Pretty Face

by Hunter, Sable

  Across town…

  Cody was in a tizzy. She’d met Marnie and Trinity at the Southern Belle Plaza and rented a room—for two reasons. Sage needed a place to dress and Cody hoped the evening would end with Hunter in her bed.

  “You only had one class today?” Marnie asked as she hung the garment bags on the bathroom door.

  “Just one, thank goodness. Temperature and the Kinetic Theory.”

  Trinity held up her hand. “Don’t tell us more, you make my head hurt.”

  “Foot.” Cody laughed. “You’re both as smart as me in your own way.”

  Marnie rolled her eyes. “Let me see your nails.”

  Cody held her hands out. “I’m not used to this, but I want to look different than Cody from head to toe.”

  “Don’t talk about yourself like that, you make me nervous.” Marnie examined the French tips. “Very nice job.”

  “Okay, let’s see the gown I’m supposed to wear tonight.”

  “Hold your horses,” Trinity muttered as she unzipped the bag. “Close your eyes, this is going to blow your mind.”

  Obediently, Cody shut her eyes. It was hard trying to act nonchalantly when she was actually shaking inside. This was the most important day of her life and she was so afraid that she was going to blow it. How was she going to make Hunter fall in love with her? The real her? What she needed was some ‘sage’ advice. She smiled at her own pun. “When we get through here, I’m going to see Nana. I haven’t talked to her since Hunter arrived.”

  “Good idea,” Trinity said. “Open. Look.”

  At first glance, the dress seemed plain. Long, halter top, gold color. “Will it fit?” she asked, moving toward her friends, who had the most expectant and thrilled looks on their faces. As she drew near, the light caught the fabric and she could see a shimmer. “It’s gold lame,” Cody breathed in wonder.

  “Yes, this is a dress from a fairy tale. Try it on!” Marnie said, holding the dream dress aloft while Trinity helped Cody remove her clothes. “We got everything you’ll need. Sexy underwear and glass slippers. You’re going to look amazing.”

  “Did you get the contacts and the wig?” Cody didn’t have much choice other than to just turn herself over to them. Marnie and Trinity were both intent on making her look the best she could.

  Trinity answered as she applied eye shadow and eye liner, “Yes, the contacts are non-prescription, we don’t want you blind. Instead of a wig, we got real hair extensions. We’ll braid those in now and they’ll be anchored down tight enough to withstand a hurricane.”

  “Hunter’s going to want to touch my hair.” She knew him well enough to be certain of that fact. “Maybe once we get in the motel room, I can convince him to make love in the dark.”

  Marnie looked at Trinity, then at Cody. “You need to stop worrying,” she said. “The man’s going to be so excited to be with you that he’s not going to notice anything but how beautiful you are.” Cody had to agree that by the time the girls were through with her, she looked nothing like herself. She looked way better. She looked like Sage—almost.

  “I hope I can recreate all of this tonight.” Cody pirouetted in front of the mirror. The dress molded her curves and the cut of the bra actually gave her the semblance of a bust line. “Somehow you made my B cup boobs seem like Cs.”

  “You are amazing.” Trinity clapped her hands together. “Hunter is going to love you!”

  At the mention of his name, she sought the bed, feeling faint. The cumulative weight of dishonesty was bearing down on her, making her weak. “I need a mask.” She pressed her fingers against the scar. The makeup they’d skillfully applied camouflaged a great deal of the imperfection, unless one was close—like Hunter would be.

  “This is the best part.” Marnie pulled out another package from her tote bag and held it up. “Black ostrich feathers and Swarovski crystals.”

  “Oh, my.” Cody accepted the Venetian mask. “I wish I could hide behind this forever.” She went to the mirror and slipped it on.

  “Nonsense, you have such a pretty face.”

  Cody stiffened at Trinity’s innocent remark. She hated those words. Pretty Face had been her father’s nickname for her. Even her mother had used the words to soothe her to sleep. Pretty face. Pretty face. What had once been a term of endearment had been later wielded as a weapon. As Joe had beat her, he’d promised she’d never have a pretty face again.

  And he was right.

