Felix, with his faded band T-shirt and his constant five-o’clock shadow and his midnight bartending job that he probably used to hook up with the stragglers at the end of most nights. The girls who were desperate for attention and confused the bartender’s glances and free drinks with affection. Girls who stayed after last call hoping there was something more. Girls, she realized belatedly, just like her.
Addison’s arms that had been wrapped around Felix’s sturdy body suddenly pressed against him, creating a wedge between their bodies. She shoved him as hard as she could, wriggling away from him on the stained cloth top.
“Get off. Get off.”
Felix backed off, his hands in the air like he’d just burned himself on a stove. “What? What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”
“Not yet, you haven’t. And you’re never going to.” She scrambled off the pool table, landing awkwardly. She gripped her head, suddenly feeling the full effects of those deadly pink drinks. Why did she have to be such a lightweight?
Felix flinched like she’d just slapped him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Look. I didn’t come here for a make-out session. I came here for help.” She jabbed a finger in the middle of his chest, unsure if she was angrier with him or herself. “Now are you going to help me or not?”
He glanced down at the finger poking him. “Not with that attitude I’m not.”
“I’m not going to go on a date with you just because I’m desperate for information. It’s coercion. It’s extortion. It’s—”
“Is it a deal?” He grabbed her finger, dragging her closer to him. But Addison wasn’t playing, and as she pushed him away again, the look on his face showed that he finally got the hint.
“So you won’t help me unless there’s something in it for you?”
He shrugged, but the flirtatious smile had left his face. He was serious too. “A guy’s got to try, right? Besides I have my own livelihood to look out for.”
“And what about mine? What about the dogs?”
He pointed a thumb at his chest. “I’ve got to look out for number one.”
“You’re looking out for something, all right.” Her eyes dipped down to the crotch of his well-worn jeans, which she couldn’t help notice were a little tight at the moment. “You’re exactly who I thought you were,” she said. “Forget it. I’ll figure it out on my own. Thanks for nothing.”
“What about the free drinks, the company, and the hot make-out session? You call that nothing?”
Storming over to the bar, Addison reached into her purse and grabbed all the bills she had. She slammed the money down on the table. It definitely wouldn’t cover the bill—not that he deserved a tip. It was only twenty-four dollars. But it would have to do.
“There. Now all I owe you is a bad memory.”
“Keep your damned money,” he said, thrusting it back at her.
“Is that how you get girls to go out with you? You liquor them up, find a way to take advantage of their situation because you have nothing else to offer? That doesn’t surprise me!” she yelled, because if she didn’t yell, she thought she might actually cry.
Why did she always fall for the wrong guy? Why was she so gullible? She wanted a good guy, like Phillip Montgomery III. She didn’t want to want a guy like Felix. A guy that wouldn’t inconvenience himself to help somebody unless something was in it for him.
But she wanted Felix. Oh, boy, she wanted him. Her damp booty shorts could attest to that, and she felt all the worse for it. She was hopeless.
“Excuse me?” Felix wasn’t yelling, but his voice held a certain power, an authority. It was almost worse than if he did yell. She was so used to his cool, cocksure attitude that the little vein popping out on his forehead had her backing up. “I’m not trying to take advantage of you. And I’ll have you know that I’ve got a lot going for me. I’m a catch. You came here looking for me tonight, remember?”
Addison didn’t need the reminder. She scoffed. “A catch? Yeah, as in I might catch something from you.”
He crossed his arms. “Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?”
“Why bother?” she said, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “I don’t want to waste my breath.”
“You weren’t able to catch your breath just a minute ago,” he said. Addison turned on her heel, but he grabbed her arm. “Why the sudden change of heart?”
“I was faking.” She flicked her hair in his face and marched toward the door.
“So that’s a no to the date, I suppose?” Although by the sarcasm coating his voice, it didn’t sound like he wanted one anymore.
