Now Phlox was pretty and look what had happened. Someone had maliciously tampered with one of the company’s products. She and Zee were digging themselves out of the worst business hole they had fallen into yet. People were publicly making fun of the man she loved. And said man had broken up with her, pretty face or not.
She sighed and dragged herself out of the pity party she had just invited herself to. She had a real party to go to, a party where she had to plaster on a happy face and pretend not to notice the aching void in her chest where her heart used to reside. She reached around to her back to zip up the dress … damn it. She couldn’t reach the zipper. She hadn’t thought of that back in the dressing room with Cherise. Naturally attractive women were born knowing not to buy a dress with a long zipper they couldn’t reach by themselves. She was certain of that. Not to mention, born with the ability to walk gracefully in heels.
Damn it all. She couldn’t even call Zee. Zee was staying at her mother’s house in Malibu instead of at the hotel. Of course, Phlox had been invited to stay there too but had politely declined, on the theory that Zee and her mother might like some time alone together.
She went into the sleek, modern bathroom to look in the mirror. Maybe if she could see what she was doing, she could manage. When that didn’t work, she took off the dress, zipped it up partway and then dropped it over her head again. It got stuck halfway down her spine. She wriggled out of it again, unzipped it and put it back on. Now what am I going to do? Maybe she could call the front desk and ask if someone could come up to help? But who would they send?
Damn damn damn. She hadn’t even started on her hair and makeup yet. The limo was due to pick her up downstairs in less than an hour.
YouTube, she thought. There had to be a video online showing how to solve this sort of problem. There was a YouTube video for everything.
She was booting up her laptop when a knock sounded at the door. What the bloody hell? She hadn’t ordered room service or put in a maintenance request. No time for either of those. Please let this not be the cleaning staff. On the other hand, they could zip up her dress. As a precaution, she slipped the security chain into place before opening the door a crack.
Jared.
He smiled warily and her heart stopped. Just flat out stopped. His eyes caught hers and she saw such hope and barely controlled eagerness in them, she feared she would break down and cry right there. She closed the door, unhooked the chain and opened it again.
He was here. With a garment bag slung over his shoulder.
She stepped aside to let him in. She was so surprised, she hardly knew what to say.
He pulled a folded sheet of paper from the back pocket of his jeans and held it out to her. She unfolded it and read it quickly. It was a note from Cherise to Jared.
“Fucking man up?” Phlox repeated her assistant’s words.
“You aren’t going to fire her, are you?” Jared asked. “I am pleading mercy on her behalf.”
Phlox smiled at his uncertain expression. “Of course not. My entire life would fall apart without her.” She drank in the sight of him. His hair had been cut into a short style that left his face completely exposed. “I missed you,” she said quietly. “Are you really here to be my date?”
“I am. If you need and want a date.”
“But you hate to be out in public.”
Jared’s eyes searched her face, then he shook his head as though he were helpless before her. “I hate being without you more.”
She reached up and touched his new short hair. “You don’t have to do this.” What if he got cold feet at the premiere and ran away … again? Her heart couldn’t handle that. “I go to these things all the time without a date.”
She turned and walked back into the living room of the suite.
“Um, Phlox? Do you need help with that?”
She heard the flat whap of his garment bag being dropped onto the sofa, then felt the cool whisper of air conditioning over her bare back where her dress gaped open. Her eyes closed when Jared ran his finger down her spine.
“There will be hundreds of people there tonight, Jared. And cameras and reporters.”
“I know.”
“And I’ll be near the star of the movie most of the night. So I’m going to be in some of those photos.”
“Duly noted.”
“Zee and I aren’t known for taking investors to events. If you come, we’ll be outing our relationship tonight.”
He spun her around and pulled her into his chest. His hands slipped inside the unzipped dress, warm and firm on her skin. “I’ve been a coward. I freely admit that. And your assistant is right. I don’t deserve you.” He bent his head to hers. “But I don’t want to lose you so I’ll do whatever it takes to be a man who does deserve you.”
