“Stop wondering. It can’t be done better by anyone else.” Patting her on the back, I hoped to make her feel more like herself. “Mrs. Kramer, not only are you a tremendous asset, you’re a wonderful person, and I love having you as my right hand.”
I thought I saw a glimmer of unshed tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Mr. Taylor. That’s wonderful to hear. I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately. I just keep thinking about how I’m the oldest person working here and how I don’t belong.”
“You most definitely belong here, Mrs. Kramer. Please, never doubt that.” Now I really felt bad about how much I’d been shutting people out of my life. “I know I’ve been distant for the last few years. I need to make some changes in myself. If I’m so closed off that I haven’t noticed you feeling insecure, if I’ve been contributing to this issue of you feeling out of place, then I need to do something to change that. Thank you for opening my eyes. See you this evening.”
Maybe my life did need to be punched up a bit, but how was I supposed to do that?
Chapter 4
Emma
Pink chiffon scarves littered the counter as I tagged them before putting them on display. Laney came out of the back with another box. “These were just delivered. I’m so happy they came in. These pink sunglasses will look so good displayed with those scarves you picked out.”
“I think so too.” I picked up a handful of the scarves. “I’ll use that display stand over there since we’ll be adding the sunglasses.”
Laney put her hand on my shoulder to stop me. “Hang on a minute.” Slipping a pair of sunglasses on me, she looked me over, and then took a scarf out of my hand to wrap it around my neck loosely. “Yes, you look great in pale pink. It goes so well with your golden-brown hair and green eyes.” A smile curved her lips. “You keep these. And start wearing some of these clothes, Emma. You make them look great. It’ll boost sales.”
Ducking my head, I felt my cheeks heat with embarrassment. “I can’t accept these.”
“You can.” Laney took the scarves from me. “I tell you what, go pick out an entire outfit to match the glasses and scarf. Then go put it on, and cut the tags off. I’m serious. I want you to wear the clothes I have on my racks, girl. You’ve got a great body, and you’re so pretty too! I need to use that to get some sales.”
Running my hand over my large hips, I had to disagree. “Laney, I don’t have a great body. I’ve got a great big body.” Looking in the full-length mirror, I shook my head at my reflection. “My butt is big—and not in a good way.”
Laughter pealed through the air. “Your butt is fantastic, Emma. Go, pick out an outfit.” I saw her fishing through a basket full of makeup. “And once you’re all dressed, I’ll do your makeup.”
“My dad will get mad if I come home with makeup on, Laney.” Saying it made me feel like a little kid, but it was true; he would get mad at me if I came home like that.
“Then you can wash it off before you leave.” She put some of the things she’d found on the counter as she looked at me with a no-nonsense expression. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”
Knowing she wouldn’t let me get out of it, I turned away to find something to match the new accessories. I found a blouse with blues and purples and the slightest bit of pale pink. Pairing the shirt with a pair of billowy white slacks, I felt good about the outfit I picked out. “You like this, Laney?”
She shook her head. “Pick out something that will flatter your figure, not hide it. What you’ve got there is more for a woman with thirty extra pounds to hide.” She eyed something across the boutique and went for it. “Like this.”
After putting the clothes I’d picked back on their racks, I turned to find her holding up a top with a plunging neckline and a pale pink pencil skirt that would fit me like a glove.
“No way.”
Cocking one brow, she laid down the law. “Yes way. Put them on. I’ll grab a pair of heels to round this all out.”
In the dressing room I pulled off the loose-fitting dress I’d worn to work. Staring at my reflection, I looked at my white cotton panties that covered my stomach to just below my belly button. My bra was on the bulky side to help hold up my big breasts. I hated my body. My tummy wasn’t flat, but round like the rest of my body. Thick upper thighs turned into skinny calves and bony ankles. With a sigh, I put on the clothes I never would’ve chosen for myself and found that my panties and bra made the clothes look bulky; the outfit definitely didn’t fit the way it would if I had something less unwieldy on underneath.