Grasping the door handle, she glanced over her shoulder. “You’ve got about a dog’s chance.”
“That’s good,” he threw back at her, “because I hear you have bad luck keeping track of dogs anyway.”
Addison’s mouth dropped open and she stood there sputtering for a moment, caught between fury, humiliation, and outright insult. When all of the things she wanted to spit back at him, the insults and swearwords, balled into one, the only thing that came out was something between a grunt and a scream.
Wrenching on the heavy door, she flung it open and stormed out onto the sidewalk. The door slammed behind her and she heard the deadbolt snap home.
Addison was in no shape to drive, so she abandoned her car and stomped down the street in search of a cab. Her car would have to sit until she came back for it in the morning.
The walk did Addison good, the cool night air like a splash of water in her face. All the things she didn’t say to Felix, the responses that wouldn’t come to her, suddenly formed clearly in her head. Boy, were there some zingers. She was tempted to turn right around and throw them in his face, but at that moment a cab appeared. With a shaking hand, she hailed it and got in.
The taxi drove down the rolling San Francisco streets to her tiny Mission apartment. The eclectic mix of San Francisco row houses and colorful shops and bars passed outside her window. Looking for a distraction from her anger and her sudden self-loathing—because she was beginning to think she’d taken her anger out on the wrong person—she pulled out her phone to scroll through her contacts.
She didn’t know many of the people at the cocktail mixer the other night. It’s not like she’d been on the scene as long as Felix had. The only person she had connections with was Holly Hart, and she was the reason the entire incident escalated in the first place.
Addison just couldn’t bring herself to suck it up and call her. Besides, Holly wouldn’t help Addison prove her innocence. That would only take the wind out of Holly’s own story, not to mention make her look like a sloppy reporter—which would be entirely true.
Addison was about to chuck her phone into her purse when a new text message caught her eye. It was from an unknown number. Dreading yet another appointment cancellation, she opened it.
Hello Addison. This is Phillip Montgomery III. I was able to track down your number from a client of yours. It was a pleasure meeting you at the cocktail mixer. I’m sorry events prevented us from getting to know one another better. I’d like to see you again. I’m still holding the fundraiser this week, if you’re interested in attending. Regards, Phillip.
Addison clutched the phone, reading it over again. Phillip had tracked her number down. After losing seven dogs, her embarrassing debut on stage, the media blowup, and everyone blaming her, he had still tracked down her number.
She automatically touched her locks to see if there was a hair out of place—which, after her run-in with Felix, there were undoubtedly a lot. The giddiness she felt when she met Phillip at the cocktail mixer suddenly returned like a refreshing rain. It cleared her mind of any fog remaining from her heated pool table session.
Who cared if Felix saw her as a last-call girl when she was destined to be Mrs. Phillip Montgomery III?
7
Fight Like Cats and Dogs
Cinderella arrived at the prince’s castle in her Mini convertible, only a little late
. Unlike the real Cinderella, Addison didn’t have a fairy godmother to magic her a gown and a classy hairstyle. But if she knew how to do anything, it was how to doll herself up. Besides, she preferred her Mini to a pumpkin anyway.
Her prince, on the other hand, really did have a castle. Well, it was close enough, she thought as she pulled up to a small circular drive in front of an Italian Renaissance mansion. The fact that he had a driveway at all in San Francisco was amazing enough, but the three-story home set atop a raised foundation of white stone was like something from a fairy tale.
Rearranging Princess’s feather fascinator on her head, Addison got out of the car and handed the keys to the valet driver. The mansion’s arched doorway was open and she could hear classical music drifting out from somewhere inside. Taking a deep breath, she suppressed a giddy squeal.
It may not have been the ball, but it was at least a date. Well, sort of. She was going to count it as one anyway, because if she didn’t see it that way, it was going to be one awkward afternoon. An afternoon with her and Phillip, and about a hundred dog show hotshots, judges, and highbrow dog lovers. Most of whom still associated her with the missing show dogs, if they didn’t outright accuse her of stealing them.
