Blooming (31 page)

Her make-up
was much heavier than she’d do for herself but Sean said that was her fault
because she looked like crap due to sleep deprivation. She was wearing false
eyelashes which seemed crazy to her; I mean how many eyelashes did a girl need?
Her eyes were coated in sparkly silver shadow with a smokier grey at the outer
edges, black eyeliner was winged out at the sides, and god knows how many coats
of mascara. Her skin even to her own critical eye looked good with whatever
base they’d used, bronzer on her cheeks and nude lip stain, all geared to
putting the focus on her wide blue eyes, she had to admit she looked pretty good,
and she needed all the courage she could get.

The seldom
used entry phone buzzer sounded and she got up to check it was Max, and buzzed
him in.

“Oh my god
Jen you look beautiful, absolutely stunning.”

Jen blushed
in surprise, “Hi Max - It’s good to see you,” she gave him a brief welcome hug
and ushered him inside. “It means a lot for you to take the trouble to come,
you look very handsome.” Max had come straight from the hotel and was already
wearing his tux as per the dress code.

“I’m glad to
be here, I’ve brought my camera so if it’s ok with you I’ll be able to do some
work tonight?”

“I don’t mind,
I checked with Sean and he said you wouldn’t be stepping on anybody’s toes if
you did. Gosh I’m actually having proper butterflies now; it suddenly seems
more real with you stood here all suited up. But please do me a real kindness
and don’t go out of your way to take photos of me!”

“Now that’s
not fair, as good as you look it would be a crime not to take your picture, you’ll
be fine tonight, better than fine I’m sure.”

Jen gave a
wry smile and then looked more than a shade awkward, “Just to be clear Max,
I’ve not asked you here tonight to make Todd jealous. I’m not looking for you
to put on a show in front of him. I just need to know there’s someone there
that’s just for me, someone with no ulterior motive of having Todd’s back or
wanting more from me, if that makes sense? I know it’s unfair to ask so much
when we hardly know each other.”

“Sure I can
do that, it’s not a problem. If it makes you feel more comfortable I’ll think
of this evening as me doing Aunt Iris a favour then there’s no pressure on you,”
he put a reassuring hand on her arm.

From the open
doorway a noise very much like an angry bear intruded.

Jen’s anxious
tummy roiled in response. Now there was a man who knew how to fill out a
tuxedo. Life was so shittily unfair - there was no way Todd with his massive
torso and his thickly muscled legs should look like elegance personified in a
dress suit. He was clean shaven for the first time in a while, and heart
stoppingly handsome.

His frame and
his aura filled the doorway and Max dropped her arm and approached to shake
Todd’s hand.

“Max Turner,
good to meet you.”

“Yeah right -
Jen you should get dressed, it’s about time to go. Lily, Ben and I are setting
off now.”

He brushed
past Max and pulled her board stiff noncommittal body into his arms. In a voice
only for her ears he whispered, “You know, you just take my breath away
whenever I see you – dressed up, dressed down, it doesn’t matter. So whatever
is going on in that thick head of yours can you just try and have a little
faith in me? In the end I won’t let you down.” Todd rocked her gently as he
spoke, soothing her - almost hypnotizing her, the urge to snuggle into his
strength almost painfully overwhelming.

“Try and enjoy
yourself tonight, I don’t want to scare you but so many of the people will be
there just to get a good look at you, my little ass kicker.”

He pulled
away leaving her swaying on her feet, and Max stepped to her side to steady her.
“I’m watching you buddy,” Todd snarled. “Whatever Jen thinks, she
is
taken,
so keep your hands to yourself,” and with that he left.

Max’s
complexion had paled. “Jen, you could have mentioned that your Todd happened to
be Todd Baker. I sure hope he’s got better impulse control these days than he
did in the ring, anybody took a cheap shot at him in a fight, the guy went
apeshit on their ass and 9 times out of ten they ended up eating canvas.”

Jen was still
watching the open doorway and didn’t answer him, her head was too messed up to
talk sense, so she stumbled off to change into the dress Sean had given her to
arrive in.

