by Lori Foster
A stylist? Her? “Um, sure. I mean, I’ll think about it.”
The woman smiled brilliantly before moving back into the crowd.
Okay, now this would be the part where I wake up.
But Charlotte didn’t wake up. She was still standing there, in her off-the-rack red dress, holding the business card of one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood.
Charlotte felt like singing. She was queen of the world. She was invincible. She was a cross between Marilyn Monroe and Mighty Mouse. Oh, if only the Hoodlums could see her now!
She heard the steady rumbling of conversation slow, then grind to a halt. Curious, she looked toward the doorway.
Speak of the devil.
The Hoodlums were framed in the large doorway, standing resplendent. Gabe, Ryan, Mike and Sean posed like GQ sentinels, completely indifferent to the stir they were creating.
It was strange enough to see her poker crew at a Sheffield party, much less their Black and White Ball. But as she glanced over their formal attire, she noticed that something was missing.
Namely, their pants.
They were all wearing brilliant white shirts and black tuxedo jackets. But from the waist down, they wore long, loose-fitting surfer shorts in every color under the sun, paired with black suede high-topped sneakers. Both the shorts and the sneakers displayed a large logo…the distinctive shark with sunglasses that Charlotte herself had designed for Gabe’s sportswear company!
In unison, the Hoodlums removed their black Wayfarer sunglasses, tucking them away in their inner coat pockets. They walked down the steps, looking every inch like models on the catwalk as flashbulbs exploded. Guests let out a tentative chuckle and a smattering of applause.
Charlotte made her way through the throng to where they were standing. She loved them for showing up. She just loved them, period.
“Gabe!” She ran up to him and gave him a huge, exuberant hug.
“There you are, angel.” He smiled as she distributed enthusiastic hugs to the rest of the crew. “I was just about to send the Hoodlums on a search and rescue for you.”
“You could have just stood here on the steps. I’m sure I would have noticed sooner or later.” She looked at them, laughter fighting with admiration. Laughter won. “Great gams, guys.”
“What do you think?” Ryan struck a Vogue-like pose. “I’m too sexy for my shorts.”
“You guys are too sexy for this party,” Charlotte agreed. “What are you doing here?”
The guys didn’t say anything, but stared pointedly at Gabe. Gabe cleared his throat. “Well, we discussed it last night, and we thought you might need a little more coaching.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really.”
“Well, we were a little…concerned.” Gabe looked slightly red, a fact that caused giggles to bubble through her. She never thought she’d see the day that Gabe Donofrio was embarrassed. “I kept thinking about how you said you felt uncomfortable, and how this was going to be awful, and I thought…well, you know.”
She took pity on him. “You guys were trying to help, weren’t you?”
They nodded, sheepishly. Then devilish grins broke out. “So, how are we doing?” Ryan finally said.
Charlotte couldn’t help it. She burst into laughter. It was one of the sweetest, silliest things she’d ever seen. When she finally recovered, she said, “Well, believe it or not, I really am thankful. You’re wonderful. Insane, but wonderful.”
“And you, hot stuff, are stunning,” Mike said, bending over her hand for a courtier-style kiss. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Gabe frowning at the action. “So, do you think you’ll give me a dance tonight, or are you going to blow me off again?”
“Dance?” Charlotte said. She glanced out at the ballroom floor. Couples were doing a slow sway to an elevator-music version of some popular song. She frowned. “I don’t know. This isn’t really my style.”
“We’ll handle that,” Gabe said. “Ryan?”
Ryan grinned broadly. “On my way.”
She watched Ryan dart over to the leader of the orchestra. He said his request, then shook the man’s hand. She didn’t even want to think how much money Ryan was bribing him with.
The song the band was playing limped to a close. Then, after a few moments of silence, the brass section positively exploded into a lively rendition of “Louie, Louie.”