  “Now, I do.” She turned to them. Her face was obscured with the delicate, ornate mask. Her long dark hair was hidden beneath gorgeous curly auburn extensions. Her eyes were darkened with blue contacts. And her body was covered from top to bottom in a material exquisite enough for a princess. There was really nothing of Cody to be seen.

  Trinity pulled one more thing from the bag. “You’re going to have so much fun. But I want you safe.” She handed Cody a gigantic box of condoms.

  She had to laugh. “I’ll never use all of these before I die. Besides, I’m on the pill. I have been for years. It’s just smart.” Cody didn’t go into explanations. Once attacked, forever cautious. “The only sex I’ve had in the last few years has been with myself.”

  “And Hunter, I know you two play.” Marnie always tried to put a positive spin on things.

  “Yes, we’ve played,” she admitted. “But that doesn’t equate having sex, there was still no one touching me but me.”

  “And that changes tonight.” Trinity let out a self-satisfied sigh. “Just think if we fix you up, we can work on Marnie next.”

  At that unexpected declaration, Marnie blanched. “Me? How about you?”

  “Here, here, let’s tackle one impossible task at a time.” Cody giggled. “Really, we’re all pretty hopeless. Three dateless women who run a dating site and won’t even sign up for its services themselves. If that fact ever leaked out we’d be out of business.”

  “Actually, I filled out the form last week. Turned it in. This thing with me and Crockett is going nowhere,” Trinity confessed.

  “Really?” Marnie was flabbergasted. “You’ll have to explain that over dinner while Cinderella is at the ball.”

  “Speaking of…” Cody looked at the time. “I need to take all of this off and become me again. Nana is too cranky for me to be late.”

  “Okay, we’ll leave you to it and we won’t call till tomorrow. Just in case you’re having hot monkey sex with Hunter.” Trinity hugged Cody hard.

  “This is going to be a magical night and you deserve it.” Marnie joined in the embrace.

  “Thanks, you two, I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re my only friends.”

  “Quality beats quantity any day.” Marnie laughed.

  When they’d gone, Cody took everything off and laid it neatly on the bed. When she checked in the mirror the next time, Sage was gone and plain Cody had returned. “Don’t look so sad,” she told her reflection. “This is your chance at the fairy tale. The carriage may turn back into a pumpkin tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a wild ride tonight.”

  * * *

  “Let me see a picture of this Hunter fellow, curli-locks?” Nana sat in her wheelchair. She was a tiny lady, almost ninety years old.

  “All part of the disguise.” Cody pulled up his photo on her phone, a close-up. “Here he is. I’ve told you all about him. I just never expected him to come and insist on meeting me.”

  Nana peered at the picture. “He’s handsome as sin, that’s for sure.” She began expertly thumbing through the other photos and Cody had to grab it back before she came up the more risqué ones, like Hunter sprawled out on his bed with his cock in his hand. “Who taught you how to use a smart phone?”

  A dry laugh from the elderly lady surprised Cody. “I’m old, not stupid. And why wouldn’t he want to see you, you’ve been teasing that boy unmercifully for months.”

  At Nana’s astute surmise, Cody blushed. “We weren’t supposed to fall in love. I only did it so I could have a taste of
what I’d been missing, what I lost after Joe hurt me.”

  “Oh, I know, honey. I understand. And Hunter will too, you’ll just have to explain it to him.” She folded her hands over the lap robe, her fingers twisted with arthritis.

  “I don’t know how to start,” Cody confessed, going to her knees and laying her head in her great-grandmother’s lap.

  “Well, let’s see. You have three balls, three chances to show him how much you care, give him a glimpse at the real you behind the mask.”

  Cody smiled faintly. “Marnie and Trinity went to New Orleans and found me three fantasy gowns, one gold, one green, and one purple. I have a gorgeous mask to wear and slippers that look like glass.”

  “Sounds wonderful.” Nana stroked her hair. “Mardi Gras is a magical time. This is an ancient holiday, dating back to pagan times. Most people don’t realize it has its roots in Saturnalia and Lupercalia. Religion wove its way into it, but the grand themes remain. We grab onto life with both hands, we celebrate, we live, love and laugh, eat, drink, and be merry…” Nana paused for effect. “Because the time of sacrifice is near, the time when we give up what we need and what we want for the greater good.”

