“She’s been with your family that long?”
“We met the day I was born.” She heard the warmth in her own voice. “Let me start at the beginning. My dad was working, as usual, and my mom was big and round with me. She had her arms loaded with shopping bags when the first contraction came. No one would stop to help her as she made her way here, trying to get to my dad. Don’t you know, while Dolly waited to catch the bus back to her boss, she saw my mom. Dolly knew if she didn’t get back in time to serve lunch she’d be fired, but she couldn’t just leave my mom.”
“She stopped to help,” he said, nodding in understanding.
Charlie giggled, knowing she was talking way too fast, but continued. “As the story goes, my mother, and her packages, weighed a ton. Dolly tried to keep the dry cleaning bag from dragging and the clothes in it from getting wrinkled. In her other arm, she clutched the sack of vegetables as she tried to half carry my mother here while my mom hung on for dear life to her own shopping bags. Baby things, can you believe it?”
He smiled widely and shook his head.
“Dolly soon gave up on the dry cleaning and the veggies.”
“But not your mom.”
“Nope, thankfully. Long story short, from the moment she hit King’s door, she shouted, ‘Mr. K., Mr. K., I got your wife and she’s about to have your baby.’ Well, word spread like lightning and Daddy came rushing downstairs. Then he and Dolly had a heated debate over whether or not my mother could make it to the hospital in time.”
“Let me guess. Dolly won.”
“Bingo.” She clapped her hands. “To top it off, Dolly pointed out if he didn’t want the whole store to see, they better get my mom some privacy and pronto.” She waved a hand over the room. “And presto, less than fifteen minutes later I was born on the floor just over there.”
He stared at the spot she indicated, blinking several times. “Right there?”
“Yep. So when I say King’s is home to me, I truly mean it.”
She swore he paled.
“Alex, you okay?”
Glancing down at the food container, he said quietly, “I think I just lost my appetite, too.”
Somehow she didn’t think it had anything to do with a queasy stomach at the vision of her birth. A shiver of disquiet slithered down her spine. Why would he get upset after she said she truly meant King’s was her home? Unless…
Chapter 18
Alex paced the ballroom. People stared. He didn’t really care.
Several women had already come up to converse. A few even touched his arm briefly. The bold ones tried to slip him their card. He’d strongly, yet politely, declined.
“Where is she?” he wondered aloud.
“Son, what did you do, go and lose your bride already?” His grandfather patted him on the shoulder.
Smiling weakly, he said, “It appears that way.”
His grandmother, in a shimmering blue gown and her white hair perfectly styled, joined them. “Don’t be silly, she’s just a little late. Why, Alex, didn’t you tell me she was working late?”
“Yes, a new ad campaign,” he answered, distracted. “Some makeovers or something next week.”
“Makeovers? Really?” His grandmother’s interest piqued.
He glanced at his watch. Quarter to nine. “Where could she be?”
The starch in his collar seemed to strangle him. The longer he waited, the more it tightened around his neck, along with the bow tie to his tux. He hated parties. He thought he’d put an end to the stiff, boring awkward chitchat of these get-togethers once he married. Apparently, he was wrong.
Gasps rent the air. Alex turned quickly. Through the crowd, he spotted her immediately. She took his breath away. A well of love crashed down on him, shaking him. He’d never thought he could feel this way about a woman.
The marriage should have been conducted in a business-like manner. Cool, calm, and beneficial to both of them. An arrangement. That had been his intention all along.
He failed miserably.
The guests near the doorway parted politely as Charlie walked into the room. The men couldn’t keep their eyes off of her. He sensed some of the women eyeing her coldly. Jealous, he thought.
She glanced around and then halted when she spotted him. To the others, she must have seemed at ease for all the grace she possessed. But, he noted the wooden smile and the slight tremor in her cheek.
A well of empathy rose in him. Alex shouldered his way to Charlie. Getting closer, he heard the surprise in people’s voices. Once the older couple in front of him stood back, he had little wonder as to what the shock was all about.
In the back of his mind, he heard the whirl of cameras.
There, walking toward him, Charlie, with her hair pulled back, wore the most revealing dress he’d ever seen at one of these formal affairs.
He gulped hard.
The rich maroon, velvety two-piece outfit fit her like a second skin. The top came to her neck, almost like a turtleneck and had long sleeves. But it ended just below her breasts, making them stand out even more. From the bottom, dangling beads grazed her bare middle. He groaned as he dropped his eyes to her silky flesh, past her delicate navel and skimmed over her hips. The skirt began there, low and snug, with matching beads attached, and there was a deep slit up the side, baring her long, gorgeous legs.
Heat coiled in his middle. “Sweet Jesus,” he muttered.
“Amen,” a male voice said off to his right.
Getting near, he reached out to her. She placed her hand in his as he captured her stare. He caught the smile lingering there and something more. Heat rose. “Charlie.”
“Alex.” He detected the hint of relief.
He tugged gently and she came all the way into his arms.
