by Lietha Wards
“What’s he doing driving you home?” His blue eyes darkened and narrowed as he figured it out on his own. “Where’s your damn sister?”
“I don’t know. She never showed up.”
“Christ almighty, that girl needs some bloody discipline.”
“It’s all right, Dad, I’m fine.” She might have been frustrated with Prissy more than once, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t protective of her sister. Priscilla never intentionally neglected her. She just got sidetracked easily.
“Sure, you are,” he said as he looked down at her. “I wish you’d rub off on her a little more.”
So she’ll be an obedient, perfect child, just like me, she thought bleakly. Priscilla at least did what she wanted, despite how angry their father got with her. At least she had that freedom. “Dad, Alex asked me to the Lavender Art Banquet.” The anger in his eyes quickly evaporated, and his expression took on a puzzled look.
“Really?”
She hadn’t been sure how he would react. Being an ex-military man, her father seemed to emanate that type ‘A’ personality that no one could match. Not once in her life could Angel remember standing up to him. He was intimidating. Prissy never talked back to him, but she didn’t seem to be as affected by his authoritative demeanor as she was. It was surprising that Alex’s aggressiveness bothered her, because he seemed like a pussycat compared to her father, especially when her father was angry. He could remove the roof of the house. However, she didn’t think about her father the way she thought about Alex, and her father didn’t say the things that Alex had been saying to her lately. Hopefully, none of it showed in her expression when she asked, “Can I go?”
“If Alex invited you, you certainly can, but don’t get any ideas about pursuing a career in that direction,” he said sternly, pointing a finger at her. “No brilliant girl of mine is going to waste her talents.”
She was surprised that he agreed to let her go, especially knowing the Harrisons’ reputation with women and the fact that it was an art show, but then again, her dad knew she wasn’t flirtatious and outgoing as her sister was. “That was easy,” she told him.
He smiled. “Honey, Alex is harmless.”
Harmless? He scared the pants off her most times, and he terrified everyone within a twenty-foot radius when he was angry. If her father knew half of what Alex had been saying to her on the trip home, he’d probably shoot him. Actually, she wasn’t certain of that. Her father respected Alex, because the man was brilliant, rich, and a hard worker. For some reason, her father put a lot of stock into a prominent education and wealth.
“I meant,” he clarified, seeing her puzzled expression, “that he wouldn’t disrespect you, no matter what. He’s known you his whole life. He probably sees you as a safe bet at this point, like a little sister.”
If her father knew how much that destroyed her, he probably wouldn’t have said it, but it did make perfect sense. Sighing heavily, she turned and went to her room. She needed to phone Matthew to see if he could fit her in to get her hair done tomorrow before she went to the boutique for a gown. Although she’d been completely offended by Alex’s candor towards her, she didn’t want to miss this event. Not only that, part of her felt giddy at the prospect of walking in on his arm.
She dialed Matthew’s number. He’d been her best friend in high school, and although most male hairdressers seemed to have a stereotype of being gay, Matthew was far from that. He was decently handsome, and he had a great sense of style and a steady girlfriend.
“Hey!”
Matthew’s enthusiastic voice made her smile. “Hi.”
“What’s new?”
“I need your help.”
“Anything for you, babe,” came his cheerful voice.
Angel relayed what she needed done, and then went into the personal aspects of it, but only told him that Alex had asked her out.
“So you got your eyes on Alex Harrison? You be careful, honey, he’ll eat you up and spit you out like yesterday’s chew.”
“He’s not that bad.”
“Sure, he isn’t.” There was a pause. “I’m just saying he’s used to women, and you’re not used to men.”
“Thanks for the concern, but he’s just a friend and my dad would shoot him if he tried anything.”
“The bullets wouldn’t penetrate that thick skin of his.”
That made her laugh—he was probably right.
“Okay, come in any time tomorrow morning, and I’ll fit you in.” He chuckled. “I have an idea about what to do with you.”
