Carrying Hope (14 page)

“I’ll go in with you,” Renaldo said, exiting the car and coming around to open my door for me.

Once inside, he located his wife and introduced us. Sarah was a handsome woman in her late 30s, tall and broad shouldered with a short crop of chestnut hair. She greeted me with a warm smile and a firm handshake.

“Welcome, Marcie! What can I do for you today?”

Her chipper attitude eased my tension and put my anxiety to rest. This store was already a million times better than the other one; surely I would be able to find suitable attire here.

I explained the things I needed, including the option to completely make me over as she saw fit. I wanted to walk out of the store looking like a confident, beautiful and stylish woman. I was tired of being the Marcie that let the world walk all over her. I wanted to be a new Marcie. A better Marcie. A Marcie with hope and a woman that could be a role model for her daughter. Not that I knew I was going to have a daughter. Even if I had a son, I wanted him to grow up with a healthy respect for women and it was hard to respect a woman who didn’t respect herself.

I spent the entire day trying on dozen of outfits, dresses, shoes, and accessories. After the first handful of items, I had to stop looking at the price tags. Some of the dresses I tried on cost more than I made in a year. Sarah, at my prodding, called the credit card company to make sure that everything was really okay. She came back into the dressing room with another armful of clothes, looking like she’d just won the lottery.

“You have
nothing
to worry about, sweetheart. You could buy a dozen of these
stores
and your Mr. Dorian wouldn’t notice.”

I don’t know why her gleeful statement made me blush. I guess I felt silly for having ever doubted him. It was just still so surreal to me.

“All right. Give me your best shot then,” I said with a giggle. I had no idea that Sarah was going to take that as a personal challenge. She made it her mission to make me over from head to toe and by the end of the day, I was nearly unrecognizable.

Chapter 16

“Clara! Stop fussing over her, we have to go,” I called out up the stairs. I’d been waiting for Marcie for well over thirty minutes. Clara claimed she was just “putting on the finishing touches”. I knew it was nonsense because Marcie didn’t need any finishing touches. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid my eyes on. I was beginning to get worried that Marcie changed her mind about going out with me. I didn’t want to think that she would back out of a commitment, but I still had a hard time believing she had any reciprocal interest in me.

“I’m coming!” Marcie called from her room. I heard her new shoes clicking against the hardwood floor as she came down the hallway. While I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to go shopping with her, from what Francis told me, she’d done very well for herself. I was worried that she would be timid and only buy a single gown or perhaps not buy anything at all. According to my butler, she arrived with dozens of bags and it took the efforts of Clara, Francis, and Marcie to get all of her things put away in under two hours.

The moment she stepped into my view, my heart stopped. This was not the sweet innocent Marcie that I’d first met. This was a devilishly stunning woman intent on capturing my heart. Her ample curves were draped seductively with dark blue silk, her fiery hair was fixed into an elegant-yet-effortless up-do with a few stray tendrils framing her face. I never really realized it before, but I’d never seen Marcie in any kind of make-up. Her natural beauty was only enhanced by the light touches of make-up here and there. Around her neck was a classic string of small pearls; I followed the line of her dress from her neck, down to the dip between her breasts and I felt my pulse quicken.

It never ceased to amaze me how easily she lit this fire in my veins. I used to think that I was immune to such things, but Marcie made me see everything in a different light.

“Well? What do you think?” She stopped on the second step to be at eye-level with me.

She held her hands in front of her, fidgeting nervously. I reached for one of her hands to still her anxious movement and brought it to my lips.

“Well worth the wait.”

She smiled and shook her head at me, trying so desperately not to blush.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” she commented and I felt my male ego swell like a proud peacock.

Of course, I was nowhere near as jaw-dropping as Marcie; I wore a standard tuxedo with a skinny tie. At least I was clean-shaven; I had that going for me.

“Do you think the gloves are too much?” She asked, showing me a bare of long silk gloves that she held.

“Hmm, no. I think the gloves are sexy.”

Her eyebrows raised and a smirk crept onto her face.

“Maybe I should start wearing them all of the time then.”

I laughed, shaking my head as she slipped her bare arms into the gloves.

“Shall we?” I offered her my arm.

She hooked her arm into mine, reminding me how dangerous it was to be this close to her. I kept waiting for the epiphany that would tell me that my desire for her was only a temporary thing. I kept looking for the catch; waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it never happened.

After hearing how pleased she was with him, I opted to keep the driver employed through the night. I didn’t want anything to distract my attention from Marcie tonight.

“Wo-ow, you look fantastic, Miss Marcie,” the driver complimented her as she entered the car and I felt the first bit of jealous start to creep in.

“Oh, thank you, Renaldo,” she gushed and turned to me, “Renaldo’s wife is the one that helped me with all of my clothes. She’s amazing.” I could see how happy Marcie was now; before she seemed to hide and now she shined.

“Renaldo, tell your wife that she has my most sincere thanks. She is certainly amazing.”

“Would you like a personal stylist?” I asked without missing a beat.

