Her Convenient Christmas Date

by Barbara Wallace

  Susan took in the glow on his face. The first two times they met, he’d been clean-shaven. Tonight, a five-o’clock shadow covered his cheeks, turning his classic-looking features dark and dangerous. Add the adrenaline shining in his eyes and the result was breathtaking. He was clearly in his element.

  “You’d be amazing on television,” she told him.

  Her slip earned her a blush, enhancing what was already camera perfect. “Thanks,” he said. “Nice to know someone thinks so. If only the networks were as enthusiastic.”

  If there was anything “Shrewsan” understood, it was being publicly judged without cause. Everyone was so certain they knew how she ticked. Without giving it a second thought, she squeezed his fingers. “We’ll just have to do our best to make sure you get a shot.”

  On the floor, a buzzer rang announcing the end of the third quarter. While the players gathered around their respective benches, she and Lewis settled back into their seats. “I thought you said something was supposed to happen during the last quarter,” she said. “Your agent didn’t forget, did he?”

  “Michael? No way. He’s got a publicist on staff who knows her stuff. Bailed me out of public embarrassment more than once, she has.”

  “If something’s going to happen, it’s going to have to happen soon. According to the clock, there’s only twelve minutes left in the game.” She pointed to the center screen which was playing a highlight from a few minutes earlier.

  When the highlight ended, an electronic Santa Claus came bouncing across the screen. He stopped, pointed upward and the words Mistletoe Camera scrolled by. The image fizzled away and suddenly, there was a view of the crowd. People cheered and waved as the camera zoomed in tighter and tighter until it focused on an unsuspecting couple. The pair laughed and shared a kiss.

  “Mistletoe Camera?” She’d never heard of such an idea.

  “An American thing,” Lewis told her. “Big hit over there from what I hear. The promoters thought the gimmick might be fun to do here, as well. Crowd seems to be enjoying it.”

  The camera moved on, this time to a pair of middle-aged men who were clearly not together. Oblivious, they faced away from one another until the cheering crowd forced them to look up. As soon as they realized, they too broke out in laughter. The camera remained on them until they shared a bro hug.

  “So it appears,” she remarked. “Nothing says romance like thousands of people watching you kiss. Wait a second...?” How did Lewis know what the promoters had planned?

  Her question was cut off by the crowd suddenly roaring louder than ever. She looked up at the screen to see why and her stomach dropped.

  The Mistletoe Cam was pointed at them.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “YOU...” THERE WAS a smile on her face, but Lewis could see the muscles twitching in her jaw. She was gritting her teeth.

  “Wasn’t me, luv. It was my agent.” He murmured the words in her ear so that on camera it looked like they were sharing a secret.

  While he was speaking, he slipped an arm around her shoulder. He knew as soon as Michael mentioned the promotion that Susan would hate the idea, which was why he’d kept the plans a secret. He didn’t want to risk her looking annoyed for three periods. Or worse, walking out on him.

  “You said yourself, nothing says you’re in a relationship like kissing in front of ten thousand people.”

  “I was being sarcastic. I didn’t mean we should follow suit.”

  “Why not? You’ve got to admit, it’s a great idea. At least the crowd thinks so.” The egging on had gotten louder when he put his arm around her. Lewis leaned in closer. They had a limited window before the camera moved to another couple. “They’re getting restless. Better give them what they want.”

  Her eyes widened. “You...you don’t mind?”

  Why would he mind? It was just a kiss. And she was an attractive woman. He’d been watching her smile and laugh all night long. When she relaxed, her softness came out. There was real vulnerability beneath the armor. The kind that made you want to treat her special. She really was adorable and begging to be cuddled.

  “I’m game if you are,” he replied. “What do you say? Ready to tell the world we’re together?”

  “Um...” She licked her lips, making them shiny and enticing. “Okay.”

  Good answer since he planned on kissing her anyway. Cupping her cheek with his free hand, he bent in for what he meant to be a gentle kiss. The crowd responded with applause. Emboldened by their enthusiasm, he let the kiss linger. Susan tasted delicious. Salt, artificial butter and something indefinable that had him tempted to lick his way past her lips.

  When he finally did end the kiss, she looked up at him with what he swore was wonder in her darkened eyes. The look caused something primal to click deep inside him, and for a crazy second he thought about finding some dark corner where he could demonstrate how he really kissed a woman.

  If they were in a real relationship, he would. In a heartbeat.

  But they weren’t. The kiss was simply a hook to sell a story, and what he thought was wonder in her eyes was probably nothing more than the arena lights reflecting in their greenness.

  “What do you think?” he asked, leaning back in his seat. He’d keep his arm around her shoulders for now. “Believable?”

  * * *

  For the rest of the game, Susan tried her best not to look as stunned as she felt. If that was Lewis’s idea of a casual first kiss, what did he do when he gave his full effort? It was all she could do not to crawl into his lap and beg for more.

  She should be angry that he kept the plan a secret. If she had known his plan involved the two of them putting on a public display, she would have...

  What? Refused? Then she would have missed out on the most amazing kiss of her life. God bless the Mistletoe Cam, she decided. Were kisses like this what she could expect over the next few weeks? Well then, Merry Christmas to her.

