Since he couldn’t see her in person, he couldn’t gauge if she was leaning more toward saying yes or no. His brothers motioned for him to join the game and he waved them off.
“Okay, I’ll go with you,” she finally said.
“Great,” Josh said with a big smile. “I’ll email you the details. Would 6:00 p.m. work?”
‘‘Yes, that’s fine.”
Josh disconnected the call and joined his brothers on the court. Now that Becca had agreed to accompany him to the movie premiere, his week was already looking better.
* * *
Becca tried her best not to elbow the strangers who were rudely pushing past her in the crowded sandwich café as she and Haley made their way to the table where Leanna was already seated.
“Jeez,” she huffed when they sat down. “Why is it so packed today?”
Leanna laughed. “Well, besides the fact that it’s lunchtime on a Tuesday, they’re also handing out free red-and-blue sandwiches in honor of Independence Day this week.”
“Ew,” Haley said. “That sounds disgusting. I’m afraid to even ask what’s in it.”
Leanna took a sip of green tea. “You’ll see for yourselves when they bring ours to the table. When I ordered our usual, they asked if we wanted to try the sandwiches and I agreed.”
“If you two don’t like them I can bring them to Stacy.”
“So you went from being ready to fire her to bringing her sandwiches?” Leanna asked. “I must be working at my salon too much, because last time I was in the office, Stacy wasn’t doing much work.”
Becca shrugged. “She’s growing on me. When I called the temp agency, they mentioned this job would be her last strike, and by the end of their apology I was telling them we would keep her on.”
Becca still needed to have a serious talk with the teenager about her work ethic, but she was hoping after that conversation Stacy would work harder.
“Okay, so enough about that.” Haley clasped her hands in front of her. “Are you going to tell us more about this event that Josh invited you to tonight?”
Becca knew the minute Haley asked if she wanted to meet Leanna for lunch that they would ask for details about her conversation with Josh. “Since I had a feeling you both would ask me a ton of questions, I printed out the event invitation he emailed me.”
Leanna and Haley both reviewed the sheet of paper. “Oh my God,” Leanna said. “You’re going to that exclusive movie premiere that everyone is talking about? It doesn’t even release for another few months.”
Becca nodded her head. “Yeah, and I love action movies, so it will definitely be a treat.”
“And it’s a black-tie movie premiere in the North Bay Road neighborhood?” Haley exclaimed. “I know I don’t need to remind you that only the rich and famous stay there. I can’t believe you’re going to such a high-profile event and you seem so unfazed.”
Oh, she wasn’t unfazed. As a matter of fact, she was nervous about tonight and had contemplated canceling before she thought about how great it would be to spread the word about the foundation to a group of affluent people.
“I’m so excited for you,” Leanna squealed. “What are you going to wear?”
“I’m thinking about wearing the dress I wore for the awards banquet we had last year for our graduating students.”
Haley touched Becca’s arm. “You can’t be serious. An occasion like this calls for an exquisite dress.” The moment Haley looked at Leanna, Becca knew she wasn’t going to like what came next.
“I think today we’re closing the office early,” Haley said with a sneaky smile. “We’re long overdue for a girls’ shopping trip and Leanna and I need to help you get ready for tonight.”
“I don’t want to fuss over my clothes and makeup,” Becca said, shaking her head. “This isn’t a date, so how I look shouldn’t matter.”
Haley gave her a look of disbelief. “Oh, come on, Becca, I know you too well to think you actually believe that. Are you really trying to convince us that you don’t find him attractive?”
“Of course he’s gorgeous and downright sexy. I know it. He knows it. And so does the majority of the population in Miami. But I would no sooner sleep with him than fly to the moon.”
Haley lifted an eyebrow. “No one said anything about sleeping with him, but the fact that you mentioned it means that you’ve at least thought about it.”
Yes, I’ve thought about it! What woman wouldn’t think about sex when staring into the blue eyes of Joshua DeLong? “Even if I have, that’s beside the point.”
“Oh no, sweetie,” Leanna said. “I think that’s exactly the point.”
“Have you seen the type of beautiful women he dates?” Becca asked. “Each one is more beautiful than the last, so I can’t see what he’d want with a woman of substance like me.”
“Becca, you are just as beautiful as all those women, if not more. You just choose not to flaunt your wonderful assets.”
Becca eyed Haley skeptically. “You sound like my mother.”
Haley shook her head. “I’m just telling the truth. You’re a total knockout when you put in the effort and I think Joshua DeLong would fall to his knees if he saw you dressed up.”
Becca glanced down at her plain white blouse and typical black slacks. The outfit wasn’t much to look at. There was a time she’d really put effort into the way she looked, but somewhere along the way she’d lost sight of focusing on herself. Regardless, she wasn’t sure she could go through with a mini makeover before tonight.
When their food came, neither woman pushed Becca any further and instead began talking about something else. As they neared the end of their meal, Becca addressed the situation again.
“I think the dress I wore to the banquet will be fine. There’s no need to get dolled up.” Becca could feel Haley observing her as she took the last bite of her chicken Caesar salad.