  “Oh.” Cody was amazed at how the circumstances of her life, the very choices she had made seemed to fit into this fabled mold. Hunter had come. She, Sage, had this amazing opportunity to be with him, love him, enjoy him, grab onto the joy as hard as she could before she confessed her sins and repented, accepting the penance that would be her due. There would be no absolution for her, she was afraid. Once Hunter learned of her lies, saw her for who she really was, he would be gone.

  “The man may surprise you.” Nana tried to console her. “Outer beauty isn’t all that some men are attracted to. During the time you’ve been together, he has seen your heart, touched your spirit, and bonded with your soul.”

  “I hope so, Nana. I hope so.” She clung to the little woman’s frail knees. “What do I do? How do I act? What do I tell him?”

  Nana stroked her hair. “As trite as this may sound, be yourself. You are who he loves. Talk to him, touch him, make him see how much you care. Use the mystique of Mardi Gras to your advantage. The three colors have meaning. I saw in the paper that the balls will be centered around these colors and their themes. Gold is power. Use this night to give him what he needs, use your feminine power. Green is faith. Use the second night to prove to him there is more to you than meets the eye. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. The third color is purple, the color of royalty, the color of justice. Upon the third night you must confess, unburden your soul and tell him what is on your heart.”

  Cody sat back and wiped her eyes. “I am very nervous. Will you think about me tonight, Sage Donovan Napier?” She had to smile as she said the name. Cody hadn’t been terribly original when she’d coined an alias.

  “I will.” Nana assured her. “Be happy, Pretty Face. Nothing worth having is easy. Give yourself to Hunter, show him your heart, he will see the true you, the one he loves.”

  * * *

  Hunter was nervous. He’d left Sage two messages, but she hadn’t responded. What if he went to this ball and she didn’t show, like she’d done him at the airport?

  Standing in front of the mirror, he adjusted his tie. He couldn’t afford to think that way, Sage would show tonight and everything would be perfect. Hunter leaned forward and pushed a lock of unruly hair from his forehead. “I should have gotten a haircut.” Damn, he was nervous. He felt like this was his first date.

  It was the first date that mattered.

  It mattered a helluva lot.

  Checking the time, he put the charm bracelet in his pocket and looked at his shoes once more. Yes, they were tied and polished. He guessed he was ready.

  When he came to the truck, he wondered if it were fancy enough. Sage was a businesswoman. She might have money, drive a Lexus, live in a fancy house. What would she want with a poor carpenter? Dry-scrubbing his face, Hunter tried to laugh at himself. Sage had said she was nervous, afraid to meet him. Lord help, she didn’t know the half of it. He was as antsy as a randy teenager.

  New Roads just wasn’t big enough to get lost in, but he’d played safe and looked up the address on his GPS. As he drove toward the Southern Belle Plaza, he wondered what Cody was doing. He hoped she wasn’t lonely tonight. How lucky he was to have his beautiful Sage waiting for him. An absolute thrill of anticipation made him shift in his seat. He couldn’t wait to look into her beautiful eyes, face to face.

  Meanwhile…

  Cody paced up and down the room. The hour was growing close. She could already hear the music rising from the courtyard below. Tonight wouldn’t be a time of modern music played by a country band, the Tre Fleur Balls were elegant, classical and followed the customs tested by time. Mardi Gras was more than just a parade. In New Orleans, New Roads, Mobile, Galveston and other parts of the south, it was a time-honored celebration where long established groups met to celebrate their way of life. The balls in New Roads weren’t as exclusive, but the ones in New Orleans were by invitation only and you had to know someone to be invited. There were times when even powerful governors of the state had wrangled for an invitation and found themselves excluded.

  Since she held the tickets, Cody had left Hunter’s at the door. She’d considered meeting him at the front herself, but she couldn’t. Sage/Cody needed that extra moment or two after seeing him for the first time to get herself together. Taking a long last look in the mirror, she picked up the mask and put it on. “Here I come, Hunter, ready or not.”

