Harlequin Kimani Romance June 2017 Box Set

by Arthur, A. C.

  A jolt of embarrassment shocked Zoe’s system. “I care a lot about Will.”

  “As long as you’re in the running for this position he has to fill?”

  It was then that Zoe realized Dominic’s eyes were a fiery light brown that practically glowed red with anger. “Hey, I think we got off on the wrong foot here. If you’re asking me if I want the job as Creative Design Director, well, the answer is hell yes. I’m sure you’re just looking out for your frat brother here, but I can assure you I could get any job that I want.”

  Dominic crossed his arms across his wide chest, making him look even larger. “So you wouldn’t care if he doesn’t pick you today?”

  “He’s already picked me,” Zoe snapped.

  “Well then, you have nothing to worry about.”

  A set of identical twin women were returning to their seats and stopped at the sound of Zoe’s declarations. She had no doubt in the world these were Will’s sisters. The lights dimmed. So much for trying to get hold of Will.

  CHAPTER 11

  Will glanced down at the score sheet once again. He had no idea what in the hell half the items on the lists meant. He was supposed to rate these ladies and young girls on a scale of one to ten in several categories. Evening gowns, hair, smiles, makeup, talent and technique. What did he know about any of those?

  Technique? No one fell off the stage. A few girls tripped while tap dancing and some hit the wrong note while singing, but other than that, Will didn’t know what he was supposed to do. Sasha, who sat beside him on the right, scribbled over her sheets with each contestant. Vera, on his left, did the same. She made notes, smiley faces and even drew the devil on one girl’s page. Kathleen, at the very edge of the table, already had her paperwork stacked together with her hands folded on top. Kahlil leaned forward and gave him a head nod. They were in the same boat. Sort of. Will knew what was at stake.

  According to the meeting held after he left Zoe’s side this morning, his scores determined who received the Creative Design Director position. Zoe’s future was in his hands. Besides his immediate family coming to Southwood for the pageant, the anti-cousins had arrived, as well. They were tired of the position lingering unfilled and wanted him to make a quick decision. Katie and Dixon were smug with their demands, stating that as members of the board, they had a right to make him choose.

  So far he hadn’t seen anything too crazy and over-the-top to make him think any of the numerous girls walking across the stage were done up by Zoe. He studied the eyeliner, but it seemed as if every other girl wore the winged look. It wasn’t until a contestant blew a kiss into the crowd that Will found his winner. The crowd loved her. Will liked her makeup. And to add icing to this cake, the girl wore the glittered lipstick the same way Zoe had applied it to the prom girls at Magnolia Palace and most importantly, the dramatic wing tip. He teetered on the contestant with the modest beauty, but after last night and this morning, Will set aside his morals. He needed Zoe near him.

  To be sure he chose right, Will glanced at the other score sheets whenever the other judges came across the same girl. Everyone gave her high scores, except for the beauty queen seated next to him. Vera had been generous, even to the girl who dropped her baton, which was on fire, giving her a higher score than she did Will’s favorite. He was more confident that the other beauty queen, Kathleen, liked the same girl, too.

  “Are we all settled on who the winner is?” asked Kathleen.

  Will, along with everyone else at the table, nodded. The houselights dimmed. There were girls and parents seated beside him at the judges’ table. Will doodled on a piece of paper as the names were called for each category and age range. The young girls went first. Winners were called by special titles. Everyone got a small trophy for participation and then crowns were given to the winners in those groups. There were awards for the prettiest smile, friendliest contestant and most helpful. The runner-up princess of each category received a sizable tiara. But they had to go through this for each group. At this rate, Will wasn’t going to get back to Miami until late, and he still had plans to be with Zoe tonight, with or without her as Ravens Cosmetics’s newest employee.

  Finally it was time to crown Miss Southwood Glitz. The top three women stood dressed in sparkling ball gowns—pink, blue and yellow—on the stage, clutching hands. They’d changed into their evening gowns. The winner, as the emcee explained, would travel across the county and represent Southwood in the official Miss South Georgia pageant in December.

