by Tamie Dearen
Noelle was still trying to decide how to make up for her thoughtless comment, when Frieda laughed. “Now some of them look like clowns by the end of the night, but that’s usually because they drank a bit too much.”
“No worries, there,” Lisa commented. “Noelle doesn’t drink.”
Crossing her arms, Frieda stared in the mirror at Noelle while she climbed onto the stool. “You don’t drink at all? Why not?”
“To be honest, it gives me a bad headache. Plus, I like to be in control, and alcohol makes me feel out of it.”
“Did you know alcohol can cause dark circles under your eyes?” Frieda squinted at her as if she were searching for hints of telltale darkness under Noelle’s eyes. Evidently satisfied with her inspection, she dropped the subject. “Shall we begin?”
Only when she released a breath did Noelle realize she’d been holding it. I’ve got to relax or I’m going to pass out. Vowing to wipe off the excess when her sister’s back was turned, Noelle nodded her permission to Frieda, watching in the mirror with critical eyes.
“Good,” said Frieda, spinning Noelle’s stool to face away from her reflection. “This way it’ll be a surprise.”
“I don’t like surprises,” Noelle muttered, somehow causing both Frieda and her sister to bust out laughing.
The entire ordeal took less than ten minutes. When Frieda twisted her back to face the mirror, Noelle’s breath left her.
“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” Lisa was jumping up and down. “Your cheekbones! Your eyes! They’re gorgeous! You look like a model!”
Indeed, her eyes looked huge, smudged with a bit of olive brown liner and accented with brown—not black—mascara. Her lashes were thick and curled, but not overpowering against her golden-blond hair.
“You really didn’t need base, so I just used a tinted moisturizer with a bit of glow to bring out the radiance of your skin tone and a tiny bit of concealer right here and here.” Frieda showed her the makeup she’d chosen and explained how to apply it. Noelle left with a bag full of brand new products, including a strict cleaning regimen she knew she’d never keep.
Hugging Frieda’s neck before she departed, Noelle wondered at the strange emotional attachment she felt. “Thank you so much.” Her eyes filled with tears.
“No crying—you’ll spoil my work.”
“I don’t think I can ever repay you. I feel like you’ve changed my life.” Noelle sniffed, embarrassed by her emotional display.
Frieda chuckled, inclining her head toward Lisa. “Just send me some pictures of the finished product tonight. I’d love to use them in my newsletter along with the close-ups I already took. The camera loves you, and that’s great for my business.”
“It’s a deal, Frieda. Share the photos with Marco, too.” Lisa took Noelle’s elbow, pushing her toward the door.
“Oui, oui! But of course!” Frieda winked, mimicking Marco’s fake French accent.
Noelle practically floated outside, her enthusiastic sister dragging her by the hand.
“Now on to my favorite shop. We’ll buy you an outfit for tonight.”
Lisa’s words stopped Noelle dead in her tracks.
“What about tonight?” Noelle’s mind raced, her anger building as she considered the possibilities. “What exactly do you have planned? If you think I’m going to go out to some nightclub dressed in a slinky outfit—”
“I would never do that to you. When have you ever seen me go out in a slutty dress? You know me better than that, Noelle.”
Her anger deflated, Noelle regretted her outburst. “I’m sorry, Lisa. I don’t know why I always lose my temper with you. It’s not like you’ve ever done anything to deserve it.”
“It’s because I push you out of your comfort zone, and I won’t apologize for it. Your comfort zone is way too small.” Lisa hooked their arms together, propelling her down the street. “I’ll tell you what I have planned tonight if you promise me you won’t back out.”
“I won’t back out unless it’s something crazy. I already promised.”
“It’s not crazy, but you’re not going to like it.”
Noelle’s gut turned summersaults. “Just tell me already. You’re driving me insane.”
“Reece is having a little social event for the company.”
“Another of Dad’s company parties? He’ll try to set me up, Lisa. Please don’t make me go.”
