Cinderella Body Club Boxed Set

by Conner, Jennifer

  He grinned and turned back to the painting. “I usually don’t point this one out to my groups if there are children present. Some parents don’t want their child to see nude art, even if it’s a classic or tasteful, so I lead them to other portraits and then it’s not my fault if the kid starts to giggle over a nude.”

  She fought back a smile. “I assume you’ve dealt with overprotective parents.”

  “Unfortunately.”

  Annalise breathed deep and finally faced him. Air caught in her throat. Elijah stared right at her, his olive-green shirt highlighted his eyes, and his charcoal-gray blazer and slacks fit his body like a glove. His nametag hung on his upper blazer pocket and, though his photo ID stated ‘Art Restorer’ as his official job title, he hosted tours and seemed to enjoy it for the most part.

  “I haven’t seen you in a while. I thought maybe you grew tired of seeing the same art so often.”

  Her eyes widened. “You-you’ve seen me here? You noticed me?” She hadn’t stopped by for a tour in almost three weeks in an effort to wean herself off of him. Unfortunately, now she stalked him from outside the museum.

  He nodded. “You’re normally on one of my tours at least once a week, but sometimes I see you wandering through the various galleries.” Blush darkened his scruffy cheeks and he glanced away. “I mean, I tend to notice repeat visitors. I’m not a weirdo or anything.”

  Oh my God, he’s noticed me before. She wanted to squeal like a schoolgirl. “Oh, um… You’re not. It’s okay. I’ve been super busy with work. I actually work at the Changing Times Art Gallery across the street. We sell modern art, which I love, but I prefer classics.”

  “I’ve never been there. Something always pops up when I plan to go in.”

  She pivoted her gaze around the room, too scared to stare at him because she might drool, and indicated a few paintings on the walls. They talked about various art styles and artists, and she quickly grew more comfortable around him. They headed out of the Edwardian Gallery to the Late Renaissance. Annalise’s eyebrow arched as she stopped at a painting she’d noticed a dozen times before.

  “Do you believe in magic?” The question slipped out and Annalise silently cursed herself. The painting portrayed a beautiful woman with a cameo locket around her neck, a cameo that resembled her friend’s almost perfectly, and her mind raced with the possibilities. According to Cami, her grandma never said where she found the locket.

  Elijah laughed. “Magic, really?”

  She straightened her spine. “Yes. Do you believe items like a box or a necklace could hold power? Could possibly grant one’s heart’s desire?”

  He sobered as though he realized she didn’t mean it as a joke. “Sure, I believe it’s a possibility. Humankind has written our past but the story changes every day, as does the future. All I know is the present. This world has so many hidden wonders just waiting for a lucky explorer, archeologist or scientist to uncover.” He smiled up at the painting. “So yeah, the necklace around the model’s neck could hold an immeasurable amount of power. I just hope whoever wields such power wields it for good.”

  She wanted to kiss him. Not for his intelligence or attractiveness but because he was open-minded enough to consider the outlandish idea.

  Annalise clutched her hands behind her back. “Would you like to have dinner tonight?”

  His mouth dropped open and he shuffled his feet as though he didn’t expect the sudden change of subject. “I can’t. I have plans.”

  Her hope and excitement plummeted to the pit of her stomach. “Oh, I understand. You’re not interested. That’s fine.” She stepped back—one foot, two—and she wanted to bolt for the nearest exit. Which was a fire escape equipped with an alarm but she hardly cared.

  “No, wait.” Elijah held up his hand and closed the space between them in one long stride. “I’m very interested, but I promised a friend I’d attend his wedding this evening. I already sent the RSVP and he’d never let me live it down if I backed out now.”

  “A wedding?”

  “Why don’t you come with me? The groom, Austin, has ragged me for the past month since I didn’t plan to bring a date, so I’d like to show him up with a beautiful woman on my arm. Or is a wedding a little too strange for a first date?”