“Don’t experiment on me,” she stated, trying to sound stern, but the effort was wasted on him.
“Never even crossed my mind,” he said in a tone that meant exactly the opposite.
“I mean it.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, hun,” he teased, laughter filling his voice, and then hung up.
She stared at the dead receiver and shook her head before hanging it up. Matthew was an artist—she should trust him. She’d actually sat next to him in her senior year of her arts class, and that’s where they became friends. He was a nice-looking man, but for some reason, he loved women who were slightly obese. She’d actually asked him once why he preferred that type of woman when other girls practically threw themselves at him. He told her it was because they had more depth and intelligence than the entire cheerleading squad put together. That amused her—Priscilla had been captain of the cheerleading squad in her senior year, but Matthew didn’t know that.
No sooner did she hang up than the phone rang again. She answered it with a smile. “I mean it, don’t you dare experiment on me.”
“Is that an invitation?” came the deep, husky voice of Alex Harrison.
“Oh God, I thought you were someone else!” She covered her face with her hand. “Ignore that.”
“Oh, I certainly won’t,” he drawled. “So what experiment were you talking about? My mind is wild with images right now.”
Even over the phone, she blushed profusely. “W-what do you want?” She heard him chuckle and darned if that wasn’t the sexiest thing she’d ever heard. Her skin suddenly felt very warm and tingly. She could almost see him sitting lazily at his desk in his study, leaning back in his leather chair, looking completely relaxed and endlessly appealing. Even as she thought it, she wondered when he’d made that shift from friend to pushing the borders of intimate discussion. He had never before spoken to her in the way he had the past few days. Although it completely unnerved her, she had to admit that she liked it.
“What a loaded question.”
She made an exasperated sound and heard him chuckle again.
“I wanted to tell you that Sherri is expecting you at her boutique at ten a.m. tomorrow.”
“I have to work, and I already booked a hair appointment that I need to take time off for,” she explained. She’d thought that she could just take an early lunch and work through her normal lunch hour to make up the time.
“Jason said it was fine. You have the whole morning off.”
“You called my boss?”
“I called my friend,” he corrected bluntly.
“You are very persistent at controlling everything. Does anyone ever tell you no?”
“No,” he said without hesitation and with an edge of amusement. “They know better.”
She sighed; she should have known. In fact, she doubted very much she could say no to him either. “How did you get my number? It’s unlisted.”
“Mother.”
He’d asked his mother for her phone number? Would she question him about why he was calling her? She wondered about Bea’s reaction. She probably reacted in the same way her father did, thinking that they were just friends. However, the way Alex had talked to her the past few days made her wonder about that. Although she shouldn’t read too much into it, she couldn’t help it after that kiss. “I give up,” she finally surrendered with a sigh.
“Good. I’ll pick you up at six on Saturday,” he said as if he expected her to ac
cept his continued demands.
“Okay.” He hung up, and she felt like a complete moron after their conversation. How the man made her feel was indescribable. Even when he was infuriating her, she couldn’t help but appreciate how sinfully attractive he was and how sexy she found his voice. She groaned aloud, knowing that she was totally lost where Alex Harrison was concerned. Her mother called her for supper, and she quickly pushed her thoughts of the man aside and went to the dining room.
After grace, her mother gave her an interested look as she handed her a bowl of whipped potatoes. “Your father says that Alex is taking you to the Art Banquet on Saturday.”
Angel couldn’t prevent the color from rising to her cheeks.
Her mother’s eyebrows rose. “Interesting.”
She saw the scheming look in her mother’s eyes and knew she was already planning a spring wedding. “It’s nothing,” she rushed out. “Like Dad said, he feels comfortable with me.” Her mother shot a disapproving look at him, but her father returned a look of cluelessness followed by one containing a question.
“Where’s your sister?” George asked quickly, changing the subject after the stern look his wife shot him.