Lisa was already shaking her head. “Dad’s not even coming. It’s just a dinner party at our house with about thirty people in Reece’s division. It’s a party to welcome a few of the employees that are new to the area.”
“So Dad’s not trying to pair me off with one of the single guys on his payroll?”
“You know, it worked out okay for me.” Lisa made a pouty face.
“Sure. You got matched up with Reece. He’s Captain Awesome in the flesh. But Dad doesn’t pick amazing guys like that for me.” The hackles rose on the back of Noelle’s neck as she remembered all the disastrous matchmaking her father had attempted.
“Ha! You’ve never given any of those guys a chance. Some of them were really great. Kevin Powell is nice, smart, and good-looking, but you blew him off without so much as a how-do-you-do.”
The wind blew out of Noelle’s sails. “Okay, fine. I’ll admit Kevin wasn’t bad…”
“Charlie Granger. Justin Cross. Brody Savage…” Lisa ticked off the men on her fingers.
“Arghh! Okay, they weren’t all bad. But I was always blindsided, and it was totally awkward every time.”
“So tonight, you’ve got a few hours to prepare yourself. I’m telling you in advance there are a few single guys coming.”
Noelle groaned, “You’re turning into Dad.”
“I’m not setting you up. All I’m asking is for you to meet these guys and be nice to them. Help us make them feel welcome. And keep an open mind. Maybe you might actually decide you like one of them enough to go on a date.”
“But—”
“Tick-tock, tick-tock, goes the biological clock.” Lisa bit her lips, clearly holding back her mirth.
“Shut up, Lisa.” Noelle couldn’t help the giggle that slipped out while she was attempting to stay miffed with her sister.
Lisa popped a rhythmic clicking sound with the side of her tongue while her lips danced on the edge of a smile.
“All right, I’ll keep an open mind.”
“Great! Now let’s go shopping.”
∞ 3 ∞
“BAH HUMBUG!” No one was around to hear her, but Noelle felt better just saying the words. It was bad enough she had to attend this stupid dinner party, but Lisa hadn’t mentioned it was also a Christmas celebration. The entire house smelled like cinnamon and nutmeg, which probably would have been enticing to anyone except a Scrooge like her. There were no less than four fully decorated Christmas trees, including one with a Twelve Days of Christmas theme. Everywhere she turned, Noelle was bombarded with nativity scenes, angels, garlands, and twinkling lights.
“Bah humbug!” She repeated it a little louder as bells tolled the beginning of yet another Christmas carol.
Would she ever reach a point where the holidays didn’t remind her of all she’d lost? Her siblings were too young to remember the night their mother died. Christmas Eve. Noelle’s sixth birthday. The memory burned deep in her heartbroken soul, leaving a jagged scar that had barely faded during the past twenty-three years.
Then to heap insult on injury, Carl had chosen the anniversary of that event to announce the end of their engagement. After two years, the pain and humiliation of that night still made her head swim and blood rush to her face.
She squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her fingers into her temples, breathing in a slow pattern: in-two-three-four, out-two-three-four.
“I can do this. I don’t have to feel it. All I have to do is pretend I’m happy for a few hours.”
Noelle gave herself a once-over before leaving the safety of the bedroom where she’d changed clothes, having begged
permission to be fashionably late, thus avoiding the most awkward moments when the first few guests arrived. Miraculously, her hair and makeup appeared to have survived the hectic shopping escapade, during which she was certain she’d been forced to try on every single dress in her size in all of Denver, before her sister finally selected one to purchase.
As beautiful as it was, the red cocktail dress was certainly out of her comfort zone. Not that it was too revealing. With a conservatively high neckline in front, the fabric dipped halfway down her back, exposing a fair amount of skin. The satiny material draped in soft folds, nipping in a flattering way at the waist, the pencil skirt falling just past the knees with a short slit on the side to allow for easier movement.
