Edge of Attraction (4 page)
It sure took the monotony out of the long workday in the office.
“Yoohoo.” Jamie was peeking into my cubicle.
I jumped, startled, and realized that I had been on the computer reading and sending messages for a while.
“Hey there.” I swiveled around in my chair and tucked my hair behind my ear. Hopefully it wasn’t too obvious that I was in my own world, and not focused on paperwork or memos. “What’s up?”
“You look like you are on cloud nine.” Jamie gave me a playful frown.
“I’m just reading through some of the new promotional material. I bet the company gets even more clients after this.” I swiveled back around.
Jamie took off and left me alone to the whims of my computer screen. Communicating with EdensNomad was just so easy, it was only natural to lose track of the time.
* * * *
“Alls!” Jess threw her arms around me. I had just picked her up at the airport and we were shoving her bags into the back of my car.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I said, “because you brought the good weather with you!” It looked like it might end up being perfect for the rest of the week.
“Let’s get Chinese take-out. I’m starved!” Jess looked great after her trip. Her long, flowing dress accentuated her dark skin, and her six-inch heels made her even more willowy and elegant.
“Paris was good to you,” I said.
“It’s going to be good to you, too. I found some things in your size.”
“Jess, you know I don’t have your style.”
“Relax, I got things I knew you’d like.”
We picked up our food and scooted inside to eat. We decided to act like it was old times and put in one of our favorite movies:
Singin’ in the Rain
. I was so excited to have my best friend back home that I could hardly contain myself. I wanted to blab all about Scintilla and my new profile, and especially EdensNomad, but it could wait. When the movie was over I asked Jess to tell me all about her trip, and she pulled out some of the pictures she’d taken.
“What was it like?” I was truly interested, having never been out of the country before.
“Oh, Alls. It is so beautiful over there, and so romantic. I feel like I’m so much more informed now, having been in one of the fashion capitals of the world. I think it will really jump-start my career, you know?” She had so much enthusiasm. Her face lit up whenever she talked and it was hard not to gain a sense of positivity when being around her.
“Did you go to a lot of fashion shows?” I walked across the room and got some ice cream out of the freezer. I wiggled my butt playfully, like I was a model on one of those runways, and Jess cracked up. I scooped us each a bowl of ice cream, and then curled up back on the couch.
“I went to a bunch of fashion shows, and let me tell you. My incredible boyfriend set up the shoots over there, and seriously, he made these some of the best fashion experiences, ever.” She nodded her head and dove into her ice cream. I was always amazed that she could eat as much junk food as I did, but still remain pencil thin. I had to work out extra hard if I indulged. She looked up and smiled. “Basically, it was the bomb.”
I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Even though Jess was my best friend, she was so stunningly beautiful that I sometimes felt like the ugly duckling whenever we were together. Jeremy was also great, and it made me wish I had someone as good as him. Jess had confidence. It was easy to see why men were attracted to her. She had an air that suggested she could conquer the world and have no problems doing it. I sighed and told myself that it was silly to be jealous. She was my best friend, and she was also a good person.
Besides, maybe I was starting something new, growing into a confident woman, myself, with my new profile at Scintilla.
Bub nestled in between Jess and me. When I thought Jess wasn’t looking, I checked my phone to see if there were any messages from EdensNomad. Nope. I tried to hide my disappointment.
“What do you keep checking your phone for?” Jess asked. “Do you have a new secret boyfriend or something?”
Just then, EdensNomad sent me a text. Woohoo!
“Who, me?” I asked Jess. I quickly texted back that I would talk to him later. It was hard to wipe the grin off my face.
Jess waved her spoon in my face. “Okay, girl. Spill the beans. Who have you been texting?”
It was going to be much too difficult keeping it a secret any longer, so I caved in. “Well, I set up a profile. On Scintilla. It was kind of an impulse thing, you know?” I sat up straighter on the couch and gave Bub a stroke on the head. “I really didn’t have any expectations, but after only one day of having my profile on the site, I got a Spark.”
Jess looked puzzled. “A Spark?”
“Yeah. It’s basically a little message informing you that someone has interest in you. None of this is a big deal. Believe me. I was just really bored the other night and set up a profile. It’s my company’s site, so I thought I might as well test out our product, you know?” I sat back and put down my phone, trying not to look at it to see if EdensNomad had already texted back.
With a war cry, Jess reached forward and snatched the phone. I laughed and let her have it. She started to giggle as she scrolled through my messages. “Oh, he’s sweet,” she said. “I approve!”
After a minute, I tried to grab it back, but she jumped up and ran away. I chased her around the couch until she finally pretended to get ready to toss it back to me.
“Uh oh.” She faked a concerned look. Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand. “You just got another message!” She threw her arms up in the air in an exaggerated motion.
With a battle cry of my own, I lunged forward and snatched my phone. The text was from EdensNomad.
“I’d really like to meet you in person. Dinner, tomorrow night?”
I screamed out loud and Jess started to jump up and down, even though she had no idea why we were freaking out. I caught our bouncing reflections in the hallway mirror. Suddenly, a feeling of anxiety swept over me and I froze. I didn’t have anything to wear, at least not for a date.
“What’s wrong?” Jess asked. “What are you thinking?”
“I probably shouldn’t have signed up on the site. I suck at dating and I have nothing to wear.” The site, text flirting with EdensNomad—all of it was a horrible idea. But at the same time, I’d regret it if I backed out. I bit my lip at the thought of meeting this mystery man and then reconsidered.
