She stepped a little farther into the room, attempting to peer under the table to find her shoes. But as she leaned forward, her hip collided with a foodcart, its shrill squeaking causing more than one head to turn her way. Two men nearby visibly winced, apparently at the thought of someone interrupting Mr. Brownlee.
Great. Now she not only had no shoes, but she'd practically caused a scene. With a sigh, Brooke Anne walked out of the room. Nothing was worth this embarrassment. Not even a pair of really beautiful high heels. Not even a really magical night.
It had taken some doing, but Sheri was now out of his life. Morgan hurried back to the table, ignoring the dark look he got from the president for walking through the room during his speech.
When he reached the table, he sat down wearily and glanced toward Brooke's chair. When he didn't find her next to him, he looked in the direction of the ladies' room. He knew he needed to explain things to her, tell her he hadn't meant to abandon her during their meal, that his only intention had been to get Sheri out of the room, fast.
The president droned on.
He bent toward John. "Have you seen Brooke, my date?"
"Not for about ten minutes. She left right after they served dessert."
"Really? You think she's okay?"
John gave him a bemused smile. "I have no idea. Ask Cassie. They seemed to be having a pretty good conversation."
He leaned across the empty seat beside him. "Cassie, where's Brooke?"
Cassie's eyes widened. "Where's Sheri?"
"Sheri left - she couldn't stay," he said impatiently. "Any idea where Brooke is?"
"She left."
"What do you mean, left?"
Cassie shrugged. "I thought you were back together with Sheri. judging by the way you couldn't keep your hands off her."
He looked at her in alarm. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I told her you'd probably prefer her to leave," Cassie said, her expression becoming wary.
"You what?"
"Morgan, I thought you and Sheri were getting back together."
Morgan could only stare at her.
Cassie glanced over at her husband, saw his look of surprise and squirmed. "I was trying to help." She interrupted him. "I didn't know that she meant anything to you."
Although two executives from his department glared at him for talking, Morgan knew he had to get to the bottom of what had happened. Surely Cassie hadn't actually told his date to leave without him-that was low even for this crowd. "Listen, I was standing in front of the main exit. Which way did she go?"
"I couldn't tell you. Morgan."
He gritted his teeth. Couldn't...or wouldn't? He knew very well the type of spiteful person Cassie was.
And here he'd left Brooke alone at the table - hell, alone at the party - while he'd gone off to take care of Sheri, and he hadn't even given her a word of explanation or warning about Cassie.
He closed his eyes in frustration.
Finally Mr. Brownlee finished his speech, they all dutifully applauded, the orchestra resumed playing and his co-workers began to stand up and mingle again.
Cassie seemed to know she'd made a major faux pas, and took off right away. Morgan remained at the table long after everyone else had departed, and cursed himself.
He'd acted like an ass to the first girl who'd really mattered to him in years, and now he was going to have to find a way to make it up to her.
And, he realized with a shock, pay her. Christmas was a month away and she had probably been counting on that money.
Abruptly, it occurred to him that he didn't know Brooke's full name, her phone number or her address. All he knew was that she cleaned his office at night.
And that she dressed as an elf at Children's Hospital during the Christmas season.
And that she'd gotten her hair caught in an electric mixer when she was a little girl.
That she enjoyed dancing and had a beautiful smile.
That she looked pretty in ivory, had flyaway blond hair and sparkling gray eyes.
That her lips were soft and full and that she tasted like a dream. And her body had felt right in his arms.
He knew then that he'd move a lot of mountains to make sure he saw her again.
Sighing, Morgan started to stretch his long legs in front of him, but accidentally kicked something in his way. Whatever it was got caught on his toe and didn't want to be shaken off.
Curious, he peered under the table to find a pair of petite gold sandals, one long strap attached to the toe of his shoe. He reached down and freed it, then picked up both sandals and set them on his lap. Absently, he examined one. The shoe was a size five and looked as if it had been barely worn. The straps were unbuckled and the soles were brand-new.