It was a sweet kiss at first, then one that grew deeper and more fierce. She shivered as he ran his hands down her back. Her nipples tightened against his chest, just her dress and his thin linen shirt preventing them from being skin on skin. He groaned when his hands slid beneath the sequins and cupped her bottom.
“I don’t know how women dress, but men usually put their underwear on first,” he said, still kissing her.
“Um, with this kind of dress, you usually …”
He groaned again. “Go commando?” He pulled his lips away just in time to see her cheeks flush an embarrassed pink. “That knowledge is going to torment me all night.”
She tried to step out of his embrace, but he held her close and zipped up the dress.
“Most of the women there will be like this.”
He kissed her again. “But I won’t be thinking about the other women.”
“Are you sure about this, Jared?” Her bruised heart was fighting the happiness that was swelling within. Being photographed with Jared Connor wasn’t going to be a problem. But being photographed with Jared Connor running, terrified, down the street would.
He ran a thumb across her cheek. “Never been more sure of anything. I’m in awe of the bravery you’ve shown this past month. I figured it was my turn.”
“I think Mina did mention something about a new nickname the kids have for you.”
He grimaced. “Yeah well, I’m probably stuck with that until I earn one that’s worse.” He ran his fingers through her long blonde locks. “And you were busy giving my sister-in-law a job while I was acting like a total wuss.”
“My hiring Mina had nothing to do with you, Jared. She’ll be a tremendous asset to my company. That was just business.”
“I’ve been watching you, Phlox. Your interviews, your television appearances. You don’t separate business and personal that way.”
She shrugged. It was true, her life was inseparable from the company. Then again, nothing else had ever presented itself as any real competition. Until she'd met Jared Connor. Working 24-7 was a lot less appealing now.
“Although that Vanity Fair shoot was a little too personal,” he growled. “Every time I pass a bookstore or a newsstand, I buy up every copy they have.”
She swatted at his chest. “Jared! I need people to see the press coverage.”
He pulled her hips into his and she gasped at the hardness she felt there.
“I don’t want other men looking at those pictures and …” He searched her face. “Doing what I do every night.” His voice was so low, it was barely audible. “I nearly punched a guy in first class who was reading the article. And he knew I was there. He looked right at me.”
“They’re just pictures, Jared. Nothing you didn’t get to see first.” She pushed away from him. “If you’re going with me tonight, you need to change. The limo will be here in,” she glanced at the clock on the wall, “forty minutes. And I still need to do my hair and makeup.”
Jared walked into the bathroom ten minutes later and sat down on the edge of the tub behind her. In the mirror, Phlox checked out his outfit. The dark grey suit fit him perfectly but he still looked charmingly ill at ease in it. He pretended to adjust
the pink tie that was nearly a perfect match to her dress.
“Did Cherise send that to you?”
“Yes. Along with information on how to continue my health benefits.”
“You know, I’m still a little pissed that you didn’t tender your resignation directly to me.”
“I’m not quitting you.”
He watched as she swiped a pale champagne eyeshadow over her lids, then picked up her charcoal eyeliner.
“You never did finish my hot tub,” she said accusingly as she drew a thin line along her lashes. “Don’t expect a good employment reference from me.”
“Not planning on applying for any more caretaker jobs.”
“No?” She lifted one perfectly groomed eyebrow. “There always was something about you that wasn’t quite caretaker-ish.” She let her eyes brazenly rake over his reflection in the mirror. “You’re the best-dressed caretaker I’ve ever met.”
“How many caretakers have you known?”
“Not many, granted.”
“So you have no idea how we dress, then.”
A giggle burst from her lips and the mascara wand in her hand slipped, leaving a black smudge across her cheekbone. “Shoot. Don’t make me laugh or I’ll never be ready in time.” She wiped away the smudge with a tissue and started over.
