OPERATION BABE-MAGNET / OPERATION BEAUTY

by Kristin Gabriel

  And came up empty.

  The beer he'd bought on his way home hadn't helped either. In fact, it had made matters worse. In addition to his throbbing head, his eyes felt dry and itchy, his mouth like it was staffed with old cotton balls.

  "Hey, Sam!" called a squeaky voice from outside his apartment. "Wake up!"

  Travis. Sam swallowed a groan as he forced himself out of bed. He'd promised the kid a trip to the gym so he could practice his hoop shots. Travis had enrolled in a winter basketball league at Sam's urging and was a little nervous about his chances of making a good team.

  "I'm coming," Sam called out, then grabbed his robe and walked unsteadily to the door. He opened it and the aroma of fried bacon in the hallway made his stomach flip-flop. He grasped the door and swallowed hard, willing himself not to be sick.

  "Wow, you look awful," Travis said with a grin as he walked into the apartment.

  "I think I'm coming down with something," Sam said, closing the door, then sagging onto the sofa.

  "Looks like the vodka flu to me. Or maybe the whiskey flu. My dad used to get one of those just about every weekend."

  Sam mentally kicked himself. Not only had he let Lauren down, he was setting a bad example for Travis. "I call it the stupid flu, because I brought it on myself."

  "Does this mean we're not going to the gym?"

  "No, we're going," Sam assured him. He'd take the kid there even if he had to crawl all the way. And judging by the condition of his head and his stomach, that was a definite possibility. "But I need to clean up first. Have you eaten breakfast?"

  "Not yet."

  "There should be some cereal in the cupboard. Help yourself."

  While Travis poured himself a heaping bowl of cereal, Sam leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He couldn't entirely blame his hangover for the way he was feeling. A blanket of despair weighed heavily on him. He'd lost Lauren. Possibly forever. And the worst part was that he could have prevented it. He could have come clean the moment he'd realized that his attraction to her was turning into something more. Something permanent.

  "You want some, Sam?" Travis asked, walking into the living room with the cereal bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other.

  "No, thanks."

  Travis sat next to him on the sofa and dug into his cereal.

  Sam watched him eat, noting the kid needed a haircut. "So how's the Ashley problem?"

  "We're going steady," Travis said between huge, slurping mouthfuls.

  Sam smiled. "When did this happen?"

  "A couple of days ago. She said if I didn't go steady with her she'd punch me in the nose. So I thought I might as well. You know how easy I get nosebleeds."

  "Sounds like a smart decision to me."

  "So how's the Lauren problem?"

  Sam's heart contracted. "There isn't a problem anymore. She dumped me."

  "Why?"

  Sam hesitated for a long moment, then decided that if he was going to mentor the kid, he needed to show him that even adults make mistakes. "I lied to her."

  Travis's eyes widened. "You lied?"

  The boy's astonishment made him feel even worse. "Yes. I did. When she found out, she decided she didn't want to see me anymore."

  Travis set his empty bowl on the coffee table. "But why did you lie to her if you liked her?"

  That was the question he'd been asking himself ever since Lauren had kicked him out of her apartment. Why had playing the game been so important to him? Especially after he'd realized that Lauren was special. "Because I was greedy. I had to lie to her to get something I wanted. Something that would make me a lot of money."

  "Did you get it?"

  Sam shook his head. "No. But I don't care about that anymore. I lost Lauren because she doesn't believe she can ever trust me again."

  The boy's brow crinkled. "Just because of one mistake?"

  "It was a whopper of a mistake."

  "I think she should give you another chance."

  Sam nodded. "Me too. I'd even be willing to let her give me a bloody nose if it would make her feel better."

  "Really?"

  "Really. Lauren is a special lady. She works a lot of hours for Ladybug Lingerie so she can afford to go to college."

  "What's Ladybug Lingerie?"

  "It's a company that sells … pajamas. Women's pajamas."

  A light dawned in Travis's eyes. "Oh, you mean like negligees."

  "I thought you didn't know what that word meant."

