheaded.” Zoe swooned and Will wrapped his arms around her waist. The move was innocent enough, but touching her evoked so much temptation. She was ill, and here he was thinking about pinning her against the car and kissing her.
They stood, eyes locked. Zoe lightly pressed her hands against his chest. She wasn’t pushing him away, though, and the urge to take her hand in his to kiss the palm or her fingertips overcame him. Will closed his fingers around her left hand and started to bring it to his lips.
Some of the guests from the van were spilling out, glancing in their direction. His brain switched to business mode. If Zoe got the job, this embrace might be misconstrued. If she didn’t get the job, she could sue for sexual harassment. Will finally understood her dilemma.
“Are you okay now?” Will asked her, reluctantly letting her go.
With pink cheeks, Zoe nodded. “Thanks for not letting me fall,” she said.
“Never. Now let’s get us something to eat before you faint.”
* * *
Seated across the table from the world’s most handsome man, Zoe tried to concentrate on what the other guests at the table were talking about. Most of the people invited were a part of the team Lexi had put together to help design, build and judge the upcoming Miss Southwood Glitz Pageant. Miss South Georgia opted to stay behind with her mother.
A few people included Zoe and Will in their here-and-there conversations, but Zoe was intrigued with Will’s story, especially when he told the table about his former soccer career last year. Lexi was right. She stood corrected on her thoughts of him being a workaholic. It sounded like his travels were equally balanced with work and fun. Why was he still single?
“Can you sue for someone ruining your career?” Zoe asked him after a waitress came and set down a bowl of fudge brownies smothered in homemade vanilla ice cream from The Scoop. She’d originally declined dessert after having the shrimp po’ boy sandwich, but seeing it on Will’s plate drew her in. Using his forearms, Will pushed the bowl toward her and caused a thin wrinkle in the linen tablecloth. Picking up an unused spoon, Zoe dug in.
“Accidents happen,” Will explained. “I skated by for years with no injuries to my knees. Soccer is not dangerous as, let’s say, football, but we all go into the sport understanding what injuries we might incur. And getting hurt is part of the job.”
The fudge from the brownie coated Zoe’s tongue. She closed her eyes and slowly rolled them to the back of her head. The satisfying taste threatened to steal her senses. When she opened her eyes, Will sat across from her, amused. A grin spread across his face.
“Is it good?”
“You ought to dig in.” Zoe nodded. “The Scoop makes the freshest ice cream ever, and because there are no additives, it melts quickly.”
“I’m trying,” Will said, scooping up a combination of ice cream, brownie, fudge and a cherry.
Their spoons played hockey for a minute over the last cherry and Zoe realized she’d been greedy. “I’m sorry. You can have my cherry.”
At that, Will sat back in his seat and gave a throaty laugh. Heat warmed her face when she realized what she’d said. “Oh, my God, grow up,” she ordered while trying not to laugh at her choice of words.
“Alright, I’ll try.”
“So tell me more about you and soccer,” Zoe asked, taking another bite. “You said you played in Germany. Do you miss it?”
“I did when I first came back, but I missed my family more.”
The family. Zoe knew all about them. If she told him she’d done a school project on them, would it freak him out? “Are you and your siblings close? I’ve hung out with Donovan and Marcus before. I never knew they had another brother.”
With a scoop of brownie on his spoon, Will nodded. “We are. Not as close growing up as I would have liked.”
“No?” Zoe forgot about the dessert between them. She leaned forward to listen.
“No, my folks didn’t want me to fall into the RC trap of being seduced by the money, and when a coach saw the soccer potential in me, my parents pounced on the opportunity to have me trained.”
“What did that mean?”
“I went to a boarding school that concentrated on sports for athletes. You know, the kind with no distractions.” Will lowered his eyes to Zoe’s cleavage.
Zoe sat upward. “So, no girls?”
“None.”
He probably became some wild child in college, Zoe thought. “What did you do for prom?”
“What’s a prom?” Will asked, and before Zoe could complete her gasp, he winked. “I’m kidding. My brothers and sisters went. I saw the pictures.”
“You never went to prom?”
“What’d he say?” Kenzie asked from her end of the table.
Zoe leaned forward again and craned her neck to look at Kenzie. “He said he never went to the prom.”
One of the men, a photographer named Gianluca, or Luke, as everyone called him, shook his head with an audible tsk. “What?”
The other staff all began to tell their stories. Prom had been a rite of passage for a lot of the men at the table. Considering the direction of the conversation, Zoe wondered about Will even further.
“It’s no big deal.” Even though he shook his head, the red tint creeping across Will’s high cheekbones said something different.
The conversation began to turn to everyone’s attire for prom. Zoe mouthed an apology and Will winked as an acceptance.
“How was your prom?” Will asked.
“Oh. I didn’t go to prom.” Zoe beamed. “Comic-Con was going on that weekend in California.”
“I commend your priorities.” Will nodded his head. She figured he would understand. Part of what she loved about her job was that pairing the right shade of lipstick with the right woman could really have that woman feeling like she had superpowers.
“My mother was not happy. She forced me to attend this party in Diego Martin called a gradz. It’s a Trinidadian version of a prom.”
Will scooped up some of the ice cream. “What happened? Di
dn’t win prom queen?”
“That would require a tiara and a gown. The school had neither. But we celebrated the end of the year together and that counts, right?”
“This is the saddest story I’ve ever heard,” Kenzie added.
Kathleen Royal, judge and the former Ms. Wheelchair South Georgia, nodded. “I had the best time at my prom. The best date, too.”
The two ladies clinked their glasses together and Zoe shook her head. She caught Will’s eye again and her heart raced.
“Do you recall your date?”
Zoe felt the coy smile spread before she could stop it. Will caught it as well, and began to grin.
“Clearly you remember him all too well.”
“Now, now,” Zoe said, shaking her head. Was that a bit of jealousy in his voice? “It was so long ago.”
“Not that long, I’m sure,” said Will. “Go ahead and tell me about you and Mr. Gradz. Let me guess, you were crowned the gradz queen.”
In order to not answer, Zoe ate another bit of brownie with the cream. Before she could take another bite, Will pressed his spoon down on hers and pinned the utensil against the white plate. “What?” Zoe asked, batting her lashes.
“No more dessert until you tell me about Mr. Gradz.”
“Mr. Gradz,” Zoe drawled out, “is doing just fine. I had lunch with him just the other day in LA.”
“You flew out to see him?”
Zoe snickered at the frown across Will’s face. “I flew out for a client’s movie opening.”
“Seriously?”
“I am a makeup artist, remember?”
Will shook his head as if he didn’t believe her. “But you had our interview the other day.”
Out of pride, Zoe inhaled deeply. “Believe it or not, I am in high demand. My job has me flying across the country on a weekly basis.”
“And I thought the life of an athlete kept me on the road,” said Will.
“Which is why I am looking for a permanent job.” Zoe bit her bottom lip. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make that sound pitiful.”
“No worries.” Will’s wink warmed her soul just as it had outside the restaurant. She still couldn’t get over the fact she’d almost kissed him. Thank God he came to his senses. “It must be nice for your job to give you the ability to drop in on your exes.”
The Beauty and the CEO Page 6