  The pageant contenstants were narrowed down from fifty to ten girls, and then down to five left on the stage. Each girl drew questions written by one of the judges from a clear fishbowl. The five were slimmed down to three final contestants. Will was glad his question wasn’t chosen. He’d wanted to know if any of the ladies had a superpower, what it would be. He would definitely wish for the power of transportation. He’d be anywhere else but here—with Zoe.

  December. Will zoned out with the idea of Zoe. He wondered what he’d get Zoe for the holidays. Would they stay in Miami or visit someplace cold? Without thinking, Will wiggled his eyebrows at the idea of stretching out in front of a fireplace with Zoe.

  “And the second runner-up…” the emcee said into the microphone.

  Second? Leaning forward, Will shook his head and blinked into focus and realized there were just two girls on stage. His daydream of Zoe had caused him to miss the final three going to answer the same question from the emcee. They faced each other, clutching hands for dear life.

  “Second runner-up is Miss Cupcakery.”

  The audience screamed with applause. Miss Cupcakery was whisked away by a few ushers. The reigning Miss Southwood placed a crown on top of Miss Restoration’s head and the queen began her walk across the stage. His choice won.

  The applause of the audience was deafening. The other judges at the table mouthed congratulations and shook hands. Will glanced around the stage. The other contestants surrounded the new Miss Southwood. The behind-the-scenes staff peered through the curtains. Will shifted in his seat for a glimpse of Zoe and her purple smock. The spotlight caught her golden hoop earrings, visible beneath her hair, piled on top of her head in a messy bun. Will’s heart seized.

  “Zoe,” he breathed her name and began to rise from his seat.

  A set of heavy hands clamped down on Will’s back. At the moment, the only person Will wanted to see was Zoe and perhaps the person she was about to hug. He needed to make sure she hugged the winner and held her hand in the air like a true boxing champ and coach. Every step she took agonized Will. Mothers and little girls were stopping her to take selfies. Teens stopped her for a photograph. Beauty queens who hadn’t won covered their faces with their hands and Zoe helped each one stop their mascara from running. All he needed to see was who Zoe had teamed up with, just to make sure she was the one who’d secured the spot at Ravens Cosmetics.

  He needed her to win to prove his cousins wrong. Zoe had been right. She was the best thing for the company.

  “Young William!” Eva screamed in his ear as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

  “Will,” Charles said, strolling into his line of view. An annoyed sigh escaped Will’s throat. It came out more like a growl and with the crowd’s applause slowing down, it was apparently heard by his cousin. Charles’s eyes stretched wide. “Let’s see your score sheets.”

  “No need,” Will retorted, still shoving his paperwork in his cousin’s direction. “She’s about to hug the winner now.” Sure of himself, Will cocked his head to the side and nodded toward the stage…and that’s when he realized he’d been too sure too quickly. Zoe stood off with the second runner-up, dabbing underneath the girl’s lashes with a tissue.

  “Rather rude of you,” Charles said, looking toward the stage where a large bald man in a lavender smock and white boots hugged the new Miss Southw
ood.

  What the hell? Will asked himself.

  “Fantastic,” Charles said, clapping his hands. “I’ll go let him know right now.”

  Will rose again to get to Zoe, but another hand clapped onto his shoulder. Will shrugged off the grip and turned around. For a moment he didn’t recognize his frat brother, Dominic. At least there was one friendly face, someone who didn’t want something from him. “Hey, man.”

  “Hey, great job.” Dominic nodded his head at the commotion on stage.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were into pageant shows? Is this your way of picking up women now?”

  Dominic shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not what you think.” At the same time, a few ladies waved like schoolchildren in his direction. Dominic turned to watch them leave, and when he turned back, Will gave him a raised brow. “I swear,” Dominic laughed. “I am sponsoring a contestant.”

  The questions flooded Will’s brain. He started with the first one. “What?”

  Dominic rubbed his chin. “Well, Alisha suggested I bond with the community better. Apparently, my upscale shop matches my attitude.”

