Parker’s esteem for the man was growing by leaps and bounds. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind where Cyn got her sense of humor or fortitude from.
“But, Walt—”
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“I said later, Francine.” Walt’s tone brooked no further argument and the older woman seemed deflated for a moment. Parker didn’t miss the snide look she shot Cyn however. He had a feeling this incident wasn’t over as far as Francine was concerned.
“Now for your surprise, Cyn.”
Walt had turned his attention back to the large box he’d carried in. Gently lifting the lid, he revealed a swath of tissue paper. Parker noted a sheen in the older man’s eyes, as if he were on the verge of tears.
“Cyn, baby, come on over here. I have something very special I want you to see.”
Cyn joined her father at the counter and snuggled into his embrace when Walt wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“When you told me about this ball—”
“Ball, what ball?” Franny exclaimed.
“Cyn’s been invited to a fancy charity masquerade party.” The pride in Walt’s voice was more than evident.
“Is it for the whole family?”
Parker blanched at the thought of having Franny and her daughters at the event, although he’d almost invited the bitter woman. Thankfully Cyn had stopped him, but it had been a close call.
Walt frowned at Franny’s interruption and she actually looked a bit worried. “No, of course not. This is a special occasion, just for my girl.”
Everyone in the room could hear the love emanating from his words. But Parker could tell it didn’t help to endear Cyn to the other three women. In fact, Parker could practically hear their teeth grinding.
“And for such a wonderful night, you need a wonderful dress.” Walt spread open the tissue paper to reveal the dress.
“Is that Mom’s…?” Cyn’s voice broke and she was unable to finish her question.
“Yes.” Walt’s own voice sounded a bit thick with emotion and he cleared his throat before continuing. “I figure if you were going to a ball with a prince, you should have a dress fit for a princess.”
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Chapter Ten
“You’re going to die when you see my dress.” Cyn excitedly ushered Miller into her apartment. “My father found it in the attic and pulled it out for me.”
Words alone couldn’t express the high she was on. Not only was she going to a ball with her personal Prince Charming, she would be wearing her mother’s Cotillion dress.
The ivory gown was similar to the princess dresses she’d read about in stories when she was younger. As a child she used to sit and stare for hours at her mother’s photo albums. The one that held her attention and captured her imagination though, was the one with pictures of her mother wearing the pretty white dress at the formal dance.
Cyn had never had a Cotillion of her own. Her mother passed before she turned fifteen and the dreams she had were laid to rest alongside her mother. But now, she’d have a chance to be a princess, just as her mother was.
“Is this your month or what?”
“Definitely.” Cyn was blessed in so many different ways. “The gruesome twosome are now officially my father’s problem not mine. I’m dating the man of my dreams and I have a private plane waiting on me as we speak to whisk me away to a ball where said man is waiting for me. Could my life be more of a fairy tale?”
“It really couldn’t,” Miller agreed happily. “Speaking of your man, is he waiting at the airport?”
“No, I haven’t seen him since last week.”
“You mean when you were busted by your dad doing it in the backroom.”
“Shut up.” She was never going to live that down.
“No can do. As your best friend it’s my job to tease you unmercifully about this to the day we die.”
“Tell me something I didn’t know,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
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“No, how about you tell me something I don’t know. Are you going to take him up on his proposition?”
This was a question that had plagued Cyn like nothing else before. She weighed her pros and cons, asked her family and friends for advice and even took stock of her life circumstances, but when it came down to it, she realized she had to go with her heart.
And her heart was with Parker. “Yes, I am. I’m not sure of the hows and whys right now, but I want to be with him. My dad and I talked about it and he wants me to make the move.”
“He wants you gone?”
“No, he wants me to be happy and he knows Parker makes me happy. So I’m going to do it.”
“Wow.” Miller seemed surprised by her admission.
”I know.” She smiled. She hadn’t told Parker, but Cyn was pretty sure he was going to think the news was wow worthy as well. “But we can discuss all of that later. Right now, let’s talk about my beautiful dress.”
“When did you take it out of the cleaners?”
“Today. My dad picked it up for me and he was going to drop—” The words died in her throat as they rounded the corner and spotted Drew and Staci standing in the living room. After the little showdown at the store they’d moved out, much to her delight. So it was a bit shocking to see the two of them standing bold as day in her place again. “What are you two doing here?”
“We just came by to get a few things we left.”
“Good.” Cyn took off her purse and set it on the side table. “Now leave.”
“We will, but first…” Staci glanced quickly at Drew then back to Cyn. She took a hesitant step back and a little to right, as if she was trying to stand behind Drew. “We need to talk to you.”
“About what?” Cyn didn’t really care what Staci had to say. They weren’t moving back in. Not today. Not ever. The last three nights were the most peaceful of her life and she planned to keep it that way.
