Tinderella

by Bartlett, Jecca

  "Yep, and a spare plate of cookies. Nothing says pre-gaming like a good amber ale and a chocolate chip cookie. Or two."

  "Blech, that sounds awful, but I'm in, let's get this party started!"

  Maneuvering through the bedroom door, Cyndi piled the goodies on the table in the sitting room of their suite.

  Gooch reached for a beer and a cookie, "Isn't it weird, being home like this?"

  "Yeah, in a way, but it's not my home anymore. I miss my dad, and you know mom's been gone a long time. I mean, I don't, you know, I'm not gonna say I don't like her, my stepmom but I don't really feel anything for her. He loved her, that's all that matters. She's not mean to me, she's just kind of, I don't know, a dope?"

  "Well, I think you're amazing to do all this."

  "Self-serving, it kept my mind off of," she waved her hands, "everything else. What a mess. I don't know what I'd have done without you."

  "Oh, you'd have figured it out. So, who's coming tomorrow, anybody fun? Anyone interesting?"

  "Nah, just old moneyed neighbors."

  "Maybe we'll be surprised," said Gooch, ever the optimist.

  ****

  The day had dawned overcast, but by noon it was sunny and warm, not hot, just comfortable. Cyndi was pretty sure her stepmother had it written somewhere in her pact with the Devil that there would never be any bad weather on party day. In more than a dozen years, she had never had so much as a drop of rain.

  She and Gooch finished dressing in their finery, and did each other's make-up. Well, really Gooch did her own and then she did Cyndi's. They would smoke their eyes up later for the evening portion of the party.

  As they drifted toward the back lawn, Cyndi paused to check on the presentation of her cookies and cakes. Everything was perfect, as usual, and she and Gooch grabbed mimosas and headed for chairs by the pool. Since it wasn't really her party, she felt like she didn't have to entertain too much and she and Gooch sat poolside for the majority of the afternoon.

  Occasionally a waiter would come by and offer them a drink or a snack, but mostly they were left alone to people watch.

  Suddenly Gooch grabbed Cyndi's arm.

  "He's here."

  "What do you mean, he's here."

  "Pearce, he's here."

  "How do you know."

  "On Tinder, when I was you, remember? I saw his picture then. He is holy shit more handsome in person than in his picture. Look at those arms. And that ass, watch him walk, just for a second, wait...okay now, he's not looking."

  "Neither am I. What the hell is he doing here?"

  "I don't know, she must have invited him. Are those his parents, do you think? Looks like he's with his mom and dad maybe?"

  "Of course he is. Sarabeth wants mates for her whiner-girls, that's what he's doing here. Well, they can have him."

  "Seriously what is your problem. Did he not save your life? Haven't you at least sent him a thank you note."

  "No," she said, shaking her head.

  "Oh, for God's sake, he saved your damn life."

  "But his dad is trying to ruin it. I think that kind of evens things out."

  "It's nothing personal, you should have let him buy you out."

  "I know," she sighed, "but I just didn't want to. And I definitely do not want to talk to him about it."

  "That's too bad, because he's headed this way. If you'll excuse me I need to use the little girls room," she said with a wicked grin as she got up to leave. Pearce approached just as she was leaving and she offered him her chair, "Look, you can have company while I'm gone, please, have a seat. I'm Gooch."

  "Thank you, I'm--"

  "Pearce, I know who you are. Excuse me, I'll be back...later," she said, and winked at Cyndi.

  "Hi," he said.

  "Hi back. I, um, well thank you, I mean I didn't call because things have been crazy, but thanks for, you know, saving me."

  "You're welcome, I'm glad you're ok, did you lose much?"

  "Pretty much everything is sooty and gross, I'm staying with Gooch right now. Smoke damage, you know? The cleaners are going to be there and then I'll have to get all new furniture, and...well I can't even think about it right now. So, what brings you here?"

  "My parents actually. Part of the annual get Pearsce hitched plan. And you?"

  "Oh, she's my stepmom, I used to live here. Since I wasn't doing anything I came out here and baked a bunch of desserts for her. Kinda like cheap therapy."

  "You did all this?" he asked, looking around.

  "Only the baking, but yeah, I did that."

  "You know I love your banana bread. I can't thank you enough for baking for me. Although if I'd known you were under 50 I never would have asked."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well I imagined you as an older lady, I don't know, not someone who, well who's as beautiful as you are, and as young."

  "Aren't you the silver tongued devil today?" she looked down, suddenly shy, "Anyway, I do owe you a thanks.."