She brushed a pale pink blush on her cheeks, trying not to meet Jared’s intense gaze in the mirror. Her hand shook as she blended in the color. If she was nervous about the premiere before, now she was doubly nervous. Jared had dropped everything, hopped on a plane and come out to see her. To be her date at a very public event. This was no afternoon matinee in a small town in Connecticut. This was Hollywood with an Academy Award winning actress. She wanted to believe in Jared’s bravery, but the potential for the evening to be a complete disaster was pretty great.
She set down the fluffy makeup brush and picked up a dark rose lipstick. “Don’t you dare say I look better without makeup,” she warned as she swiped the lipstick over her lips. “I run a beauty company.”
“Actually, I was thinking how beautiful you look either way.” His eyes dropped briefly to her backside. “And, uh, I was thinking about the fact that you’re not wearing anything under that dress.”
“I’ll probably need some help unzipping it later.” She smiled at him in the mirror. In fact, she really would. If Jared hadn’t shown up, she’d still be watching how-to videos on YouTube. She set down the lipstick and turned away from the mirror. “Maybe the concierge can come up and help me.”
“Only if you know how to dispose of a body.” Jared stood and took her in his arms, nuzzling his face into the curve of her neck. “How long do we have to stay at this thing? Actually, what happens at a movie premiere? Do we get to see the movie?”
“Of course, we get to see the movie. We’ll walk the red carpet—” Phlox steeled herself for his reaction but he remained occupied with nuzzling her neck. “Then we watch the movie and afterward we go to the after party.”
“Then we come back here for the after-after party,” Jared said, kissing his way from her neck down to the dip at the base of her throat, leaving no question as to what the after-after party would involve. Phlox let her head fall back for a moment, enjoying the exquisite sensation of his lips on her skin and the strength of his hands as they gripped her hips.
“Right. If we have any energy left,” she sighed.
“You’d better have some energy left. I have some serious apologizing and groveling to do tonight.”
Chapter 33
Phlox watched as Ginger Moon unfolded her long elegant body from the limousine ahead of them. Flashbulbs went off like fireworks as Zee’s mother smiled and directed her old-fashioned movie star glamour at the throngs of fans lining the sidewalk. Ginger Moon—Ms. Malisewski, as Phlox thought of her—wore a sleek black tuxedo suit and sky high heels, no blouse beneath the jacket. Her dark hair was blown out, her eyes made up in a sultry smoky style (the Phlox Beauty Smokin’ Hot eye palette), her lips a rich matte red (Phlox Beauty Roses are a Girl’s Best Friend lipstick). At forty-nine, Zee’s mother was still a striking beauty. Phlox could only hope she looked as good at that age.
Zee emerged from the limo right behind her mother in an ice blue vintage silk gown. In some ways—most ways, in fact, Phlox thought—Zee was the polar opposite of her mother. They shared the same dramatic coloring: porcelain, china doll skin and hair that was nearly dark as night. But Ginger Moon was tall and curvy, with a wide mouth and dramatic cheekbones, impossible not to notice on the street. Zee, on the other hand, was five foot two and physically almost slight. Her dark hair was cropped short ala Audrey Hepburn and her heart-shaped face was delicate and fine-boned. With another eight inches, Zee could have been a runway model.
Zee smiled as she followed her mother’s slow path down the red carpet. Ginger Moon had been a famous actress since Zee was a child and her fans knew all about Zee. The mystery of her father—Ginger Moon had never disclosed his identity (Zee was of the opinion that her mother had no idea who actually impregnated her). Zee’s distaste for her given name, Zelda. Zee’s wayward ways as a teenager. Zee was used to having a public persona that was separate—and sometimes entirely divorced—from reality.
Phlox held her breath as Zee and Ginger’s now empty limo pulled away and the limo Phlox and Jared were sitting in took its place. Their private reality was about to become very, very public in three, two … one. The door next to Jared was opened by unseen hands and Jared climbed out. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
Damn it. Phlox felt her lungs burn but she seemed incapable of taking a breath. Through the windshield she saw Zee turn around at the sound, her face cycling through multiple expressions. Confusion, consternation, disbelief. Then a wide grin.