Smoothing her fingers over the soft, luxurious fabric, she bit her lip. She couldn’t help being worried that her brother-in-law would blow his top when he saw the bill for her “birthday.” She would never have agreed to spend that much money on a dress, but Lisa had insisted once Noelle tried the dress on. Lisa reasoned away Noelle’s guilt with the argument she could wear the dress again every year she was invited to a Christmas party. Pinching her cheeks to bring out a bit of color, Noelle slipped out the door, wobbling a bit on her high heels until she arrived at the stair rail, grasping the smooth wood in a white-knuckled grip.
She listened to the laughter and talking from her perch on the stairway landing, leaning over the rail, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the bachelors. Her sister had described them as good-looking, but Noelle didn’t trust her assessment. Unfortunately, her viewpoint only revealed the foyer. No choice but to plunge into the party without a clue as to the appearance of the single men she’d be meeting.
“You must be Noelle.” The sudden, deep voice behind her nearly sent her flying over the rail.
A raspy chuckle followed. “Sorry I scared you.”
Noelle swirled to glare at the intruder, who was obviously not the least bit genuine in his sentiment. The dark-haired stranger leaned against the wall, his arms crossed in a casual pose, his lips curled on one side in an oddly familiar crooked grin.
“You scared me to death!” she accused, waving a shaky finger in front of his face.
He didn’t bother with another insincere apology, instead extending his bent elbow as he moved to descend the stairs. “I promise it wasn’t my intent to cause your demise when I went searching for an empty restroom. Please let me make it up to you by escorting you downstairs.”
A dimple winked in and out of sight on his left cheek, and Noelle found herself hypnotized by its fleeting presence. The transient depression took up permanent residence as his mouth broadened in a full-blown smile. Realizing she’d been caught staring, her face heated until her cheeks felt scalded.
Lifting her gaze to his eyes, she noted the clear blue color, accentuated by the royal blue shirt he wore. Same dark hair and blue eyes as David, but clean-shaven. And he’s muscular like David, maybe even more so. Wait… why am I comparing these men as if I were shopping? As if I had a right to either one?
“Or we could simply spend the evening together right here.” The interloper took a step toward her, crowding her personal space, and Noelle scuttled backward until the railing stopped her progress. “I must say I’m enjoying the view,” he murmured, moving so close she could feel the heat radiating from his body, provoking a delicious warmth in her belly, like a cup of hot cocoa.
Before she totally lost control, Noelle feigned an attack, jerking her knee a fraction. Her would-be assailant flinched, quickly backing away with his raised palms facing her.
“Hey! I was only offering an arm to help you navigate the stairs in those incredibly sexy high heels.” His gaze dropped to the strappy gold sandals with a four-inch spike heel, another of her sister’s must-have purchases that afternoon. “There’s no call for violence.”
Immediately contrite, Noelle moved to lay her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t really going to knee you. But you were standing too close for comfort, and I just wanted you to know I could.”
His glare softened until the corner of his mouth lifted once again in a lazy, one-sided smile. “I now know you could, but I sincerely hope you won’t.”
Biting her lip didn’t prevent her smile from forcing its way onto her mouth. “As long as you remain a gentleman,” she quipped.
His dark eyebrows lifted in a humor-filled arch. “Then I’m afraid I’m in grave danger. You see, I don’t exactly have the most gentlemanly reputation.” Tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow he guided her toward the stairs. “But I’ll do my best, fair lady, Noelle.”
His teasing words sent a thrill up her spine. She found herself wondering what he was like when he wasn’t being a gentleman. Lord, help me. I can’t ever go out with this guy. He’ll be pushing my physical limits for sure, and I can already feel my self-control slipping.
Her sister greeted them as they reached the bottom stair. “There you are, Noelle. I see you’ve already met James.” Lisa’s eyebrow arched about a millimeter—enough to signal her silent question to Noelle. Do you like him?
Noelle coughed, raising her shoulder in the tiniest of shrugs. Lisa’s answering wink indicated her perception of both Noelle’s answer and its lack of veracity.
“We’re ready to serve dinner. Your brother’s not coming, James?”
“No, Doc’s dealing with a minor emergency. He asked me to send his regrets.”
“I hope it’s nothing too serious,” Lisa responded, furrowing her brow.