  "Oh God. You're welcome, I'm just glad I was there. That was pretty scary. I mean I knew you'd be okay, but...well, it was frightening. I'm glad to see you today. I wondered, later, what you meant to tell me that night."

  "Oh, I, well, nothing. I mean, I was going to tell you why I couldn't see you anymore. But I guess you've figured that out on your own."

  "I guessed it had something to do with the business and the buyout, but I wasn't sure."

  "Yeah, mostly that. And it just felt weird to be in your apartment as not the cleaner. But mostly the other thing."

  "I'd like you to re-consider, business is business but," he raised his eyes to meet hers, and covered her hand with his. She felt the same warm flame of attraction as before and, as she looked into his eyes, she felt like if she let herself she could see her future there.

  But her business was all she had, she had started it, raised it, nurtured it, and she didn't want to let it go.

  "I know you're conflicted. I can see it on your face, but you had a fire. You're not working right now, why not sell? What do you have to lose?"

  "What do I have to lose? It's who I am. It's not just what I do. I built it, something you obviously don't get," she stood up so fast the chair nearly toppled over behind her. "Look, I'm really grateful for what you did, and I like you, I do, but this has put me in a bad spot, one you clearly don't understand. I think I need to mingle now, if you'll excuse me."

  And with that she stalked off, leaving him staring after her.

  The rest of the party was a blur, she made an effort to meet all of Sarabeth's guests, and at the same time to keep an eye out for Pearce and never be close enough for him to say anything.

  Late in the evening, as they were preparing for fireworks, Sarabeth approached her with a nice looking couple in tow.

  "Lucinda, honey, please meet the Clarks, Peter and Jane Clark, my stepdaughter Lucinda."

  "It's nice to meet you, we've certainly heard plenty about you."

  "Oh, all good I hope?" she smiled. Man, she was tired, she wanted to get out of here, after she was done being polite to the Clarks she needed to find Gooch and let her know it was bedtime.

  "Yes, well our son Pearce has some very nice things to say, and of course Peter has made a very nice purchase offer on your business," smiled Jane.

  "Oh, you're...Yes, Pearce saved my life, actually, he's a very nice man. I'm sure you're proud, as you should be," she turned to Peter, "and you've made a very generous offer, I hope you'll understand that I can't accept."

  "I think you should reconsider, dear, after the fire and all..." Sarabeth interrupted.

  "I'm sure you do, but I have a lot invested in my company and I'm really not interested in selling at the moment. It was a pleasure to meet you, you have a fine son, now if you'll excuse me," she said as she marched up the sloping yard toward the house in search of Gooch.

  Twenty minutes later they were ensconced in the guest suite, in pajamas. They were drinking wine they had lifted from the party, and had two
plates of cookies and brownies in front of them.

  "I'm sure they meant well," said Gooch.

  "I'm sure they did, saints preserve me from people who are trying to 'help'. I've had it. The fireworks should be starting soon, let's move these chairs to the window so we can watch. I love fireworks!

  Just then there was a knock on the door, Gooch answered it, then closed the door and said, "It's for you."

  "For me? Let them in."

  "I'm going to let you decide," Gooch said moving to the window. As Cyndi passed her she handed her a class of wine "here, I think you're going to need this."

  When she opened the door there stood Pearce's mother. "I want to talk to you," she said.

  "What? What do you want?"

  "I'm just going to say it," said Jane. "You should take the offer on your business, and you should consider Pearce. You could do worse than him, and I'm sure you have in the past."

  "I don't want..." Cindy began.

  "Okay, look, tonight isn't a good time, I know that. Just agree to meet with me tomorrow before you leave town, I have some ideas, the men aren't the only ones with a head for business around here."

  Cyndi let her head fall back and she stared at the ceiling for a long minute. These people were just not going to go away it seemed. One meeting, she had stood her ground so far, she would keep standing it.

  "Okay, sure, I'd do it tonight, but I'm not dressed for it," she said indicating her pajamas, "one meeting tomorrow," Cyndi wrote down the address that Jane gave her and said good-night. After Jane left she turned and leaned against the door, that family is persistent.

  Gooch just smiled in agreement, and Cyndi crossed the room to join her for the fireworks.

  After the firework show the party slowed, they watched the caterers begin to clean up, and decided to turn in for the night.

