Cinderella Substitute (17 page)
Read Cinderella Substitute Online
Authors: Nell Dixon
- Mike turned even redder. Beads of perspiration appeared unde
- "Jenni is accompanying me and acting as my hostess for the e
- Jenni watched impotently as her would-be suitor muttered an
- "How dare you! That was a private conversation!" She wanted
- "Jenni, I did warn you that we were too busy right now for y
- "It would have been nice if you had told me beforehand that
- He stared at her in amazement. "Jenni, I don't think that's
- * * * *
- Once inside the safety of his office, Nate wondered what had
- Walker wouldn't get the wrong idea about Nate's relationship
- Surely she wouldn't, she had always seemed much too sensible
- "Appearances count, darling. I know you laugh but if you wan
- He paused in his pacing. Cerys had dressed for success. Her
- He bit down hard on that train of thought. Jenni was not Cer
- He scowled at the view from his window and wished the young
- * * * *
- "It looks great, Jen. Really it does." Lorna assured her.
- Jenni squinted at her hair in the mirror. Nate's colossal in
- It had been Lorna's idea to go to the beauty college open da
- Lorna pulled the plastic cape from Jenni's shoulders "Anyway
- Jenni wished her bravado hadn't led her quite this far. Her
- By the end of a very long day it came as a blissful relief t
- She hung up her new clothes and kicked off her shoes. A long
- She lazed among the suds until the water cooled. After towel
- The doorbell rang as she buttered the bread. Quite often the
- The doorbell sounded again. Jenni put the knife down and wal
- Flustered, Jenni looked at her ratty old dressing gown. Ther
- When Jenni opened the front door, Nate stepped inside so qui
- "Nate. I wasn't expecting company." Her voice squeaked. Nate
- "Come up to the flat." Jenni fought the panic rising in her
- Nate remained still, staring at her, a bewildered expression
- "You're wet." Jenni licked her lips nervously.
- "And your hair. You've had your hair cut."
- He touched one of the chopped-off strands of her hair with t
- "It's not against the law, is it?"
- Her sharp response snapped him out of his trance-like state.
- "I was just surprised, that's all." He shrugged.
- Not entirely satisfied with his answer, she led the way up t
- * * * *
- "You'd better give me your coat and I'll hang it over the ba
- He unzipped his jacket, conscious he still stared at her.
- She reached over to take his coat. He smelt the fresh, soapy
- "This was a bad idea of mine to call without phoning you fir
- Had she got anything on underneath that hideous dressing gow
- Jenni reappeared. "Sit down, Nate. I'll get you a drink."
- He sat down on the edge of Jenni's settee, taking care to av
- "I came to ask you a favor." He wished she would come back i
- "Coffee all right?" Jenni's disembodied voice asked from the
- "Fine."
- She re-emerged, carrying a tray with two mugs and a couple o
- Either the heating in her flat was up too high, or the brief
- He realized he hadn't answered her question. "I came to ask
- She leaned forward to pick up her mug. He thought his heart
- "That's okay. I know how important the bid is. I'll be there
- He picked up his coffee and sipped it. Jenni had been right.
- "You'll have to let me know all the details. How many to exp
- Even her face looked different. More sophisticated. With pro
- "That's no problem. I can drop a file over to you tomorrow."
- She looked disapproving. "You should make time, Nate. This w
- As Jenni grabbed a sandwich, her long furry gown slipped ope
- "I have to go." He placed his empty plate on the table and s
- She looked up at him. He could see her bewilderment at the s
- "I'll fetch your coat." Jenni left to collect his jacket fro
- "I'll drop that stuff off for you tomorrow then, if that's a
- She tasted the way he thought she would, as sweet as honey.
- The tinny little tune from his inner jacket pocket wasn't lo
- He grabbed the phone from his pocket. His twin sister's phon
- Jenni stood before him, her blue eyes wide with mute distres
- CHAPTER FIVE
- Jenni folded her arms tight across her chest and hugged hers
- She washed the rest of the make-up from her face, forgetting
- Her adoptive father's voice sounded immediately in her mind,
- "I won't have you looking like a streetwalker whilst you're
- She had come home from school to discover her father had dis
- Well, she had lived down to her father's expectations tonigh
- "Nicely brought up girls do not behave like that, Jennifer."
- A lump came into her throat and she swallowed hard. She blin
- She had run home from school that day, eager to tell her mot
- She'd hurtled in through the back door on that hot and sunny
- "I don't recall your father or me giving permission for you
- Except her parents hadn't won. She had continued to paint. H
- Somehow, she would have to convince Nate that kissing him ha
- The problem was, she thought as she tidied up before switchi
- * * * *
- Nate was on the receiving end of a telephone lecture from hi
- "There is more to life than work, Nate. Mum's really upset w
- "It's my life, Nathalie. I've a big contract lined up, the b
- His twin gave a snort of dismissal. "Your company is big eno
- No one else except Nathalie ever dared to talk to him like t
- "What was wrong when I called you tonight?" she demanded. "Y
- Nate sighed. "It just wasn't great timing, that's all."
- "Why?" she asked. "Where were you? You weren't at home, I tr
- "I was at Jenni's," he snapped, and wished he could take the
- "Jenni? Your P.A.? You didn't make that poor girl work on a
- In contrast, Nate thought he would have liked nothing better
- "Are you listening to me?" Nathalie must have continued talk
- "It wasn't work. Well, not entirely ... I..." He groaned and
- "Oh..." Her voice sounded heavy with meaning. "I see, maybe
- * * * *
- Jenni didn't sleep well. She stood in front of her bathroom
- She scurried around the flat as she caught up on a week's wo
- She shrugged on the new coat that Lorna had convinced her wa
- When she rounded the corner an hour later, laden down with b
- "Let me help you."