****

The
atmosphere was electric outside the hotel, the evening was a sell-out and there
were local dignitaries and TV celebrities as well as one or two genuine movie
stars in attendance. Some were there as new clients of Sean’s and others as patrons
of women’s charities, it was very exciting even to an out of her depth Jen.

Microphones
were pushed under her nose, “Jennifer, Miss Harris, who is your handsome date
for this evening, did you dump Todd already?”

“Who’s the
lovely blonde Todd is with this evening, the two of you seem to have hooked up
with new partners very quickly?”

Jen almost
started hyperventilating then remembered Lily was blonde - it could have been
her they were talking about. She felt the welcome weight of Max’s arm wrap
around her shoulder and squeeze gently in reassurance; it helped her find her
voice.

“I’m just
here to support my friend Sean Jackson, who is the featured designer tonight and
for the charity of course,” she stuttered uncertainly. “I can’t comment on my
personal life.” Yeah right because she didn’t know what the hell was going on
with it.

For a moment
the crowds on the red carpet parted and just like in the best soppy movies,
there was Todd looking directly at her. His face slowly lit up as he scanned
her from her head to her feet, taking in the shimmery turquoise green mermaid
shift dress. The diagonal neckline that left one shoulder bare, the neckline
just high enough to cover her scar, the bodice tight enough not to slip and
risk revealing her insecurity. Sean was a devilishly clever man.

What Jen
didn’t know was that it was no romantic accident that she caught Todd watching
her; he’d simply been glued to the spot, waiting for her to arrive and hadn’t
moved his eye-line from her since. Todd’s eyes continued to linger on her body
and for a moment she reluctantly returned his wide easy smile, as a flush of
pleasure at just simply being the focus of his attention filled her with a deep
& dreamy sense of contentment.

Lily stood at
his side in a black cocktail dress; she looked immaculately groomed and sleekly
elegant. She waved at Jen madly and instantly transformed into young and goofy
again.

Jen’s eye was
drawn back to Todd but his gaze was now focused behind her and glinted with
some unfathomable emotion. He suddenly raised his arm and Seb jostled her from
behind propelling her at speed inside the building even as he gathered Max up
on his other side.

“Seb, hang on
a minute I’m going to get my heel stuck in this dress - what’s wrong?”

“Just keep
moving Jennifer, you may as well go straight backstage.”

“Sean told me
I had to stay outside for at least 15 minutes so the outfit could be
photographed, I don’t want to get in trouble with him.”

“Change of
plans, who is this with you?” He indicated Max who leaned across and shook
hands introducing himself.

“Good to meet
you, even if I don’t understand what the hell’s going on, come on we’ll find
your table and you can take a seat while Jen works.”

“Actually I’m
going to go back outside for a few minutes, might as well get some shots, will
you be ok Jen?”

“Yeah fine I
guess, just a little knee knocking to worry about.”

At least Sean
and Seb would be backstage; she just hoped she could avoid bumping into Todd before
the show started. It was just too damn confusing.

****

“Shit, I’m sorry
Todd she slipped away in the crowd,” Ben apologised.

“It’s not
your fault; it’s obvious she’s determined to just keep popping up. I’m going to
have to talk to hotel security about her, and I hate to involve outsiders despite
everything.”

“Come on
let’s go inside and get a drink.”

Todd, Lily,
Ben, Max and Seb were seated at the same table, with seats for Sean and Jen to
join them later. At an adjacent table Todd was ticked to see that jackass
Detective Brader, and it made his fists bunch.

The evening
kicked off with a quick warm up set from a well known comedian who was
Bloomington born and raised, then the show sponsors made brief speeches
thanking everyone for coming and hoping they enjoyed the show. The room lights
dimmed and spots lit up one by one on the runway. Todd’s heart kicked up a
notch, god he hoped Jen was going to be ok. It reminded him of the build up to
a big fight when he’d have to make a grand entrance, he could feel his palms
getting sweaty on her behalf.

Music blasted
out from the speakers as the first models hit the runway. The girls were a mixture
of professional models and real women, some of them survivors of major injury
or illness. None of them seemed any taller than 5ft 6 or so, in line with
Sean’s vision of dressing petite women. The atmosphere was amazing as the crowd
roared for each girl. At times it was hard to tell the models from the amateurs,
the dresses were innovative and elaborately detailed, and it was easy to see
that the women felt a million dollars in them.

