Her Own Fairy Godmother

by Marie Higgins

  Way Number Eight—surprise intimacy. She grinned.

  Did she dare let him see her wearing this? Hopefully she wouldn’t give him the wrong impression. Then again, she wanted him to know she was his, but only if he wanted a wife and family.

  She walked the floor in her townhouse, but by twelve-thirty, she realized he wasn’t coming. Sadness weighed heavy in her chest, and doubts flickered in her mind. Did he want to talk to her tonight? Had he really been going to fix a problem at work or was there another woman?

  Shaking her head, she pushed away the doubts. He wouldn’t do that to her, not after what they’d been through lately. Maybe the reason he wasn’t here was because something terrible had happened to him.

  She kicked off her shoes and slid her bare feet along the carpet, relaxing in the comfort it provided for her crunched toes. She’d never understand why high-heels were invented. A man must have created them, not caring if they killed a woman’s feet. And of course, a professional working woman was required to wear them.

  Soft, low music from the stereo had been playing for over an hour now, so she turned it off. She sighed, regret flowing through her with a bitter reminder of another failed night. It could have been perfect. So what happened?

  She turned out the few lights and moved over to lock the door. The chain was cold and heavy in her hand, and when she pressed her forehead against the door, the night’s chill came through the wood. Such a change from how warm she’d been earlier.

  Just as she slid the chain into the slot, there was a knock. She jumped, and her heart nearly leapt from her chest. She placed her hand over her bosom to calm the frantic beating.

  “Yes?”

  “Cyndi, it’s me.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. Quickly, she unlatched the door and opened it. The porch light wasn’t bright, and shadows disguised Damien’s face. He’d flung his black leather jacket over his shoulder, hanging from his finger.

  His gaze moved over her slowly, and a lazy grin touched his mouth. “That shirt looks better on you than it does on me.” He gave her a wink. “Have I interrupted something?”

  She chuckled. “Yes. Can’t you tell I’m just about ready to curl up in bed with a good book?”

  He stepped closer until he was a breath away. She looked into his dreamy eyes.

  He cupped her chin, starring at her lips. “Lucky book.”

  She shrugged. “I thought I’d been stood up. When a man tells a woman a time, he’d better stick to it.”

  “The meeting ran later than I’d thought.” His thumb stroked her bottom lip. “Will you forgive me?”

  “Yes, as long as you do something for me.”

  “What’s that?” His voice deepened, causing chills to run down her spine.

  “Come inside. Standing here with the door open is freezing me.”

  He laughed. She stepped back for him to enter then shut the door behind him. He threw his jacket over the small table and took her in his arms. She sighed, happy once again.

  “Are you still cold?” he asked.

  “I am slowly warming up, thank you.”

  He took her hand in his and led her to the couch. When he sat, he pulled her beside him, his arm wrapping around her shoulders as he brought her close. Umm, this is nice.

  She tilted her head to look at him, but he lowered his mouth to hers. Closing her eyes, she kissed him, the whole time her heart bursting with love and she wondered how she could contain herself. This was the first time she’d experienced such a love, and she wanted to tell him so badly her chest ached.

  When he broke the kiss, he smiled. “I think we need to talk.”

  “We do.”

  “There is something I need to tell you.” He pecked a kiss on her lips.

  “And I, you.”

  A small lamp remained on by the couch, enough for her to gaze into his dark eyes. He cupped her chin and tilted it up.

  “What did you want to tell me, mí amore?”

  “I finally remembered what happened the night of the Christmas party.”

  His eyes widened. “You do?”

  “Yes. As much as you tried to sway me, I know it was you. You were the one kissing me. Not Max.”

  He smiled but didn’t speak.

  She continued. “I want to apologize for sighing Max’s name. I don’t know why I said it, because you were the one on my mind. You were the one in my dreams and making me giddy with excitement. It’s hard to believe that I couldn’t see what has been in front of me this whole time.”

  His eyes widened even more. “Really?”

  She nodded. “Really. I’d been thinking of you for a few days, and my thoughts were confusing me. I’d actually been thinking of kissing you, not Max.”

  His expression relaxed when he smiled. “Promise?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me before now?”

  She shrugged. “Because once you became my friend, I figured you weren’t interested in me any other way.”

  He grinned. “And because you thought I couldn’t commit to one woman?”

  She chuckled. “Yes, I’ll admit, I thought you were a player.” She crinkled her forehead. “You aren’t, are you? I mean...can you commit to one woman now?”

  “I was a player, but not anymore. Lately, I’ve wanted more. I want one woman to come home to every day. I want only one woman in my life now.”

  She smiled as her heart burst with happiness. “What changed your mind?”

  “I wasn’t looking for a relationship, Cyndi. Being with all those others protected me from money-hungry women like my ex.”

  “What happened? What did she do to make you this way?”

  He held her hand in his, gentle fingers stroking her skin. “Liza Scapolli isn’t a very nice woman. Of course, I didn’t know that at the time. She was only after me for one thing—to collect information about GIO Products to take back to her boyfriend who was creating his own company, Herbal Sensations.”