“I suspect—” Catherine interrupted, still glaring at her husband. “—That she’s waiting in line to see the new town physician.”
Of course! thought Angel. She’d forgotten that Seth was starting his practice today, helping out old Doctor Jacobs. A long discussion ensued about how proud Bea was of her sons, and how wonderful it was that Seth was starting a practice in a small town even though he’d graduated with honors from a top university. Angel couldn’t blame Bea for her pride, because both men were humble despite their accomplishments.
As they finished dinner, Priscilla’s name came up again. She was a no-show for the meal, and their father had an issue with that. He liked having his family at home for supper every night, but it seemed as though Prissy was defying him more and more lately. She secretly wished that Priscilla would start listening to her, because she was worried about her. Although their father would never strike either one of them, his voice could strip the paper off the walls.
“I think you should speak with her, Catherine.” He made a gesture with his thumb and forefinger. “I’m this close to tossing that girl out on her ear.”
“You will do no such thing,” she said, standing up and gathering the empty dishes, seemingly unaffected by her husband’s threat.
“Sit down, we have help for that,” he growled.
“I’m capable,” she said curtly, continuing with her task.
Angel watched the exchange and couldn’t help but smile. Her mother was the only person who could get away with not listening to him. Even now, with the way she’d chastised him, he still looked at her with complete adoration. Angel hoped to have a man look at her in such a way someday.
***
The next day, Angel made sure her boss was amenable to her taking the morning off for her hair and boutique appointments.
“It’s all right, Angel, just have Red’s secretary cover for you while you’re gone,” he easily agreed. “Alex already talked to me about it.” He tilted his head and gave her one of his charming smiles. “I’m glad that you’re taking some social time and going to the Banquet. Adriana and I will be sharing a table with you.”
“Really?” She felt more at ease knowing that they would be there. Although she was born to a well-off family, she wasn’t a socialite by any means.
“Alex said you always had a talent for art,” he said, returning his attention to the file on his desk. He flipped through various papers as though Alex’s confession wasn’t as earthshaking as she thought it was.
“He did?” she said in surprise, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. Alex had talked about her to her boss? What else did he say? she wondered.
Jason lifted his eyes to hers again, then smiled and nodded. “He said you were really good.”
That was definitely surprising. “Oh? I didn’t realize he’d seen anything of mine.”
He shrugged. “Well, he obviously did somewhere.”
She felt some relief at knowing that Jason and his wife would be with them because she became so tongue-tied around Alex, especially when he showed any interest in her. Adriana was of Latin descent, and a stunning, long-legged model type. In fact, Angel was certain she’d been modeling when she met Jason. He was still in law school at the time, and he’d proposed marriage to her right after he graduated. Adriana and Jason had a four-year-old daughter that they positively adored; her name was Mya Jean, but they usually called her MJ. She had her father’s blue eyes and their mother’s dark hair and complexion. Time and again, Angel had warned him that he’d be in trouble when his daughter reached her teens, especially if she looked anything like her mother at that age. His response was, “Don’t I know it,” usually followed by a grin of pride.
“I already talked to Margo about covering for me,” she said, keeping the conversation professional.
“Efficient as always,” he replied, giving her a smile before returning to the file in front of him.
Efficient and safe, she thought to herself as she closed the office door.
Matthew hadn’t lied when he said he’d fit her in. He actually took her himself, regardless of having four stylists working for him.
“I left my morning open just for you,” he said, lifting his eyes to her head. “I hope that’s long enough.”
“Are all men so blunt?” she asked in exasperation.
He grinned. “If you’re just finding that out, you are definitely in trouble.” He spun his barber’s chair towards her. “Get in.”
After the first two hours, Angel realized that he hadn’t been making fun of her. He’d first trimmed her waist-length hair to mid-back, and now she was under the dryer with foil in her hair for a second time. He explained that he was giving her hair volume and depth with the streaking.