He brushed his fingers along her waist. He felt her shiver in his arms. His body ached. Tentatively, she closed her eyes. Alex gathered her closer still. At the touch of her hands circling his shoulders, desire licked at his blood. He gave in to the demanding need to kiss her. Her lips parted on a small gasp. He groaned, and then deepened the kiss.
If anyone asked, he would have no idea just how long he held her. He lost all track of time and place. It had been far too long since he’d done this. He never wanted it to end. If he wasn’t mistaken, she didn’t either.
“Alex, Alex!” Slowly he became aware of his grandmother’s cries.
Reluctantly, he ended the embrace, taking his time to pull back from his wife. Her eyes, dark and luminous, haunted him. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. There was no doubt about it.
“Please, Alex,” his grandmother pleaded, her voice full of embarrassment.
Some woman said, “I knew it was real.”
“No, you didn’t,” another woman’s voice chastised her. “Everyone, including you, thought it was a set-up.”
A gruff male voice joined in, “Well, now we know differently, don’t we?”
“There’s no faking that,” a younger woman said with a hint of envy.
Suddenly, Alex came back to reality with a hard thud. Never in his life had he lost complete and utter control of his senses. He’d been schooled from a youngster to behave, especially in public, and most especially in front of the press.
He wanted nothing more than to lift his wife in his arms and carry her off to bed. Damn this shindig and damn appearances, he cursed silently.
Gazing at her now, warmth spread. But there was a fusion of shock that rushed through him, also. He hadn’t bargained on this. He hadn’t anticipated the deep, constant ache for her. Not just making love to her, but being with her.
He’d had a safe, boring life before Charlie. His heart had been intact, and, he thought, would remain so even after marriage. It was just a simple arrangement. They’d marry and have at least one child. Oh, and he had to court her. What was so difficult about that?
But she’d turned his world upside down.
As his grandfather had asked him on the phone this week, what in the
blue blazes had Charlie done to him?
***
Charlie wondered how she’d made it this long through the reception. His grandparents were lovely, and shocked by her outfit, of course.
But, they’d instantly embraced and welcomed her to their family. The photo opportunities had ensued. Her face had hurt. Her eyes had stung. Still, she’d posed with Alex and his family.
Now, she flexed her sore jaw as she dropped down onto the vanity seat in the empty ladies’ room, thinking the attendant had taken a break. She sighed as she gazed at the tired look under her eyes.
Suddenly, the door blew open. Mrs. Royale sailed in. “Oh, there you are, my dear.”
Charlie forced another smile as the older woman sank down beside her in the next seat.
“My, my,” she said. Plucking a nearby tissue, she brushed it under her nose. “How sweet, isn’t this all? Alex’s parents would be so proud of him.” She stopped and sniffled delicately. “Oh, don’t mind me. Memories and all that.”
“I’m sorry.” She didn’t know what else to say.
Mrs. Royale sucked in a deep breath. “I mustn’t be sad, now. Why, I’m thrilled that Alex finally took the plunge. We’d been hoping he’d settle down for years.” She leaned close, whispering, “It’s better for business, you know.”
A quiver of unease shot through Charlie’s middle. “No, I didn’t know that. How so?”
The older woman snapped open her tiny clutch and pulled out a tube of lipstick. “Why, he’s more stable. There were some business opportunities that fell through because he was portrayed as such a playboy.”
Charlie swallowed hard.
“And, of course, we had to be careful that no unsuitable girl got herself in the family way. There were accusations once.”
This time Charlie’s stomach lurched. “Really?”
“Gold digger.” She pressed a hand to her mouth and looked up briefly. “Please, forgive me.” Then she went right on talking. “She was only one of several. But this one, you see, her father wanted Royale Enterprises. He couldn’t have it, or buy it, so he planned on his daughter sleeping with Alex. A few months later, she claims she’s expecting.” She whispered the last.
Charlie pressed a hand to her middle, suddenly feeling queasy. “Of course, she wasn’t?”
Mrs. Royale waved her hand. “Oh, no, no. Thankfully not. Then there was the one, I think she was a few before that one. Well, her family’s business was drowning in debt and, of all things, to rescue them, she tries to hook Alex. My goodness, what a mess that one was. She tried to sink Royale Enterprises to save their necks.”
Looking at her own reflection, Charlie watched in horror as the blood drained from her face. “But,” she licked her parched lips, “Royale Enterprises is fine now, right?”
It seemed to be the older woman’s turn to turn pale. “Well,” she hesitated, “I guess since you’re family, you should know.” She held up her thumb and forefinger an inch apart. “It’s just a teensy-weensy bit, um, not at its best, if you know what I mean?”
She must have mumbled something.
“But Alex is going to fix it, just you wait and see. He’s going to sew up that California deal.” She shrugged. “Millions upon millions, you know? We’ll have to move, make some adjustments-” She cleared her throat. “But, everything will be right as rain.”
“Of course.” It all made sense now. She was just like the others, expecting to salvage her company by marrying Alex.
But she’d assumed the marriage was to appease her stepmother and finally have the woman agree to the many changes to update King’s. She’d had no idea her stepmother would bargain for her and in doing so, Alex would jeopardize his own business.
Guilt and shock warred in her middle.