I went out to show Laney. “See, this won’t work.”
She looked me over as she walked toward me with a pair of four-inch lilac heels. “Not with that bra and underwear.” Shaking her head, she walked over to the lingerie section and picked out a white satin set. “Put these on too. And do yourself a favor, Emma, throw all those granny panties out and those bras too. Invest in some cute unmentionables.” She finished that off with a wink.
“I can’t. Not right now, anyway.” I took what she gave me then went back into the dressing room to start all over again.
With the right undergarments, it looked much nicer. “Wow, I look like I could work in an office or something.”
“Wait until I do your hair and makeup.” As the store wasn’t busy at all, Laney set to work on me. It helped to fill our time, and Laney seemed thrilled with the results. “Wow, you look so different.”
Just as she finished, one of our regulars came in and looked right at me. “Oh, hello,” she said politely before looking at Laney. “You hired a new girl?”
Laney laughed then bumped her shoulder to mine. “See, you do look different.”
“It’s me, Mrs. Hampton.” I couldn’t believe she hadn’t recognized me. “Emma.”
“No!” she said as she looked me over. “Emma Hancock, I can’t believe how great you look all dressed up and made up. You look so mature! You should keep this new look up.”
Shrugging my shoulders, I knew that wasn’t an option. “This makeup will have to go before I leave the boutique.” I pointed at the low-cut shirt. “And this will have to come off, too, I’m afraid.” Running my hand over my hip where the skirt hugged me tightly, I was sad to add it to the list of things that would have to come off before I went home. “This, too, unfortunately.”
Laney gave me one ugly look. “No way, Emma. Tell your archaic father that I said it’s part of your uniform for work. What can he say if you tell him that?”
I wasn’t sure what he’d say. “Well, I do have to keep this job—he’ll agree with that,” I said with meaning.
Mrs. Hampton’s expression turned to one of compassion. “I heard about the closure of his warehouse. That’s tough. And there’s not a lot for the workers to do around here. My nephew worked there as a loader. He packed up and moved all the way to Utah for a job. He’s got some family there that he can stay with until he gets on his feet.”
“Utah?” I asked. It hadn’t occurred to me that my father might have to move somewhere else to find a job. “I hope Dad can find something here.”
Shaking her head, Mrs. Hampton said, “It’ll be tricky, that’s for sure. He managed one of the biggest businesses in town. With the factory closed, there are more workers than jobs right now in our little city.” She was right. Bristol, Rhode Island, didn’t have a booming job market at the best of times.
“Yeah, he managed one of the biggest businesses in this town. So he should be able to get a job at one of the other large businesses here, right?”
Laney put her hand on my shoulder, looking sympathetic. “I don’t know, Emma. Those other businesses have their own managers and people waiting in line to get those jobs. It might be tough for your dad—lots of companies around here hire from within. But I wish him all the best. And the fact that you have this job and you’re switching to full-time will help. You’ll be able to take care of yourself at least, and your parents won’t have to support you.”
Nodding, I knew she wa
s right. “And Mom is looking for a job as we speak. You’re right; all I have to do is tell Dad that if I want to keep this job, I have to adhere to your new dress code.” It felt a little weird, but it seemed like forces beyond my control were pushing me out of my comfort zone. And I had to admit that I loved what I saw in the mirror.
Later, as I drove home, my tummy did flips as headed toward my house in the outfit Laney had given me. Just imagining my father’s reaction kept me lightheaded. When I parked my car and headed inside, every step felt heavier than the last. “Come on, Emma, you can do this.”
When I came in through the side door, I didn’t hear anyone. “Mom? Dad?”
“Back here, honey,” Dad called out.
Walking toward the den, I saw my parents sitting together on one of the sofas. The dim lighting hid me a bit as I came into the room.
“Hi, I’m home. Laney put me on full time today.”
Dad squinted as he looked at me. “What the hell are you wearing?”
And here it goes.
