A Valentine Surprise (4 page)

But then a new thought entered her mind. What if she never got a chance to use a zinger at all. A lump started forming in the pit of her stomach when she suddenly realized that the worst thing that could happen was that Mark wouldn't care. That he wouldn't pay any attention to her, even if he did see her, that she wouldn't get to rub her pretend boyfriend in his face, that he wouldn't get an eyeful of her curve-hugging sexy red dress (she had decided to go with the red). That would be the most humiliating outcome.

And then of course, there was this new wrench thrown into the mix. Libby's words from that morning were still echoing in her mind.
Josh was in love with her.

How would that affect the plans tonight. She wondered how awkward it would be, now that she knew. Should she say anything to him? No, best to let that elephant in the room alone, focus on tonight's game plan and she'd deal with Josh after tonight. Problem was, she didn't have any idea of how she was going to deal with it. Was she ready to start dating? Ready to finally be over Mark? And to someone who was a good friend, a friend she didn't want to lose? She pushed those thoughts out of her mind and decided to focus on just getting ready. She wanted to make herself look the best she'd ever looked in her life, and that would need pure, focused determination.

Two hours later and she stood in front of the mirror eyeing her reflection as an artist appraises his painting. She smiled in satisfaction at her work. Her thick, auburn hair had decided to behave, thank heaven, and had let itself be styled and sprayed until the shiny waves were perfectly set. Makeup was perfect, with smokey eyes and new false eyelashes, that thankfully did not feel near as uncomfortable as she had expected them to be. Perfectly red glossed lips completed her look, the same shade as the red dress that clung to her as if it were custom made for her body. She was ready to set the night's plan into action.

Josh, once again, arrived right on time, not a minute too early or too late. She really had to ask him what his secret to being so punctual was. As she opened the door, she reminded herself to play it cool and not let on that she knew how he felt about her.

But even if Libby hadn't told her, the look on Josh's face when she opened the door to greet him would have given it away for sure. His mouth hung open like it was the first time he'd ever seen a woman. Or like he's been shot with a stun gun. Pretty much the same look. “You...look...”

Kendra laughed as he struggled to get his words out. “Well, it must be really good or really bad because this is the first time I've made a date speechless.”

“
Really good! Trust me, really, REALLY good!”

“
So you think I'll catch Mark's attention?”

“
You are going to capture everyone's attention in that dress.”

Kendra's smile was glued on her face, she felt so happy. If she had harbored any doubts about how she looked, Josh erased them in a heartbeat and made her feel like a million bucks. And he looked amazing, himself. He was wearing a black suit with the blue shirt that Libby had helped him pick out, the one that made his blue eyes pop. She knew that he was going to be turning some heads, that was for sure.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Josh checked their coats while Kendra admired the lobby. She felt like a wide-eyed country bumpkin in the big city for the first time. The lobby itself was huge and in the center stood a glass table holding a floral arrangement that was taller than she was. Above that, high up on the vaulted ceiling was the biggest chandelier she'd ever seen. The lobby was bustling with couples dressed up in their finest, ready to enjoy a night of romance.

She spotted Josh talking to a waiter and figured out that it must be his cousin Benny, so she approached them. Josh smiled proudly at her and put his arm around her.

“Kendra, I'd like you to meet my cousin, Benny. And Benny, this is my beautiful date, Kendra.”

Kendra loved the feel of his arm on her and didn't want him to take it off. Benny whistled and looked her up and down. Only it didn't make her feel like a million bucks like when Josh had done it. When Benny did it, it was creepy. “You are one lucky bastard, Josh,” he said, still eyeing up Kendra like she was a t-bone steak. Josh might have been feeling the same way, because he pulled Kendra a little bit closer to him and asked Benny if he had their table ready. Benny nodded and then motioned for them to follow him. He obviously didn't inherit the natural charm his cousin possessed.

They walked past the host stand and Benny nodded to the host. “This is the Hart reservation going to table 8, I'll take them back myself.” The host didn't even look up at Benny, just nodded and scribbled something down on the stand in front of him.

Benny led them through the lobby and into the main dining room. Even though Kendra was blown away by the elegance of the lobby, the main dining room held no comparison. She was absolutely giddy with delight as she and Josh were led to their table. Though she thought that the chandelier in the lobby was the largest she'd ever seen, it was dwarfed by the chandeliers that hung from the main dining room. The stained glass, fine linens china, even a string quartet playing romantic dinner music. Kendra thought she was in a dream.

For a scarce minute she was overcome with a shadow of melancholy; she should have been enjoying this wonderfully romantic moment with Mark, but he robbed her of that. Thankfully, that thought only lasted a minute. When she looked over at Josh, he squeezed her hand and was as in awe of the restaurant as she was. Benny seated them in a perfectly cozy corner next to a window that overlooked the city skyline and within view of the quartet but not so close that it was too loud. It was the perfect spot. And every table in the place seemed to be filled. Except for the table next to them. Benny nodded towards it and then winked at them. Kendra assumed that meant it was the table saved for Mark and Ashley.

Once seated, Benny handed them menus and told them about the specials. He talked so fast, Kendra didn't catch half of what he said. He seemed on edge, like there was a getaway car waiting right outside for him. She wondered how he got a job here, he didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the staff. She felt bad for thinking that, though, when he returned a moment later with a bottle of champagne for them, on the house.

The glasses were poured  and Josh held up his glass for a toast.

“
To sweet revenge!”

Kendra giggled. “Revenge that is best served in a swanky French restaurant.”

They opened up their menus and both of them gasped at the same time. “The menu is all in French!” Josh was looking at Kendra hoping she'd be able to translate for him but she was shaking her head.