How bad could it really be?
Jess flicked her long hair behind her shoulder and gave me a playful squeeze on the shoulder and a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t you worry. I’ve picked up a few tricks in Paris,
ma cherie
. Let’s visit my suitcase. I have the perfect outfit for you.”
I looked over at Jess and gulped. “Thanks, Jess.” Then I texted EdensNomad. “Tomorrow night. I’d love that.”
Chapter 6
Allison
The next afternoon, Jess held me hostage on the toilet seat. She’d given me firm instructions to sit as motionless as possible, and so far I’d done a good job. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and couldn’t help but notice how boring I looked. My auburn hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail. I wanted to take a nap just from looking at it.
“You know,” I said, “I have never felt right about my hair since cutting it. Maybe you can work some kind of miracle.”
“Miracles are my specialty.”
I could hear her rummaging around in the closet for make-up, and I sat quietly, wishing I had more of a unique look. Instead, there I sat, with no make-up, freckles, and bags under my eyes. I needed serious help if I was going to be even a little attractive on this date.
“You are going to look great when I’m done with you.” Jess continued to root around for supplies, and I continued to sit like a statue, looking straight ahead into the mirror.
“I’m not a fan of being covered up, you know.” I talked into the mirror, but I knew Jess could hear me in the hall. She entered the bathroom a few minutes later and plopped an assortment of make-up and hair products on the tiled floor.
“Believe me. This stuff will only enhance your inner beauty. It won’t cover it up.” As usual, Jess sounded so confident in what she said that it was almost impossible not to believe her.
“Okay,” I said. “Bring on the inner beauty.”
After all, I didn’t feel like I could look much worse.
She had me face to the side, away from the mirror. “I don’t want you to see it yet—not until I’m done.”
She started with foundation all over my face. It felt like she was painting me with plaster, but I let her go on. Maybe the end results would be worth it. She tried to keep my freckles visible, exclaiming at one point, “They’re cute!” After that, she applied at least four different kinds of eye shadow, in various shades of peach and brown. Then she applied one final rose-coated gold finish.
Just when I thought I could be released from my toilet seat prison, she started with the winged eyeliner job. It was nearly impossible for me to stop blinking, and she had to reapply it once because I smeared it. Luckily, Jess was patient, and she didn’t mind going over it again to finish it right. Her final touch was some luscious black mascara, which she carefully applied to my lashes.
When it came time to do my hair, I shied away from the curling iron. “It doesn’t bite!” Jess said. She ran a comb through my butchered locks and then curled them loosely.
I reached up to squeeze the curls with my hands to see if they sprung back but Jess yelled, “Don’t touch them!”
When she finally finished, she turned my head toward the mirror. My jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe the surprised woman I saw staring back at me. Was it even me? I looked absolutely stunning. I had never felt so beautiful in all of my life, not even at my high school prom, when I’d gotten my nails done and my hair dyed. This was just incredible. Jess had done an amazing job, and I felt like a new woman.
Jess came, left for a minute, then came back with a dress draped over her forearm. I looked at it with curiosity, and she motioned for me to get up. “Bedroom,” she said. “Now.”
I followed her in. She opened the plastic cover up on the bed. It was rose-colored gown with a delicate embroidered hem that she had been given in Paris.
“Put it on,” she said. “Let’s see.”
I slid off my sweat pants and pulled the gown over my head.
“Careful of your hair,” she said. As soon as the gown fell into place, she squealed. “Perfect!”
I looked in the mirror again. I looked so different when I was dressed up. The gown gave me an hourglass shape and accentuated curves that I didn’t even know I had. For the first time in my life, I felt like I could be as confident and beautiful as any other woman.
Jess sent me on my way. “He’s going to fall in love with you,” she said. “This will be a night to remember.”
“Thank you, Jess.” I pulled her into a hug.
“Careful with your curls!” she said, pushing me away.
I waved back to her as I made my way down the street toward the expensive little bistro that EdensNomad and I had decided on. As I approached the door to the restaurant, butterflies swirled in my stomach. I almost walked right past the restaurant. The whole night could end up being memorable, all right—memorable like a natural disaster. But I’d come a long way, and I’d be disappointed in myself if I didn’t do it.
I hesitated, and then stepped through the door. My eyes widened as I saw none other than Joshua Tolbert sitting at a table near the back. He was talking to a gorgeous blond woman and gesturing at the menu. On a date, of course. He was legendary for all the dates he went on. I didn’t know why I ever thought I’d have a chance with him. And it just figured he’d be here, tonight of all nights, when I was finally trying to move past him and find love with someone else.
I scanned the restaurant for men wearing what EdensNomad said he’d be wearing—khaki pants with a navy blue button down shirt. There was nobody here in that outfit. Had I been stood up?
I turned my back as I scanned the bar area, hoping he wouldn't notice me. Who was I kidding--he never noticed me. "Excuse me, this may sound strange, but are you Phillygirl?"
I turned but stared down at the floor, shy and a bit embarrassed of what I'd just gotten myself into. I saw polished shoes and followed them up to khaki pants, then a blue shirt. I slowly brought my gaze up to meet the mystery man in the eyes.
Holy shit, I’d been matched up with my boss.
Continued in Edge of Lust, Book 2 of The Edge Series. Click here to continue.
Other books from Ellie Danes
It Takes Two, The Matchmaker Series
Chosen by Him, The Chosen Series
Other books from Katie Kyler
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