WOMEN OF SURPRISE 03: Making Over Maggie

by Tracey J. Lyons

  Arriving in Albany, he'd learned that the group had already been hired at a local hall. Sam had almost been forced to buy out that contract in addition to paying them for performing in Surprise. However, he'd finessed his way around one very attractive female hotel manager and secured the group for himself without further ado or extra cost.

  The delay had cost him extra time, but it would be well worth his effort just to see the look on Maggie's face when the dancers appeared on her stage. He could almost picture the spark in those sky blue eyes of hers. The prim and proper Miss Monroe was going to learn how to kick up her heels.

  If nothing else, it would certainly distract her from asking him any more personal questions. The woman had a bee stuck up in her bonnet where his life was concerned. When the fairer sex was involved, Sam made it a habit to never reveal too much. But with Maggie he acted differently. She had a way of getting him to say things that he otherwise wouldn't tell anyone.

  He'd never spoken to another human being about his family before today. Perhaps it was the way she'd asked, or maybe it was because he'd needed to tell someone where he came from. Not that it mattered, because he was who he was. All the Maggies in the world, and especially one particular Maggie, couldn't change that-even if she wanted to try.

  «Put the flowers over on the left side of the bar," Sam ordered the young man who was helping put the finishing touches on the decorations.

  Flipping open his pocket watch for the tenth time, he checked the time. Fifteen minutes until the opening and from the low hum of voices outside the building, he'd guess everyone in the town was lined up out there in the streets.

  "Mr. Clay!"

  Turning at the frantic tone in her voice, he took one look at her and let out a low whistle. "Well, just look at you, Miss Maggie. All decked out like a birthday cake"

  Wearing a low-cut, yellow, taffeta evening gown with short puffy sleeves, she looked stunning. Her blond locks were swept up into a bun with soft ringlets resembling spun gold framing her flushed face.

  "Mr. Clay, where is the lemonade? I can't seem to find the batch I made earlier today anywhere."

  Taking her by the shoulders he said, "Calm yourself, Maggie. The lemonade is already behind the bar with the other beverages."

  "Yes, of course"

  He felt her trembling beneath his touch. Behind them, two of the musicians were tuning up violins while another sat at the piano bench, fingers poised over the ivory keys.

  "The platters of sandwiches and scones have also been put there. So you see there's no need to fret. We are ready," Sam added.

  "I hope so. I've put a lot of effort and planning into the grand opening and I want everything to be perfect."

  Her words wounded his pride. Quirking an eyebrow, he said, "You didn't do this by yourself."

  "I'm sorry. I meant to say we put a lot of effort toward this evening."

  "That's more like it."

  "Did you see the crowd outside? I think everyone within a hundred miles has come to celebrate with us"

  He watched, mesmerized as the pulse at the side of her throat moved up and down. Running a thumb lightly over the spot, he felt her excitement and the warmth of her smooth skin.

  She turned her full attention to him, blue eyes searching his face in surprise. Without giving it another thought, Sam dipped his head and kissed her lightly on the lips. Her mouth was dewy soft beneath his.

  Surprised when she didn't pull away, he was the first to detach himself from the kiss. Lifting his head, Sam watched her. The look in her eyes was mystifying, like she didn't know what to make of his actions.

  Quickly, before she could say a word, he spoke. "That's for luck." Placing his arm about her waist, he turned so they were both facing the entryway. "Shall we greet our guests?"

  "Yes," she simply replied.

  Within minutes of opening the doors the hall was flooded with a mass of people. His attention, though, was focused on Maggie. Stepping away from his side, she greeted the guests as they came through the swinging louvered doors. A born hostess, he thought.

  A light tap on his shoulder had him turning away from Maggie. He wasn't happy to see the stage manager who'd come with the dance troupe standing anxiously behind him.

  Quickly, taking the man by the elbow, he ushered him through the growing throng of people to the back room. "What is the matter, Mr. Funk?"