“A what? Don’t be ridiculous,” she scoffed, nudging me.

“I’m not. I’m serious. I have no qualms against placing Renaldo’s wife under my employ if you want it.”

She still looked confused and I wondered what I’d said this time to offend her.

“I’ll think about it… let’s just get through tonight, okay?”

“Sure,” I agreed, hoping to lighten the mood, “Are you really dreading it so much?”

“Well, no, not in those words,” she said, nibbling on her bottom lip in that delectable way that always drove me crazy.

“Well, in what words then?”

“I didn’t exactly have a great upbringing, you know…”

“Yes, I do know. Neither did I, remember?” I placed a hand on her knee, my whole body tuned into her. I noticed every shift in her body language, every time she tensed up and every fake smile. She thought she was fooling me, but I learned her tells very quickly.

“What I mean is that you’re taking me somewhere fancy, right?”

“The fanciest.”

“Well, I don’t know how to act, or which forks to use. What if I don’t know how to pronounce something? What if I completely embarrass you?”

“Marcie,” I held her chin between my thumb and forefinger and brought her eyes to mine, “No one is going to notice anything about you other than how incredible you look. I guarantee it.”

“I’ll bet you say that to all of the girls,” she teased, trying to diminish what I said.

“Only the ones that save me and then turn my life upside down,” I corrected, making her smile.

“Has anyone ever told you how goofy you are?”

“Of course not; I’m not goofy with other people.”

“Really? What are you like with other people?”

I shrugged.

“I try not to be with other people.”

“Isn’t that kind of sad?”

I frowned, having never considered that.

“I guess it kind of is.”

“I hated my life when I was all on my own,” Marcie looked past me, out the window. She seemed to have trouble making eye contact because every time she did she looked away quickly.

“Well, I’m not really on my own. I have Clara and Francis… and Tanner of course.”

“That’s true,” she agreed.

“And now, you.”

That made her lock eyes with me.

“Me?”

“Well, you have lived in my house for two weeks, Marcie. I think it’s safe to include you.”

She looked down at her lap, a frown etched into her features.

“For how long?”

“What?”

“How long are you going to want me around before you decide to toss me aside?” She clasped her gloved hands tightly and refused to look away from her lap.

“Why would you ever think that I would do that?”

“Why wouldn’t you? Everyone else always has,” she muttered, still not looking at me.

I sighed, trying to rein in my temper. I was so angry at all of the people that had hurt this beautiful woman. I wanted to hurt each and every one of them in return.

“I’m so sorry, Marcie. I know I’ve been a terrible host. I’m going to make it up to you. Tomorrow we’ll do anything you want. We can go anywhere in the world.” I reached out for her hand, squeezing it in my own. This woman — this crazy, amazing woman with a heart of gold — was well on her way to having an iron grip around my heart. The thought of losing Marcie was enough to drive me mad if I dwelled on it. In such a short amount of time she’d become integral to my life and I wasn’t going to let her go anytime soon.

“Anything?” she asked, her eyes shimmering with hope that she didn’t dare latch onto.

“Absolutely anything. You name it. Disney World, the Taj Mahal, the Great Barrier Reef, Machu Picchu, whatever you want.”

“Oh, I don’t want to do anything like that. But there is this one thing…”

“Name it.”

“I’d like to visit my Nana.”

“Oh? I was under the impression that you didn’t have any family.” When we first met, she said she didn’t have anyone to stay with. I didn’t think that she purposely omitted her grandmother so that I would offer her shelter, but it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.

“Well, she’s sick. She’s in a nursing home upstate and I haven’t seen her in a few years.”

“I see. Well, if that’s what you want to do, then we’ll do it.”

“She’ll really like you,” Marcie said with a big grin.

“I’m sure I’ll like her too,” I replied.

“Oh, definitely. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.” I could see something flicker behind her eyes and I wanted to know what troubled her. I couldn’t fix it if I didn’t know what it was. I couldn’t stand to see Marcie suffering; I thought I would be able to fix anything if I threw enough money at it, but I couldn’t make a sick woman well again.

“I look forward to meeting her.”

“I can’t believe you’re really going to take me to see her!” She exclaimed, squeezing my hand excitedly.

“I would do anything to make you happy, Marcie.” Color tinted her cheeks again and the car slowed to a stop.

“I think we’re here,” I said.

“Are you sure I won’t embarrass you?” She asked with a frown.

“Impossible. If anyone laughs at you I’ll have them kicked out.”

She giggled: a lilting musical sound that I would never tire of.

“You can’t do that!” She exclaimed, smacking my knee playfully.

“Wanna bet?” I challenged with a smirk.

She rewarded my playfulness with a heart-melting smile. I wondered if Marcie had ever had anyone take care of her or do anything nice for her. From her typical reactions, I would have to guess that she was completely unused to acts of kindness. It made me sad that someone with such a pure and loving heart could be treated so despicably by so many people that she trusted.

Walking into the restaurant with Marcie on my arm made me feel like the richest man in the world and money had nothing to do with it.

Chapter 17