by Kait Nolan
“I will personally deliver you lattes day and night, I swear. I am your coffee slave.”
“Oh, now you’re just talking dirty!”
Drew laughed, looking relaxed for the first time since she walked in the door. “You’re one in a million, Caramel Girl.”
Chapter Nine
“Quit moving around, or else I’m going to have to start over on this updo!” Clarissa warned, poking her daughter in the neck with the pointy end of her hair pick. “I can’t do my best work with you shaking the hair out of place.”
“I think you’re just enjoying a reason to get me all dolled up.” Caroline crossed her arms and watched her mother’s face in the mirror as she teased and pinned some curls at the nape of her neck. There was something serene in her face that had been missing since the accident. She knew her mom missed working, doing hair and handling the business she built on her own. It was nice to see her looking more normal, even though she was constricted to a wheelchair again while the bones finished healing in her pelvis. Caroline was seated carefully in front of her on the floor while her mother worked her magic to tame her riotous waves into something a little more polished.
She fidgeted with the sash on her dress as her mother patted, pinned, and sprayed. “This is a terrible idea,” she said, the butterflies in her stomach making her feel slightly nauseous. “I hate first dates, especially when it’s in a giant group of people, and double especially when it’s doing a favor for my boss’s son. It feels at least ninety times more awkward than your garden variety first date.”
“Well, you just said it yourself, it’s a favor, not a date.” Clarissa smoothed her hands down over Caroline’s bare shoulders. “Don’t worry too much, honey. You said he was a nice enough guy, and that he’s really in a jam.”
“Yeah, apparently his date had to cancel last minute and it’s expected that he won’t come alone, since all the senior level people will have their spouses or significant others.” She didn’t really understand why a guy who looked that good in a suit didn’t have any backup girls stashed around handy, but Monica’s pleading—and the slightly panicked look on his face—had been her undoing. As Monica went, so went her nation, apparently.
Caroline was almost grateful that Shelby was crazy or else she might end up adopting all her bosses as honorary family.
“There you are.” Her mother gave her a fond look in the mirror. “You look so lovely, honey. Guess I haven’t lost my touch after all.”
“Thanks, Mom.” She got up off the floor and bent down to give Clarissa a hug. “I better get going. This thing starts at 8, and Monica texted me that Drew was going to be sending a car to pick me up. Even so, I don’t want to be late.”
“Oh, before you go! I got good news this morning.” Her mother was all but beaming. “Doc Peters says that my bones are healing up nicely and that I should be able to go home at the end of the week.”
“Mom! That’s amazing!” Caroline felt a weight lift from her shoulders at her mother’s news. One step closer to her mom being back in her usual routines and Caroline able to go back to maybe only working two jobs. “When can you start back working and everything?”
“Not completely for a while yet, but with some modifications I can start working on some of my regular clients again as soon as I get home. The doctor helped me find an adjustable height chair supportive enough to make him happy, and you know the client chair in the salon can practically scrape the floor.”
“I’m so glad, Mom. It’ll be good for you to have your life back.”
“And you can have yours back too, honey. You’ve been my rock through all this, but I know it’s taken a toll on you.”
Caroline kissed her mother’s cheek, marking the soft, pale skin with the imprint of her bright lips. “You’re worth it. A pain in my ass, but worth it just the same.”
“I love you too, kid. Now get out of here and go save that boy’s life.”
She collected her clutch and her wrap and, with one more hug, went to the lobby of the rehab facility to wait for the towncar. He insisted, Monica said, since he was in meetings up until the last moment and would have to meet her at the event itself. As the sleek black sedan pulled up, she couldn’t help but feel a little bit special.
“Good evening, Miss Grant.” The driver greeted her and opened the door to hand her into the lushly appointed backseat in one smooth, practiced motion. The pale leather seats were cool under her legs, and she shivered a little, wrapping her shawl closer around her bare shoulders.