  She stroked the side of his face and he cuddled against her hand. “How awful.”

  He kissed her palm. “That wasn’t the worst of it. I caught her in an intimate embrace with my so-called best friend.”

  She sucked in a quick breath and frowned. “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, Damien.” She cupped his face again. “That’s just terrible.”

  He nodded. “The man I caught her with was Max.”

  A building falling on top of her couldn’t have struck her as hard as his statement. Her heart ached for all the pain she’d inadvertently caused him. No wonder Max and Damien acted skittish around each other. “I can’t believe it. Max?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me before now?”

  His fingers threaded through her hair and he pulled her face closer to his. “I didn’t want you to think the only reason I disapproved of Max was because of my past revenge. If you remember right, you were not very fond of me at that time.”

  She shrugged. “True.”

  His thumb stroked her bottom lip. “Now let me ask you. What about Max? Are you over him?”

  She lowered her gaze to his neck. She touched the top button on his shirt. “To be honest with you, I don’t think I was ever really into winning his heart. At the time, I was angry with Amanda for suggesting I couldn’t keep a man in my life longer than three months. Max was a challenge. Plus I wanted to prove to myself I could keep a man.”

  “What about me?”

  She met his stare again.

  “What am I to you? A challenge? A friend, or more?”

  “A friend, yes, but so much more than that. You’re not a challenge, yet I wouldn’t mind seeing how far we could take our relationship.”

  He ran his fingers through her hair near her ear. “What do you want now?”

  She smiled. “I don’t want to be just your friend anymore.” She slid her hands around and cupped the back of his head, pulling him closer. “I want you to be my Prince Char
ming. I want you with me for a very long time. I just pray it’s something you might want as well. If not now, then maybe you could come to want—”

  He stopped her words with another kiss. Sighing, she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. His kiss sent her floating to the clouds and back...and yes, it even made her toes curl!

  Damien pulled away and grinned. “You’re not going to believe this, but I do want what you want. Call me crazy, but I’ve even thought about going to church with you.”

  She squealed and threw her arms around him tighter and smacked a kiss on his mouth again. He chuckled as his hands stroked her back.

  “Oh, Damien. That’s what I wanted to hear. Although,” she frowned, “I don’t want to make you do something you don’t want to do.”

  He caressed the side of her face. “You have made me want to change, Cyndi. I like the way I feel when I’m with you and I don’t ever want that to go away.”

  “That will never happen. I promise.” And she would stick to her promise no matter what.

  CYNDI WENT TO WORK happier than she’d ever been. For the first time, she literally skipped to her office. A few co-workers raised eyebrows at her, but she just giggled and waved. Yes, she had a man in her life, and she planned on keeping this one.

  She realized now why she hadn’t kept the others. They hadn’t allowed her to be herself; her clumsy, silly self. But Damien had. That’s one of the reasons she loved him so much. Although they talked last night, she never did say those three little words that meant so much.

  The first few hours of the day, she found herself grinning like a kid at a carnival, anxious to see Damien again. She prayed he loved her as much as she did him. Then again, he must. He wanted to attend church with her which was a great surprise, but one she cherished.

  This morning’s latest breaking news story kept the office jumping with projects and phone calls. Two incidents had happened in town, both the top stories of the day. She’d been on the phone contacting witnesses and searching for more leads about the carjacking. It surprised her that Fran and the twinkie-twins hadn’t bothered her since the Christmas party. Cyndi only hoped they would keep their distance a while longer.

  The message light on her phone blinked, but she couldn’t check to see who’d called. Was it Damien? She grinned. Yes, it had to be. He’d always been considerate enough to call, and he’d understand why she couldn’t return his call right away.

  During lunch she found a moment to relax, so she called him on her cell, but received his voice-message instead. On impulse, she looked up the number for GIO Products and dialed it. When she asked for Damien, they informed her he was in a meeting.

  She laid her head back against the couch in the break room, creased her forehead and clicked her phone off. He’d never really told her what he did at GIO, but he must be a supervisor of some sort. It could explain how he had enough money to redecorate his apartment.

  She rolled her neck, releasing the tight muscles due to the stressful morning. The door squeaked open. Max entered and headed for the soda machine, not noticing her curled against the corner of the couch. He looked nice today, which wasn’t any different from how he looked every day, but her heart didn’t leap like it used to. Her hands didn’t moisten with the thought of talking to him. She smiled. Now she could treat him like she treated all of her co-workers, well...almost all of them, anyway.

  After the soda can rolled from the machine and into his hand, Max straightened and turned. When his eyes landed on her, he stopped. At first, his eyes widened, and then a smile replaced his worried expression.

  “What a busy morning, huh?”

  She nodded. “It’s been a while since we’ve been this hectic.”

  “At least we’ll have plenty to cover for the five o’clock news.”

  “True.” She swung her legs to the floor and stood. “I’ve been meaning to ask, how are your eyes?”

  He chuckled. “Fine.”

  “I really worried I’d gouged them out or something.”

  He leaned against the counter as he opened his can. “No, it’s nothing that awful.”