“What are you afraid of?” Haley asked. “That Josh won’t find you attractive?”
“That’s not it.” Becca looked up from her plate. “I guess a part of me is afraid that he would.” And if he does, how will I handle his advances? The last thing Becca wanted was to develop feelings for a man like Josh—the type of man who discarded women without a second thought. If he already flirted with her as regular plain-Jane Becca, how would she handle his advances when he flirted with Becca 2.0? She’d been there and done that with men like him, and she wasn’t trying to repeat past experiences.
Judging by the sly smile on Haley’s face, she’d known Becca’s fear all along and just wanted to hear her admit it. Haley glanced at Leanna before pulling Becca from her seat. “No more excuses. When Joshua picks you up tonight, he won’t know what hit him.”
* * *
Haley shook her head. “Nope, I don’t like that one, either.”
Becca frowned as she went back to the fitting room to try on the last dress they’d picked out. Leanna was waiting for them at her salon to finalize Becca’s quickie makeover. Already, Becca and Haley had been to several stores and being the shopaholic that she was, Haley had already convinced her to purchase several new outfits for everyday wear and three dresses so that she could get rid of any dress she’d formerly worn to a banquet.
After she pulled the strapless dress over her breasts, Becca glanced in the mirror. “Oh my goodness,” she said to herself. “It’s beautiful.” The elegant dress was midnight blue and form-fitted, stopping right above her knees. A sash on the side of the dress added an extra amount of flair to the piece. Becca had been trying on all the dresses with a pair of four-inch glittery silver heels that she assumed would be too flashy, yet with this dress, the entire outfit was...perfect.
Haley gasped when Becca stepped out of the fitting room. “That’s it! That’s the winner.”
“I agree.” Becca looked at her
self in the floor-length mirror outside the fitting room. It had been a long time since she had seen herself look so beautiful. Becca rarely talked about her family because over the past five years, her relationship with her parents and older sister had become even more strained. She was tired of being considered a disappointment to them, and somewhere along the way of trying to prove to them that she was her own woman, she’d lost sight of herself. As she looked at Haley in the mirror, the moment almost brought tears to her eyes.
Haley walked over and hugged her. “Welcome back, bestie. You’ve been gone for a while.”
Becca laughed. “Thanks for being patient with me.” They stood there for a few more seconds before Becca went to change. After purchasing the dress, they made their way to Leanna’s salon. Leanna was already waiting for them when they entered.
Becca was seated in Leanna’s salon chair before she could even catch her breath.
“Becca, Becca, Becca,” Leanna said, immediately taking down her tight bun. “I’ve waited so long to get my hands into this thick velvety hair.”
Becca loved her hair, but her life was so busy that she often didn’t have time to style it. She’d always chosen to wear her hair naturally curly even before the natural look was the new “it” thing. Her thick and curly dark brown locks cascaded down her back. She assumed if she straightened her hair, it would almost be to her waist.
“But before I dive into your hair, I want you to go to one of the back rooms with Sherry.”
“Who’s Sherry?”
“I’m Sherry.”
Becca turned to face the perky woman with the tiny voice who’d spoken. Becca stood as Leanna introduced them. Sherry towered over Becca’s five-foot-six-inch frame by six to eight inches, which was why the tiny voice surprised Becca.
Unlike Leanna’s pink highlights, Sherry had bright blue highlights. Becca didn’t know what she did in the salon, but she liked her positive attitude.
Becca was so busy observing Sherry’s black-and-red top that she hadn’t heard Leanna explain why she had to see Sherry.
“What do I have to do?”
“Time to level the playing field,” Leanna said as she grabbed her shoulders and motioned for her to follow Sherry, who’d already started walking to the back.
“Time to do what?”
Leanna looked to Haley. Haley cleared her throat. “It’s time to smooth out that diamond.”
Smooth out that diamond? What is she talking about? A couple of the other women in the salon began snickering, so Becca assumed they’d already caught on to whatever Leanna and Haley were saying. “Still not following.”
Sherry stopped walking and turned around with a smile. “Your friends are trying to find an easy way of saying that it’s time for me to wax your lady parts. I assume it’s because they don’t want to make you nervous.”
Becca’s mouth dropped open. “Absolutely not. There’s no way that’s happening.”
“Oh yes. It’s happening,” Haley said, pushing her toward the room. “Sherry’s great, so you’re in good hands. She specializes in the chocolate wax, so it doesn’t hurt.”
“Did you just say chocolate? As in, she is going to wax my lady parts with chocolate? Like the chocolate you eat?”
“Well, obviously you won’t be eating the chocolate, silly,” Sherry said. “Although we have had a few female clients ask if they can buy a jar and take it home to use on their partners. I’m personally more into licking chocolate off my man rather than waxing him with it, but hey, I don’t judge.”
Chocolate waxing? Becca felt nauseous.
Haley pulled her to the side. “In college, didn’t you always tell me that it was better to be overprepared than underprepared? Just look at this as a way of watering your flower garden so that those seeds you planted can bloom. Your garden can’t water itself and the last thing you want is for your nosy neighbor who loves gardening to look at your flower bed and see dead roses.”