  "I looked it up in the dictionary. My tutor helped me."

  Sam took a deep breath. "Do you think she'd help me?"

  Travis wrinkled his brow. "Why do you need help?"

  "Because I don't know how to read." Saying it aloud wasn't as difficult as he'd imagined. Maybe because Lauren had been so understanding. So accepting. His grandfather, too. Sam's pride had prevented him from revealing the truth for all of these years. But he wasn't going to he anymore. About anything.

  "But you're a grown-up," Travis replied. "You have to know how to read."

  "I never learned how. I have a learning disability called dyslexia. It makes it harder for people like me to figure out words and letters. But Lauren said there are ways to fix it."

  Travis jumped up. "Hey, maybe you could come to my tutoring lessons with me. That would be so cool!"

  "I'll phone your tutor and see if she's willing to take on another student."

  "I know she will. She loves telling people what to do." Travis grinned and held up his hand in the air. "Anytime you need help with your homework, Sam, just give me a call."

  Sam gave him a high five. "You've got a deal."

  Two days later, Lauren sat in the private office of Tina Chavez, head of Ladybug Lingerie. No doubt Lauren had been summoned here because of her failure to bring her protégée successfully through the training program. But how could Lauren tell Mrs. Chavez the reason without revealing every humiliating detail?

  Lauren had tried to put Sam out of her mind, but she thought about him constantly. It didn't help matters that he'd been calling her and leaving messages on her answering machine. Each message made his motives in playing Philomena a little clearer. She knew now that ownership of his grandfather's company was at stake. That he'd quit the game after that incredible afternoon they'd shared together in his bed. And that he'd never intended to hurt her. Or so he claimed. Part of Lauren wanted so badly to believe him.

  But did she dare?

  Tina Chavez walked into the office, her brisk steps an indication of how she'd built a small custom sewing business into the Ladybug Lingerie empire. The petite woman had more energy and optimism than anyone Lauren had ever met.

  "Hello, Lauren," Mrs. Chavez said, setting a handful of file folders on top of her antique desk. "Nice to see you again. I appreciate your promptness."

  The queen of the Ladybugs wore her salt-and-pepper hair in its trademark beehive. Ladybug earrings sparkled in her ears and her bright smile reassured Lauren that she wasn't about to get fired.

  Lauren sat forward in her chair. "I think I know why you asked me here."

  Mrs. Chavez took a seat behind her desk. "I want to talk to you about the Seductress bra."

  The Seductress? A wave of panic washed over her. Sam still had the prototype. Or at least, she hoped he did. Had he lied to her again and given it to Midnight Lace?

  She cleared her throat. "What about it?"

  "As you know, I've only allowed one prototype out among my most trusted saleswomen. Considering all the money we've put into advertising, I wouldn't want our competition coming out with an imitation right when we're about to launch the Seductress on the market."

  "That makes sense," she replied, scrambling to come up with a good excuse for why she didn't have it. As soon as she left here, she'd have to go to Sam's apartment. To see him one more time. The thought made her go queasy inside. It had been hard enough to maintain her anger and indignation while he'd kept his distance. Her intuition told her the protective wall she'd
built would crumble with one touch of his hand. One look into his blue eyes. One kiss.

  "Lauren?"

  She blinked, then realized she hadn't been paying attention. Because she'd been thinking about Sam again. She had to stop doing that. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

  Tina smiled, ever patient with her Ladybugs. "I said that I think your idea was a stroke of genius."

  "My idea?"

  "Come now, don't be modest. We women have to take credit for our successes in this world. It's the only way we'll get ahead."

  "I'd love to take credit," Lauren replied. "But I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about."

  Her brow furrowed. "You mean you're not the one who put the full-page advertisement in the paper?"

  She shook her head. "I don't have the kind of money to pay for a full-page ad."

  "Then can you explain this?" Tina pulled a newspaper out of her desk drawer and opened it up.