  “No, not strange at all.” Annalise struggled to catch her breath and walked away from Elijah to pretend to analyze another painting. Once she’d calmed down and pushed back her tears, she faced him with a smile that curved up her lips. “That sounds good to me. Where is the service? A church, a community center, a—”

  “The Krinard House. It’s an outdoor ceremony at six o’clock tonight, and a reception follows. So, if you’ll give me your address, I’ll pick you up by five o’clock.”

  Oh God, not the rich ass Krinard House. She kept her face neutral and dug through her purse for her business card. She scribbled her home address on the back of it and handed the hot pink cardstock to Elijah.

  His gaze quickly swept over the card. “Sweet. You’re a certified PPFA framer? I thought you just worked behind the counter or sold the artwork.”

  “I do a little of everything but, professionally, I’m a framer.”

  “You sound like me. I work part time in the Art Restoration Department to—you guessed it—repair damaged paintings. I make extra money guiding tourists around but a good half of them don’t care about what I’m saying. Still, I don’t mind enlightening the public on everything you see here,” he spread his arms wide as though to encompass the large room, “but I’d rather be in the back with a deteriorating painting in desperate need of TLC.”

  She understood. Some people just didn’t appreciate history and, as a member of the Professional Picture Framers Association, or PPFA, she’d much rather create a new, decorative frame and mat than try to sell a painting. Jesse always topped her in salesmanship. “Five o’clock, it is.” She felt giddy and struggled to appear cool and collected.

  Elijah clasped his hands together. “Great. I have a few things to do here before I leave for the day and then I’ll head home to get ready.”

  “Awesome.”

  They continued to stand there and just stared at each other like idiots. She didn’t know what to say, or how to leave, but she’d never tire of staring at him.

  Elijah rubbed his hand down his face as he laughed. “Okay, well, I better go. Unless you’re wearing some kind of magic pendant and you’ve trapped me at your side for all eternity?”

  If you only knew. “Nope, you’re not that lucky.”

  “I can wish.” He winked at her and then pivoted in his loafers and walked out of the gallery.

  Her heart fluttered and she twirled in a circle once he’d left. “Yes. Yes!” She jumped up and down, ignored the stares of a few bystanders, and strutted out of the room with more confidence than she’d felt in years.

  Now she just had to find something to wear.

  Chapter Three

  “No. No!” Annalise opened over ten white garment boxes and stared down at her mother’s presents. She owned nothing suitable for a night at the Krinard House except for the couture fashions her mother gave her. Sybil married a French fashion designer about seven years ago and, while she liked Monsieur Albert Baudouin, Annalise didn’t understand why an upscale man like Albert fell in love with her mother and whisked her off to his chateau in France. Though to be fair, her mother no longer drank by the time they met and she acted like a respectable, intelligent woman. Annalise, however, couldn’t let go of her bad childhood and she refused to try to have an adult relationship with Sybil, whom she never aloud called Mom anymore.

  She stared at the boxes scattered around her bedroom. “This sucks.” She grabbed the nearest box, pulled back the tissue paper and scowled at the high neck black and white gown. “Ugh. This thing has feathers.” She poked at the bodice and realized dyed-blac
k ostrich feathers covered the neckline. Annalise grabbed another box, then another, and she cursed her mom for sending her dresses an average woman in Portland, Oregon could never wear. And, knowing her skinny-as-a-rail mother, Sybil likely sent her dresses a few sizes too small.

  “This works.” Annalise lifted a taffeta and silk gold gown out of a box. Gold and brown sequins and beadwork adorned the netted, off-the-shoulder neckline, the heart-shaped bodice hem and right below the breasts with poufy silk in the middle. Wide strips of gold silk wrapped around the stomach area with decorative beadwork in between the two layers. Different shades of gold shimmered in the flouncy skirts with the light. She hoped it fit. If not, she’d likely have to wear clubwear or something with feathers.

