“That’s something to consider, anyway. Can you try and get me some of her collection? Size four. Her stuff is hot, hot, and hot again.”
“Hence, I’m moving. Damn woman. If I wasn’t so damn proud of her I would be pissed I have to uproot my life like this.”
Mandi smirked and flounced out of the room when Joshua called for his butler to bring up his luggage.
Chapter 13
Melissa woke the morning of the launch party with butterflies the size of parrots in her stomach. She had already been told that she was not allowed to come to the office and in anticipation of that had booked all types of beauty appointments for the day. And with very little begging, Liz had promised to be at her side all day and night.
Melissa sat up and looked down at her bed. It was strewn with different-colored rose petals. There were two notes on her night table. One was from Liz, saying that Joshua had asked her to throw the rose petals on her in the night and she had felt really weird doing it. The second was from Joshua, a few lines describing how proud he was of her and how much he loved her and how excited he was to see her later that night.
Melissa laughed at both, and on impulse she grabbed an armful of petals and ran to Liz’s room. Her friend was still asleep so Melissa threw the petals on her and then jumped in the middle of the mattress, jerking Liz awake. Liz bolted straight up into a sitting position and looked at Melissa’s super smile with a look of disgust.
“You bring rose petals and no coffee?”
Melissa rolled her eyes.
Both girls flopped back on to Liz’s pillows to watch the sun through the windows.
“Would you like our agenda for the day?” Melissa chuckled as Liz narrowed her eyes and with very exact movements, rolled over. “I guess I’ll go put on a fresh pot.”
Liz’s muffled “woohoo” had Melissa cheerful about the rest of the day.
~ ~ ~
Melissa felt one more knot loosen and came very close to groaning out loud. Liz was on the table next to her, making a lot of sighing sounds. Their nails were done and every body part had been waxed and buffed and lotioned until Melissa felt like an eel, slick. The party was in three hours and all they had left to do was hair, makeup, and to actually show up.
“What if I just—” Melissa was silenced by Liz’s coral-tipped hand. Melissa waited for Liz to say something, but Liz just slid her hand back under the sheet covering her and went back to her relax-sighing.
“Calm down, Melissa. I can feel all the muscles I just smoothed out forming again.”
Melissa heard Liz sit up. Melissa peeked open one eye to look at her friend’s annoyed face.
“Okay, I’m going back to relaxing. Man, do you practice that face in the mirror?”
“It’s the face I use when a patient is being really whiney, or a family member is yelling at me for circumstances that I couldn’t control.”
Melissa nodded and went back to enjoying her massage. She mentally went over her schedule and hoped the setup and actual event went as smoothly as her newly rubbed muscles felt.
Joshua read the latest text from Liz and calculated he had about an hour and a half until his girl was home from hair and makeup. He found the key in the flower pot exactly where Liz had said it was and let himself into the flat. It looked like a happy and well-lived-in space. Joshua could already picture making breakfast in the morning for the girls and setting up in the dining room to handle his business transatlantically.
Setting his bag by the door, he went back to his car for the rest of the supplies he needed. Candles, more rose petals, and various CDs were going to help Joshua to set the mood to keep Melissa relaxed and start her night of success in the best way possible. It was also a good way to tell her he lost the bet and would be invading her space. He rubbed the ring box in his pocket and hoped Melissa enjoyed the invasion.
~ ~ ~
Melissa had a weird sensation about herself. She looked like a goddess from the neck up, and a total frump from the shoulders down. She was enjoying her last few moments of relaxing clothes before she had to stuff and zip herself into her dress.
“I think we should make this something we do regularly. I feel like butter.” Melissa let out a sigh, which ended abruptly when she saw the train of purple rose petals leading up the stairs.
“Well, you were with me all day so I know you didn’t leave those. Is someone here?”
Liz looked at Melissa with a very sheepish grin. “Why don’t you go find out?”
Melissa grinned back and ran up the stairs. She paused at her door and hoped she wasn’t disappointed with who was on the other side of the door. Easing it open slowly, a smile spread across her face and some of the knots in her stomach went away.
“So, the only way to get you in my Italian bedroom was to orchestrate a corporate siege?”
Joshua laughed and opened his arms to catch Melissa as she ran and jumped to him. It felt as natural as breathing to feel Joshua wrap his arms around her.
Joshua tipped her back and felt himself release the breath he hadn’t known he had been holding. His brain had simply fizzled into a puddle when her mouth had latched on to his. Melissa put her feet back on the floor and looked at Joshua, waiting for him to speak.
“Your eyes look so glamorous. That sentence was constructed differently in my head. God, I’m nervous. You as a whole person look glamorous, with spectacular following closely behind.” Joshua watched as a blush crept along her skin and felt himself settle down. “I have something for you.” He ran a finger down her cheek and walked to the wrapped present on her bed.
