Cinderella Christmas (6 page)

“I didn’t,” she said quickly, a warm little glow suffusing her at how quickly Nick had come to her defense.

“In each situation, one of the men in the company came on to me. I told each of them I wasn’t interested. It must have hurt their pride, because both men, at both jobs, told their bosses that I had come on to them, I wasn’t leaving them alone, I was the obsessive one, they couldn’t do their work – “

“My God,” Nick said quietly.

“They believed them and I was let go. End of story.” She looked up at him. “When I came here to apply for a job – “

“ – you dressed in a way that would ensure no one would notice you that way.”

“Yes.” She took a deep breath, feeling totally spent. “So I lied to you to cover my tracks and if you want to fire me – “

“ – nonsense, Watson. You did what you had to do. I admire you for it. And I want you to know, it’s one of my cardinal rules never to get involved with anyone I work with.”

“I know that, Nick. I’ve always felt safe with you.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me. And this conversation will never leave this office.”

“I appreciate that.”

She got up and walked out of his office, but not before Nick took a closer look at her body in those shapeless clothes.

Would wonders never cease? His PA, Watson, was a stunning woman who had to disguise herself in order to work in peace. Her story explained so much. Her reserved demeanor. The way she often hesitated before taking action. How she’d kept her gaze down for the first few months on the job.

What had happened to her, besides those two men, to have made her this way?

Nick found himself intrigued.

#

She felt completely different after telling Nick a small part of the truth. Better. More centered, more sure of herself. This was what true intimacy was, whether with a friend or a lover. Trusting that person to know the truth about you and not turn away.

It felt wonderful.

Eve had decided that she wanted to go slowly, not push things. Getting rid of the glasses and unflattering hairstyle had been a start, but telling Nick the truth about why she presented herself the way she did had been an even bigger change.

She liked the fact that she could trust him.

Eve was locking her desk drawers and gathering up her purse and Maurice’s leash when Nick came striding out of his office.

“Watson! Have any plans for tonight?”

“Nothing I can’t rearrange.”

“I want to get that new resort up on our website as soon as possible. I moved our reservations to tonight. We can drive up after rush hour, check in, spend the next two days touring the place and come back Sunday afternoon. I think that should give us enough time.”

She nodded.

“They’re dog friendly, so Maurice can come, too. They even have a dog masseuse on staff.”

“He might be a little scared, but we could try it.”

“I’ll pick you up at your place in an hour, does that give you enough time?”

“I’ll be ready.”

#

Honesty really was the best policy. So Eve decided that, before Christmas, she was going to come clean with Nick. As embarrassing as it would be to admit that Darcy was a creation of her imagination and not a real person, she couldn’t keep Nick in the dark. He was a good man and it wasn’t fair.

She’d bought some non-frumpy clothing, which now was packed into her small suitcase. Eve had packed for many trips with Nick before and she knew the drill. You had to bring a wide variety of clothing because you never knew how many amenities a hotel or resort offered. You had to be ready for anything.

But tonight was a night for more changes. No more Miss Dowdy for her. While she wasn’t going to morph into a va-va-voom Jessica Rabbit, she was done with the carefully tailored version of her former life.

Eve had dressed carefully in nice jeans, boots, and a pale blue cashmere pullover. The last thing to go would be the minimizer bra. Her girls had gotten her in trouble in the first place, and old habits died hard. But she had a feeling that even this last piece of lingerie would go before the New Year.

She was zipping up her suitcase when the doorbell rang and Maurice began his frantic barking. Eve’s heart started pounding and she wondered why having Nick see her townhouse apartment was so nerve wracking.

She’d revealed more to her boss in the last few days than ever before – except for her one night as Darcy. But somehow, letting him into more of her life as just herself felt – right.

Eve grabbed a wriggling Maurice and opened her front door. Nick stood there, his dark hair windswept, a jacket on over his pullover and jeans. He’d always dressed casually for their trips, while she’d stuck with her PA apparel.

Not any more.

