Cinderella Body Club Boxed Set

by Conner, Jennifer

What a mess. She had all weekend to try and think up an explanation to give Lance on Monday.

  Chapter Six

  Lance tried to keep his mind on his work. He needed to make a good impression on his first full day on the job. But every time his mind wandered, he could feel Cami’s soft hair sifting through his fingers and hear her sighs when they made love. Why was this woman so different than others he’d been with in the past? In this short time, how had she gotten so deeply under his skin? Love at first sight was just a silly notion. Damn. Stupid notion more like it.

  He shook his head, pushed back from his desk, and slammed the new pencil cup back in its place.

  He’d told her the truth. Lance knew he’d have to find a way to work side by side with her for at least the next few months. If the other night meant nothing to her, then he’d have to let it go. Too bad you couldn’t buy buck-up in a can like a five-hour energy drink.

  Standing, he shoved his office chair back under his desk. The office was nice and overlooked the river. It was a much better view than the dusty, shared room he’d had at the college. Earlier, Lance met with the IT department. They’d set up his email and phone, and now he was going to have to get the ‘awkward moment’ with Cami out of the way whether he wanted to or not.

  Lance strode down the hall and stopped by the front desk receptionist. “Good morning.” When the woman looked up, he said, “Veronica, right? I don’t know if you remember me. We sat at the same table for lunch the other day. I’m new here at the station.”

  “Lance.” The brunette let his name trail from her lips. She brightened, and then turned on her charm. “I don’t think I could easily forget you. What can I help you with?” She leaned forward and added a little more cleavage to his view.

  A week ago, he might have asked Veronica to lunch. But now, another woman occupied his brain. “Cami, the woman that you were sitting with...We’ll be working together on my new program, but I don’t know where her office is. I need to find her. Can you direct me?”

  Veronica picked up the employee directory and scanned it with a bright pink painted nail. She frowned. “Huh…You know Cami and I have had lunch dozens of times, but I’ve never been to her office.” She picked up the phone and hit a button. “Hey, Bob, do you know where Cami Carlina’s office is?” She listened, and then replied, “Okay, thanks.” When she placed the phone back on the receiver, she said, “She’s on the basement floor, in the storage area, fourth door on the right. Bob’s a great person and knows everybody and everything about the station. I can introduce the two of you later if you’d like. Just stop by anytime.”

  Lance thanked her. Back in his office, before heading off, he grabbed the small white plastic garment bag he’d brought back from his hotel room.

  When he entered the storage room, at first he didn’t see anyone, but then heard soft jazz coming from a radio. He stepped around the stack of storage boxes and cleared his throat.

  Cami looked up. “Lance!” she sounded startled.

  “You can’t be too surprised to see me. We are going to be working together and I told you the other night, I’d see you on Monday.”

  “You recognize me?”

  “Of course I recognize you. Why wouldn’t I?” He tried not to sound perturbed. He reached into the bag. “You left in such a rush, you forgot your shoes.” He dangled them by the ankle strap before he dropped them on the corner of her desk. “I wasn’t sure if I should bring them or not. I figured with your hasty escape that you didn’t want me or the shoes.” He held the hurt from his voice. “But I thought I’d bring them anyway.”

  “I want you. I was just convinced that you wouldn’t want me.” Her lip quivered as tears formed along her lash line.

  “I wouldn’t have asked you to come back to my room if I hadn’t wanted you. I told you I’m not the kind of guy that sleeps around. I know what I said about being mature, but I have to tell you, when I woke up and you were gone…it hurt.”

  “I didn’t leave because of you.”

  “Then why did you? You left without even saying goodbye.”

  “The time I spent with you was the most romantic evening of my life. But, when I woke up…I had to go. I knew you wouldn’t understand.”

  “Try me.”

  “I didn’t know how to explain why I looked different.”

  “Different? I’m still lost here. Keep going. I’m a facts kind of guy.”

  “My grandma gave me a locket, and she said if I wished on it then I would change. Be beautiful. My girlfriends and I made the wish, and for twenty-four hours we got to be someone else. We called it The Cinderella Body Club. We all thought it was a joke, but when we woke up that morning, for twenty-four hours we all changed into the women we imagined. Normally, I’d never be a woman that a man like you would want.”

  “Now you’re making me into someone who’s shallow. Which, by the way, I’m not. Do you think I would have slept with you if I didn’t find you attractive? You are one of the sexiest women I’ve ever met.”

  “Was.” She sniffed, and a look of pain filled her eyes. “I’m back to the old me now. The Cami with the tangled mess of hair and the scars, not the Cami you spent the night with and told she was beautiful.”

  Frustrated, Lance dragged his phone from his pocket. He flipped open the gallery and pulled up the photo he’d taken of the two of them at the museum opening. “You are the same woman. No different. Look.” He handed her the phone and her eyes grew wide.

  “This can’t be.” Her gaze popped up to lock with his. She grabbed her purse and opened her phone.

  “What are you looking for?” he asked.

  “It’s a photo I took with my girlfriends at the coffee shop the morning I met you.” She stopped and stared down at the photo on the phone. “But…we all looked different. How…I don’t understand.”