  Hours later Cyndi was still staring at the ceiling when she thought she heard a plink at the window. Moments later, she heard another one, and she pulled herself out of bed to investigat

  As she walked toward the windows that faced the lawn she thought she saw a shadow at the blinds. Terrified she left the light off and tip-toed to the window where she just barely shifted a slat in one of the blinds. There was Pearson, paused to knock on the pane.

  Quickly she raised the blinds so she wouldn't wake Gooch, asleep in the next room.

  "What are you doing here?" she whispered.

  "I wanted to see you," he slurred slightly.

  "You're drunk," she said.

  "Yep, I am."

  "Oh lord, hang on, I'll be right out."

  Quickly she crossed to the doorway and made her way through the kitchen to the back door. She punched in the alarm code and let herself out quietly.

  Pearson met her at the porch, and she led him to a nearby rattan sofa. She didn't want anyone to hear them. He looked adorably bedraggled, his tie was loosened and his hair was messy.

  "I met your stepsisters." he said.

  "I just bet you did."

  "Your stepmom introduced us," he said waggling his eyebrows.

  "Oh, did she. Did you get your pick, or did she have someone in mind for you?"

  "Dunno, I could barely tell them apart, I felt like I could have both if I wanted."

  "Are you into that? They might do it if they thought it would get them somewhere."

  "Nah, I wanted you instead. See, I'm back, and I didn't knock on their window."

  "That's true. Although I'm not convinced you knew whose window you were knocking on. And they are on the second floor. But you get points for trying."

  "My mom told me which room was yours," he grinned sheepishly.

  "Was that reconnaissance earlier? Did you send her to find out where I was sleeping?"

  "No, but when she told me about your teapot flannel jammies, I had to come see for myself. Very sexy," his lopsided grin was even cuter when he was hammered. Her lady bits were in an uproar, they were traitors, she was supposed to have written this guy off.

  "I wanted to apologize for earlier. That was rude of me, I know the business means a lot to you."

  "It's okay," she said, reaching for his hand, "it's kind of a hot button issue for me. I can't help it."

  "I know, and I should have known better, it's just. Cyndi I want you so much, and you keep slipping away, and I..." he stopped, then stood up and pulled her to her feet.

  She put her hand on his chest and could feel his heart racing, keeping a crazy beat, just like hers was. Tilting her head back she looked up into his impossibly blue eyes, lit only by the lanterns atop the stone wall surrounding the pool. Slowly he caressed the back of her head and lowered his mouth to hers. She shivered slightly, not sure if it was the kiss or the chilly night air, then raised on her tiptoes to meet his kiss again. Deeper this time, their tongues entwined. The ache rose from somewhere deep inside her, and as their lips parted she let out a low moan.

  She backed up half a step, meaning to leave. This was wrong, it would undo all the time she so deliberately avoided him, but he took her hand and pulled her toward him again. He lifted her off her feet like she was nothing, lighter than air, and placed her upon the wall. Slowly he began to unbutton her top.

  "I've been dreaming about this, thinking about it by day, and waking up hard imagining you at night when I dream. Let me see," he said as she automatically raised her hands to cover her breasts."

  "So big, so beautiful, may I...?" he looked at her questioningly.

  "Yes," it was barely a whisper.

  He leaned forward and gently touched one nipple with his tongue while he palmed the other. Her nipple was stiff against the flat of his hand, and he slowly, so slowly brought her other breast to his mouth. He pinched one nipple and nibbled gently at the other, laving it with his tongue between gentle bites. Then he switched, again palming one side and nibbling the other. He moved his hands to support her back, under her billowing pajama top, skin to skin he toyed with her breasts until she thought she would explode with the delicious sensation of it.

  "Please, please," she said, but still she held his head close to her breasts. It felt so good, she could hardly bear to think of him stopping. She was so wet, she could feel the warmth between her legs, and she wondered just how hard he was.

  As if reading her mind, he lifted her again, circled through the break in the wall, and lowered her to the ground. And this time she found herself lying prone on the ground on top of a blanket.

  "Prepared were you?"

  "Just in case," he smiled at her. He was even more beautiful in the moonlight, and she told him so.

  "So are you, let me see all of you, you gorgeous thing," he said as he spread her pajamas and pulled her bottoms off of her. Again she moved to cover herself, years of awkwardness around her weight couldn't be ignored. "Stop trying to cover yourself, I think your body is magnificent."

  "It's not it's..."

  "Let me show you what I think," he said as he began to kiss her all over. He started at her shoulders, moved down to her breasts, which by now were extra sensitive, then down further to her belly. She flinched, but he just kept kissing, down to her mons, which she had shaved bare.