“Matthew, Sherri is expecting me at ten,” she said, glancing at the clock. “It’s ten to.”
“I’ll call her. She’s just down the street. She’ll understand.”
For the last hour, he wouldn’t let Angel look in the mirror. He had her turned around to face him as he worked. “I don’t like the wicked smile on your face,” she announced.
“Hold on, I’m almost done.” He turned over his shoulder. “Ana, come and do something with my girl’s face.”
She raised her brows. “Ana?”
“My esthetician,” he explained.
“You’re killing me,” she groaned.
“Honey, you don’t need much. Whether you realize it or not, you’re very beautiful.”
She flushed. “Thanks for the boost of confidence.”
“No boost,” he disagreed as he spun her around to reveal her reflection in the large mirror. “It’s the truth.”
She gasped audibly, looking at the wide-eyed stranger in front of her. The stranger had her facial features, but looked completely gorgeous! Her hair was streaked with subtle auburn and blonde shades, bringing out the deep colors of her drab brown mop.
“Your hair already had these colors in it, so I just exaggerated them a little. Do you see how it gives depth to the color?” He played with the silky tresses, arranging them over her shoulders. “And now that I took some weight off, you can see that you have a bit of a curl.”
“I see, I see!” she said in delight, unable to prevent the smile that spread across her face as she looked at the miracle before her.
“I told you you’re beautiful. Alex won’t know what hit him. Now what time is he picking you up on Saturday?”
“Around six, why?” Angel shot him a puzzled look.
“Then I’ll be at your place by five to fix your hair for the night.”
“You really don’t need to do that.” She faced him. “I can’t possibly repay you for what you’ve done.”
“Nonsense.” He grinned, showing his straight white teeth. “What are friends for?”
>
Just then, Ana showed up, and Matthew told her what he wanted her do to before he left them alone.
***
Half an hour later, Angel walked through the doors of La Salle. She’d met Sherri once at the Harrisons, and liked her very much. She was a tall, slender woman with gray streaks visible in her dark hair, and she was just like the rest of the family: very frank and up front. She was the daughter of Bea’s oldest sister. From what Angel had heard, Bea was the baby in the family, and Sherri’s mother was fifteen years older than she was.
When she’d first seen Sherri, she thought the woman was around her mother’s age, and she possessed an elegant grace that rang with sophistication. Angel guessed that Sherri was in her mid-forties. However, while most women didn’t appreciate gray hair, it made Sherri seem more attractive. When the older woman laid eyes on her, they widened in shock.
“My goodness, I just about didn’t recognize you. That man does wonders,” she said, taking both of her hands and squeezing them.
Angel seemed to be doing a lot of blushing lately.
“Alex won’t even recognize you.”
That was the second time she’d heard that in one hour. “It’s not like that.” Getting her hopes up would just result in a crushing letdown, and she knew it.
“No?” Sherri said in an amused undertone. “Come on. I remembered those gorgeous blue eyes of yours, and I found the perfect dress.”
Angel waited while Sherri went into the back and returned with the most beautiful gown she’d ever seen. It was royal blue, the same color as her eyes, and it was strapless, with a Basque corset-style top and a long, flowing skirt. “My God, that’s beautiful!”
“It’s silk,” Sherri told her. “I’m sure this is the right size.” Her eyes ran over Angel’s figure. “Alex gave me an estimate, and God help him, I think he was dead on. Thirty-four C, right?”
There went her cheeks again. Alex had discussed her bust size with his cousin. The real embarrassment, though, was that he was dead on.
Sherri winked. “Don’t worry, honey, a man with experience always makes a terrific lover.”
Angel was too stunned to correct her about why Alex was taking her to the banquet, but Sherri didn’t notice her shock as she ushered her into the change room. As for the lover bit, she had no idea what made a terrific lover, but she was too embarrassed to discuss it with Alex’s cousin. Obviously, the woman didn’t know that she was a twenty-year-old virgin.