  Lauren looked down at the colorful advertisement, fashioned off of the old Cinderella fairy tale. Only the text read like a kooky personal ad with a picture of a bra lying on a pink silk pillow. "A slightly tarnished Prince Charming seeks the woman who left the Seductress Bra on his doorstep. She won his heart and now he wants to win her hand."

  At the bottom of the advertisement was a list of the styles and colors the bra came in, as well as the telephone number of Ladybug Lingerie.

  "Pre-orders of the bra had been rather disappointing until this hit the stands." She jabbed her index finger in the center of the advertisement. "Our phones have been ringing off the hook all morning. I've already put in a second order with the supply house. Thanks to this ad, everybody wants the Seductress."

  Lauren folded her arms across her chest, determined not to let her feelings soften toward Sam. Yes, the advertisement was cute and romantic. Yes, he'd given the Seductress a huge plug and at the same time curtailed any competitors, like Midnight Lace, from stealing the Seductress's thunder with a cheap knockoff.

  "You must know something about this," Tina said. "How else would someone obtain a picture of the Seductress?"

  "You'll have to ask Philomena that question."

  Tina frowned. "I was sorry to hear that Philomena resigned as a Ladybug. Although she made it perfectly clear that personal issues, and not your mentoring abilities, were behind her decision. In fact, she couldn't say enough good things about you."

  Lauren sensed another crumble in the wall. "Really?"

  Tina nodded. "And I happen to agree with her. Which you'll see when you receive your next paycheck."

  "You mean…"

  "That's right," Tina interjected with a smile. "You're officially a Ladybug mentor. You've earned your wings."

  Lauren wondered why she didn't feel happier about it. "Thank you."

  "You're very welcome." Tina picked up the newspaper. "I must say I was sorry to see Philomena go. I thought she had real potential."

  "I'm not sure she ever felt comfortable in lingerie," Lauren said.

  "Not everyone does," Tina concurred, then pulled a file out from under the pile on her desk. "But we are getting new customers every day. In fact, one specifically requested you for his party."

  Lauren tensed, instantly suspecting Sam wasn't done springing his surprises. "His party?"

  "It's a little boy who wants to give his mother a Ladybug Lingerie party as a birthday surprise. Isn't that sweet?"

  Lauren relaxed, reaching for the folder. "Yes, it is."

  "He forwarded a list of all his mother's friends so we could send out the invitations and insisted the party be held this Saturday. Are you free then?"

  This Saturday and every one after it. "Sure. But why did he request me?" she asked, studying the limited information in front of her. The name Travis Henry didn't sound familiar.

  Tina shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. One of his mother's friends probably recommended you." Then her gaze settled on Lauren. "Is there anything bothering you? You look … different."

  "I'm fine."

  Tina hesitated a moment. "It's Philomena, isn't it? I noticed your sales figures have sagged a bit lately. Did her leaving upset you?"

  "Yes." Lauren swallowed hard, realizing she truly did miss Philomena. But that was ridiculous, because Philomena was Sam. And Sam was Philomena. She'd lost her new best friend and her new lover all in one fell swoop. "I have a feeling I'll never see her again."

  "I have a feeling you will," Tina said, tapping on the folder. "Her name is on the Travis Henry guest list."

  * * *

  17

  « ^ »

  By Saturday, Lauren had changed her mind approximately twenty times about doing the Travis Henry party. But two factors convinced to go through with it. The first was the fact that she'd have to make up some excuse to Tina Chavez for backing out. And she knew Tina didn't admire cowards. The second was her determination to show Sam that he couldn't rattle her. She could face him again without melting into a puddle on the floor.

  At least, that's what she kept telling herself.

  Half expecting to find Sam answer the door, she was surprised to see a young boy open it and regard her with open curiosity. "Are you Lauren?"

  "Yes," she replied, taking in his freckles and the cowlick in his red hair. "You must be Travis."

  "I thought you weren't coming," he said, opening the door wider. "Almost everyone is here already."

  She walked inside to see the tiny apartment brimming with women. All of them young, most of them blond, and none of them resembling Philomena.

  "Hey, everybody, this is Lauren," Travis announced, as more guests arrived at the door.