The tuxedo-and evening-gown-clad group was stunned yet again. The Hoodlums, however, were in their element. Charlotte didn’t know whether to hide or simply laugh as the four men got out there and shook their stuff.
Gabe smiled, taunting her. “Chicken?”
Chicken? Tonight, she could walk on fire. The man had no idea. “Try and keep up with me,” she shot back.
With that, she stepped out on the floor and showed them exactly how it was done.
To her surprise, the faces of the crowd were no longer filled with condescension or disdain. They now seemed to be enjoying the spectacle that was livening up what was obviously a traditionally dull party. She noticed several younger couples moving out on the floor and dancing with them. The Hoodlums were a sensation!
The song wound down with a flourish, and Gabe grabbed her and dipped her on the final note. The crowd erupted into applause. There was no laughter, no mocking, just sheer delight.
Gabe picked her up from the dip, ignoring the response of the rest of the audience. “I don’t believe it.” His smile seemed to be for her alone. “You’re incredible, angel.”
He had an arm lightly resting around her waist. She was still breathless from dancing. At least, she thought it was from dancing. She put a hand on his chest and could feel his heart pulsing under her hand through his white shirt. His gray eyes shone like beacons.
Without warning, Edna Sheffield stormed over, her face knit in an expression of fury. “Who are you people?”
Gabe and Charlotte jumped away from each other. Charlotte swallowed hard. “Mrs. Sheffield…”
Ryan, Mike and Sean stood in a united front by Gabe. Gabe cleared his throat. “We’re the Hoodlums,” he said simply, as if that explained everything.
Edna’s eyes widened so far that Charlotte was afraid they’d pop right out of their sockets. “The who?”
“No, the Who is a rock band out of England,” Ryan corrected her, tongue-in-cheek. “We’re a surf crew out of Manhattan Beach.”
“A…surf crew?” If possible, Edna’s eyes widened even farther. “I don’t believe this! I’ll give you exactly one minute to get…”
“Gabe! It’s great you could make it.” Jack’s smooth baritone floated over as he made his way across the dance floor. He shook Gabe’s hand. Charlotte stifled a laugh at Edna’s new look of shock. The woman obviously fawned on Jack Landor, proud of his presence at her society function. Now she’d been insulting what looked like his best friend!
“Jack,” Gabe said, grinning. “I just thought that the place could use a little livening up.”
“Good thinking,” Jack said with a laugh, putting a casual arm around Charlotte’s shoulders. He smiled down at her. “You looked incredible out there. I didn’t know you could dance like that.”
She shrugged. “Another one of my party tricks,” she said easily. The crew grinned at her. Edna Sheffield remained speechless.
“Hope you don’t mind me dancing with your girl,” Gabe said in an oddly neutral tone.
“I don’t mind who she dances with,” Jack said with an easy smile. “After all, I’m the one who’s taking her home.” He gave Charlotte a quick squeeze. “Which we can do now, by the way. Edna, it’s been a wonderful party. Best one in ages, thanks to these guys.”
“Ah, thank you, Jack.” Edna clearly looked dazed.
“Take care of my friends, will you? I promised this lovely lady I’d have her home early.” He glanced down at Charlotte. “Ready?”
She looked at the Hoodlums. All the guys except Gabe were smiling broadly in approval. Gabe just looked off in the distance, a b
ored expression on his face.
Well, what was she expecting? A pleading look, begging her not to go?
She glanced at Jack. The most eligible bachelor in America wanted to take her home. And tonight, she was capable of anything.
“Home it is,” she said, looping her arm through his. “I’ll talk to you later, guys.”
They whistled at her, making her exit with Jack a very public spectacle. Flashes went off, people applauded.
She resisted sneaking a peek back at the guys as she and Jack finally walked out the door.
Half an hour later, she was still riding the emotional crest that had hit her at the Sheffield Ball when Jack dropped her off at her house.
“I don’t know how to thank you, Jack,” she said thoughtfully.