My palms began to sweat. “Laney wants me to start wearing the clothes we sell at the store from now on. It makes sense, Dad.”
Leaning over Mom, he flipped on the lamp beside her. “And what the hell is all over your face?”
“Makeup.” My legs got shaky, and I had to take a seat before I fell; I was still wearing the heels, and while I’d gotten used to them throughout the day, my legs weren’t up for this challenge. “Laney wants me to wear makeup while I’m at work. She’ll do it for me there. I don’t have to buy any or anything like that.”
“And she did your hair too?” Mom asked.
I ran my hand through it, loving how silky it felt. “Yes, ma’am.”
“It looks pretty,” Mom said then looked at my father. “She looks nice, Sebastien.”
With a huff, he put in his two cents, “She looks like she’s thirty years old.”
“I don’t think so,” I said in a whisper.
“You do.” He looked down at the floor then back up at me. “Emma, there’s no need to rush growing up. Now go on and wash that crap off your face. And those clothes aren’t appropriate. I understand your boss wants you to wear them at work, but I’d prefer if you changed into your own clothes before you come home. Hopefully, you won’t have that job much longer anyway.”
That was news to me. “What do you mean by that? Don’t you need me to keep this job, Dad?”
“Right now, I do. But I’m going to make a phone call to an old friend of mine.” He reached over to pick up the can of beer that sat on the table in front of him. “Christopher Taylor has a very successful business, and I hope he might have a place for me in his company.”
“I’ve never heard of him.” I chewed my lower lip as butterflies began to take flight in my stomach. “He’s not from around here, is he?”
“No, he’s not.” Dad put the beer back on the table. “His company is in Manchester, New Hampshire.”
I’d never been to New Hampshire. “How far is that from here?”
“About two and a half hours. That’s if traffic is good. Which it usually isn’t.” He picked up his beer again and took a drink.
Mom took over. “If your father can get a job there, then we’d sell this house and move closer.”
“To Manchester?” I asked in disbelief.
We’d always lived right where we were, here in our home in Bristol. I didn’t want to leave, to have to start all over in an unfamiliar place.
“Yes, we would move to Manchester, Emma. I think a change of scenery would be nice. Don’t you?” Mom smiled really big to entice me to join her in the spirit of change.
It didn’t work. “No. Mom, I don’t want to move. I’ve got Valerie here. She’s like my only real friend. And my job. I love my job.”
“Valerie goes to Columbia in New York,” Mom reminded me. “She can drive to Manchester to see you. And there are jobs there too. This would be a great opportunity for your father if it all works out. Global Distributing is one of the largest food distribution companies in the world.”
Dad nodded. “So, go on and change out of those clothes. And hopefully, I’ll know if I’ve got a job or not by tomorrow. If I do, you can quit that job, and then you won’t have to wear makeup or inappropriate clothing.”
“But you should still do your hair like that, Emma,” Mom said. “It looks nice that way.”
“I just took it out of the ponytail and Laney ran over it with a hair straightener.” I walked away with my shoulders slumped. “I suppose I can learn to do it myself. But I was hoping she could teach me how to do my makeup.”
“You don’t need to know how to do that,” Dad called out after me. “You’re just fine without it, honey.”
“But I’m better with it,” I mumbled underneath my breath.
Crossing my fingers, I silently hoped Dad’s friend wouldn’t have a job for him.
Soon after, I uncrossed them and changed my negative thought to a positive one, hoping for the very best for all of us. And hoping that the very best thing would be what I wanted, which was to stay right where we were.
Chapter 5
Christopher
“Sounds great, Mr. Lee.” The Skype meeting had been successful, and the men had been able to show me enough of their operations to prove the quality of their organic crops right then and there. No trip to China would be necessary, but they wanted to come meet me sometime in the near future and tour our facility. “We’ll set up a trip for you two soon.”
Mrs. Kramer wrapped up the session as I walked out the door to head back home. I’d turned my cell on silent for the meeting. Taking it out of my pocket, I saw I’d missed a call from an old friend from my college days.