  One thing Will had enjoyed when Dominic’s family came to visit them. Dominic was the oldest and his baby sister followed them around. Will, never having had a younger sister, found her charming. If Alisha thought Dominic needed to change things, she was probably right.

  “In other words, the town thinks you’re stuck-up.” It couldn’t have been further than the truth, but Will understood how Dominic might give the wrong impression. Maybe if his frat brother showed off more of his tattoos, the people would find him down-to-earth. “So, which one did you sponsor?”

  “The winner, Miss Restoration, as in Crowne’s Restoration.”

  Will raked his hands over his head. Blood pounded in his ears. “I didn’t even put two and two together.”

  Dominic’s girl had won; meanwhile, his lost. Jesus, what had he done?

  * * *

  From Zoe’s vantage point on the stage she watched Will and his best friend shake hands. She tried to focus on the girls wanting to take a picture with her, but her mind was spinning. If what she’d overheard was true, she’d just lost her opportunity for the position she most desired. Titus, clearly knowing what was at stake, hugged his winning contestant and gave Zoe a smug wink. Through it all, Zoe kept a smile on her face. She had to. Everyone kept asking for a photograph.

  With each picture her mind wandered. How did this happen? She had no Plan B. After the last of the girls and their mothers finished taking pictures, a man dressed in a suit approached her. She’d seen him before. There was something familiar about him. His features were very Ravens-esque and then it hit her. This was Charles, whom she’d spied on through the weeping willow leaves.

  “Miss Baldwin,” the man said, with his hand outstretched. “Allow me to introduce myself.”

  The badge around his neck already told her who he was. “Mr. Ravens.”

  “Charles Ravens,” he replied. “We haven’t had the pleasure to meet.”

  “No, we haven’t.” Zoe tried. She wanted to be friendly, but this man’s vendetta against his cousin had cost her a job. Her dream job.

  “I’ve been a fan of yours for a while now.” Charles held on to Zoe’s hand for a few seconds too long.

  Zoe pulled her arm back and shoved her hands into the front of her smock. She fiddled with the tube of lipstick from the beauty box. Her downfall. Maybe she should have used it like Titus had.

  “I wanted to come over here and let you know that we at Ravens Cosmetics appreciate you applying to our company and we’ll keep your name on file,” Charles went on.

  “That’s kind of you.” Zoe glanced over at Will. Electricity jolted her body when their eyes locked. He stopped his conversation with Dominic and made his way toward her, not caring who he bumped into. “I appreciate the opportunity.”

  What else was she supposed to say? What else was she supposed to do? Fall on the ground like one of the younger contestants who hadn’t gotten the trophy she wanted? The redeeming factor in all of this was Will. Her heart swelled with…love. Love? The room spun. How had this happened? It was too fast, right? She couldn’t believe it. All the noise around her ceased. The only thing she heard was the beating of her heart…the beating of her heart and Will’s footsteps as he neared her. She needed to tell him. She loved him.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Will reached Zoe with arms outstretched. He took hold of her forearm, then wrapped her against his frame.

  Zoe blinked him into focus. “Not at all.”

  Charles’s eyes darted toward the tender touch. His lips pressed together and Zoe was sure he hmmed under his breath. “I was telling Miss Baldwin about her wonderful work and how we’ll keep her résumé on file.”

  The grip around her waist tightened and Will cleared his throat. He wasn’t letting her go. “Once again, thanks, Charles, for doing my job for me.”

  “Well, you were busy with your frat brother. Ah, here he comes now.”

  In the brief moment when Charles lifted his head above Will’s shoulder, Will leaned over. “Zoe, I need to explain something.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Zoe shrugged her shoulders. “I second-guessed myself and Titus was better today when it counted.”

  “I’ll figure something out,” Will whispered with a kiss at her temple.

  More than anything she wanted to tell Will what she’d realized, but her words were lost when Dominic came over, Titus and the new Miss Southwood Glitz in tow. Zoe remembered the woman’s name was Waverly. She was a former Miss Something who’d lost her other crown due to bad behavior.