He smiled down at her. “For what? You did me the favor, remember?” He nudged her gently. “I’ve got to say, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a date that great.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand.” How could he? For the first time in her life, she felt…beautiful. She didn’t care what the other people thought, or said. She felt like a full-blooded woman. How could a man understand that a woman never forgot the first time she felt like that?
“All I know is, you were beautiful out there tonight. You were a sensation.” He surveyed her for a moment, silent. “So, here we are again. And it’s not the first date.” He waited expectantly.
Her post-party euphoria fled in a tiny burst of panic. Now what was she going to do?
Wait a minute. She’d been a goddess tonight. She was beautiful, confident and capable of anything. Why shouldn’t she try to see if Mr. Right was Jack, after all?
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
After a second, he brushed his lips over hers.
She waited.
And felt nothing.
When it stopped, she opened her eyes. “So. That’s it, huh?” she asked in all seriousness.
He laughed. “If you’ve got to ask, then I’m not doing it right.” He dipped his face down to hers again. This time, the pressure was a little more insistent, but it was still more friendly than passionate.
All right, this just wasn’t fair. She was being kissed by a man who was cute, charming, eligible and apparently interested. And her heart rate barely bobbled!
He pulled away, then studied her face with a nod. “How ’bout that time? Anything?”
She sighed. “Maybe I’m undergoing sensory overload,” she ventured in a conciliatory tone. “It’s been a long night.”
“And an eventful one.” He shrugged, giving her a lopsided smile that warmed her heart. “All right, pretty girl, I’m off. I’ll call you this week if you want to do something.”
“Okay.” Did she want to see him this week? She had fun with him, but this was getting a little weird. She waved to him as he turned and walked to his gate.
She walked up to her front door pensively. She didn’t know what had happened, and that was part of the problem. She didn’t really have a lot of experience with men in the physical arena, but she was pretty sure that what had just happened wasn’t a good indicator. Good grief. Dead car batteries had more spark than they’d managed to generate!
She was just shutting the door behind her when she heard a rush of footsteps on the walkway. Praying it wasn’t Jack again, she cautiously opened the door a crack.
Gabe gave her a breathless smile that gleamed in the moonlight. “Good,” he huffed. “You’re still up.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, bewildered.
“Um…” He paused for a moment, a blank look on his face. “Would you believe I’m here to pick up the jacket I loaned you yesterday?”
She quirked an eyebrow at him. “If it’s the best you could come up with.”
“Then that’s what I’m here for.”
“Come on in,” she said, opening the door for him. “I could use somebody to talk to.”
He walked in and sat down, groaning with relief. He surveyed her from head to toe, and sent her a warm but tired smile. “That’s a pretty cool dress.”
She felt a little pulse of warmth shoot through her. “Thanks. I like it.”
“You knocked ’em dead tonight.”
“And I have you and the Hoodlums to thank for it,” she said. She giggled, remembering the look on Edna Sheffield’s face. “So, did you decide you’d just had enough of the party, or did Edna go ahead and kick you out?”
“I’d had enough. The guys are still there,” Gabe added, grinning. “And Edna tried to hire us as entertainment for her Christmas Gala.” He laughed, tucking his tie into his jacket pocket as he undid the top button of his shirt. He took a deep breath. “God, I hate ties.”
“I have no sympathy for you,” she scoffed, reaching awkwardly for the zipper on the back of her dress. After the disappointing episode with Jack, she could feel the energy of the evening sap out of her. “This whole outfit is like a tie from your neck to your knees, pal. Not to mention the contraption I have to wear underneath. I feel like I need a team of scientists to get it on and off.”
“Looks good, though.”
She wriggled uncomfortably, her sudden weariness making her fingers fumble. “Do me a favor and unzip me, will you?”
She turned in front of him and waited.
She thought for a moment he must’ve fallen asleep on the couch. It seemed to take him forever to get up. Finally, he stood behind her. His breath warmed her nape, and she felt an odd shiver in her stomach.