  “Take another look at this.” He held the photo out for her to view again on his phone. “You look just the same now as you did the other night. It makes a bit more sense now. If you thought you were Cinderella that would explain why you left at midnight and left behind your shoes. You’re not a nutter are you?”

  “I don’t think so. The locket made me believe I looked like I wanted to, but in reality, I guess I hadn’t changed.”

  “How have your friends reacted?”

  “I haven’t talked with them yet.”

  “With the locket, it’s an interesting paranormal element. I’m not sure of magic, but I believe you. Now, you need to believe me. You are the same woman I debated with, went to the museum with and then made love to.” Lance pointed to the shoes. “I saw that one of the heels was broken, so I called the hotel concierge and had it repaired.”

  “Thanks. I still can’t believe it. You’re sure I look the same?”

  “Yes. How many ways can I say it until you believe me? You do. You’re not wearing that cute little cocktail dress but the rest of you…Yes, sexy, beautiful, and I’m sure full of more fungus facts.” He took a step closer. “I felt like we had something special the other night. I wasn’t kidding when I asked where you’d been my whole life. I’m crazy about your brains.” He kissed the top of her head. “Your beauty.” He kissed her cheek. “And even your scars.” He traced a thumb down her cheek. “Like the ones here and on your shoulder. Car accident?”

  “Yes. When I was child, a drunk driver hit our car when my dad was driving me home from a grade school event. I spent a couple of months in and out of the hospital having skin grafts and surgeries.”

  “Scars mean nothing to what’s on the inside. You probably didn’t notice, but I’ve got a foot-long scar that runs down the back of my left leg. I fractured it playing soccer. The bone came straight through. That break ended my sports days, but that’s when I started spending more time with my nose buried in history books. I know you may not believe me after that big, gal
lant speech about being able to work with you and not think about you. But, how about giving me one more chance on both levels?”

  “Give you a chance? I’m the one who ran out in the middle of the night.” She shook her head. His lips sealed in a tight line.

  “That’s because your awaiting coach was going to turn back into a pumpkin and you had to take off. You were only thinking of the mice, right?”

  She finally smiled when he did.

  “Give me another chance,” he said. He grasped her hand and held it to his heart. “I’ll move at any pace you want. Slow. Fast. You set the course.”

  “The course of history?” Cami reached up and cupped his cheek. Her hand was warm and her fingers were soft.

  “Yeah. Our history. Did you know that the symbol of love, Cupid, is said to have come from Chaos?”

  Cami chuckled. “Ohhh, I love it when you talk historical facts.” She stopped before asking again, “If we stay in a relationship, are we going to be able to work together every day? It won’t change things?”

  Some things would change, because he could imagine going home to a woman like Cami every night. “The only problem I see is that when you start talking about the Tudors, I might have to carry around cold water to stop from wanting to grab and kiss you. I’ll just have to wait until we get home.” Lance wiggled his eyebrows, pulled her against him, and kissed her. He ran his hands up her back. One second his touch was warm and sensitive, the next hard and sure.

  Cami curled her hand in his. “No relationship is easy, but I think the two of us are worth a try.”

  “I agree. Those are the best words I’ve heard all year.” He grinned and gave her one more, quick kiss. “Let’s get to work on our show.”

  “Our?” she asked.

  “I won’t be able to do it without you. And, the first thing we are going to go is move you out of this office and up to where I am. How long have you been down in this hole?”

  “A year.”

  Lance shook his head. “It’s time to come out into the light. We’ll show the world that we can both shine, with one nerdy historical fact at a time.

  Six-Months Later

  Cami shifted her purse to her shoulder as she tried to contain her excitement. She and Lance had moved in together a month earlier, and the news she got today meant everything was turning out perfectly. She and Lance spent their days together and their nights in each other’s arms talking about what facts they would put in the next television episode.

  The apartment was small, but it was just the right size for a young couple starting off and it was only five minutes from the Max light rail, which stopped right in front of the television station.

  She stepped the last few paces, shoved her key in the lock and threw open the apartment’s door. She ran through the living room and then into the kitchen, waving the file in her hand. “Did you see this before you left the office?” She jumped into Lance’s arms.

  Lance barely put the spoon from the spaghetti sauce down in time to catch her. “Whoa, slow down. Saw what?”

  “The report came out a day early. Spend an Hour with the Roses is the number one show at the station. They signed another eight episodes.” Cami grabbed him and kissed him.

  Lance set her down on her feet and then scanned the data in the file she handed him. “Wow.” He shook his head and ran a hand up through his hair. “Wow. I guess the viewers really do like it.”

  “Like it? They love it. Look at the numbers!” Cami exclaimed. “I told you that you were going to be a hit.”

  “It wasn’t just me. It’s both of us.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful Limoges box shaped like a rose. “This is for you.”

  “Roses. How appropriate. It’s beautiful.”

  “I had this all planned out with dinner and candles, but then you came home early.”

  “To give me the box?” she asked, still confused.

