“Not quite, if you want to head over with Aunt Gabby I’ll catch a ride with Zack and Jen later. They said they’re going to be a little late.”
“No,” Marcus said, shaking his head casually, “that’s ok, I’ll wait for you.”
“Ok,” she said and continued with her mascara. She stopped when she noticed Marcus hadn’t left the doorway. “Do you need to come in here?”
“Uh, no. I just…” He paused as he played with the cuff on his shirt. “Thanks for ironing my shirt.”
Annie looked at him and their eyes met for several seconds before she replied with a smile, “You’re welcome.”
“I’ll just be downstairs whenever you’re ready.” He turned to leave, but stopped and turned again slowly. “I also wanted to tell you…” He paused and grinned teasingly. “There aren’t many women that can pull off slacks but I think you look good in them.”
Annie was caught off guard. She looked down at the mascara tube in her hand, blushing.
“In fact, I want you to know you look good… in most things. So, don’t worry about what to wear tonight. You could wear anything…” He looked around as if embarrassed.
Annie noticed for the first time since she’d met him that he wasn’t in complete control. Apart from the night they talked about her mom he had always been the picture of confidence. But now he seemed tense and nervous, and for some reason the thought made Annie smile. She nodded at his compliment. “Thank you. That’s very nice of you to say.”
He nodded, lingered for a few more seconds and then left the room.
Annie walked to the closet and pulled out the white silky blouse paired with black slacks she’d chosen for the evening. Pausing, she turned back and looked at the black dress she’d brought. She’d never actually worn it. She’d bought it on a whim one day when she was feeling adventurous as it was farther out of her comfort zone than she’d cared to admit. She pulled it from the closet and held it up to her. It was sleeveless, with a swooping neckline and hem that reached just above her knees. She looked at the slacks she’d laid on the bed, and then at the dress. She bit down on her lip as she thought of Marcus’ compliment and smiled. “What the hell,” she said out loud and slipped into the dark dress. She put on her fairly comfortable black high heels, did one more check in the mirror, applied a bit more red lipstick and walked downstairs.
Marcus stopped mid sentence when Annie walked into the kitchen. He stood slowly and stared at her from her shoes to her hair. His silence and wandering eyes made her slightly uncomfortable. It wasn’t until Aunt Gabby saw her that Marcus seemed to remember she was there.
“Oh, you look gorgeous!” Aunt Gabby gestured to her. “In fact, I’ve never seen you so beautiful… just like a movie star! It’s a good thing you’re taken or you’d have a hard time keeping the guys away from you tonight!”
“Thank you Aunt Gabby,” she said, blushing slightly. She walked to Marcus and put her arm around him. “It is a good thing I’m taken.”
“Well let’s go shall we?” Aunt Gabby suggested, grabbing her coat and heading toward the door.
Annie began to follow but Marcus caught her wrist before she could go. She looked up at him, and he gave her a smirking smile. “You decided to wear the dress?” He looked straight into her eyes.
Annie looked down at her outfit, glad now she had taken the chance. “Yeah, I figured, why not? If my boyfriend likes it then I like it.”
He nodded. “You. Look. Breathtaking.”
Annie felt her heart skip at his words. “Thank you,” she mustered. “We better not keep Aunt Gabby waiting.”
They rode in silence to the party. Marcus’ eyes were on the road the entire time. He didn’t touch her once. They arrived at the Grant’s shortly. The entire house was decorated tastefully in lights, garlands, and ornaments. Christmas music flowed softly through the house as they made their way to the large room where the majority of people were mingling.
They were greeted and given wine by Mr. Grant, who was known for his love of wine. He was a business man who had done well and was friendly enough. They made their way through the crowd, saying their hellos. Annie spotted Lance and Amelia and quickly turned the opposite direction but it was too late, Amelia had spotted her.
“Annie!” she yelled from where she stood. She grabbed Lance by the wrist and dragged him through the crowd until they stood in front of her. Annie pasted on the most pleasant smile she could. “Hey you guys! How are ya?”
“Oh we’re just dandy. Quite the party huh?” Amelia said loudly. She’d obviously been sampling the wine for a while.