  "The girls are saying their dressing room is too small for the four of them. They want you to find them someplace else to get ready"

  The balding man-who Sam knew for a fact wasn't more than twenty-five, but looked more like he was going to be passing nigh on his fortieth birthday-looked at him with a puffy red face.

  "Look, Mr. Funk. They are going to have to make do with the space just for tonight. After the opening we can make other accommodations."

  "I tried to tell them that, Mr. Clay. They want to hear it from you"

  Quickly glancing over his shoulder, Sam checked to make sure that Maggie wouldn't miss him and escaped into the makeshift dressing room where the sounds of shrill, upset voices reached his ears.

  Stepping aside like the man was afraid a plague was going to be tossed upon him, Mr. Funk let Sam enter the small space ahead of him.

  Raising his hands in a peaceful gesture, Sam said, "Ladies, what's all the fuss about?"

  "We can't even move around each other in here, Mr. Clay. This is not the agreement we made with you, sir." Rosy, the tallest woman in the troupe, said, her bosom heaving against the tight-fitting beaded fabric of her dance costume.

  "Now ladies," he drawled in a placating tone. "I explained all of this before you came here. This is only a temporary dressing room, just for tonight."

  "It isn't right for us, Mr. Clay," Susie, the smallest of the foursome, said in a squeaky voice. "You promised us a room with mirrors and dressing tables, one for each of us. Why, this is nothing more than a closet!"

  Four beaded, brightly made-up women descended upon him. Raising his hands in a defensive gesture, he answered their complaint. "Ladies! Ladies! Before you send me out to be lynched, you need to be reasonable. You are, of course, right-this is nothing more than a closet"

  The truth of it was that up until this morning this room had been a closet. One with wash buckets and mops piled into it. Sam was hoping that once Maggie saw the girls dance and the crowd's reaction to them, he could convince her to make the larger storage room behind the stage area into a permanent dressing room.

  "Mr. Clay," Pearl, the blondest woman he'd ever laid eyes upon, said, "If you don't get this taken care of by tomorrow, we will be out of here."

  "I will make certain that you have fresh flowers in your dressing room each night." Frantically he searched his mind for things that women love to be pampered with. "And in addition, there will be fresh drinking water and hot water for washing up with after the show."

  While the four of them huddled together discussing this, Sam looked at Mr. Funk who was nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

  Pearl lifted her head and said, "We'd like a tub."

  "And bath salts," Susie chirped.

  Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes heavenward, Sam gave in to their demands, wondering how he was going to sneak a tub and a supply of bath salts by Maggie. He'd managed to get the girls into town without anyone being the wiser, so he supposed that the tub shouldn't be any more of a problem.

  "Ladies, you have yourself a deal. I will see you out on the stage in one hour" Shaking his head, he left them to finish getting ready for the show.

  The trio was ready to begin the first dance set, right after he and Maggie welcomed everyone. Spotting her speaking to her aunt and cousins, Sam made his way to her. He stopped every few feet to greet people, so by the time he reached her he was out of breath.

  Maggie watched him speaking and smiling to their patrons. He looked like a riverboat captain decked out in his black trousers and a black jacket. The rich, red brocade vest with its gold thread runnin
g throughout the fabric hugged a muscular chest covered by a crisp white shirt. It didn't escape her notice either that the man wearing it was very handsome indeed.

  While Maggie had fretted for hours before getting dressed, she was quite certain the confident man had stepped into those clothes without a thought. Mr. Clay's ability to rise to any occasion never ceased to amaze her.

  Repressing the urge to press her fingers against her lips, Maggie wondered about their kiss. He'd said it was for luck, but she'd felt much more. As calm as she may have appeared, Maggie had felt the heat from his lips pressed against hers clear down to her toes.

  Trying not to put too much stock into the man's actions, she reminded herself that Mr. Clay, like most men, was an outrageous philan derer. The kiss was likely nothing other than a token of good luck, just as he'd said.

  Why was it then, that his touch had left her yearning for something else?