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“There was an accident,” Staci said softly.
Cyn frowned. “What type of accident?”
“Well…Walt asked us to pick up your dress.”
“Oh, no.” Miller caught on before she did. He stepped up behind her and placed his hands comfortingly on her shoulders. “Cyn stay calm.”
“What?” Confused she glanced back at him, then to Drew who was watching her intently.
“It was an accident,” Staci repeated. “You know how clumsy I am.”
“What was an acc—” Sudden realization hit her squarely. “Not the dress.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“What did you do?” Miller questioned, his voice filled with rage.
“It’s just a little wine.”
“Wine.” Cyn glanced wildly around the room looking for any evidence of the supposed accident. “Where’s my dress?”
“I’m sorry,” Staci cried.
“Where?” She was going to kill them.
“In the kitchen. I tried to clean it.”
Cyn tore away from Miller and raced into the kitchen. Lying on the counter was her mother’s gown. There was a large plate sized crimson stain over the bodice with several mini dots along the side.
“Fuck.” Miller’s outrage was no match for her own.
Deep inside, she known kicking the two of them out would have some repercussions, especially when her father had sided with her over them, but she in no way did she ever imagine they would do something so malicious and cold. They didn’t just ruin her dress for tonight. They ruined one of the last tangible links she had to her mother.
“You…you…bitch.”
The words came out stilted and without heat. Her heart was breaking. She didn’t have the energy it would take to kill them and bury their bodies.
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“It was an accident.” The lack of remorse in Drew’s voice was the final nail in her coffin.
“Get out.”
“I have to get the rest of my st—”
Cyn grabbed the knife off of the cutting board and pointed it at Drew. Maybe she had the energy after all. “Get out now!”
“Cyn, give me the knife.” Miller took a step towards her with his hand held out.
“She did it on purpose.” Cyn took a step as well, but in the direction of Drew and Staci, who was cowering behind Drew.
“I didn’t,” Staci squealed.
“Liar! You’re a hateful person and you’re going to burn in hell. Both of you.”
“Yes, they will.” Miller came from behind her and grabbed her hand, pulling it to her side. “But not today, and not by your hands.”
“They’re evil.” Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks.
“Yes, and apparently very stupid because they’re still here.” He tightened his hold on her wrist and pulled her back against him. “If I were the two of you I’d get out.”
“But what about…” Staci began to ask.
“I’m going to count to three then I’m going to let her loose.”
“But…” Drew tried to argue.
”Three.” Miller made as if he was about to release her, which caused the girls to dash from the kitchen, screaming as if it their very lives depended on it.
Cyn let the knife drop to the floor and sank to her knees in front of the ruined dress.
The red wine was never going to come out.
“Maybe we can soak it in vinegar.”
They could soak it until the cows came home and it still wouldn’t change a damn thing. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Don’t say that.”
“If this were truly an accident they would have soaked it the minute it happened.
This is dried on. I wouldn’t put it past them to have used my blow dryer to help it along.”
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“What are you going to do?”
There was only one thing she could do. “I’m going to call Parker and tell him I can’t make it.”
“The hell you are.”
“You have a better suggestion?” Because Lord knew she didn’t.
“I hate to say this, but…” he sighed as if his words pained him, “…we have to call MeShell.”
“Why?”
“Because he can help.”
“I don’t think his magical fairy powers can help now.” She hiccupped and wiped at her nose. “But if you just feel the need to see your man, don’t let me stand in your way.”
“Okay, first of all, shut up.” He brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“Secondly, you’re in need of a ball gown. Who else is going to have a fabulous dress just lying around?”
He had a point. “Do you think she’ll have something we can use?”
“More than sure.” Standing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.
“I’ll call him.”
Even as depressed as she was, she couldn’t let this opportunity pass her by. Clearing her throat, she fought hard to keep her smile at bay. “You have his number memorized.”
“No.” He glanced away, embarrassment staining his cheeks. “It’s programmed in there.”
“Uh huh.”
“He did it. To annoy me.”
“Right. And I guess you just never took the time to delete it.”
Miller’s brow rose. “Do you want my help or what?”
“I do.” She stood, resolve in place. If she had to go to the ball in a dress made by mice she was going. “You make your phone call. And I’ll make mine.”
“Who are you calling?”
“My father.”
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By the time she finished her phone call with her father she was feeling marginally better. Nothing could ever replace her mother’s dress, but something was being done to repair the wrong that was committed. Her father’s voice broke when she told him what happened and by the time she explained everything he’d grown eerily quiet. He calmly told her to have a great time and not to worry, he was going to clean house. Somehow she seriously doubted he was talking about vacuuming and dusting.