  * * *

  Over her lifetime, Susan had grown accustomed to walking in on whispered conversations. It started at age five when her mother would end telephone conversations abruptly upon Susan entering the room. At the office, she could count on finding at least one or two employees with their heads together, usually complaining or gossiping. Whenever they saw her, they would break up and pretend they had been talking about work.

  Today there seemed to be more heads together than usual, starting with a small group by the reception desk. Every single one of them had turned to look at her when she stepped through the front door. That could only mean one thing: There was a mention of last night in the paper.

  Last night. She fought a smile as she walked toward her office. Fake or not, she had had a terrific time.

  When she concentrated, she could still feel Lewis’s kiss. Of course, later that night he’d dropped her off at her apartment with nothing but a friendly hug, but she wouldn’t dwell on that.

  Upon reaching her office, she found Linus sitting on the edge of her desk. It was an annoying habit he had, that of refusing to use a chair. When he saw her, he pointed at her with a rolled-up newspaper. “If it isn’t my sister, the cover girl.”

  “What are you getting on about? And get off my desk. You’re messing up my piles.” She hung her wool coat on the back of her door before shooing him off her work with a wave of her hand.

  “I gather you haven’t seen this morning’s edition of the Looking Glass.” He unfurled the newspaper. “I lied about the cover. Turns out you’re more page-five material.”

  Grabbing the tabloid from Linus, she quickly flipped to the page. There, under the headline Merry Kiss-Mas was a photo of her and Lewis.

  Wildman Champagne Lewis Matolo Looks Tamed As He Cozies With A Mystery Lady, read the subhead.

  The corners of her mouth twitched upward. The photographer had caught the moment just before they kissed. Her face was lifted to his
, and they were looking at one another as if each were the only person in the room. There was a second photo too, which, from their excited expressions, looked like it was taken in the fourth quarter when they were cheering for a last-minute rally.

  This explained all the odd looks. She gave in and let her smile bloom. Lewis had to be thrilled.

  “You little minx. Why didn’t you tell us you were seeing someone?”

  She cast her brother a look over the top of the paper. “Minx? Seriously?”

  “First word that came to mind, and you didn’t answer my question. When did you start dating Lewis Matolo?”

  “We...” Linus’s question reminded her they hadn’t worked out a proper backstory. Since she was alone, she was going to have to go with the obvious and fill Lewis in later. “We met at Maria’s wedding. He went to school with her new husband. We shared a couple drinks in the bar and hit it off.”

  “A couple? Thomas said you were hung over when he spoke to you the next morning.”

  “Thomas has a big mouth, and what business is it of yours anyway?” Tucking the paper under her arm, she cast him another look as she made her way to her chair.

  Much to her consternation, Linus followed, and perched himself on the edge of the desk again. “Is this where I say none?”

  “Unless you’d like me to say it for you.” Folding her arms, she sat back and waited for him to get to the point. Because there was a point; Linus always had a point. She just wished he’d hurry up because she wanted to call Lewis.

  “Here’s the thing,” he said finally. “Normally, I’d agree with you, but in this case...”

  “What do you mean, in this case?”

  “Do you know who Lewis Matolo is? I mean really know?”

  Of course she knew, and she knew exactly what Linus was driving at, as well. “Get to your point.” Might as well hear him say it out loud.

  Her brother tapped a knuckle against his lip, a habit he had when thinking. “How do I put this...”

  “He’s a drunken arse.” Thomas Collier’s pronouncement entered the office two seconds before he did. The chairman of Collier’s Soap strode into her office wearing his standard severe black suit. Dark and handsome, he was night to Linus’s day.

  Add Lewis to the mix and you would have one heck of a gorgeous trio, thought Susan. With her as the plump wrong note.

  “Why don’t you say it a little louder, Thomas? There might be a few people at the reception desk who didn’t hear you,” she snapped. “And he’s not a drunken anything. Anymore. He stopped drinking.”

  “You just said you shared a couple drinks at the wedding,” Linus said.

  Oh, brother. She didn’t realize they were going to analyze every single word. “I drank. He had water,” she replied. “Not that what I do is any of your concern. In case you didn’t notice, I’m a grown woman. I’m not required to explain my actions to you.”

  “Unless your actions blow back and bite Collier’s,” Thomas replied. “Do you have any idea the kinds of stunts this guy has pulled? Bar fights, drunken howlers.”

  “Stop it. I’ve read the headlines, same as you.”

  “Then you know he’s a degenerate. Even his teammates got tired of his antics. He bounced around to every team in the league because the other players hated dealing with him.”

  “Again, he was a degenerate. All of that happened when he was drinking.” The ferocity of her defense surprised her, but she didn’t like Thomas’s tone. Her brothers didn’t know Lewis. They didn’t see the vulnerability in his eyes when he talked about his childhood. “There’s a lot more to him than the headlines would lead you to believe.” Her eyes glanced down at the newspaper and their photograph. “A lot more.

  “Besides,” she added, “I would think you’d be glad for the potential publicity. It is the Christmas season after all.”