  She stripped out of her bathrobe—she’d already showered and curled her hair—and dressed in the overpriced pair of bra and panties she’d bought from a lingerie store on her way home. With any luck, Elijah would peel it off of her tonight. She shimmied into the gown and, though it fit perfectly, it took her a moment to zip it up her back.

  Then she dug a pair of silver heels out of her closet and held them up to the sequins on the bodice. In the right light, the shoes matched the dress but she always thought gold and silver matched anyway. “Talk about a knockout.” Annalise sashayed her hips in front of her floor-length mirror. The heels accentuated her long legs, the bodice and bra pushed up her breasts and she didn’t bother with a necklace since the scoop-neck, decorative neckline of the gown drew enough attention.

  “Hmmm? What about…” She rummaged through another couture box and pulled out a silver silk shawl that matched a too-short dress she’d considered wearing. She didn’t want to embarrass herself or Elijah, however, or give him the wrong idea of what kind of girl she was.

  Or what some people thought she used to be.

  No negative thoughts, she told herself. If you’re not careful, you’ll have to bake goodies with Raven.

  Annalise wrapped the shawl around her shoulders, found a pair of dangly silver earrings in her jewelry box, and then pinned her curls in an elaborate updo on the top of her head. She finished perfecting her make-up in the bathroom as the doorbell rang.

  “Oh God. It’s time.” She gripped the sink and looked at herself one last time in the mirror. “You only have until midnight. Make the most of this. He probably won’t want you in the morning, not when you look all plain again.” A small part of her wanted to cancel their date on sheer principal but she didn’t transform into a sexy brunette Cinderella every day.

  Annalise hurried to the door as the bell rang again and opened it with a smile on her face.

  “Good evening.” Elijah held a bouquet of peonies in his hand. His eyes popped out and his jaw slacked. “Wow. I’ve never seen a dress like that. You look amazing.”

  Her knees weakened. What skimpy lingerie or form-fitting gowns did for men, classic tuxedos did for women. She’d never seen a man look so edible in a black jacket, vest and bow tie with a starched white shirt and shiny black shoes. Gel slicked his blond hair away from his face, a few days worth of a beard covered his cheeks, and she loved the scruffy yet sophisticated look. He watched her with those mesmerizing eyes as though he had all the time in the world and she wondered if he could see through her glamorous façade to the vulnerable woman beneath.

  She swallowed hard to find her voice. “It came off last spring’s fashion line in Paris. I normally don’t wear things like this, but my mother loved it. She sent it to me for my birthday.”

  “From Paris?”

  Annalise nodded. “Come in. I love the flowers. I’ll put them in some water.” She left him outside on the second-story banister and hurried toward the kitchen for the glass flower vase she kept on top of the fridge. Grateful she’d cleaned the place up a few days ago, she filled the vase with water as the door clicked shut. The hair on the back of her neck rose as Elijah entered the kitchen. Purple tissue paper fit snug around the flower stems and she used a small knife to cut it loose. “Well, I guess we better go.” She arranged the flowers in the vase and picked a large fuchsia peony as the focal point of the bouquet.

  “I suppose, but I’d rather stay here and get to know you better.” Elijah stepped away from the kitchen doorway as she hurried past him to place the overflowing flower vase on the middle of the low-rise coffee table.

  Annalise picked up her small silver purse off the sofa—she’d transported her wallet, phone, keys and lipstick into it—and then she accepted Elijah’s offered arm. A first-class gentleman, he led her down the metal staircase to his sedan in the parking lot and he even opened and closed the car door for her. His silver car, which she silently dubbed her carriage, rumbled to life and low jazz music flowed from the speakers.

  “So, why did you move to Portland?” Annalise asked as he steered his car out of her quiet inner-city neighborhood. “You’re originally from Seattle, right?”