“We better go if you’re going to make your flight.”
“What about—?”
Miller took her suitcase in one hand, grabbed her with the other and pulled her towards the front door. “MeShell is going to meet us in the parking lot.”
When they pulled into the parking lot of the private airstrip, MeShell’s car was already there. Miller parked next to the other man’s vehicle and turned off the engine. By the time they stepped out of the car, MeShell was waiting for them next to his trunk. But not the MeShell Cyn was used to seeing.
Instead of the normally glamorous cross-dresser she was familiar with, MeShell was sans makeup and wig and dressed in a black suit. Despite how rude she knew it was, Cyn couldn’t help but stare. He was an ugly woman all right, but he was a very handsome man. “Wow.”
She wasn’t the only person who was flabbergasted. Miller’s mouth was practically hitting the floor, much to MeShell’s obvious delight. “What?” he asked, unable to keep his grin at bay.
“You’re not wearing…” She paused, unsure of how to continue without hurting his feelings. “You’re wearing a suit.”
“I do have a day job, you know.”
It was sad to say, but despite knowing MeShell for over three years she had no idea what he did when he wasn’t in drag. Of course he had a job. She just didn’t have the foggiest idea what it was. “Doing what?”
“Shelton Hughes at your service, commodity trader extraordinaire.”
“Shel…Shelton,” Miller stuttered. “You have to be fucking kidding me.”
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MeShell grimaced and glanced at Cyn. “Painful isn’t it?”
She didn’t want to be mean but she wasn’t going to lie. “Just a bit.”
“I think it’s hilarious.” Miller snickered. “Shelton the day trader. What a riot.”
“You know what’s really funny. I’m not only prettier than you. I make more money.”
That wiped the smile right off of Miller’s face. “You can take the bitch out of the ball gown but you can’t take—”
“Miller,” Cyn snapped. “MeShell is here to do me a favor or did you forget.”
“You can call me Shelton. MeShell just doesn’t work without the wig.”
“Okay.” That was going to take some getting used to. “Sorry about him. He’s in a mood.”
“Please, doll, I’m not even thinking of little blue boy over there. I came here to help you.”
“And I really appreciate it.”
“That’s what friends are for. I picked out three of my fiercest numbers.”
“You’re too good to me.”
“Yes, too good,” Miller spoke up. His I-could-care-less persona was in place and at full blast. Cyn wanted to hit him. It was more than obvious there was something between him and MeShell…Shelton but Miller was too stubborn to admit it. “So are you going let us see them?”
“When we’re in the air.”
Miller glanced from Shelton to her. “The air?”
“Yes, we’re going with her.”
“You are?” Now she was confused.
“Yes. I have to make sure it fits.” Shelton turned and unlocked his luggage-filled trunk. “I packed a few accessories and my sewing kit. I’m going to have to take one of the dresses in, but I can do that as you get ready.”
“Don’t you think you should have asked?” Miller inquired.
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“No.” Shel
ton turned to Miller and cocked a brow. “Because it wasn’t an option. If she wants to look good we’re going to have to go.”
“Why we?” Miller crossed his arms over his chest in an obvious sign of stubbornness.
“Because you’re going too.”
“Says who?” His eyebrows skyrocketed to the tip of his hairline.
“Me.” Shelton could be just as stubborn it seemed.
Cyn felt as if she was watching a tennis match and she knew without a doubt who she was rooting for. “Shelton’s right.”
“Thank you.”
“He is?” Miller turned and stared at her in abject disbelief.
“Yes. He’ll have to fix anything he loans me and we don’t have the time to do it here. Looks as if we’re going to a ball.”
“I didn’t have time to pack anything.” Miller was grasping at straws now and they all knew it.
“Don’t worry I packed some things for you to wear too. I think you’ll look fabulous in gold lamé.”
“Oh, God.” Miller paled.
Cyn could barely hold back her laughter. It looked as if she wasn’t the only one who was going to be playing dress up tonight.
For what seemed like the hundredth time tonight, Parker glanced at the antique clock over the large fireplace at one end of the ballroom. He had no idea what was keeping Cyn, but he was becoming antsy. His driver had picked them up over an hour ago from her friend’s hotel room. There was no reason she shouldn’t have been here by now.
Damn it. He knew he should have picked her up. He wanted to see her. No, he needed to see her. It had been a week since they were last together and he felt as if he was going through withdrawal. And now that stupid deadline was looming ahead and he was no surer of what her response would be now than he had been a week ago.
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Maybe he was a fool for trying to convince her to move in with him so soon. Maybe he should have told her he was thinking long term and not just a roommate with benefits.
In fact, he’d already spoken to Cyn’s father about his intentions. Perhaps he should have just spoken with her instead.
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