It had been many years since I’d seen Sebastien Hancock. The call piqued my curiosity, making me wonder what he could possibly be calling about. Meeting my driver outside, I got into the backseat and called Sebastien back right away.
“Hey there, old buddy.”
His tone was happy as he said, “Christopher, glad you called me back.”
“Of course. It’s nice to hear a friendly voice.” I couldn’t even count the number of years that had passed since we’d seen each other. “What’s it been, five years? Ten? How’s Celeste doing?”
“She’s doing fine. As beautiful as ever.” He sighed. “I’m one lucky son of a bitch, and I know it. And how’s Lisa doing?”
Well, this conversation was off to an awkward start. “We divorced five years ago when I found out she was cheating on me every chance she got.”
“Shit.” Sebastien sounded shocked. “I’m sorry to hear that. Did you guys have any more kids? How are the girls doing? They must be pretty grown up now.”
“No, just the two girls. They’re twenty-five and twenty-three now.” I watched as my driver pulled into the garage and saw that neither of the girls’ cars was there. “They live with me now, but they’re hardly ever home. And did you and Celeste have a brood of kids?”
“Not hardly.” He chuckled. “We’ve just got our one daughter. She just turned twenty and is trying to act thirty if you know what I mean.”
“Oh yeah, I do.” I knew he called for more than a little catch up, so I cut to the chase. “So, what has you calling your old friend, Sebastien?”
“I suppose it’s best to get right to the point and not skirt around this.” I heard him take a drink of something, maybe to work up his courage. “I lost my job. The entire company just went belly up. It was a shock to me and everyone who worked under me. I’m looking for a job, buddy. I’ll take whatever you can give me.”
My heart went out to the guy. I’d seen many companies close in my time. That’s precisely why I worked as hard as I did to keep mine in business. “What were you doing at that company?”
“Managing the warehouse,” he answered. “Getting paid really well for it, too, after giving them my life for the last twenty or so years.”
“That is tough, Sebastien.” I thought about what I
could offer him. He’d been a great friend back in our college days, and I didn’t want to let him down. “With that experience, I’m sure you could be a great help to me.”
“Glad to hear that,” he sounded relieved. “I’m a fast learner, so anything you’ve got, I can learn.”
“I’m sure you could.” I had a couple of guys I could move around to fit my old buddy in. “Tell you what, how about I get my human resources department to give you a call tomorrow morning, about nine or ten. I’ll talk to them and see what we can offer you. Will you be able to relocate here?”
“I can. We can put our house on the market, and my family can stay here until it sells. I’ll stay in a motel until then.” His voice went a lot quieter as he continued, “It’ll be the first time I’ve been away from them for any length of time, but they’ll be okay.”
The thought of him having to separate from his family didn’t sit right with me. “Is your daughter still living at home too? Hasn’t she gone off to college? Maybe your wife could come to stay in a motel with you if your daughter’s away at school.”
“That’s not the case. Emma is still living at home. I don’t mind though; I like having her close.” I heard him take another drink before saying, “I’ll just have to do what I have to do is all.”
Maybe because my earlier conversation with Mrs. Kramer was still lingering in my brain, but I suddenly found myself putting forth an uncharacteristic offer. “I’ve got a house you can stay in. I bought a small home when I left my wife. Nothing too fancy, five bedrooms, six baths, only a four-car garage, but it does have a pool in the back and a hot tub too. I left all the furnishings in it, too, once I bought my new place on the lake. You’re all welcome to stay in it.”
“That would be awesome!” His excitement was obvious. “What do you want for rent?”
“Rent?” I couldn’t charge him anything. “No, there won’t be any rent. Hell, if you like the home, you can buy it from me directly, and we can take the payments out of your check. But until you decide, you’ll be my guest. I’ll have my staff go over there and make sure it’s all cleaned—make sure the yard’s taken care of and the pool is up and ready to use too.”
His Secret Virgin A Forbidden Romance Page 3