“Thank you,” she said, and he tipped his head in response. As the car pulled almost silently into traffic, Caroline pulled her phone out of her clutch and checked messages, but Oliver was conspicuously silent. She ignored the disappointment that shot through her—maybe it was better that they got some distance between them. It was just going to end sooner rather than later anyway, and Max was right. She didn’t need to be so invested in him when she could be out meeting other people, spending time with real guys who were more than just a voice on a phone line.
Caroline was jolted out of thinking about Oliver when the car slowed, then stopped in front of the Riverfront Hotel. The beautiful property sat on the edge of town, a stately old mansion that had been modernized in some areas while still keeping the original charm of the early 1900s. She’d never been inside, only driven by, and she looked forward to going in and taking a look around while she looked for Drew.
But when the door opened, he was on the other side of it, cutting quite the figure in a fitted black suit with a crisp white shirt and a skinny ebony tie. She unconsciously reached for his hand as she climbed out of the car, steadying herself on her precarious heels before smoothing down her skirt.
“Wow.” He didn’t bother to hide the appreciation on his face as his grey eyes swept her up and down before settling on her face with a wide smile. “You look absolutely stunning, Caroline. And I don’t say that only because you might be saving my job. Just…wow.”
“What, this old thing?” She joked awkwardly. “Thank you, Drew. You look very nice, too.”
Nice enough to lick, her mind supplied helpfully. This is the charcoal suit from the coffee shop’s older, more sophisticated sexy cousin.
He tucked her hand into his elbow and escorted her up the pillared staircase. “This will either be a boring night, or one where I get fired and possibly arrested. If I was a betting man, I might put good money on the latter.”
“Oooh, I vote for option B please! I’ve always wanted to bail someone out of jail!”
Drew shook his head at her. “You may be the only person I’ve ever heard be enthusiastic about being someone’s one phone call.”
“Well, see, if I’m someone’s phone call, then that means I didn’t get caught. So all in all, that means it was a good night…for me, at least.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Do I even want to ask?”
“I haven’t been caught yet, if that’s what you want to know.” Caroline wiggled her eyebrows exaggeratedly and pressed her free hand into his bicep. “Lead on into the fray and let’s find out if I can keep that record perfect.”
She felt him steel himself under her hand before he pushed open the door to the lavish dining room.
“Here goes nothing.”
~*~
Drew had assumed the most difficult part of the night would be just getting through it. But that was before he opened the car door and was gobsmacked by the woman sitting inside it. Somehow, the cute quirky girl he met at the women’s center had transformed into a sultry bombshell. Her floaty amethyst dress somehow set off her pink hair perfectly, her natural beauty enhanced by smoky eyes and glossy lips. He couldn’t help but stare, knowing that not only was he going to have the most lovely date in the room, but that there was now no possible way he could fly under the radar and leave unscathed.
The dining room was already buzzing with activity, pockets of people milling around with drinks in hand. He released her arm to snag them two glasses
of champagne off a passing waiter’s tray, handing one to her with a flourish.
“A little liquid courage.” He clinked the lip of his flute gently against hers before chugging back half the glass in one go. Caroline did the same, her eyes darting around the room and taking in the crowd.
“I may need it more than you do,” she whispered. “I could easily slip into full-on fangirl mode at the drop of a hat. I think your mom kept the fact that you worked at Strong Arm from me on purpose. Holy shit, Is that Gwen Samson?”
“Yeah, she’s on our roster for a couple of books.” Drew was pretty impressed that she could spot a comics writer on sight. “I take it you’re a fan?”
“Her run on Ultimate Universe is my favorite! I was so bummed when she moved over to The Hollows.”
Drew couldn’t help but think about Emily, who also said how much she loved Gwen’s work. And when he thought of Emily, he thought of how much he missed talking to her in the last twenty-four hours. It was the first day they’d gone without talking on the phone in over a week, and it made him ache a little. He gritted his teeth, feeling like a heel for wanting Emily when he had a beautiful woman on his arm—solid and real, not a figment on a phone line. She was doing him a favor, the least he could do is give her his full attention.