“Yes, it’s beautiful and I really like…”
“Yeah the wine is good too!” Amelia cut her off, lifting her half empty glass. “You look really good in that dress.”
“Thank you.” Annie was beyond uncomfortable. She glanced at Lance who smiled at her but didn’t say anything.
“So,” Amelia continued, “where is that boyfriend of yours? The one you were bragging about at Thanksgiving.”
“Amelia,” Lance said firmly but quietly.
“What! I’m just asking!” She pulled her arm from his grasp and looked at Annie, waiting.
“I’m actually not sure where he is right now. He went to get…”
“Hey babe.” Annie heard Marcus’ deep voice behind her and she smiled without thinking. She turned and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Marcus these are my friends, Lance and his wife Amelia.”
Marcus stepped forward and shook both their hands. His demeanor was professional, his hair perfect and his confidence intoxicating. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
Amelia’s mouth hung open. “Wow! Little Annie, look what you’ve caught!”
Annie winced at how loud Amelia was talking. She glanced at Lance who looked even more uncomfortable than she felt.
“What a handsome man!” Amelia gushed on. “Aren’t you just the luckiest girl!”
Annie held Marcus’ hand, unconsciously squeezing it whenever Amelia spoke.
“Some girls have all the luck! I got lucky though, I got my Lancey, and he’s fantastic of course!” She laughed loudly. “I just never pictured Annie with a guy like you; I mean you two seem to be different kinds of people.”
“Actually,” Marcus cut her off, “I’m the lucky one. I knew I loved her the minute I met her. She’s everything I hope to be…” He put his arm around her shoulders protectively and looked at her. “I’m lucky she took a chance on me.”
Annie’s voice seemed to fail her, so she just kept quiet.
Amelia stood there like someone had smacked her in the face. “Well isn’t that just so nice. It’s good to see you folks.” She grabbed Lance and was gone.
“You are my hero,” Annie told Marcus. “That woman is awful.”
“I’m glad I could be of service.” He wrapped his other hand around her so she was facing him. Her breath caught from the unexpected move. His hands lingered on her waist as he spoke to her. “You really are an amazing person Annie. I wish you could see how amazing you are. How beautiful you are.”
Annie stared at him; their lips only a couple inches apart. She tried not to think of how easy it would be to close the gap between them. She wished she could muster that seductive Annie she’d been the other day when she’d whispered in his ear. But she couldn’t do it. She waited, hoping beyond hope he would make the move. Hoping he would just kiss her. Not because he had to, not because he was pretending to be her boyfriend, but because he wanted to. The moment was perfect. Several seconds passed and Annie willed his lips to touch hers. It was only two inches. She felt his eyes bore into her and watched them flutter to her lips for half a second. Annie’s breathing began to pick up. Please, she thought. Please just do it! Suddenly there was a loud noise somewhere to their left and Marcus broke their eye contact, turning to see what was going on. The moment was gone. Another opportunity missed, another shot not taken.
Annie composed herself, fighting the disappointment as th
ey watched Mr. Grant stand on the staircase. He called out again and everyone turned their attention to him. “Thank you all for coming to our house to celebrate the New Year,” he said in a cheerful voice. “There’s plenty of wine and appetizers so please help yourselves. We have about an hour and half until midnight so until then, enjoy the evening and each other. And we’ll ring in the New Year with a good time.” He raised his glass and the audience cheered.
Zack and Jen had arrived at that point and found Marcus and Annie.
“I’m so sorry we’re late!” Jen apologized when they were all sitting down. “We got caught up and… yeah.”
Marcus and Annie shared a ‘don’t ask’ look.
“Did we miss anything?” Zack asked, changing the subject.
“Not really,” Annie told him.
“We met a couple of your friends,” Marcus told them. “Lance and Amelia.”
Jen gave a disgusted face. “Ugh that woman is the most annoying…” She put her hand up as if to stop herself from saying something mean.
“Lance is a nice guy though,” Annie offered. “It’s not his fault his wife is a little obnoxious.”
“I thought you hated Lance.” Zack looked surprised.