So instead, she raised her head high and climbed the stone stairs with Princess, who was dressed in a delicate lace sundress, by her side. She was Phillip’s guest, after all. She deserved to be there. Besides, no amount of criticism was going to keep her from her dreams. No matter what anyone said, she knew what was in her own heart. She was just as worried about those dogs as everyone else and she planned to find out what happened … somehow.
Addison was just about to enter through the doors when two men in suits converged on her. By their dark sunglasses and the wires coiling into their ears, she assumed they were on security detail.
“Good afternoon, ma’am,” one said. “We’ve been asked to greet all guests as they arrive today.”
The other guard took out a tablet, jotting a few notes down. Addison kinked her neck to see what he was writing, but he frowned and tilted the screen away.
“Is this the only dog you have accompanying you today?” guard two asked.
“Yes,” she said. “This is Princess.”
He typed the name into his tablet while the first guard held up a small silver tag and a matching bracelet.
“Please attach the tag to your dog’s collar, and we invite you to wear the bracelet. It is a gift from the host.” Guard one held it up. “May I?”
Addison raised her wrist while he fastened it for her. The delicate bling glistened in the sunlight, and when she looked closer, she realized it wasn’t just silver in color, it was actually white gold. Her eyes widened, thinking it was a bit much for a first date.
She noticed a little charm dangling from it and held it up to the sun to read it. There was a number engraved on it that matched the one on Princess’s tag. Okay, so not exactly a gift specifically for her, she realized. Every guest would probably get one, or at least the ladies would. The men would receive something different.
Most of the guests would probably see it as a fun memento of the fundraiser, however the bracelet was of finer quality than most of the costume jewelry Addison had at home.
Guard one slipped the tag onto Princess’s crystal collar. “Simply show the bracelet to the guard upon your exit from the property to ensure you have the correct pet.”
“Thank you.” Addison climbed the stairs to make her grand entrance, thinking that she was pretty sure she wouldn’t forget Princess. Then it dawned on her that it wasn’t to make sure the guests left with their own dog. It was to ensure they couldn’t leave with anyone else’s.
When she entered the double front doors, Phillip was waiting to greet her. He spotted her across the cavernous foyer, and his perfect smile spread across his face like a commercial for teeth-whitening strips.
Excusing himself from a conversation, he walked over to her and took her hands in his. “Addison. I’m so happy you came.”
“Thank you for inviting us,” she said.
He turned to his other guest and greeted her with a bow. “Hello Princess. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
Princess sat down on the marble floor and stuck out her chest as if to say, Of course it is.
“Please, come in. Most of the guests are on the veranda,” he said, gesturing.
He led Addison and Princess back, way back, toward a set of open doors leading outside. A stone veranda lay behind the house in front of a sizable backyard that stretched into the distance, a plot of grass so manicured it almost looked fake. It was the size of the small park that she often took Princess to. But she supposed that was what craploads of money got you in San Francisco.
Dotted around the backyard, guests leaned against pillars while nibbling on caviar and sipping champagne among marble statues. The furrier guests drank bottled water from gold-embossed bowls. The sun glinting off so many high-priced pieces of jewelry and watches almost blinded Addison.
She noticed a couple of faces turn her way, a frozen smile, a double take. They recognized her. Ignoring them, she kept a pleasant look on her face and followed her date.
Phillip didn’t make it very far before he was stopped by a guest. When he spun to see who it was, Addison recognized the woman right away. It was Julia Edwards, one of her best customers. She looked about in her mid-forties wearing a sapphire blue dress. Her hair was pinned back to show off a pair of diamond earrings that probably cost more than Addison made in a year.
“Fabulous party, Phillip,” she said. “Good turnout.”
“Addison, I’d like you to meet Julia Edwards. Her cocker spaniel was the Best of Breed last year.”