“Would you like to meet her?” he asked. “Gwen is super sweet.”
“Ohmygoshyes.” Caroline’s excited response ran together, she answered so quickly. He laughed as she drained the rest of her glass and set it down with a resolute thunk. “Let’s do this before I lose my nerve, embarrass myself, and then spend the night in the bathroom mortified, while you manage the fallout.”
“That might be what gets me fired or arrested.”
“And I’ll be happy to come bail you out of jail once I’m done dying with dignity.”
Unthinkingly, he put his hand on the small of her back to guide her over to where Gwen stood with a couple of the colorists from her books. He was acutely aware of how low the back of Caroline’s dress dipped, the top of his thumb brushing against bare skin in such an intimate way that he was going to need to start thinking about baseball stats very soon. He could feel her shiver under his touch, and he began to feel hot around the collar.
You’re just nervous, he chided himself. Reel it in before you creep her out.
Gwen noticed them walking up and waved him over in greeting. “Drew! How wonderful to see you.”
“You too, Gwen. Really great work on your last issue. I have gotten so many press hits from you this month alone…you’re keeping me busy!”
“Well, you’re not the only one staying busy. My manager retired so I’ve been doing a lot of my personal marketing and PR myself. I have a new appreciation for everything that you do at Strong Man, and I know without a doubt that I don’t want your job.”
“Some days, I don’t want it either. Gwen, I’d like to introduce you to my friend Caroline Grant. She was kind enough to waste her evening at this shindig with me, and she’s a big fan of yours. Caroline, this is Gwen Samson.”
Gwen reached out and shook Caroline’s slightly shaking hand, gracing her with a warm smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Caroline.”
“The pleasure is all mine. I admire your work so much, Ms. Samson.”
“Please, call me Gwen. Any friend of Drew’s is a friend of mine.”
Caroline was flushed with excitement, cheeks pinked and eyes sparkling, and Drew could barely look away from how lovely she was in that moment. She and Gwen began an animated conversation about writing for comic books, while he surveyed the room and realized he wasn’t the only one who noticed how she lit up the dark room with her smile.
Chad sauntered up with a smarmy grin, Greg trailing behind him like the lackey he really was, and gave Caroline a very slow, very complete once-over that had Drew gritting his teeth behind a polite smile. “Well, well, well, Bull…your lady does not disappoint. Care to introduce us?”
“Maybe later, Chad. She and Gwen are getting to know each other.”
The man could not be deterred, gathering himself up to his full height and pushing between Drew and Caroline to grab her hand and bring it to his lips.
“Hello there, beautiful. I’m Chad Michaelson, and I’d just like to welcome you on behalf of Strong Man.”
Caroline snatched her hand away as if it were on fire, surprising Drew by reaching out for him and drawing him close to her—for cover, for a barrier between her and Chad’s oozing personality, he didn’t know. Either way, he couldn’t blame her.
His boss seemed nonplussed, giving her his best shark-like grin and another slow perusal from head-to-toe. She looked down at him with an almost unreadable look on her face until her face bloomed into a wide, almost scary grin.
Chad apparently missed the lesson that when a woman smiles like that, you should probably already be running. Drew was really glad that it wasn’t directed at him.
“I’ve heard so much about you,” she cooed in a saccharine voice. “Drew talks about the office so much I feel like I know everyone already.”
“Only good things, I hope!” Chad was inching closer to get a better look at her cleavage, which was at eye level considering he was so short.
“Keep hoping! You know Drew, he’s honest to a fault.” Caroline’s voice could have cut glass, but Chad didn’t seem to notice, laughing uproariously at what he took to be a joke. Greg didn’t look like he found it so funny, giving Caroline his best sullen glare from behind Chad’s shoulder.