  She smiled, more confused than ever. Her suspicion that this was some sort of romantic trap Sam had set for her didn't seem to be coming true.

  She set up her displays, gave her presentation, then handed out the Ladybug Lingerie catalogs. The women poured over them as Travis, playing the perfect little host, passed out cookies and red Kool-Aid.

  This was a dream party, since all the women seemed eager to try on the display samples she had brought with her. Every single one inquired about the Seductress bra, and most of them placed orders for it.

  "Which one is your mother?" Lauren asked Travis, during a break in the bustle of women submitting their orders.

  "Oh, she's not here yet," Travis said, not quite meeting her gaze. Then he moved to the center of the room and clapped his hands. "Okay, everybody, time to be quiet."

  The women shushed each other with indulgent smiles, all obviously charmed by their little host.

  "The reason I invited everybody to this party was because of Sam."

  Lauren tensed, her suspicions rising to the surface once again. Was this the same Travis that Philomena had told her about? The one Sam had met through the Big Brother program. She folded her arms across her chest, not too impressed with the fact that he was using this cute little kid to get to her.

  "Is Sam here?" one of the woman asked eagerly, looking around the room.

  "I hope so," replied another woman with a broad smile. "I was almost ready to file a missing persons report on him."

  "Me, too," chimed another. "I haven't heard from him in weeks."

  "Sam is in love with Lauren," Travis announced, and Lauren felt thirty pairs of eyes rivet on her. "But he made a big mistake, so now she won't talk to him anymore. I thought since all of you used to be his girlfriends, you could tell her how cool he is."

  Lauren blinked. His girlfriends?

  The women seemed just as surprised by this revelation, looking around at each other in disbelief. "You dated Sam?" echoed across the room.

  "Everybody here dated Sam," Travis said, visibly growing impatient. "I always take down Sam's messages and I kept all your names and phone numbers so Sam wouldn't lose track."

  "A walking address book," murmured one of the guests.

  "I've heard most of your messages on Sam's machine," Travis continued, "and I can tell how much you all like him, so you might as well admit
it."

  "Okay, I'll go first." A leggy blonde stood up and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "My name is Melissa and I am a Sam-o-holic."

  The other women in the room laughed. Lauren just watched in stunned amazement. All these women were his girlfriends. Or former girlfriends, according to Travis. They were all gorgeous. A burning sensation clawed at her as she looked around the room. Something closely akin to jealousy. But she couldn't be jealous. She didn't want Sam anymore.

  Did she?

  "So is this sort of like an intervention?" asked a woman seated closest to the boy. "We're supposed to bombard Lauren with all the reasons that Sam is a great guy?"

  Travis shrugged. "I don't know what an intervention is, but I do know Sam is a great guy. I think we should go around the room and tell Lauren why she should be in love with him." He pointed to the blonde next to him. "You can start."

  The woman grinned. "Well, I'm not about to tell Lauren who she should love, but I don't know how anyone could resist Sam. We dated a couple of times three years ago, but I'd go out with him again in a New York minute. He's fun, witty, charming. And sexy as hell."

  The other women laughed, nodding their heads in agreement. A tall redhead by the door stood up. "I'm Bianca and I went out with Sam for two weeks last May. He's the reason that I decided to pursue a degree in graphic arts. He even arranged for me to apply for one of the scholarships his family company provides for needy students."

  "That sounds like Sam," another woman said, rising to her feet. "I'm Chloe and I only went out with Sam once. I'd just broken up with my fiancé and was definitely on the rebound. But instead of taking advantage of me, he just held me for three hours while I cried so much I ruined his shirt. A week later, my fiancé and I got back together and we'll be celebrating our second anniversary next month." She held up her hand, flashing a diamond wedding band.

  The other women in the room all started talking at once. Lauren couldn't keep track of all their stories, but one thing was clear—they all adored Sam. Even though it seemed that none of them had dated him for very long.

  "Sam has the best sense of humor," said a woman named Simone. "He could always make me laugh."