His dark eyes widened slightly as he took in her new look.

“Once again, Watson, you astonish me.”

She let him inside and ushered him to the couch. “I just have a few more things to get, then we’re out the door.”

“One of the things I’ve always liked about you, Watson. You’re one of the only women I know who can get ready in a hurry. You’re a spur of the moment kind of woman.”

You can say that again.

“If you can snap on Maurice’s leash, he won’t be such a pest.”

“He’s fine. Take your time, make sure you have what you need. Don’t forget a bathing suit, I hear the indoor pool is state of the art.”

“I’ll have to dig it out, I’ll just be – “

“Go.” He motioned upstairs and she raced up to her bedroom.

#

“So, buddy,” Nick said, looking down at Maurice. “Ready for a little trip?”

Maurice yapped happily, then snorted as Nick scratched his head.

“Anything you’ve forgotten?”

The bulldog jumped off the couch and ran over to the door of the downstairs closet. Snorting happily, he began to dig frantically at the carpet.

“Whoa, boy, I don’t think Eve wants you tearing that up! What’s wrong, did you leave one of your toys in there?”

Nick opened the closet door and the puppy raced in. When Maurice came back out into the living room, he was shaking his head back and forth furiously, the pompom of a Christmas hat in his mouth.

“Hey, that’s not a toy! Give it here.” Nick confiscated the hat then went to the closet and nudged the door wider. He had a frantic Maurice in one hand, the hat in the other, and was sure Eve didn’t want her dog tearing up a holiday hat.

He clicked on the interior light to find a place to put it and saw an overturned Victoria’s Secret shopping bag. Spilling out of it were a familiar short mini skirt, two thigh-high black books, a short black wig and a glittery red, very revealing bustier that had been seared into his memory for all time. To top it all off, he could smell faint traces of the sultry perfume that was Darcy’s alone.

He couldn’t process it for almost a minute as his brain fought with the obvious truth.

Then it all came crashing into his consciousness.

Eve is Darcy. Darcy is Eve. They’re one and the same.

What kind of game is she playing with me?

“I’m almost ready,” she called from upstairs.

What kind of a PA was she? What kind of a joke was this? How could she have sat in his office and listened to him spill his guts about Darcy and leave out the stunning little detail that
she
was Darcy,
she’d
had sex with him that night,
she
had turned him on as much as it was possible to turn a man on and then callously left him before he even had a chance to wake up.

Nick realized that Eve had called the shots from the beginning of this twisted little relationship. She was obviously a woman who had to be in control. More distressingly, she liked to fool with people and play with their emotions. He wondered if what she’d told him about the gaps in her resume were even true.

“Ready!” she called from above.

Nick came out of his trance in a heartbeat. He stuffed the elf outfit into the shopping back, set it back upright, turned off the closet light and quietly closed the door. Then he went back to the couch and sat with Maurice on his lap. The puppy was still overexcited and eying the closet door as if the biggest treat of all was behind it.

“I owe you big time, my little friend,” Nick whispered to Maurice. “Filet for breakfast for you.” He took another look at the pup and pulled a small piece of pompom out of his mouth. Maurice liked this new game and wrestled him for it, but Nick managed to grab the soggy bits of yarn and stuff them in his pocket.

Then he composed himself and wondered what the hell he was going to do with Eve. One thing was certain. He’d never had a woman play with his feelings this way before. Nick was determined to nip this little game in the bud.

He’d been so wrong about Eve. He’d thought he could trust her. And all the time she’d been playing with him. Her lack of integrity, her lack of honesty, none of it made any sense when he thought of the hardworking woman who had been by his side for just short of a year.

What the hell was going on?

He could almost forgive her for not telling him she was Darcy. What he couldn’t understand was why the minute he’d revealed how he felt about Darcy, she’d chosen not to come clean.

And Darcy. Where the hell had she come up with that name?

As if in answer to his question, his gaze fell on one of the bookshelves in her living room. Every single novel that Jane Austen wrote was in pride of place on the top shelf.