  “Oh, sure,” Thomas replied, “I’m thrilled to death. Nothing says Merry Christmas like having the company name tied to scandal.”

  “Oh, for crying out loud. There isn’t going to be a scandal.” Her big brother could be such a stubborn jerk. Once he got a notion in his head, he wouldn’t shake it. “I would think you of all people would be open to the idea that people change.”

  That shut him up. They wouldn’t be having a Christmas Eve vow renewal if Thomas and his wife hadn’t learned to change. “Or do you think you and Rosalind have the monopoly on personal growth?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course, we don’t,” Thomas replied. “But...”

  She finished the sentence for him. “Are you saying your relationship problems wouldn’t have made headlines?”

  “No, they would not have because neither of us was headline fodder.” Implying that her “boyfriend” was and therefore their relationship would be in the press. It was all she could do not to tell him that was the point. In fact, if things went according to plan, the two of them would be all over the paper.

  Her brother looked at her with the cool intensity he usually reserved for business meetings. “Two years,” he said. “Two years, it took for me to get this company stable again after Dad ran it into the ground. Doing so very nearly cost me my marriage. The last thing I want is for it to be dragged down now by a scandal.”

  “For the last time, there won’t be a scandal.” The only way that could happen was if news of their fake relationship leaked out, and she and Lewis weren’t planning to talk.

  “We just want you to keep your wits about you.” As he so often did, Linus moved in as the voice of reason and distraction. “Guys like Lewis Matolo know how to play women to get what they want.”

  “You don’t know anything,” she told him. “You’ve never even met Lewis.” And, so what if he was using her? Lewis had never been anything but honest regarding his intentions.

  “I don’t have to. Trust me, I know. We’re cut from a similar cloth.”

  No, they weren’t. The defense sprang to her lips despite her having zero evidence beyond a couple conversations, one of which centered around him using her to get what he wanted.

  Linus leaned forward so his face was level with hers. “Look,” he said. “We’re not trying to be jerks here. We’re simply looking out for our baby sister. We just don’t want to see you get involved with something that might come back to haunt you.”

  Because God forbid her relationship have some kind of future.

  That, she realized, was what really hurt. Not Thomas’s worries about gossip, but their automatic assumption that her relationship was doomed. Was it so unbelievable to them that a man like Lewis could be attracted to her?

  Granted it was a business arrangement but her brothers didn’t know that. You’d think they would have a higher opinion of her choices.

  But then why should they venture off script, right?

  “I don’t really care what you want,” she snapped. Or what they thought of her either. “It’s my life and who I date is my business. Now, if you don’t mind, it’s the end of the month. I have a whole bunch of work to do and you’re sitting on my reports.” Plus she needed to call Lewis so they could discuss their next step.

  “Do what you want,” Thomas said as Linus rose to his feet. “But you better be right about his being a different person. First negative article I see with the name Collier attached and I’ll have your boyfriend’s head on a platter.” The toughness would have worked better if Linus hadn’t snorted.

  “He means his legal team will,” her middle brother said. “Still, be careful, okay? Players are called players for a reason.”

  “Are we done with the lecture?” Susan asked. She really wanted to talk with Lewis now. Hoping they’d take the hint, she reached for her desk phone. It worked. They shut the door and left her in peace. Although Thomas did manage one last stern look through the glass wall.

  Susan immediately picked up the paper to study the pictures
again. Just who did they think they were, poking their noses in her love life? And Thomas calling Lewis a degenerate. Wait until the Collier’s Christmas Party. She and Lewis would show everyone exactly how wrong their opinion was.

  Even if they had to pretend to do so.

  * * *

  Has Champagne Lewis given up his wild ways? The former goaltender was seen canoodling with a brunette mystery woman at the O2 arena last night.

  Sources say this isn’t the first time the couple has been seen together. The two were spotted at Esprit last weekend enjoying a romantic Sunday brunch.

  Lewis slapped the tabloid on the table with a grin. “Not bad,” he said. “Not bad at all.” There were two things the press loved: a good celebrity romance and a good redemption story. He should have thought of this plan months ago.

  His eyes dropped to the photograph of him and Susan. Thankfully she wasn’t too annoyed about the “Mistletoe Cam” incident. Yes, keeping it a surprise was a dirty trick, but it also kept her reactions natural. The way her eyes widened in surprise, the way her lips parted. You couldn’t fake those kinds of things.

  She wasn’t the only one caught by surprise though. The original plan was to share a quick peck on the cheek. Lewis hadn’t counted on her mouth looking so alluring, nor had he anticipated how good her kiss would taste. Licking his lips, he swore he could still taste her sweetness.

  Kisses didn’t usually linger with him. In his mind, women were more or less interchangeable. Warm bodies that kept him from noticing he was alone. He wondered if the fact that this was his first sober kiss in a long time was the reason he found it so memorable. He’d been tempted to test the theory by kissing her again at the end of the night. But then, when they reached her doorstep and Susan looked up at him with those marvelous green-and-brown eyes...he’d backed away. Susan wasn’t interchangeable. She deserved more respect than to be kissed simply for the sake of kissing.