Just as the clock on the wall struck midnight, a wide grin split Morgan's face. Brooke, his very own Cinderella, had forgotten her shoes--and it was up to him to see that she got them back.
*****
Chapter Eleven
Brooke Anne flexed her toes into her soft, cushy slippers and tried to pretend that there was nothing she'd rather be doing on a Sunday morning than working on her newest jigsaw puzzle. After all, Sundays were usually her favorite day - a day when she sometimes made it to church and to her favorite doughnut shop for two doughnuts, one glazed and one chocolate-covered. Or, if she slept in, as she had today, she'd just stay home. Lounge about in a soft nightgown, extra-large terry robe and cozy slippers. For someone who was so cheap with shoes, Brooke Anne always made sure that her slippers were new and fluffy.
She'd make a good pot of coffee, flavored with hazelnut or French vanilla, and she'd turn the television on low while she worked on a puzzle.
She loved the puzzles from the Hallmark store, and she took care to pick one that corresponded with the season. Currently, she was working on a Thomas Kinkade winter scene.
Putting together a fifteen hundred piece puzzle depicting a horse-drawn carriage making its way through the snow was fun.
Well, it was relaxing, she amended. Relaxing for a girl who couldn't afford to splurge on luxuries like massages and spa treatments.
Unable to stop herself, she took stock of her present situation.
She was an independent entrepreneur with a lack of funds and a good disposition. Christmas was coming and the four women who worked for her would each expect a bonus.
Her parents would ask why she wasn't coming home for the holidays.
Brooke Anne moved two yellow-tinged pieces around the table, aimlessly trying to find a home for them. But her heart wasn't in it. And at the moment, she wasn't even concerned about her family or her finances.
She was concentrating on one thing, and one thing only.
A man.
A man named Morgan Carmichael.
A man named Morgan Carmichael who'd blown her off when his ex-girlfriend came back. She should hate him. She should be mad as hell at him.
But all she could think about was the feeling of being in his arms. The way the corners of his eyes had crinkled when he'd laughed. How his whole body had attuned to hers when they'd danced.. .and kissed.
A tremor coursed through her at the memory. Drat her body. It seemed she just had to think of him and it would react. Not good, when she didn't want to ever see the man again - even if he did owe her money. Money that would've come in very handy about now, with Christmas coming.
Finally, giving up all pretense of putting together the puzzle, Brooke Anne walked to the window, framed with twinkling multicolored lights. She looked out at the cold, gray morning. It was a perfect day to stay inside.
She should make some lists and figure out how to turn the two hundred dollars she had squirreled away into acceptable presents for ten people.
A knock at her door disturbed her musings.
Tomasina had come to pay her a call again. Brooke Anne was hesitant about seeing her. Tomasina had a clear, no-nonsense outlook on life that Brooke Anne didn't feel up to embracing.
"Wha
t's up?" Tomi asked, looking very festive in a red sweat suit and green socks.
Brooke Anne smiled wanly at the question. "Not a lot, obviously. I was just about to get another cup of coffee. Would you like one?"
Tomi glanced at her friend with concern. "I would," she answered as she followed her into the kitchen.
Brooke Anne refilled her own cup, then poured a generous mug for Tomi and set out a carton of cream and a container of sugar. Tomasina liked her coffee rich and sweet.
"Well, I'm waiting," Tomi said as soon as she'd planted herself at Brooke Anne's card table in the living room. "How was your evening?"
How could she tell her without dissolving into tears? "Interesting."
"As in how?"
"As in I danced a lot, basically fell in love, had a great kiss out on a moonlit balcony, got ignored during dinner, and then was told to leave by a witchy wife when my date's ex-girlfriend showed up." Brooke Anne paused and took a small sip of coffee. She was kind of proud of herself for having summarized her evening so succinctly.
Tomi winced while stirring her coffee. "Anything else?"
"Hmm. What else can I add? Oh, yeah. I forgot my shoes, which just happened to be the whole reason I said okay to this date, and I didn't even get paid, which would have made all the heartache at least bearable."