“You know, they’ll be seating us for dinner before too long,” Gwen interjected. “Caroline, would you and Drew like to be at our table? We could continue our conversation from earlier.”
Caroline opened her mouth to respond, but Chad jumped in before she could answer. “Sorry, Samson, they’re already spoken for at our table. The team is so eager to meet Bull’s other half, you know.”
“Everyone will meet her, don’t worry,” Drew said, putting an arm around Caroline’s waist. “Gwen, we’d love to sit with you for the rest of cocktail hour, and then we can move to the PR table for dinner.”
Chad nodded, herding Greg back to the corner they slunk out from. “Sounds like your typical excellent compromise, Bull. See you in a bit. Caroline, can’t wait to learn more about you.” His leer turned Drew’s stomach, so he had only an inkling of what Caroline must have been feeling.
Once they were alone with Gwen once more, Caroline raised an eyebrow and looked him dead in the eyes. “I know you said your boss was bad, but that’s like, ‘what bridge did he crawl out from under?’ bad. That’s ‘someone who idolizes Nicholas Cage for his acting prowess’ bad. That’s ‘Donald Trump fake orange tan’ bad.”
“Clearly I lacked the phrases to really send the concept home,” Drew muttered, resisting the urge to grab her, hail a cab, and drive far away from this nightmare. “I hope you’re prepared for the longest dinner of your life.”
Caroline looked across the room to where Chad was still surveying her like she was a particularly delicious steak. “You are going to owe me so many lattes when this is over, mister.”
“I know. Trust me, I know. So…have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”
Caroline thwacked him in the arm with her clutch bag and made a beeline for the bar while Gwen looked on in amusement.
“You’ve got yourself a spitfire there,” she observed. “I think you’re in more trouble than you realize.”
“I told her earlier that I was afraid this night would end with me either fired or in jail, maybe both.”
“And have you revised that opinion?
Drew sighed. “I think it’s definitely going to be both.”
Chapter Ten
An hour later, Caroline found herself fantasizing all the ways that she could murder Drew’s boss with her salad fork. When they sat down for dinner, Chad squeezed into the chair next to her and proceeded to try and talk her ear off for the next hour. She proceeded to ignore him completely and focus on Drew and
his sweet assistant, Macy, instead.
Chad, however, was not used to being ignored, and it did not sit well with his delicate ego. Now that he was more than a few whiskey and waters into the night, he had given up on any semblance of propriety and started a highly inappropriate conversation with his hype man Greg about her hair, her cleavage, her legs, and how Drew had bagged “a looker like that” in the first place. The clients from Station 8 looked incredibly uncomfortable every time Chad opened his mouth, but Macy and Drew were an amazing team. They worked in tandem to smooth over every little gaffe from their boss and keep everyone happy, even though she was pretty sure she saw a look in Drew’s eyes that promised murder.
“Seriously, sweetheart, when you get tired of your boyfriend not giving it to you proper, you should give me a call. We can take the jet up to the Poconos and I’ll show you what a real man is like.”
Caroline almost choked on her baby kale trying not to laugh while Drew went lividly red, then deathly pale. He pushed back his chair and stood, throwing down his napkin and visibly steeling himself for a fight.
Quickly, Caroline rose to her feet as well and grasped him by the hand. “I’d love to dance, babe! I think they’re playing our song. Won’t you all excuse us?”
She all but dragged Drew out to the dance floor, where a few other couples were swaying to the jazz combo playing on a small stage in the corner.
“You cannot punch your boss at a work function,” she said in a low voice, locking her arms around his neck. “Seriously, he isn’t worth the effort or the trouble.”
Drew slipped his arms around her waist and drew her against him, his hands easily spanning the breadth of her back. “But it would feel so good to knock him one into next week. I can’t stand hearing them talk about you like that. It’s disgusting.”
“You’re right, it is really gross. He can’t fathom that I’m not interested in height-challenged misogynists, but don’t worry, I can take care of that myself.”