“He didn’t give any details, but something’s going on with his dog. Knowing that mischievous mutt, she probably tore up his house while he was at work yesterday, and he doesn't want to leave her alone tonight. She hasn’t adjusted well to the move.”
“Where did you and your brother move from?” Noelle probed, finding herself terribly curious about James’ mysterious brother, who stayed home from a party to take care of his dog. That’s my kind of guy. And if he’s as hot as James, I might really go for him.
“Oh, I’ve lived in Denver since I got out of college,” James said. “Nine years, now. And I was born and raised in Pueblo.” He guided her so securely toward the expansive dining room, Noelle forgot to feel awkward in her unaccustomed high heels. “But Doc is my half-brother, and I just talked him into moving up here from the Fort Worth area.”
“So, he’s a doctor?” At the mention of Fort Worth, Noelle’s senses went on high alert. Another guy from Texas? Is God trying to tell me something? Am I supposed to marry a guy and move to Texas?
“Ha!” James laughed. “He’s no doctor. He’s an accountant and an entrepreneur, like me. But the family’s called him Doc since he was a kid.”
“And he has a dog?”
Irritation flashed across James’ face. “Let’s not talk about my brother. To be honest, I’m glad he isn’t here.”
“Why? You don’t like your brother?”
“I like him fine, but since he stayed home, I don’t have to compete for your attention. That’s his loss…” He leaned in to whisper in Noelle’s ear, sending a shiver from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. “And my gain.”
The air whooshed out of her lungs, and she wobbled for a minute, leaning on his arm to catch her balance. With a flourish, he whipped out two chairs, seating himself beside her and deftly sliding his hand onto her knee under the table, his fingers lightly caressing the exposed skin. Wouldn’t you know the slit in the skirt would be on his side?
Noelle responded by forcefully placing his hand back on his own leg, pinning him with a condemning glare. But the stern expression was difficult to maintain in the wake of his unrepentant grin.
James waggled his eyebrows, speaking in a hoarse whisper. “Told you I wasn’t known for being a gentleman.”
Noelle rasped back, “No matter what you’re known for, you aren’t allowed to take liberties with me. We only just met, for heaven’s sake.”
“Ah, I understand.” His dimple sank into his cheek as hi
s smile widened. “I promise not to take liberties with you until our next date. Does tomorrow night sound good?”
Blood rushed to her face, as she sputtered, “That’s not what I meant. You don’t get to take liberties at all.”
“No liberties? None at all? Not even one little kiss?” He pursed his lips as if he could barely control his laughter. “It hurts my feeling to know how easily you resist my charms.”
Righteous indignation boiled up inside her. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but I’m quite immune to your so-called charms.” How she wished her words were true! Perhaps if she said it out loud, she’d be safe from the raw attraction she felt for this terribly aggressive man, with whom she obviously had little else in common.
Her voice rose to a fevered pitch. “No liberties. None… Not. One. Kiss.”
James slapped a hand over his mouth, shaking with silent laughter. Only then did Noelle notice the hush that had fallen over the table at her outburst. Mortified to the point of dizziness, Noelle would have rushed from the room had she not feared passing out on the way.
But her undaunted sister let out a peal of laughter, and all the guests joined in, relieving the tension in the room. Catching her breath, Lisa announced, “Now that Noelle has set the ground rules, I hope we can all enjoy dinner without any PDA, be you married or unmarried.” Lisa paused, reaching for Reece’s hand and grasping the hand of the woman seated beside her. “Holding hands, however, is allowed. If you’ll please do that now, Reece will say our blessing.”
For once, James seemed reluctant to touch Noelle, hesitating to clasp hands with her and his neighbor and shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Fearing she’d truly embarrassed him with her public verbal assault, she retained his hand after the blessing, giving it a squeeze of apology. He responded with a weak smile, withdrawing his fingers to fold his napkin.
“Are you okay?” Noelle asked, this time careful to keep her speech in low tones.
“I’m just not comfortable with the whole prayer thing. I’m not very religious.”