  As cool night air filtered in through the open windows, the orchestra began to play the first dance. Before Maggie knew what was happening, Mr. Clay swept her up in his arms, spinning her, in step with the waltz, out into the middle of the dance floor.

  "Mr. Clay!" she gasped, trying to catch her breath. "I thought we had agreed to welcome our guests before the dancing was to begin."

  Grinning at her in that wicked way of his, Mr. Clay replied, "I thought it would be much nicer to start the evening off with the first dance set, and for you to start calling me Sam"

  "Sam" Using his given name made her feel like their relationship had taken yet another turn. While she was mulling this over, Sam continued talking as if nothing out of the ordinary had transpired.

  "Then when our patrons-really, Maggie, you must stop thinking of them as our guests, they are, after all, paying customers. As I was saying, when our patrons take their first respite then we can take a few moments to welcome everyone"

  Around and around the room they waltzed with their family and friends enjoying the festivities. Laughter and merriment abounded, all while Maggie was caught up in Samuel Clay's arms. Trying to remind herself that he was a rogue of the worst kind-the love-them-andleave-them type, no doubt about it.

  Still she fought with her sensibilities, trying to ignore how firm the muscles in his arms were and how the warmth from his hand pressed against her lower back penetrated the layers of clothing she wore, branding her skin. And worst of all, as other couples danced around them, she realized she enjoyed being part of a couple.

  Maggie had to repeatedly remind herself that she didn't need a man to make her complete. She was a businesswoman in her own right and could very well stand on her own. But when he bent his head low, his warm breath grazing her ear, she felt the heat of a blush spreading across her cheeks. All of those thoughts flew from her mind like birds scattering from a tree.

  "You're doing a great job, Maggie."

  Smiling, she said, "I had a very good instructor. You still need to show me the steps to this reel you keep talking about"

  "A simple two-step. You'll pick it up quickly. Really, relax and enjoy the dance. After all the time and energy we put into getting this dance hall running it's time for us to have some fun!"

  The waltz turned into a country reel and everyone formed two lines. Samuel stood across from her and when it was their turn they joined hands, sidestepping down the pathway formed by the two lines. She picked up the steps easily. Her heart racing, laughter bubbled up and burst from her like brilliant sunshine from a dried up rain cloud.

  The first dance set ended, and still holding her hand firmly in his, Sam led her up the stairs onto the stage. Catching her breath, she said, "I think that was by far my favorite dance"

  "You're a fast learner." Then he winked at her. "Go ahead, Miss Maggie, welcome your town to our establishment."

  Letting go of his hand, she took center stage. Looking out over the crowd at all the happy, flushed people, Maggie felt contentment and a sense of accomplishment that she'd never felt before.

  After taking a deep, fortifying breath, she spoke to her family and friends. "I'd like to thank you all for coming to our grand opening. It is my hope that this hall will come to represent yet another testament to the growth of the town of Surprise."

  Cheers and clapping erupted as everyone got caught up in the moment. Catcalls and whistles soon followed. Flustered, Maggie looked around wondering what had caused the sudden change in the atmosphere.

  Feeling Sam's hand against her back she turned to him in askance.

  "Ah, ladies and gentlemen, as part of this evening's festivities, there are a few surprises."

  Out of the corner of her eye, Maggie caught the sight of brilliant, colored dresses and longlegged women. As they galloped out onto the stage, she nearly passed out. They were barely dressed!

  "Who are these women?" Fury turned whatever warmth she'd felt to ice. "What have you done, Samuel?"

  She watched in horror as four young women took to the stage, completely oblivious to the fact that Sam had pulled her off to one side. Leading her down the stairs, Maggie tripped and found herself catapulting into his arms.

  "You ... you!" Sputtering incoherently she tried to find the words that would express her outrage. She batted at his shoulders and chest.

  Catching her by the wrist and righting her on the bottom step, he said, "Come on, Maggie. Try to enjoy the show"

  The show turned out to be an American version of the popular French cancan. Dressed in matching pink ruffled skirts with frilly, overskirt bustles the girls twirled about the stage kicking their pink and blue striped stocking-covered legs over their heads.