Tomasina's eyebrows pulled together as she digested the outpouring of information. "How was the food?" she asked then, a teasing smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Brooke Anne chuckled. Leave it to Tomi to get to the heart of things. That's why she appreciated her friendship so much.
"You know what? The prime rib was almost raw...but the cheesecake was excellent."
"What kind of cheesecake?"
"Chocolate, with a dark cookie crust and fresh whipped cream."
Tomi nodded her head in appreciation. "That alone must have been worth some heartache."
"Some," Brooke Anne agreed. They sat quietly for a moment, Tomi automatically moving the puzzle pieces in front of her.
"Real shame about how it all turned out," Tomi said after a time.
"Yeah."
"How're you going to get your shoes back?"
"I'm not."
"Why not? Girl, they're yours, bought and paid for!"
"I never want to see Morgan Carmichael again."
Tomasina pushed her coffee cup aside and stared at Brooke Anne, incredulous. "Not even to get your shoes? Your money?"
Recalling his too-handsome features and his soft hair, which had felt so good under her fingers, made her shudder. No way did she want to get near him again. "Not ever again. It's just not worth it."
"I don't know what to say about that."
Brooke Anne figured with enough time, Tomasina would have plenty to say. "I shouldn't have seen him in the first place," she explained. "I shouldn't have danced with him, enjoyed myself so much. We're too different."
Tomasina sighed. "Brooke Anne."
"Tomi, he's too rich for me."
Her friend laughed. "Too rich? Is that possible?"
Brooke Anne couldn't help but smile at that. "All right. How about.. .too different. We have nothing in common. Morgan belongs in that glittering, superficial world. Not me."
"So you're going to lose him?"
Had she ever truly had him? "I'm going to lose all of my pride if I try and pretend to be somebody I'm not."
"Oh. honey," Tomi said with a grimace. "You've got it bad."
Maybe it was her friend's calm assessment of the way things really were. Maybe it was forcing herself to admit that her feelings had been hurt. Regardless, it was enough to finally make her cry.
"I can't believe I ran off last night," Brooke Anne said shakily, tears falling down her face. "I can't believe things started out so good and ended so bad."
Tomi, like the good mother that she was, scooted her chair closer and patted Brooke Anne's back. "That no-good two-timing loser," she murmured.
"And I was having so much fun. too." Brooke sniffed. "I danced with a few different people, and for a while. I really did seem to fit right in."
"I bet you did," Tomi said soothingly.
"Morgan kept telling me that I looked beautiful."
"I saw you with my own eyes. He was right."
"I felt like a princess." She hiccupped. "And when we waltzed-you should've seen us - we were two bodies moving in perfect harmony."
"I've never waltzed."
"Oh, Tomi, it was wonderful. We were gliding across the dance floor. Morgan spun me so fast, all I could do was hold on tight."
"I'm more interested in how you got that kiss."
"It wasn't just one kiss - there were a bunch of them."
Tomi leaned back. "A whole make-out session, huh?"
"No, it wasn't like that. It was sweet. And passionate. Exactly how I always imagined it would be with the right person. I didn't want it to end."
"Well, why did it?"
"We were on the balcony, in the cold, and they rang for dinner."
"So, you went inside, and things went to hell?"
"Pretty much," Brooke Anne admitted miserably. "I sat next to this strange woman who only talked about Morgan's ex-girlfriend."
And, Brooke Anne realized, Cassie had made it clear that she hadn't really fit in at all. That one kiss couldn't change the fact that they were from separate worlds. That she'd never belong.
An image of Russell, her ex-boyfriend, popped into her mind. Russell had told her he loved her, then discovered Suzanne, a pretty, young checkout girl at Wal-Mart. Brooke Anne hadn't stood a chance after that. Especially since she'd thought she'd been days away from receiving the very nice diamond that she heard Suzanne now sported on her finger.