Darcy. Of course
. Who would’ve thought Eve was a closet romantic? Granted, a closet romantic with a sick sense of humor, but a romantic nonetheless.

“All set?” he said as she reached the bottom of the stairs, suitcase in hand.

“I’ve got everything, even a swimsuit. Thanks for reminding me.”

“No problem. We’ll take Maurice for a short walk and then we’re on our way.” Nick was amazed he could speak normally after the enormity of his discovery, but he was determined to get to the bottom of this.

In the process, he was going to teach Eve a lesson she’d never forget.

The quiet confines of his car seemed as good a place to start as any.

“Do you mind if we talk about Darcy?”

Silence. Nick wondered what Eve was thinking. He decided to plunge ahead and put her on the hot seat.

“I’ve decided to hire a private detective. I have to find this woman.”

Maurice yipped and Nick smiled as he realized Eve was giving herself away. She’d squeezed her dog a little too tightly. She was nervous. Good.

“Why would you want to do that?”

“I’ll tell you why,” he said. “I’m getting a little angry with the whole situation. I’ve never treated a woman as badly as Darcy treated me, and I’m determined to find out why she did it.” He thought about a talk show he’d seen recently and said, “I need closure.”

“Closure,” she said, the word coming out a breathy squeak.

Oh, it was almost too easy to play with her. For a moment Nick hesitated. Then he steeled his nerve. She was the one who’d started this whole game, now she had to have the strength to face the consequences.

“I don’t mean to be crude, Watson, but I’ve even thought of trying to obtain DNA from those red panties.”

“Oh my God,” she said, and he could hear real fear in her voice. Maurice yipped again.

“You’re squeezing him. Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just that – have you ever considered the fact that she might not
want
to be found?”

Strangely enough, Nick sensed that this was the first honest thing Eve had said to him about Darcy in all of their conversations about his mystery woman.

He sighed. It wasn’t in his nature to be cruel or to inflict harm. Yes, he was hurt. Yes, his emotions had been toyed with. Yes, in a weird way, it was as if Darcy were the macho man who had just walked away and refused to spend the night while he’d been the wronged female. But damn it, he had to know
why
.

“Watson, you know how I’m sure you’ll give me a woman’s viewpoint on any resort we visit?”

“Yes,” she said quietly.

“And I know you’ll always tell me the absolute truth?”

She nodded and he knew she probably didn’t trust herself to speak.

“I need to know why a woman would do something like this. I’m not a man who brags, but I know when a woman’s satisfied in bed, when it’s good for both people. Why would Darcy give me the time of my life and then disappear?”

Silence for almost two minutes. Nick waited. Eve had to give him something. He felt she owed him that much.

“Nick, it’s hard for a man to understand, but in some ways – women haven’t come all that far.”

“Explain please,” he said, keeping his eyes on the freeway. This was the perfect place for this talk. He had a feeling Eve wouldn’t have been able to speak as freely if he’d been looking directly at her. In the dark confines of his car, with his attention on the road, perhaps she’d open up.

“We’re still not allowed to be fully sexual beings. I mean, some women are really lucky within the confines of a healthy relationship, but there are plenty of men out there who encourage women to be really sexual and then punish them afterwards.”

All of his anger toward her started to evaporate. What had Eve been through? What kind of men had she met?

“And if a woman is pretty, or has a good figure – sometimes that can get her in trouble.”

He thought about this. It made sense, especially after what she’d told him about her two previous jobs. Men were still praised for their sexual prowess, whereas women were often judged. The old double standard was alive and well.

“So why do you think Darcy ran off?” he said softly.

Why did you run away from me?

“I think maybe the situation – what you told me, the costume, the flirting, the mask – maybe this woman wanted one perfect night and not the reality of a relationship. Maybe – maybe relationships in the past hadn’t gone well for her and she just wanted one moment out of time to know that feelings like the feelings you both shared were even possible.”

Nick felt like his head was about to explode. If he’d thought women were far more complicated than men, now he was sure.