  “I hadn’t expected to do this in the middle of the kitchen, but what the hell.” He snatched the box back, dropped to one knee and opened it. Inside the lining was a ring. “It’s a posey ring with how I feel engraved on the outside and the inside. It’s a plain gold band, but you said that you weren’t a big fan of diamonds. They gave these rings in the time of the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries.”

  “I studied them a few months ago.”

  “I thought I saw photos pulled up on the screen of your computer. That’s what gave me the idea. The inscription on this one says, Ilmiocoure el iltuo per sempre.”

  “My Heart is Yours Forever.” She translated as she traced her finger over the band in the box.

  “I had a feeling you’d be able to translate it.” He grabbed her hands. “The saying on this poesy ring was my favorite because it’s true. I’m yours forever. I love you, Cami. Will you marry me?”

  She stared at him.

  “Say something.” Lance frowned. “No might be one choice, but yes would be the preferred answer.” He stood up.

  She wasn’t sure why she hesitated. Cami just needed a second for it to sink in. “Yes. Yes! I’ll marry you!” she cried.

  He slipped the ring over her finger, then stood and kissed her deeply. “I love you so much. I can’t imagine a day without you in it.” Lance tipped his head in the direction of the file folder. “Now that the show’s a hit, it looks like you’re stuck with me.”

  “Even if the show wasn’t a hit and you had to return to Boston to teach, either option wouldn’t be hard to live with. I’d follow you, or we could both find other jobs here. I love you too, professor. You were right, we can work it out.” She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him until they were both out of breath.

  Reaching behind him, he twisted the knob on the gas stove. “I think I’ll turn the spaghetti sauce on low. We have things to celebrate.”

  “Did you know…” She grinned, and then continued, “Karl Marx was once a correspondent for the New York Daily Tribune?”

  “You’ve been a busy fact-checking woman today.” He curled his finger and motioned for her to come to him, but she held her ground and shook her head enjoying their daily game that turned history into foreplay.

  Cami pulled her blouse over her head while Lance stared with heated appreciation. She said, “In 1966, the game Twister was denounced by critics as ‘sex in a box.’”

  “You know what talking like that does to me.” He tried to grab her hand, but Cami moved quick, giggled, and then ran down the hall toward their bedroom.

  Lance caught her right before she got to the bed. He stripped off the rest of her clothes and then his, all the while kissing every inch of her. He tossed her onto the comforter. She bounced, still laughing. Lance always made her laugh. His naked body pressed her into the mattress. “I have to be the luckiest guy on the planet right now.” Lance kissed his way over her shoulder, across the scar and then traced the dip of her collarbone with the tip of his tongue. God, she wanted him. But then again, she always wanted him.

  “You’re lucky? I’m the one who just got the ring.” She kissed him soft and sweet. “Forget about being Cinderella, I’ll take Lancelot.”

  “I think you have your tales mixed up.” Lance grinned and rained kisses over her breasts.

  Cami let out a moan, but managed to say, “Yes, I know that. After all, I am your fact checker. Now make love to me and in one day, you can make all my dreams come true.”

  “You don’t need to ask me twice.” He stopped and looked down with such love in his eyes, her heart swelled. When he filled her, Cami knew Lance was wrong about one thing. She was the luckiest girl on the planet.

  She cried Lance’s name as the tension built inside her, and she shattered in his arms.

  Who needed Prince Charming? She’d live happily ever after with Lance.

  Spellbound
Cinderella

  The Cinderella Body Club

  Story 2

  Angela Ford

  “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.”

  ― Plato

  Chapter One

  “Grande Caramel Macchiato, please.”

  She rolled her eyes when her barista turned away. I’m here every morning for the past three years and you can’t remember my usual? Tess Andrews moved farther along the counter to wait for her coffee. She turned back in the barista’s direction when she heard the laughter. Tess wanted to gag. Such a fake laugh! She heard it all too often in her line of work.

  “One Tall London Fog coming up for the beautiful lady.”

  Seriously. He can remember her tea but not my coffee. She’s been here less than a week on a shoot! Tess snapped out of her fury when she heard the announcement of her caramel macchiato. She smiled and politely said, “Thank you” Why the hell am I so polite? I should give them a piece of mind. Maybe they’d remember my order. Forget it Tess. You’re not one of those beautiful blonde models that roam the earth.

  Lost within her state of frustration she almost collided with Parker Walsh.

  “That was close.”

  His voice caught her off guard more so then the almost—accidental—bump of their coffees. Just the sound of his voice made her swallow hard. His playful easy-going chuckle that followed weakened her at the knees. Internationally-known fashion photographer, Parker Walsh, was the new kid on the block—so to speak. Rumor had it that he tired of European travel and wanted to return to his roots in Portland. His dreamy hazel-colored eyes beneath that darkened sexy mass of hair made her wish she looked like the blonde model who’d just flirted with the barista. He left her speechless. She couldn’t even blurt out a simple, “Sorry.” Normally, Tess would be polite but this man seemed to have her in a spell. Luckily, she didn’t have to speak when interrupted by the blonde.