  Embarrassment flooded through her. She could barely bring herself to look at her family and friends. To make matters worse, the cheering from the audience drowned out any coherent thoughts.

  "I will get you for doing this to me, Samuel," she ground out through clenched teeth. "You have ruined me."

  Yanking her arm free from his hold, she stalked off to find her family. Aunt Margaret was sitting at a corner table with John Wagner. Flanking the couple were Lydia and Abigail.

  Lydia sprung up from her seat and embracing Maggie, gushed in her usual exuberant way, "Maggie, you have quite a grand opening going on here! Why, I think everyone from the entire town is here."

  Adding their good wishes, Abigail and Aunt Margaret both told her what a wonderful event this was. Above the din of the crowd, Aunt Margaret shouted, "The dancers were certainly a nice touch!"

  A shudder ran through her when she thought of Samuel Clay's deceit. He was turning out to be nothing more than a lying, self-absorbed scoundrel. Looking at her cousins enjoying their evening out with their husbands, Maggie wondered at how easily they seemed to have found happiness.

  She guessed it wasn't in the cards for her. Whatever attraction she thought she'd been feeling for Samuel was probably nothing more than a lapse in her otherwise good judgment.

  Sam kept looking over the crowd hoping to catch Maggie's attention. He'd known exactly how she would react to the idea of the dance troupe, which was the sole reason he hadn't discussed it with her before tonight.

  But the crowd was reacting with such fervor he knew the decision to bring the girls to Surprise had been a good one. Turning to face the stage, he watched as they performed the grand finale. All four girls threw back their heads, whooping loudly, and then with a good running start, they landed perfect splits at the edge of the stage.

  Wild applause filled the hall. Rising from the floor the girls took their curtain call, bowing and curtsying their way off stage. After a few minutes the trio of musicians took their places.

  Walking around the waltzing couples, Sam spotted Maggie behind the refreshment bar busi ly pouring lemonade into thick clear glasses. Seeing him, she turned her back to him.

  "Mr. Clay, I've had a most enjoyable evening." This came from the mercantile owner, Mr. Jules. "This here dance hall is going to be a huge success. Miss Margaret certainly knows how to come up with good ideas."

 
He sipped the lemonade Maggie had slammed down in front of him a few minutes ago. "Putting you and Miss Maggie in charge was smart too" Lifting his glass, he toasted them.

  Sam was all too aware of the cold, blue-eyed stare Maggie was casting his way. He shivered from it. Turning on the charm, he smiled his thanks to Mr. Jules while shaking the hands of Cole Stanton and Alexander Judson.

  Slapping him on the back, Cole said, "Good job. The building came out real nice. Oh and Maggie, I like what you did with the paint." He winked at her and left to find his wife.

  "The green is certainly a spirited color," Alexander laughed. "It's the first thing you see when you come into this end of town."

  Sam caught the spray from the wet cloth used to wipe up spills from the bar as Maggie slapped it down on the wood slab in front of the men. The front of his new vest darkened with damp spots. Carelessly flicking his finger over one of the places where the water was soaking through, he hoped it wouldn't ruin the garment, which had cost him dearly.

  Before he could let her know how he didn't appreciate the action, Maggie was stalking off. He lost sight of her halfway through the crowd.

  "Looks to me like she's got a bee under her bonnet about something." John Wagner wiggled his bushy eyebrows at him. "Miss Margaret sent me over to tell you she'll be taking her leave now"

  Following Mr. Wagner to where the matriarch waited near the doorway, Sam pasted a halfhearted smile on his face. Worrying over Maggie was going to be the death of him yet. And there she stood faithfully by her aunt's side, averting her gaze from his.

  "Ah, Mr. Clay, there you are. What a wonderful evening I've had. Thank you so much. You and my niece have done a splendid job with this old building."

  Bowing slightly, he said, "I'm glad you found our establishment up to your standards"