Melissa came over and sat down to open it. Not knowing what to expect in the box, Melissa ripped open the paper slowly, steeling herself to what may lay beneath. Her shocked gasp did wonders for Joshua’s ego, it soared to the ceiling at the pleasure mixed into the sound. Laying against shiny tissue paper was a framed article with the sentence about Melissa and her business being a wild success highlighted.
“Joshua, this is amazing. I am going to put this on my desk at the office so I can always remember why I work so hard.” She leaned over and kissed him. “So does this”—she wiggled the frame—“mean I need to clean out a drawer?”
Joshua suddenly looked sheepish.
“I have my things being held in a room at a hotel.”
Melissa framed Joshua’s face. “I have ached for you since the moment my plane door closed six months ago. Will you please move in with me?”
Joshua let out a whoop and crushed his mouth to hers.
“So that’s a no then? Quite a kiss for a no thanks.”
Joshua pinched her chin. “Shut up, you smart ass.”
Melissa laughed. “I could not at all help myself from making some stupid joke.” Melissa popped up from the bed and began to move around the room.
Joshua stayed seated, watching her quick and efficient movements, not in the least bit surprised at the contrasting picture she made. Her hair and face were professionally done while the rest of her body was encased in what his mother would call “shabby clothes.” It didn’t surprise him at all he had fallen dead-stupid in love with her.
Melissa was moving around the room getting all the things she would need for the night together. The dress from the closet, still in its bag so it would be a surprise even to Joshua. Her undergarments and jewelry from various dresser drawers and boxes on top of her dresser. She paused when she looked at Joshua and saw he was staring at her with a seriously dopey grin on his face. “What on earth is going on in that brain of yours to put such a look on your face?”
Joshua realized he had been about to say that he could not wait to spend the rest of his life watching her get ready for designer launch parties and waved away the words, encouraging her to go back to her prep.
“I don’t want to spoil what you are
going to look like tonight so I am going to go back to my hotel and get ready myself. I’ll meet you there. I’ll be the good-looking guy in the tux.”
Melissa laughed at the cliché and pulled him close for one more bone-numbing kiss before she shoved him out the door. Joshua ordered his glands to get a grip so that his heart could take over and be sensible and not give the ring he had in his pocket to Melissa early.
~ ~ ~
Liz looked at the mile-long gleaming, white limo and gave a low whistle. “Quite the fancy ride your man sent over.”
Melissa wasn’t sure if her jaw had come off the ground. The driver was standing next to the open door, awkwardly waiting for her and Liz to climb into the back. Both women clambered in, giggling like drunk prom girls. They saw the bucket of champagne and kept giggling.
Melissa did exactly as Joshua wanted her to and forgot her nerves about the night ahead of her and what it would mean for her future. Right up to the moment the door was opened again, this time at the main entrance for the venue of her event.
“What happens if I just stay right here in this spot? Pour myself another drink and spend the night in this glorious limo, yeah?”
Melissa looked over at Liz’s silence and was treated to her best friend’s classic ‘you are being such a dumbass’ expression. Melissa took a deep breath and mentally hiked up her owner/president pants and gracefully alighted from the car. Liz took a firm grip on her friend’s hand, not only for support but to also keep Melissa from bolting, and together they walked into the building.
The first thing Melissa noticed was the shine. Everything looked exactly like her vision. The lighting had been designed with various high and low lights so that diamonds glittered and when the models came out, they would dazzle. Everyone had a glass of some type of drink in their hand. They were not sitting stiffly in rows, but were mingling with each other in groups, laughing and enjoying the night.
When Melissa was spotted, a thunderous applause broke out. Melissa could feel her skin turn hot with the blush as she was suddenly made the center of attention. She was doing her absolute best to choke back tears. It was a useless gesture as a few escaped when she saw her mother and brother walking toward her.
In a move so uncharacteristic of her normal attitude toward her family, Melissa rushed to Anna and Conner and threw her arms around her mother. Anna was so taken by surprise that before she could encircle her daughter, Melissa was already letting go to give Conner a quicker, stiffer hug.
They were offered champagne. Melissa struck up a conversation with her brother about anything that would hold his interest. While she was distracted, Melissa missed the calculating glance that Anna threw over Melissa’s shoulder. Liz casually looked over her own shoulder, feigning a wave at someone. The other hand clasped with Melissa’s tightened until Melissa cried out in pain.
“Ouch, darling. I am the one that is supposed to be causing pain by nervously squeezing your hand.”
Liz gave a little laugh and leaned in to whisper in Melissa’s ear. Melissa laughed and looked at her mother, her expression revealing none of the sudden anger and confusion that was thrust upon her. She interrupted her brother and cared not a bit about it.
“Excuse us, I want to powder my nose and complain to Liz about all the things I see wrong already.” Melissa clamped her hand tighter on Liz’s wrist and dragged her in the general direction of the ladies’ room. Making sure she was completely out of earshot and mostly out of sight, Melissa whirled on Liz.
“What do you mean Christian is here?”