  “That’s a long story.” He bit his lip as though he gathered his thoughts. “My fiancée cheated on me last year, about a month before our wedding, so I broke off the engagement. I don’t know why I asked her to marry me—we weren’t in love—and I was relieved she cheated. That gave me the push I needed to end things with her. My coworkers, friends and family didn’t understand that.” A long sigh rushed through his teeth. “Their pity just drove me crazy after a while. I applied for a new job at various museums along the West Coast and the Quicken was the first to offer me a well-paid position, so I took it.” He twisted his fingers around the steering wheel. “I needed a fresh start, to go someplace where no one knew me. You know what I mean?”

  “More than you can imagine.” She peered out the window as buildings passed by in a blur.

  “Try me. What’s your darkest secret?”

  She unconsciously reached for her back but then she gripped her hands together in her lap. “I’d rather not say.”

  Elijah licked his lips. “All right.” He reached over and laid his large hand on top of her smaller ones. “I’m here if you change your mind.”

  You’re here until midnight. Annalise nodded and then twisted her hand to hold his.

  Half an hour passed before Elijah pulled his car down a long, windy driveway that led to the private Krinard estate on the outskirts of Portland. The Krinard family owned and operated the two-story mansion, expansive flower garden and thirty acre woodland grounds, and rented the property out to whoever could afford it.

  “I’ve never been here. It’s marvelous.” Annalise pressed her face against the window to stare up at the pillars and white brick stones of the house.

  “Neither have I. Austin works in the science lab at the museum. He usually assists in the carbon-dating of artifacts and, though it pays well, I don’t know how he can afford a day here. Let alone three days and nights. The house serves as his family’s and his fiancée’s family’s lodgings while they’re in town for the ceremony.”

  “Talk about blowing money, but it’s their life and their special day.”

  “Agreed.” He pulled his car up to the curb and a valet promptly rushed to his side of the car. Another valet opened the passenger car door and offered Annalise his hand. She exited the car and met Elijah on the paved walkway. “This is so weird.” His hushed whisper reached her ears as they entered the open double doors.

  “You don’t socialize with the rich and famous often?”

  He snorted. “I’m more comfortable in a lab coat with a brush in my hand.”

  Annalise chuckled. The decorative foyer opened into an elaborate ballroom with a marble staircase that led to an opulent second level. Cool air rushed around them and she tightened her shawl around her shoulders. “I’ve seen pictures of this place online but nothing compares to the real thing.” A few people walked past with their eyes wide and voices lowered to a whisper and she felt better knowing she and Elijah weren’t the only awestruck ones the
re.

  They followed the signs to the backdoor and dozens of flower arrangements, strands of ribbon and lace decorated the outdoor patio where a four-man instrumental band played a romantic tune. At least three dozen white chairs faced a wicker arch on the manicured lawn with roses and ivy entwined in the trellis. A red carpet led to the arch and a pastor mingled with two dapper groomsmen near the altar.

  A young woman stood beside a pedestal stand and indicated they should sign a guestbook. “Bride or groom?”

  “Groom,” Elijah replied as he took the pen and signed both his and Annalise’s names on the same line. Annalise wasn’t sure why but the joined signature warmed her like a fine wine.

  “The back?” Annalise gripped Elijah’s arm as he led her down the carpet.

  “Definitely.” He stopped after three rows in and hurried to a pair of lone chairs in the middle of the growing crowd. Once they finally sat, Elijah brought her hand to his lips and kissed it just below her knuckles. “Thank you for coming with me today, but I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked and forced you to deal with this. I just didn’t realize how proper and la-di-da this event would be. I don’t want to be here myself.”

  She smiled. “I’d rather be here than anywhere else.” She snuggled closer to him as he released her hand and laid his arm across the back of her chair. He leaned toward her and Annalise felt heat radiate around him in waves. His warmth soothed and likewise jumpstarted her heart.

  The wedding commenced and after a long ceremony full of tears and laughs, the newly wedded couple rushed from the altar and inside the mansion. The guests followed and soon Annalise found herself in a buffet line. “I expected a single plate, not an all-you-can-eat buffet,” she whispered to Elijah, but the elderly woman behind her in line concurred.