“Okay, I get it,” Becca said shaking her head. “Enough with the metaphors.” She cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders. “I can do this. It’s no big deal.”
“Right,” Haley said with a smile. “It’s no big deal.”
Five minutes later, Becca was lying on the waxing table regretting her decision as she waited for Sherry to enter. When Sherry knocked on the door, Becca felt relieved. The sooner Sherry started waxing her with chocolate, the sooner she could get it over with.
Becca leaned back when Sherry sat down on her stool. “Hello!” Sherry said in her perky voice. Becca’s head flew up.
“Did you just say hello to my private area?” That can’t be normal.
“Once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all,” Sherry said. “But, dear, I have to ask. How long has it been since you waxed?”
“I’ve never waxed. I’ve only trimmed.”
Sherry gave her a blank stare. “So Haley was right. You are a wax virgin.”
Goodness, she makes it sound so dirty. “Yes, you could say that. Is that okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine.” Sherry got out a few more tools. “I’m just going to do a little trimming before your wax. Is that okay?”
“Um, yeah, that’s fine. I guess it’s been a while since I’ve trimmed.”
Sherry started trimming. “Do you know why most women prefer chocolate wax?”
“No, I don’t. I hadn’t heard of it before today.”
“That’s not surprising. Chocolate wax is a growing trend and has many benefits. For example, there are many anti-inflammatory properties in chocolate, so overall, it’s more soothing and less painful.”
“That’s interesting.” Becca tried to relax and ignore the fact that this was the most action her private area had seen in years.
“It sure is. Okay, now I’m going to start waxing.” Becca heard some clicking and clacking, indicating that Sherry was preparing the wax.
“Another reason so many women prefer chocolate is because it releases endorphins and improves your overall mood.”
“So it has the same benefits as when you eat chocol—Ahh!” Becca’s head flew up again when Sherry pulled the first strip of wax. “I thought this was supposed to be less painful.”
“It is, dear,” Sherry said as she pulled another strip. “In your case, there’s a lot going on down here, so this first time may be a little painful. But after I finish with you today, your body will feel so much better and you’ll be dying to come back.”
“What do you mean ‘my body’?” Becca asked after a squeal.
“Oh, Leanna and Haley didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?” Becca said through gritted teeth.
“They told me to give you a full body wax, and in my experience wax virgins get too nervous about me waxing their private area if I start with their legs or underarms. So I changed the order.”
Becca would have argued about the situation, but it was no use.
The rest of the makeover went a lot smoother than the waxing, including the triple-deep conditioner treatment Leanna had given her curls.
A few hours later, she stood in front of her bedroom mirror, ready to show her friends her final look before Josh arrived in twenty minutes to pick her up. She had to admit that she didn’t only look beautiful, but felt beautiful, as well.
“Okay, guys, here I come.” She turned the corner to her kitchen and did a spin for her friends. When she stopped to look at them, she caught them high-fiving each other.
“You look amazing,” Leanna said. “Definitely ready for a night with the rich and famous.”
When Becca looked at Haley, she had tears in her eyes. “You look gorgeous, Becca. You’re going to blow his mind.”
Becca dabbed at the corner of her own eyes as she smiled at Haley. “Thanks for bringing me back, Haley.”
“Anytime, bestie. Anytime.”
Chapter 6
Josh stepped out of the vehicle he’d reserved for the evening, and adjusted his navy blue suit jacket. He was glad that he hadn’t chosen the typical stretch limousine. For a car enthusiast like Becca, an everyday limo wouldn’t do.
He walked toward the complex she lived in. She’d given him instructions to call when he was five minutes away, so that’s precisely what he’d done. He’d briefly wondered if she hadn’t wanted him to see her place, but hadn’t pressed her on the issue.
On the way over, he’d picked up a single pink rose to give to her. Josh had always wanted to give a single rose to a woman, but in the past the women he’d dated had expected a full bouquet, and some had gone so far as to interpret the different rose colors. If he got the wrong color, the consequences weren’t always pretty.
Remember, man, this isn’t a date. He’d been reminding himself of that since he’d asked her to accompany him. Yet no matter how many times he chanted those words, it still felt like he was about to go on a date. He hadn’t felt this enthusiastic about seeing a woman in a really long time, so he welcomed the feeling.
Josh walked into the building and was headed toward the security desk when he heard someone call his name. He scanned the handful of people in the lobby area and stopped when his eyes landed on a pair of silky brown legs getting up from one of the chairs.
“Damn,” he said, louder than expected. Usually he was better at masking his initial reaction, but the breathtaking beauty in midnight blue walking his way was making him forget all the tricks he usually used.
It still looked like Becca, but gone were the bland oversize clothes, black-rimmed glasses and tight bun. They’d been replaced with an elegant, form-fitted dress and sexy heels. She wasn’t wearing her glasses, so he assumed she was wearing contacts. He noticed everything about her as she walked toward him, but what had his mouth hung wide open was her striking hairstyle.
A Miami Affair Page 5