“
I know that 'fromage' is cheese but that's as far as I get. Maybe your cousin can help us out and tell us what he recommends.”

“
Oh, nevermind! Look, underneath the French they have the English descriptions. Oops!”

Kendra giggled again, harder this time, making Josh laugh, too. Maybe it was the excitement of the night or the champagne warming in her, but she was positively giddy.  They spent a few minutes examining the menu before Benny came back to take their order. Kendra ordered a salad and scallops. Josh went with a cup of lobster bisque and steak with bearnaise and told Benny not to rush on it, since Mark and Ashley hadn't even shown up yet. Benny smiled and winked at Josh.

“So we have a Benjamin and a Joshua, it seems the Bennetts are fans of strong, Biblical names,” Kendra said, looking after Benny as he walked away.

“
Well, kind of. I'm a Joshua, but Benny isn't a Benjamin. That's just his nickname, you know, short for Bennett, because he hates his first name.”

“
What's his first name?”

“
Hercules.”

Kendra erupted into laughter and almost spit out her champagne. “Hercules? Seriously? He does not look like a Hercules.”

Josh was laughing along with her. “You know anyone who does look like a Hercules?”

Kendra tried to stop laughing, afraid that any moment Benny would come up to their table and she'd lose it again. “I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh at him but that was probably the last name I was expecting to hear. I do appreciate him helping us out tonight, though, I really do.”

“He's a good guy, just a little different.”

“
We all are in our own way, I guess. That's what I try to teach my first graders, anyway. Or try to teach them when they aren't throwing up on me.”

“
What? Oh no, what happened?” Josh hadn't heard the story yet, so Kendra filled him in. They began swapping stories of humorous things their students have done and they both seemed to have an endless supply of them. Kendra was enjoying her time with Josh so much that she had forgotten to notice that Mark still hadn't shown up.

At the end of a story, Josh glanced over at the empty table next to them. “Maybe they won't show after all.”

Kendra wanted to tell him that it didn't matter. That even if that table stayed empty all night, the night was still a success. That's what she was about to tell him, but she didn't get the chance. Before she could get the words out, she heard him. Mark. She heard his laugh and froze. It had been so long since she'd heard that distinctive laugh and hearing it for the first time since their breakup made her blood run cold and a twisting knot form in the pit of her stomach.

She turned her head just barely, enough to get a look without making it obvious. “They're here,” she whispered. When she got a look at Mark and Ashley, her heart sunk. They were holding hands and he was laughing at something Ashley had said. She had secretly hoped that Ashley wasn't as pretty as she was. But she was gorgeous. The fall out of your chair-can't help but stare gorgeous that you usually only see on airbrushed magazine covers. The painfully unattainable type of beauty that eludes most women.

She was tall and thin with platinum blond hair. Hair that was slightly tousled. Kendra cringed. The tousled hair, arriving late...they must have just been....ugh, she didn't want to think about it. And then Kendra noticed it. Ashley's red dress. The same red dress that she was wearing, the one that was going to grab Mark's attention. Life was unfair.

She turned back around to Josh to make a comment about her and Ashley being twins tonight and found him staring, wide-eyed with his mouth open at Mark and Ashley.
Oh, not him, too
. “Hey! You're supposed to be looking at me like that, remember. Yoo-hoo, pretend boyfriend!” She grabbed his hand and wanted to get his attention away before Ashley caught him drooling over her.

But looking closer, she realized he wasn't drooling. He actually looked like he'd seen a ghost, he was pale and he looked stunned. “
That's Ashley?
”

“
Apparently. This is the first time I've seen her in person. What's the matter with you, you look like you've seen a ghost.”

“
I feel like I have. That is my ex-girlfriend. The one I was telling you about, who ditched me after my injury.”

“
What? What! Why didn't you tell me?”

“
I had no idea! I know a lot of Ashleys and honestly, I had no clue this was going to be
the
Ashley. I'm so sorry, Kendra.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Kendra saw the happy couple heading towards them, to their table. “It's ok, Josh. Are you still up for this?”

Josh smiled at her with tenderness, getting a bit of color back in his face.

“
I made you a promise and I'll keep it. I guess we just need to plan on the unplanned- let's just roll with it.” He winked at her and put his hand up on her face, caressing her cheek. Her eyes welled up with tears. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to, but knew it would have to wait. They didn't want to be too obvious. For now, they just needed to play the role of two lovers, oblivious to the world around them-hopefully they could pull that off.

“
Josh?” She heard the sickeningly sexy voice coo to him. Ashley wasn't even to their table yet and she already recognized him. Kendra looked up at Josh and could have sworn she heard him gulp.

Ashley had let go of Mark's hand as she shimmied over to Josh and gave him a big hug. “Joshie! I can't believe it's really you! It's been so long!”

Josh pulled himself away from her and with a polite smile answered, “It's been a long time, I hope you are well.” He was being strong, polite, not giving in to her gushing over him. He turned his attention to Kendra. “I'd like to introduce you to the love of my life, Miss Kendra Hart.”

Ashley looked stunned when she heard my name. In fact, she looked much like Josh had when he'd first seen her. Like she'd seen a ghost. She must have recognized my name-the girl whose boyfriend she stole. Who was now the love of her ex-boyfriend's life. The circle of life. Or something like that, Kendra thought.

And Ashley wasn't the only one who looked stunned. Mark suddenly appeared next to her, looking from Josh to Kendra to Ashley with a slightly confused look on his face. “Kendra? How, how, how are you?”

She'd never heard him stutter like that and wasn't sure if it was caused by him seeing her with Josh or the fact that Ashley was all over Josh.

This was the moment she'd been waiting for, yet all of the sudden she didn't know how she should react. She quickly decided to follow Josh's lead-cool, polite, apathetic.