“Yes of course,” Addison said. “We already know each other.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You do?”
“Hello Addison. What a surprise to see you.” Julia held her martini aloft while she leaned in to kiss the air next to Addison’s cheek.
“Nice to see you, Julia,” Addison said.
Phillip watched Julia’s cocker spaniel and Princess sniff each other with familiarity. “How do you two know each other?”
“Addison here is the reason Precious won his title last year,” Julia told Phillip. “Wasn’t she, Precious?” she asked the dog sitting at her feet.
The cocker spaniel’s long fur fanned out on the stones like an elegant cream gown. He stared back passively, turning politely to each face now starting down at him.
Addison waved away the compliment. “Oh, I wouldn’t go that far. Julia is a regular customer of mine,” she told Phillip.
“Don’t be so modest,” Julia told Addison. “We wouldn’t have won if I hadn’t found you.”
“Is that right?” Phillip said. “Well it’s a lucky thing I found her then.” He gave Addison a look that made her feel like she was the lucky one.
“She might be a whiz with a dog brush,” a harsh nasally voice cut in, “but you run the risk of never seeing your pet again.” Penny Peacock approached their group, swishing her appletini around her glass. She leaned down to whisper to Princess conspiratorially. “I’d be careful if I were you.”
Princess growled in Addison’s defense, causing her lace collar to ruffle up over her hackles.
Julia made a show of rolling her eyes. “Addison wasn’t responsible for the missing dogs. She’s not capable of something like that. Precious and I have been going to her faithfully every Saturday for two years now. Haven’t we, Precious?” She bent down to her cocker spaniel and kissed him on the snout. “And that won’t change now.” She leveled Penny with an icy look. “Sensationalism. That’s all that media nonsense was.”
“‘Nonsense’?” Penny looked aghast. “Her carelessness while watching Lilly cost me this year’s Best in Show title.”
“You know you’re not competing, right?” Julia asked her. “I know it’s confusing when they refer to the bitch category, however they are referring to the dogs. Not you.”
&n
bsp; Penny’s mouth dropped open with a squawk, reminding Addison of a parrot, and she had to smother a burst of laughter behind her hand. Even Phillip’s cheeks were quivering with the effort to control himself.
“Ladies. Ladies,” he said, trying to act the impartial host. “Let’s not allow a little healthy competition ruin the afternoon.”
“What competition?” Julia asked innocently. “Penny doesn’t even have a dog to handle anymore. There is no competition.”
Penny’s grip on her martini glass tightened until Addison thought the neck would snap. “Maybe it was you who stole Lilly,” she accused Julia. “You just couldn’t stand to see me beat you again, could you?”
Julia yawned. “I’m not quite as obsessed with winning as you. I have a life.” As though bored with the conversation, she turned to Phillip. “I’m going to go get some more of that quiche before it’s gone.”
“Of course. Enjoy yourself.”
“See you on Saturday, Addison?” Julia gave her a wink.
“Four o’clock. As usual. See you then.” Addison felt a little ray of hope burn inside. At least not everyone was willing to believe the rumors. When Addison turned back, Penny had already stormed off. Her day was getting better and better.
Phillip was shaking his head at Penny’s retreating back. “Ignore her,” he told Addison. “She’s extremely competitive and is upset about what happened, and for good reason. But it wasn’t your fault.”
“Thank you for saying so,” she said with an earnest smile.
It felt good to have his faith in her innocence. Of course, he wouldn’t have invited her if he didn’t believe her, but it was still nice to hear it while surrounded by so many people who would disagree with him.
“Besides,” he said, lowering his voice, “Alistair couldn’t have won for a fourth time in a row. Everyone knows that Lilly is past her prime. She was lucky to win last year. So don’t let anyone here ruin your afternoon.”
How could she be upset when she got to spend the afternoon with Phillip? Letting it roll off her back, she smiled up at him. “I don’t intend to.”
Beauty and the Wiener Page 9