  The walk from the room to the elevator and from the elevator to the lobby seemed to take no time at all. Southern Belle was an ornate establishment on a normal day, during Mardi Gras it was a wonderland. Tasteful to the extreme, there was still a carnival atmosphere, countless balloons, centerpieces full of feathers and beads, artistic Venetian masks—all in the colors Nana had explained so poetically.

  Two footmen flanked the large twelve foot tall doors leading to the Magnolia Room. Discretely, she turned over her ticket. “Has Mr. Hunter Reed arrived? Do you know?”

  The gentleman bowed. “Yes, ma’am. About five minutes ago.”

  “Thanks.” If Cody had thought she was nervous before, there was no comparison to what she was now. Her heart was beating so hard, it was thundering in her chest. There was an actual rushing noise in her ears. With tentative steps she moved down the hall, her heels making a clicking noise on the black marble floors. When she passed a mirror, Cody had to look twice, she missed a step. The reflection of the auburn haired beauty wearing a divine dress and a bejeweled mask was a stranger.

  Standing in the doorway were two couples, splendidly dressed in couture evening wear. A waiter stood just inside, bearing a tray of full champagne glasses. When she was offered a drink, Cody politely declined. She needed all of her faculties to get through the next few hours. Strains of music filled the air as couples danced around the room. Everyone was dressed beautifully, the best Louisiana society had to offer. And all wore masks, their identity protected behind veils of silk and lace.

  The ballroom was decorated in an Egyptian theme with ornate pillars on the sides, huge palm trees, and colorful flowers. Still ponds of water flanked the sides with lotus flowers blooming on their still surface. A glass and gold pyramid stood in the midst of the ballroom, surrounded by a carved Sphinx and a throne grand enough for a pharaoh. Cody walked the perimeter of the room, her eyes searching for that one figure she’d longed to see and feared to see at the same time.

  Hunter.

  Like a magnet, her eyes were drawn to a tall, broad-shouldered man standing by one of the large marble pillars on the courtyard side of the room. He was sipping from a glass, his eyes scanning the room. Cody began to tremble. She’d only seen Hunter in work clothes and he was handsome enough to turn any woman’s head. Now, here he was dressed up fit to kill and he took her breath away. The only way he could look better was naked an
d she could vouch for that. The man’s body was just about perfect.

  She stood still. Completely still. Counting the seconds until his vision connected with her, Cody’s thoughts were spinning in her head like a whirlybird. What if he saw her, but he paid her no more attention than he did at the airport? She clenched her fists, locked her knees and held her breath, determined that this time she would walk up to him. If he didn’t make the first move, she would.

  Across the room…

  Hunter searched the room. Everyone seemed to be with someone. Where was she? He had been silently praying she wouldn’t stand him up. So far, he was certain she wasn’t here. Just like at the airport, there was no one here beautiful enough to be his Sage. Until he let his eyes rove a little farther and then he saw her…

  Chapter Seven

  A woman stood across the room looking right at him. She was beautiful, exquisite, delicate in form and feature. Her hair was a riotous tumble of gorgeous dark red curls and even beneath the mask, her eyes were the deepest, darkest blue. A tentative sweet smile curved rosebud lips. “Sage?” A slight nod of her head set off a chain reaction. His heart rate escalated to a furious beat, his feet began to move, and his face broke out into a huge, happy smile.

  She didn’t let him walk all the way, there was no need for him to do that. Hunter was looking at her with recognition, with hope. All of the love she’d felt for him just bubbled out and she couldn’t have stayed still to save her life. It didn’t matter that people were watching, it didn’t matter that they were in a very public place, she ran into his arms and he swept her up, spinning her around.

  “I can’t believe it. Sage, it’s you.” She was holding him tight around the neck, her body soft and warm in his arms. “You feel so good.” And she did. She fit. Almost familiar, just like he’d dreamed. Only the reality was better, so much better.

  “So do you, Hunter.” Cody let her voice drop as she reverted to the accent her nana had taught her. He was still holding her about six inches off the ground. Sage clung to his shoulders. Their faces were so close. His eyes, even through the mask, were warm and welcoming. “I am so glad you’re here. I apologize for making you wait.”