Jared turned back to the limo and reached in to help Phlox out. Finally, her lungs relaxed and she took a deep breath, then grabbed his hand and let him pull her out onto the red carpet. Everything went into slow motion as the flashbulbs began to pop off all around them. She plastered a big smile on her face.
“Are you okay?” she asked Jared, her lips never wavering from her smile.
Jared clasped her hand tightly in his. “Just fine.”
She could hear his breathing, heavy and slow, beside her and she worried that he wasn’t just fine. She squeezed his hand to reassure him.
Ahead of them at the end of the red carpet rose a lovingly restored Art Deco theater. The soaring marquee glittered red and yellow in the dusk. Ginger Moon was peppered with questions right and left as she made her way down the carpet toward the theater. Phlox had watched her do this half a dozen times over the years since she’d met Zee. Zee’s mother made it look effortless, like a dance almost. Glide, pose, answer question, smile. Glide, pose, answer question, smile.
Zee drifted back toward Phlox and Jared.
“Glad you could make it,” Zee said quietly to Jared.
“Was this your idea or Cherise’s?” Phlox asked, her lips barely breaking her smile.
“Totally Cherise’s. I’m not that ballsy. I did have to reassure her, though, that I would reinstate her in the event you terminate her employment.”
Phlox shook her head slightly. “It would take way more than that to make me fire her.”
Photographers called out right and left to Phlox and Zee as they slowly walked the carpet. A group of young women held out magazines with Phlox Beauty ads they wanted signed. Zee and Phlox scribbled their names on the glossy pages, then someone shouted, “Was anyone on set using the A2Z Cream?”
Phlox felt Jared stiffen beside her and the noise of the red carpet grew muffled, as though she were inside a bubble. She squeezed Jared’s hand to let him know she was fine, then turned to the man who had shouted the question. But Zee answered first.
“My mother, of course.”
“Was she burned?” the reporter shouted a followup question.
Zee craned her neck theatrically, looking toward her mother ahead of them on the
red carpet. “Not that she’s mentioned.”
“Only a small portion of the production was affected by the tampering,” Phlox added. She felt Jared’s reassuring hand on the small of her back.
Phlox and Zee posed for more photographs as they made their way toward the theater entrance. They were twenty feet from the door when another reporter called out a question.
“Mr. Connor! Are you one of the backers of the film?”
This time it was Phlox’s turn to stiffen with apprehension. Part of her had hoped that Jared could simply be here as her date, as her arm candy and that no one would zero in on him tonight. He would be identified in photographs tomorrow, but they would deal with that then. As more flashbulbs lit up the air in front of her face, she realized how unrealistic that hope had been. Suddenly it was she who was fighting the urge to run toward the door, to race for the safety of a darkened theater.
Jared stopped and turned to the reporter. “No, I’m not.” He pulled Phlox tight against his side, his arm wrapping around her waist and then some. “I’m just here with my girlfriend. I am a backer of her company however.”
“Do you think that’ll prove to be a wise investment, given the product tampering? Seems to indicate a lack of security in the supply chain.”
Phlox gritted her teeth but Jared simply laughed and said to the reporter, “You do know you’re at a movie premiere, right?” Jared shook his head. “I only make wise investments. That’s why I don’t invest in many companies. Now, do you have a question about the movie?”
Phlox wasn’t the only one who had noticed the photographers drawing closer to them, like sharks to chum. Zee moved to the other side of Jared and slipped her arm around his waist, grabbing Phlox’s elbow on the other side. As the three of them smiled into the onslaught of camera flashes, Phlox feared her heart was about to burst out of love for her gallant boyfriend and her steadfast best friend and business partner—and out of anger that Jared even needed to be brave. When you save a child from a burning house—as a child yourself—you should have your bravery bona fides. You shouldn’t have to take shit from anyone ever again.
Next to You Page 21