The ring that everyone in her family had assumed would be hers.
Tomi pursed her lips in disapproval. "And what was the man of the hour doing at the time?"
"Talking business with everyone else."
"And then he took off and left you?"
"Yep, more or less."
"Girl, you ought to say good riddance and goodbye. Guys like him are a dime a dozen."
"Not guys who can dance and look great in a tux."
"It's not what's on the outside that counts," Tomi said primly.
"You sound just like my mother."
"Good. You need some old-fashioned advice. Turn this page of your life and move on. If it's a guy in a fancy suit you're interested in, there's one of those on every corner."
"Those are the Salvation Army Santas, Tomi."
"Well, the way you described this guy, I'd say those pretend Santas and this Morgan Carmichael have a lot in common. They're all trying to be something they're not."
Brooke Anne slumped back in her chair. Tomasina did have a point there. "But what should I do next time I see him? Part of me is going to want to apologize for running out on him, and the other part is just going to want my money and my shoes back."
"Do you want to see him again?"
No. Well, not really. "I don't think so."
Tomasina smiled. "Then don't. We both know you've had your share of bad men in your life."
"Just Russell."
"Just Russell? Don't 'Just Russell' me! That boy in Nebraska broke your heart, and you're still trying to mend it now - three years later!"
"I've got a good job -"
"Jobs have nothing to do with love, and you know that. Look. When Russell be-bopped over to that bimbo Suzanne and left you high and dry, you were supposed to use that as a learning experience. You know, to stay away from men who were going to cause you heartache."
"I've learned."
"Have you? It seems all you've done is put off dating completely. All I ever hear about is how you stay at home in slippers and do puzzles. You never go out and get social."
Tomi's idea of socializing would put Brooke Anne in the hospital. "So...even though I liked kissing Morgan I should stay away from him because he's trouble?"
"T-r-o-u-b-l-e." Tomi sighed
. "Hey, don't worry about seeing him. Royal Hotels is my account, anyway."
"But -"
"If I see this Morgan, I won't say a word about you. I'll just let him cool his, uh, heels for a little bit."
Brooke Anne winced at Tomi's play on words. "Then what?"
Tomasina shrugged. "If he wants to find you, he will. Otherwise, in a week or so I'll ask him for your money and your shoes." She snapped her fingers. "Piece of cake."
"You wouldn't mind doing that?"
"Not at all," Tomasina said with a smile. "Now, let me tell you about my evening. It was better than good."
Brooke Anne wrapped her hands around her mug and leaned forward. "Tell me every little hit," she commanded.
Tomi laughed. "No problem. It started when Ronnie got us a babysitter for Vanessa."
"I didn't know he knew how to do that," Brooke Anne teased. Tomi was always complaining that her husband never organized their dates - he just showed up.
"Ronnie surprised me. And then, things got really good at the movies," Tomi added with a wink.
Brooke Anne settled in more comfortably. Suddenly the dreary day seemed a little brighter. "Then what happened, Tomi? Don't skimp on the details."
"Oh, honey. I don't know if you're anywhere near ready to hear the rest," Tomi teased. "But if you think you can handle it..."
She went on. Brooke Anne got them both another cup of coffee and brought out a box of Chips Ahoy cookies that she'd been saving for a special day. Somehow all her problems seemed manageable again.
Just before she left, Tomi pulled out a sheet of paper. "I almost forgot to give this to you."
Brooke Anne scanned the sheet with concern. "What is it?"
"A cleaning request. Someone left a message on the answering machine. I called the lady back. She lives in one of those mansions in Indian Hill and is desperate for a rush job." Tomasina raised her voice two octaves. "Her regular maid service is all booked up."
Brooke Anne laughed - both at Tomi's voice and the irony of it all. Clients always thought that they were the only ones who got busy over the holidays. "And we aren't?"
Tomi shrugged. "Normally, I figure you'd tell that gal to go jump in a lake or something, but with the date gone bad and everything..."
Cinderella Christmas Page 7