“I don’t hate anyone Zack. Hate is a very strong emotion.”
“I feel sorry for Lance; there are a lot of guys like him,” Marcus added.
“It’s his fault for marrying her,” Jen said stubbornly. “Anyway, we should get some more wine and dance a little.” Her eyes lit with excitement as she and Zack got up and made their way to the wine bar. They soon returned with a full bottle of wine and a large plate of appetizers.
“I figured we could all share,” said Jen and the four of them enjoyed the food and each other’s company. Soon it was announced there was only fifteen minutes until the New Year. Mr. Grant asked the crowd to gather outside for the countdown. By the time they made it out the door and on the great lawn there was only five minutes left. Shivering, Annie wrapped her coat tightly around her wishing Marcus would put his arm around her to keep her warm. They joined the crowd in the countdown. Five, four, three, two, one, HAPPY NEW YEAR! The cheer was deafening as kisses were given and hugs passed around. A man to Annie’s right turned and kissed her square on the mouth. Annie pulled back, shocked at first but then laughed when he turned and did the same thing to a girl behind him.
“I saw that,” Marcus teased.
“He just grabbed me!” she defended through her laughter.
Marcus smiled down at her. “Happy New Year Annie.” His arms wrapped around her in an embrace. He didn’t pull away but rather tightened his grip and Annie took the opportunity to hold him. When he finally pulled back he looked briefly at her, and in a flash, his lips were touching hers. The kiss was soft at first. Annie felt herself melt into him as fireworks went off somewhere in the background. His hands wrapped tightly around her, roaming her back as the kiss deepened. Annie’s fingers threaded through his hair, something she’d wanted to do since the minute she’d met him. She tingled all over as he pulled her closer to him. The cold was no longer felt as Marcus’ hand went inside her coat, holding her tightly. Out of breath they finally pulled away. Annie’s heart was racing and they were both breathless. Their arms were still wrapped around each other, neither wanting to let go but not knowing what else to do. “I’m sorry,” Marcus said suddenly as he let her go. “I’m sorry.” He turned and walked away. Annie stood in a daze as she touched her lips where his had been only moments before. Then she saw Jen. She was standing a few feet away and had witnessed the entire thing. Annie turned to walk back to the house but knew Jen was following her. She knew she’d have to tell her the whole story because Jen’s eyes had asked, “What the hell was that?” And Annie had answered, “That was our first real kiss.”
Chapter 13
As they entered the house, Jen grabbed Annie’s arm at the elbow, pulling her toward a hall where there were fewer people. “Spill it,” Jen said without emotion, her arms folded and face stern.
Annie hid her face in her hands. “Oh Jen, I don’t know how it happened. I really don’t. I look back at it all now and it feels like a dream; like it didn’t really happen, like I’ll wake up tomorrow and go on with my life as if nothing ever happened.”
“What did happen?” Jen asked again more sternly. “Annie, I saw that kiss. That was not a ‘we’ve been dating for three months’ kiss. It was something totally different. And don’t lie to me. I’m a lawyer; I can spot a lie a hundred miles away, especially coming from you since you’re a crappy liar.”
Annie shook her head and took a deep breath. “It wasn’t… it wasn’t that kiss because…” she closed her eyes and said the next words as fast as she could, “Marcus isn’t really my boyfriend, I hired him.”
Jen’s mouth hung open, her eyes the size of silver dollars. “You what?” She wasn’t sure she’d heard Annie correctly.
Annie let the whole story out. She told Jen about Roxy, about how she’d given her the idea, and how when she’d met Marcus he seemed so perfect and confident; how professional he’d been and how he’d assured her it would all work out. It would have all worked out, if only…
“If only you hadn’t fallen in love with him?” Jen stated dramatically.
“I’m not in love with him,” Annie defended. “I just really, really, really want to continue seeing him once we get back to Penn State.”
“Yeah whatever, call it what you want. But from what I’ve seen over the last week, from what I saw with that kiss just now, there is so much more going on here than just a business deal.”
Annie sighed in frustration. “It’s all business.”