Then with a
little buzz from the crowd - there was Jennifer, a little hesitant at the head
of the catwalk, the smile a little forced if you didn’t know her. Then with her
first stride she was away as her head tilted up in defiance at her own
trepidation.

Sean had her
in 5 inch heels and a black silk dress that came up to her throat but left her
shoulders bare, the full flowing skirt was slit up the middle of her legs - almost
so far that Todd knew why she’d gone for the full wax. The dress had a short
train and Todd willed her not to trip as she turned, but he needn’t have
worried, she spun with a flourish to reveal a sexy cut away back as the train
flipped with ease. A brief glimpse of the sides of her breasts had his pulse
thrumming. Christ she looked like a hot tiny dominatrix.

Todd glanced
across to see Max with his tongue out and then over at Brader to see the man
adjusting himself inside his too tight dress pants. “Asshole,” he muttered,
feeling a serious primal possessive instinct kick in. She was his and they
better both know it.

Jen
disappeared in a flash and he relaxed again, there was a gap before she’d be
back on stage. Todd grabbed a passing waiter and ordered a stiff drink.

A few minutes
passed as models came and went to rounds of thunderous clapping. People were
even on their feet to support the girls, the atmosphere was thrilling, and then
Seb said, “Where is she?”

“What?” Lily
shouted over the music.

“I was here
at rehearsal; Jen should have been back on by now.”

“Shit,” Todd
was on his feet as was Max, “back off buddy,” he said staring him down.

“Seb, how do
I get backstage, wait forget it.” He leapt onto the catwalk and grabbed the
nearest model as she turned, and frogmarched her back up the catwalk. He let go
as soon as he was behind the stage.

”Jen,” he
shouted.

He cast
models left and right as he tried to spot her amid the madness of half naked
girls changing. Sean stepped into his path, “Todd what the hell are you doing -
are you nuts?”

“Where’s Jen?
Seb said she should have been back on by now.”

Sean scowled,
“her second dress went missing - they were all hung up ready to go with each
girl’s name on them too, but thank god I tucked the finale dress away safely
because it’s worth a bomb. I’m going to kill whoever took that mini-dress when
I get my hands on them.”

 He flapped
about straightening and fussing the next model in line to go. “Jen will be
around somewhere. After the dress fiasco she’s got a minute or two before I
need her again.”

“Sean I need
you to get a security guard back here, we need to find Jen now.”

****

Jen had
stepped out into the cool of the air conditioned hallway to clear her head. She
felt guilty but relieved that her second dress had gone astray. The all
important finale dress was still safe but it was going to take some fake balls
on Jen’s part to strut down the runway in it. Luckily the spotlights out there
were so bright, it was impossible to make out faces in the crowd, it made it a
bit easier to look confident for 90 seconds.

As she looked
down at the sublime stilettos on her feet, a set of long slim legs came to
stand in front of her and as she slowly looked up she just knew who it was
going to be.

“Hello,” the
ice cool blonde smiled at her, “quite a show you’re putting on out there.”

Jen couldn’t
think of a single word to say to this woman, didn’t want to deal with her at
all. She’d already given up Todd so she shouldn’t have to be having to deal
with this shit.

“My name is
Carly Frost, I’m Todd’s girlfriend I’m sure he’s mentioned me.”

Jen felt her
head nod - she would’ve loved to set this woman straight but aside from the fact
the words were jamming in her mouth, caution was necessary. She could see this woman
was riding the edge because she had the same wild look she’d seen on her own
face at times. It was a weird sensation for Jen - to be afraid of something
external for a change. She’d never been under any illusions. She knew that the constant
fear she carried around like a lead weight was all in her head, and not necessarily
to do with life on a daily basis, but here and now this was a real danger, and
it loomed large over her.

“Todd has
tried to tell me it’s over between us; it never will be you know? He’s not
thinking about how much history we have together. The things we’ve done – well
I’m sure you know how good he is in so many areas.” Carly’s eyes drifted at
some delicious private memory.