  “Zoe, you remember Dominic Crowne?” Will asked, his hand on her lower back.

  For a millisecond, Zoe and Dominic stared each other down. He gave a lopsided smirk and a head nod.

  Waverly stepped forward and shook Zoe’s hand. “You’re awesome, Miss Zoe. It was a real pleasure to meet you this afternoon. I am a huge fan.”

  “But you work better with me.” Titus brought up the rear. His smugness was enough to knock Zoe off the stage.

  Zoe’s eyes darted between the four of them standing in front of her. The dots began to align. Now she recalled why Will hadn’t cared about her getting the Creative Design Director’s position. He already had something in mind.

  “This is cozy.” Charles cleared his throat. “Titus, you must be familiar with Zoe Baldwin.”

  “We’ve met,” Zoe and Titus belted out with the same amount of animosity in their voices.

  “I can’t thank you enough for this opportunity, Mr. Ravens,” Waverly gushed, shaking Will’s and then Charles’s hands. “And Mr. Ravens.”

  Zoe stepped backward but Will’s hold on her waist kept her from leaving. “Everything okay?”

  “No,” Zoe whispered.

  “Dom was just talking about all of us getting together for a celebration,” said Will. “What do you say we hang back here for one day?” He leaned close to whisper in her ear. “Tonight can still be our first date.”

  Pain ached in her ribs. “Honestly,” Zoe began slowly, “I’m all packed. I might as well head back tonight and I already have my ticket.”

  “So you’ll fly back with me on the company plane.” Will moved closer. “Like when we came here.”

  A lifetime ago, Zoe thought. She shot a glance at Dominic, not sure why he made her so nervous. Probably because he already knew what Zoe wanted and knew the plans he’d already made with Will for the winner. How long had they been conspiring? Did Will plan on making Waverly a winner before he learned of the company’s plans to hire the makeup artist who did the winner’s face?

  A piercing pang pinched the bridge of Zoe’s nose. Tears were threatening. She needed to get away from
here. Disappointment hit her harder than she expected. She needed to go home and made up a lie. “No, forgot I have things I need to do tomorrow.”

  “Zoe?” Will questioned her with a raised brow. He was confused, as he should be. Zoe knew he had no idea she was aware of his plans for hire. But, then again, she’d known all along he didn’t want her. Zoe choked out a sob. After he met with his cousins, did he meet up with Dominic and make plans for his contestant to win? This is what fraternity members did, right? Help each other out? How easy had it been for Will to come up with a decision on the position after swearing he needed to think long and hard? Will’s face softened, his lips frowned. “What is it?”

  “I’ve got to go, Will.” Zoe stepped backward. “I’ve got to get back. Please excuse me. And congratulations, Waverly. You were truly lovely.”

  * * *

  At some point after midnight Zoe returned to the comfort of her home. Usually she wasn’t on the verge of tears when she returned, but dropping her keys on the ground nearly set her off. The extra weight of emotions drained her. This was clearly not her day, her month—hell, even her year. Zoe rushed inside her apartment before her sobs could wake the Dohertys next door.

  Even though she had only been on the company plane one time, Zoe already missed it. She wondered what would have been better, flying last week seated next to the fake LL Cool J or being seated tonight with someone who could have been a heavyweight wrestler. Zoe’s bones ached from being wedged against the window.

  Leaving her suitcase by the door, Zoe trotted over to the kitchen, kicking out of her red flip-flops. Before leaving for the airport she had been able to change out of her smock and slip into a red-and-white-striped maxi dress. As much as she wanted to shower after her flight, Zoe’s stomach growled. She was famished and the refrigerator had no answers for her. Like déjà vu, Zoe’s cell phone rang and Prince came over the speaker. This was the same scenario as when Lexi had invited her to come back to Southwood. Zoe had been heartbroken over Ravens Cosmetics and she was starving. The two differences this time were that Zoe let the phone ring and she had no food in her fridge. Zoe closed the refrigerator door and let the call go to voice mail.