“How’d you get into this?” he muttered, struggling with the zipper.
“Dana helped. She’s got a degree in this sort of thing,” she whispered, then stopped on a quick exhalation. He slowly unzipped the length of her dress. She was sure that the way the tip of his thumb brushed down the smooth skin between her shoulder blades was purely accidental. Still, she felt her heart pulse, then double in speed, heat curling through her.
“That better?” He leaned over her shoulder, studying her face for a second.
She gulped, nodding quickly.
“Need help with anything else?”
She glanced over her shoulder and saw his gaze riveted to the back of her hooked bustier.
“Um, no.” She bit her lip, confused by the sudden rush of blood racing through her. “I can manage from here.”
She bolted to her bedroom before he could sense the rapid change that occurred in her breathing, in her body. There was no way he could have realized that her neck and back were two of the most sensitive spots on her body. They were erogenous zones in their own right, something that always embarrassed her. He certainly hadn’t done it on purpose.
She was confused enough right now. This was no time to indulge in some strange, adolescent crush on her best friend!
She quickly and awkwardly shed her clothes, dumping them in the dry-cleaning hamper. She threw on a large T-shirt and flannel boxers, taking a deep breath before wandering back out.
“So what did you want to talk about?” he asked. He’d grabbed a glass of water and was comfortably settled in.
She sighed, flopping down next to him on the couch. “I’m confused, Gabe.”
“Confused about what, angel?”
She put her head back, staring at her white ceiling. “It was a lot simpler before this whole bet thing got started. I really thought I was happy with my life.”
“I know that one,” Gabe said, groaning. “The next time I suggest something that dumb, just haul out and hit me one.”
“Well, it hasn’t been all bad,” she said, stretching a little. He put his arm along the back of the couch, and she rested her head on his bicep. “I mean, for probably the first time in my life, I felt pretty, Gabe. You have no idea what that’s like. I have a long way to go, but…it was nice.”
“You looked great, Charlotte.” Gabe’s voice was deep and sincere.
“But then I kissed Jack, and it went to hell in a handbasket.” She sighed again. “Now I just wish that
I was still watching Raider games with the Hoodlums, and wearing my baggy sweatshirts and jeans, and not worrying about finding Mr. Right because I know there’s never going to be one.”
Gabe stayed silent.
“But it’s too late now,” she mused thoughtfully. “It’s like I’ve opened Pandora’s box. I don’t want to live like I used to, but I don’t know what the heck I’m doing. I feel pretty tonight, but I don’t want to keep being what somebody else tells me to look like. Derek tried to change me into something I wasn’t. How do I know that Dana and Bella are doing the right thing for me?” She rubbed her eyes. “I’m tired, and I just don’t know anymore.”
Gabe still didn’t say anything.
Finally, she looked over at him. “Are you asleep?”
He was very still, but his gray eyes were wide-open and piercing. “You kissed Jack?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah. It wasn’t a big deal. Let’s just say it was a…chemistry experiment.”
His eyes bore into her. He was quiet for a moment, then nodded, as if he’d decided something. “Are you seeing him tomorrow?”
“No,” she said, puzzled. “Why?”
“Because I thought we might hang out tomorrow, but I didn’t want to screw up any previous plans.”
She punched him in the shoulder. “You’re my best friend, Gabe. It’s the Hoodlum motto—Friends Come First.”
He finally smiled. “Well, isn’t tomorrow a designated date day?”
She shrugged. “Apparently Thursdays through Sundays are, according to my scientific dating team.”
“Fine.” He took a deep breath. “Charlotte Taylor, will you go out on a friend date with me?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s not like a date-date, right?” she said, laughing. “We go Dutch for dinner, there’s no small talk and only minimal groping?”
He burst out laughing, then wound down, breathless. “See, it’s stuff like that that I’ve missed. We’ve been too damn serious since this whole bet started.”
“I know.” It had bothered her, too.