Jen shook her head. “Annie, when I say there is more going on than just business I’m not talking about just you. He has feelings too. Anyone that has seen the two of you together knows that.”
“He’s a very good actor. He literally studies how to be the perfect boyfriend. It’s his job. He doesn’t really like me, he’s just very convincing.”
“Stop it!” Jen said loudly and Annie looked around, glad that most of the people were still outside. “Stop thinking that it’s impossible for someone to love you and think you’re hot and want to be with you because it’s not impossible. You are an amazing person! Don’t you know how lucky any guy would be to have you?”
“Jen, you’ve seen Marcus. He could have any girl he wanted with just a smile and a wink. And I’m sure he does. Roxy told me all of these guys are charming, charismatic, womanizers.”
“That may be true, and to be honest it wouldn’t surprise me if it was. But don’t you owe it to yourself to find out?”
“What are you suggesting?”
“I’m suggesting you tell him how you feel. Tell him you want to date him, for real this time. If he doesn’t want to then at least you’ll know for sure and you can move on. But if he does, and I think he will, then you’d both have a shot at seeing where it could go.”
“That seems like an awfully big risk.” Annie was shaking her head.
“Life is risk Annie. You’ve played it safe for so long. Why not take a chance?”
“What if I get hurt? What if he hurts me?”
“Would getting hurt be worse than lying in your bed night after night wondering what if?”
Annie played with the bracelet on her wrist. “It might be,” she whispered.
Suddenly Zack appeared next to them. “There you girls are. Aunt Gabby is ready to leave and frankly, so am I. This crowd is a little too big for comfort.”
Jen smiled at him. “Oh honey, there are more people than this on the subway in New York.”
“Which is why we don’t live there,” Zack said, putting his arm around her shoulders. “Ready sis?”
“We’ll be out in a minute; will you go get the car?” Jen asked quickly.
“Sure.” He looked from one woman to the other and then nodded at Jen as if he got a clue.
“Annie,” Jen said taking Annie’s hands in her
own, “I know I haven’t really known you for that long, but I feel like I have. You were a friend to me when I wasn’t very nice to you, and that’s one of the things I love most about you, your ability to see the good in everyone. It’s so rare and I love you for it but it’s also a shield for your own feelings. I know it’s hard but, risk is what makes life worth living.” Annie raised her eyes to look at her and Jen smiled that beautiful smile that seemed to make every situation better. It was no mystery why Zack was in love with her.
“I wish I had your confidence,” Annie said quietly.
“Confidence is kind of like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets.”
Annie smiled and the two of them embraced. Together they walked to the front of the house where Zack, Marcus and Aunt Gabby were in the car waiting.
The tension on the ride home seemed palpable as they made the fifteen minute drive back to the hotel to drop off Zack and Jen. Once back at Aunt Gabby’s Annie went quickly to the bedroom. She didn’t say anything to Marcus and he seemed fine with the silence. They worked around each other as they got ready for bed. Annie insisted Marcus take a shower first; she felt the need to stand under the water without the pressure of being rushed. After a long, hot shower she felt some of the stress alleviate. She wished she could spend the entire night under the deluge of the steamy liquid, but her body was calling for the comfort of the bed as exhaustion settled in.
She peeked outside the bathroom and sighed with relief when she heard Marcus snoring soundly. The clock read 2:04 a.m. when she finally climbed into bed. Sighing heavily, she thought of her nine a.m. flight in the morning. At least she could take a short nap on the plane.
The night was filled with angst as she tossed and turned, willing sleep to come but to no avail. She stared into the darkness above her, thinking of the events of the past week. She listened to the ins and outs of Marcus’ breathing and the slight snore that escaped him every couple of breaths. She knew she should take Jen’s advice and tell him how she felt, but the very thought terrified her. She’d never been good at expressing romantic feelings. The fear of him rejecting her made her pulse race and her heart ache. Jen felt that not knowing would be worse than rejection but Annie didn’t think she agreed with that. She’d spent her entire life not knowing, wondering what could have been and she was fine. At least, she thought she was fine.
Love For Hire: The Helena's Grove Series Book 2 Page 8