“While you were trying to engage your brother into conversation about being successful business people, your mother looked over your shoulder and smirked like she had the crown jewels in her personal safe. I decided to see what she looked so smug about. Christian is standing over by the bar.”
Mindful of her makeup, Melissa began to rub her hand over her collarbone. “God, I thought her coming here was a sign that she was different. Seven, almost eight months of hard work and success and all my mother wants to see is a ring on my finger and rice in my hair. Go try and find Joshua and make sure he understands that I did not invite—”
Joshua whirled her around and crushed his mouth to hers in an extremely passionate, extremely possessive kiss.
Liz looked on in approval. “The only word coming to mind right now is plundered. Very bold statement, Josh.”
He looked over and pinned her with a stare so hot, Liz felt her bones start to liquefy.
“I saw that smug bastard leaning over by the bar and decided instead of ripping his head off, I’d come kiss you brainless.” He looked over when Melissa remained silent and a mile-wide impish grin exploded across his face.
Melissa was listing slightly to one side, her eyes glassy, a huge goofy smile stretched across her face.
Liz snapped her fingers in front of Melissa’s face a few times and Melissa landed back on Earth.
“You, sir, are a barbarian.”
Joshua continued to grin, not at all offended by her words.
The lights blinked twice and suddenly the whole room was washed in shadows. Melissa snapped to attention and put Christian and that pending doom out of her head as she waited for her creations to emerge. What she did not notice was Christian edging closer to her as the room got darker. It did not even dawn on her that he would try something on her big night.
A low pulsing beat of music began to play. Each section of the room went into complete darkness with each beat. On the second beat, a bright spotlight flashed on to illuminate a long, leggy model draped in one of Melissa’s fashions. Melissa was beyond impressed by how each girl had gotten out of the waiting area and into her spot without making a sound or alerting any of the guests that someone had been moving in the dark.
Each light was exactly six feet from each other, making it easy for a group of guests to congregate around a girl and really see each design. Melissa had made sure that each outfit was the focus. The clothes had all been tailored to each girl’s exact measurements. After three and a half minutes, the girls would finish their poses and move to another circle of light. No one had to fight to see or miss any of the models.
Melissa watched the faces of all the people she had invited. Each one she set her eyes on had an expression of delight or wonder or deep thought etched into their features. They all looked vested in her models. Many of them pointed to highlight a feature and some went as far as asking the models about what she was wearing. As part of being in her show, each model was getting to keep the clothes. Melissa was proud to see each girl who was asked a question gave a detailed answer.
As the third round of movements took place, Melissa felt an arm encircle her waist. Thinking it was Joshua or Liz, she made no move to remove it. When the models began to bustle to their next mark, a hand closed over her mouth. Not wanting to make a scene, Melissa went slack and allowed herself to be dragged into the kitchen. When the door closed, Melissa wrenched herself free and grabbed the closest thing to her hand. She looked over and was satisfied with a wicked-looking meat mallet.
“You’re not going to need that. I just want to talk to you.”
Melissa looked at Christian like he had two extra heads. “Are you out of your fucking mind? I have a building full of people and this is my event. I have to be out there. Not to mention if Joshua figures out I’m gone and walks in here, he will kill you. Get out of my way.”
Christian didn’t budge an inch from the doorway. He was going to make sure that they left together as an engaged couple when the night was over.
“You are going to listen to the things I have to say and then you can go back out to your event.”
Melissa put the distance of the counter between them and kept a good grip on her mallet. If she saw any chance, she was going to bash his brains in and get away.
“If I remembe
r correctly, the last time you and I were in each other’s company, I was left stranded at a restaurant when you went off in an angry huff because I wouldn’t adhere to your little housewife dream. I don’t plan on listening to that bullshit again so if that’s what you’re about to spout, save it and move out of my way.”
Christian was turning the brightest shade of red Melissa had ever seen a person turn. She did not much care that he was getting pissed at her words. They were the truth.
“Have you spoken to your mother since that night?”
“No, I haven’t. She didn’t understand why I said no, which apparently you don’t understand either and we didn’t speak until she decided to drive me to the plane to come here.”
Christian shook his head with an expression of amused exasperation on his face. “Your mother is a very talented woman. She called me when she got the invitation about tonight and spun this whole story about you wanting me back and how she wanted me to come with her and Conner. I went right along with her plans because I was so excited you had changed your mind and we could finally be together.”
The utter shock on Melissa’s face had only increased throughout Christian’s speech. “She lied about all of that. None of those words were true. You leaving me stranded was a cold slap to the face. I realized that all my days and nights of pining for you to finally see me as the girl of your dreams were wasted days and nights. I found Joshua in the midst of all the confusion and I have never been happier. He moves in our circles but he is so different from you and all the other stuffy guys my mother threw at me that he turned out to be perfect.”
“I don’t believe that for a second. I refuse to believe that you have just given up on our future completely. I know for a fact that you still love me. And if you still love me then I have a chance at the future I figured out I wanted. With you.”
Heartbeat Echoes Page 19