- Before she could protest, he had taken most of the carriers
- "I wasn't expecting you yet."
- Nate stood aside to let her open the door. He followed as sh
- "Where do you want the carriers put?" He was right behind he
- "Just drop them down there and have a seat. I'll put the ket
- He watched while she opened and closed cupboards and drawers
- "After yesterday I didn't know whether to call first, or jus
- "Have you brought the file with you?" Jenni fumbled in the c
- He reached in the inside pocket of his jacket for a long fat
- "We'll go in the lounge and you can brief me on everything."
- * * * *
- Jenni sat in the seat furthest away from his. Her blue eyes
- The unexpected thought caused Nate to slop a little of the h
- He opened the envelope he had brought with him to begin brie
- Jenni made cryptic little squiggles on a notepad. After she
- Nate's attention strayed to where the pencil eraser pressed
- "Nate?" Jenni frowned at him. She must have asked him some q
- "Sorry Jen, I didn't hear you. I was thinking." Good job she
- "I see." She frowned again and placed her pad down on the co
- "Jenni..."
- She held her hand up to stop him from speaking. "I think we
- "It won't?" He should feel reassured by her statement, relie
- She flushed and her eyes met his. "It won't," she confirmed.
- "You're right, Jenni. I shouldn't have taken advantage of th
- "Then the sooner we both forget about it the better, we need
- "In that case, I'm taking you out for Sunday lunch. I owe yo
- She looked doubtful, as if she wasn't sure about his motives
- "We are still friends, I hope, Jenni." He prayed she wouldn'
- * * * *
- Jenni felt a little deflated as she clambered into Nate's ca
- More to the point, why had she agreed to go out to lunch wit
- She had to get a grip. Nate still loved Cerys. He had made i
- "Everywhere will be busy. Where are we going?" She wondered
- "I thought we'd go to the Langstone. Test-drive the restaura
- "Sounds good. But I thought you'd been there before?"
- "I joined just after it opened. It was Nathalie's idea. She
- They turned off the main road onto a long, tree-lined privat
- The restaurant was huge. On one side of the room floor-to-ce
- As the man pulled out her chair, Jenni noticed the huge arra
- "I wasn't expecting it to be this," she struggled to find th
- "This is the member's restaurant. The staff party will be in
- She smiled back at him. "No, this is fine. It was just a sur
- The waiter returned with a wine list.
- "Jenni?"
- "Mineral water will be fine. I'm not used to alcohol in the
- The food menu appeared more problematic. Most of the dishes
- "You must think I'm a real idiot," she remarked after they h
- "Why would I think that?" He fiddled about with the stem of
- "Well, I bet you're used to women who often come to this kin
- "Jenni, some of the women I know who could read that menu co
- She was glad when the waiter returned with their starters. "
- "Penny for your thoughts?" Nate watched her, his face though
- "I was thinking about my parents," she replied truthfully, "
- "Whatever you were thinking, it made you look sad, Jen. You
- "Tell me more about your family," she said. Although she had
- Nate took a sip of his mineral water before he answered.
- "My father is a surgeon. He's semi-retired now and does main
- A pang of something like loss resonated through Jenni's hear
- "What about you, Jenni? Do you have any aunts or uncles?"
- She shook her head and prodded her trout with the fish knife
- The gentle touch of his hand on her cheek made her lift her
- "I'm sure you'll get your answers soon, Jenni."
- She swallowed. His tender caress combined with the compassio
- "Nate! Jenni! What a nice surprise to see you two here!"
- At the sound of his sister's voice, Nate whipped his hand aw
- CHAPTER SIX
- "Nathalie, we were just talking about you." Nate stood up to
- Like Nate, Nathalie was tall, with the same jet black hair.
- "I do hope my brother isn't working you too hard, Jenni?" Na
- Jenni smiled in response. "Oh no, Nate was very kindly treat
- "Well, if Nate took any notice at all of something that I've
- "You're welcome to join us if you haven't eaten." Nate felt
- "I've eaten already and much as I'd love to, I can't stay. B
- Nate groaned inwardly while Jenni looked a little embarrasse
- Nate resumed his seat opposite Jenni. "My sister the diploma
- "She seems to have got the wrong impression, seeing us here
- "Well, that's Nathalie. She's an incurable romantic. She fal
- Jenni continued to pick at her fish. "And you?"
- Nate wasn't sure how to answer her. Jenni had never asked hi
- "I was in love once." His voice sounded distant as if it bel
- "You never talk about Cerys."
- He couldn't read the expression in Jenni's eyes, but he thou
- "No, I don't." He kept his answer short, daring her to try a
- "Are you having dessert?" She changed the course of the conv
- His knife clattered down onto his plate. "I think I've lost
- "I'm not hungry either. Perhaps we should leave." She placed
- He summoned the waiter over and dealt with the bill. Once Je
- She surveyed him with a cool expression on her face. "I shou
- "I'd better go home. I've a lot of planning to do if we're g
- He unlocked the car, opened the door and waited while she cl
- * * * *
- Just one small comment about Cerys had opened up a whole can
- For a split second she glimpsed the hurt and anger in his ey
- She'd fallen in love with a man who would never love her bac
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