The older woman babbled on about the guests, hinting at possible romances for her stepsisters. She even thought one of Alex’s older, distinguished business associates had an eye for her stepmother.
Bile rose in her throat.
After applying the creamy, rose lipstick, the older woman drew her lips in and distributed the rich color. Next, she smiled widely, and then rubbed a finger over her teeth.
Once done, she turned to Charlie. “You know what the guests were saying before you arrived, my dear?” She reached out and poked Charlie’s bare middle with her index finger. It wasn’t quite a jab, but she felt it nonetheless. “That you and Alex had to marry. They said you were expecting. I guess you showed them, didn’t you? Why, in an outfit like that, you’d never be able to disguise a little bump, now would you?”
Smiling weakly, Charlie forced herself not to throw up.
***
Charlie’s head spun at the ongoing commotion.
The makeovers were a huge success, as she had predicted. But on the last day, she’d had enough of the constant female chattering, arguing over the best look for them, clothes tried on and discarded in a pile, and the whirl of people coming and going. Rico’s occasional temper tantrums and Andre’s hissy fits only added to the stress.
The bright lights and flashing cameras weren’t helping the pounding in her temples. Before and after shots were necessities. But really, couldn’t things calm down, even if it was just for a moment?
In the back of her mind, a fusion of fear snuck through. Will it always be like this? One campaign after another? Will it ever be enough? Will I ever have time to just sit back and enjoy it all? The questions nagged at her.
The one she didn’t want to face reared its ugly head. When would she be able to design again? An ache of longing shot through her.
Sketching, dreaming up dress designs, had taken a back seat to all the other things she’d had to juggle recently.
“Holy Toledo, boss, call for you.” Peg shoved the cell phone into her hand.
Instinctively, she grabbed for it and answered, “Charlotte King.”
“You forgot the Royale,” Alex reminded her.
“Alex, is that you?” Of course it was, silly. His voice eased the tension in her body.
“Unless you have another husband I don’t know about.”
She chuckled at his joke. “No. I can’t seem to get the knack of this one yet.” It came out more serious than she’d planned.
Silence reigned.
Mentally, she berated herself. “Sorry, that slipped out.”
“I guess it’s the truth for both of us, isn’t it?” A tinge of sadness colored his words.
“Business.”
“Family,” he added.
Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, Charlie said, “Obligations.”
“Loyalty.”
“Promises,” she pointed out.
“Spoken and unspoken ones.”
“Dreams.” Her voice caught. “Fulfilled and unfulfilled.” She thought of both their families’ dreams.
“Theirs or ours?” He must have read her mind.
Another round of silence stretched for a long, uncomfortable moment.
“This is depressing,” she said without thinking.
He chuckled. It came out strained. “Tell me about it.”
She sighed.
“Look, I called to apologize.”
Apologize, for what? The last time they’d seen each other he was making love to her. Slow, steady, wonderful, passionate love all night long after the party, she recalled dreamily. An ache, low and deep, curled through her. She wanted him. She wanted to touch his face, to look into his eyes again, and to feel his arms around her. He couldn’t be sorry for their last night together, could he?
“I won’t be able to make it today.”
She shook off the wave of disappointment. “California calling?”
“Business in California calling, yes. I can’t drag myself away. Important meetings.”
Pressing past her hurt, she said, “Alex, you have to do this. Don’t make it any harder for yourself than it has to be, all right? Believe me, I understand. I’m not going to be pulling you in one direction while your family and the bus
iness pull you in another. I don’t want to do that to you,” she said softly, blinking back tears. “I love you too much for that.” Quickly, before he answered, she folded the cell phone shut, ending the call.
“Honey, what do you think?” Dolly asked as she waltzed out of the salon chair.
Focusing through the blur of tears, she spotted her friend. “Dolly!” She rushed up to her and gave her a quick, hard hug, and then pulled away. Gratitude at the diversion swept through her. “I can’t believe the new you.”
Gone were the curls and in its place was a smart, modern style with soft bangs and with slightly flipped-up layers. The gray had been replaced with a dark blonde shade with lighter highlights framing her face. “It brings out your eyes even more. And it makes your skin look radiant. Just beautiful.”
Dolly giggled. “You think Eddie’s gonna like it?”
“He’ll love it.”
“Good, cause we got a date tonight and I plan on some smoochie smoochie.”
Chuckling, Charlotte hugged her friend again. This time a little longer and a little tighter. Thank goodness she had Dolly. She might be the only person she had left after all the dust cleared in a week or so.
Once she pulled away, Dolly eyed her closely. “You okay, sweetheart? You’re losing too much weight and you look like you could collapse at any moment for the lack of sleep.”
She brushed it off. “Long week. Too many campaigns so close together.”
“Too much work for one body.”
All she did was nod in agreement; she was too tired to talk.
“Well, you go take a break and I’ll help out around here.” She nudged Charlie’s arm. “Look, even Francie and Prissy are lending a hand.”
Her stepsisters had been here since an hour before the store opened and were more than willing to do anything asked of them.
If The Shoe Fits Page 12