  “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I hurt you like that.”

  He shrugged. “It’s my own fault. I should have known to block.”

  She walked over and stood beside him. “So you’re not angry with me?”

  “Of course not.”

  She let out a heavy sigh. “Good. I’d hate to think we’d just become friends and I’ve upset you already.”

  He shook his head and playfully punched her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Cyndi.”

  She smiled and turned toward the door. “Gotta go. Catch you later.”

  As she passed through the door, her heart lifted with relief. She’d actually carried on a normal conversation with him without stammering. And she’d actually left without bringing him any harm. Her luck must be improving. Thanks to Damien.

  She walked by Amanda’s desk. Her co-worker leaned her elbows on her desk, her fingers rubbing her forehead. Long, red waves of hair blanketed around her face like a shroud.

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  Amanda looked up and smiled, although not fully. She swiped the hair away from her face. “Yes. Just a little tired from this morning’s rush of events. How are you?”

  “I’m exhausted, too.”

  Her co-worker picked up a piece of paper and handed it to her. “Got another story, but it’s not pressing news. I thought you might want to take a look at it, anyway.”

  “Sure. I’ll handle it.” She turned to leave.

  “Cyndi?”

  She glanced over her shoulder.

  “You look different for some reason. There’s a sparkle in your eyes I’ve not seen before.” She tilted her head to the side. “Did you get lucky with Max?”

  Taken unaware, heat rushed to Cyndi’s cheeks, embarrassment leaving her speechless. Yet her luck wasn’t with Max at all. “Actually, I’m not dating Max.”

  Amanda’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  “Nope. I’m in love with my Italian neighbor.” She grinned, turned and left Amanda gaping after her. Although, she didn’t mind bragging about the fact that she and Damien were an item now, she needed to prepare herself. Her co-workers would soon ask questions, and she didn’t need her face to shine like a beacon.

  She sank into her chair and set the paper in front of her. She glanced at the typed words, not really reading it until two words made her pause. GIO Products. She frowned and leaned closer.

  It looked as if the vice president of one of their competitors, Herbal Sensations, was buying up GIO’s stocks. Her heart quickened as her gaze flew over the typed words. Nothing made sense. She’d have to do some poking around into the story to see what was really going on. It looks as if she’d have to call...

  Liza Scapolli.

  Cyndi let out a frustrated groan and threaded her fingers through her hair. Liza was Damien’s ex-girlfriend. Could she carry on a conversation with the woman who’d broken his heart so many years ago? And to think the woman betrayed him with Max. How awful.

  Cyndi turned toward her computer and typed in a search for Herbal Sensations, then found Liza’s phone number. From the Internet article, it seemed the company was started not too long after Liza and Damien had split, if she remembered her dates correctly. She arched an eyebrow. Damien had called her a scheming woman, so what were the odds Liza wanted more?

  Gritting her teeth, Cyndi shook her head. Well, if she had anything to do with it, she’d make sure Liza was exposed as a corrupt woman.

  She picked up the phone and dialed the number. After two rings, a soft voice answered. Cyndi cleared her throat. “May I speak to Liza Scapolli?”

  “This is she.”

  “Hi, I’m Cynthia Randall from Rock Springs’ Channel Nine News. We got a tip about the power struggle between Herbal Sensations and GIO Products. If it’s all right with you, we’d like to interview you.”

  “Pardon me? What di
d you say your name was?”

  “Cynthia Randall with Rock Springs—”

  The woman on the other end gasped. “Cyndi Randall?”

  “Um...yes.” She cleared her throat again. “As I was saying, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to send a reporter out—”

  “Why can’t you interview me?”

  Cyndi’s mouth hung open. She’d never had someone ask her that. “Uh, well...because I’m not a reporter. I’m the Research Producer. I just call to set up the interviews.”

  “What if I told you I won’t talk to anyone but you?”

  Her heart jumped to her throat. Why was this lady being so impossible? Did Liza know about her and Damien? What were the odds? Yet she must. She’d called her Cyndi, not Cynthia.

  “Well, Ms. Scapolli, the only way we could conduct the interview is with a reporter and camera man. I’ll be willing to talk to you, but I can’t do the interview without my other team members. Do you understand?”

  “So you wouldn’t mind meeting me a half hour before the interview?”

  “No, not at all.”

  “Splendid. How about this afternoon sometime? Say about two?”

  She glanced at the clock on the wall. One hour away. “That sounds fine. Where can I meet you?”

  “How about Norman’s Café on Twelfth Street? It’s just up the street from the company building, anyhow.”

  “Good. I’ll see you at two.”

  She hung up the phone and blinked. Why did this woman want to meet with her first? Her heart raced. What was really going on?

  Sixteen

  Thoughts swirled in Cyndi’s head as she made her way down the hall toward the copy room. What could Liza possibly want to talk to her about? Cyndi felt the woman somehow knew about her and Damien. Worry was eating a hole in her belly just imagining some of the things that woman might want to say. Cyndi prayed Liza was not still hung up on Damien because if she was, she would not want to let go of the sexy Italian man so easily.