Sleeping with Beauty (33 page)

Vivian took one of her hands between both of her own, her expression turning surprisingly serious. “I know that, child.” She let go with one hand and covered her heart. “But it gives me enormous pleasure to see you become the swan you want to be.” She winked. “And I happen to like playing fairy godmother, and I have the wherewithal to do it. So deal with it!”

Lucy felt like a total fraud, and something of that must have shown in her face because Vivian frowned. “What’s wrong, darling?” She tugged Lucy over to the couch. “Come, come, sit. Tell your fairy godmother everything.”

Lucy and Vivian had spoken a handful of times as she’d continued dating Jason. Vivian had seemed so excited and happy at the prospect of Lucy’s grand “coming out,” as she’d called it, to the Washington social scene, that Lucy hadn’t had the heart to tell her she wasn’t enjoying it all as much as she’d hoped she would.

“Has that gorgeous Prescott boy done wrong by you? Because I happen to know several of the elder partners in his firm and—”

Alarmed, Lucy raised her hand. “No! I mean, no, no. It’s not Jason. Per se.” That last part slipped out.

Vivian’s expression turned shrewd. She missed little. Which was why Lucy had begged off her repeated requests to meet for lunch over the past month. She knew Vivian would figure out her quandary in a heartbeat.

“Then what is it?”

Lucy searched for the right words. How to explain to Vivian that the world they’d handed her on a string, was, well, unraveling. “I know you told me that the longer I kept up appearances, the more natural it would feel to me. And there is a lot about the new me that I love. There is no doubt I’m more confident about myself, and for that I can never repay you.”

“Oh, dear, I never meant for you to feel obligation.” Vivian looked so upset that Lucy took her hands now and squeezed them.

“It’s not that. I—I just didn’t want to disappoint you, that’s all.”

“You know, darling, you can’t operate your life by the fear of how others perceive you. Obviously you don’t want to disappoint, but you can’t do it at the expense of your own happiness and well-being. Nobody gains then. Tell me what’s wrong. Just come out with it. I promise not to be offended. Your happiness is what I most wish for you.”

“I don’t fit in,” Lucy blurted. There, she’d said it. “I mean, I look like I do, and everyone accepts me just fine, but
I
don’t feel like I fit in with them. I have nothing in common with Jason’s friends or coworkers. For that matter, I have nothing in common with Jason.”

“Come now, dear, people from all walks of life can find common ground.”

“Maybe that’s just it. I’m not particularly drawn to that lifestyle or those people enough to want to find out what that is. And I don’t think Jason does, either. He hasn’t learned anything about me in the time we’ve been dating. You can’t even call it ‘dating.’ It’s always a business function. I’m pretty sure I’m just being used. You know, arm candy.” She felt ridiculous saying that.

“And I’m sure you make smashing arm candy. But why continue to date him?” Vivian’s eyes widened. “I hope not out of some misguided idea that I expected you to—”

Lucy waved her silent. “No, no, not at all. I mean, you seemed so excited about me seeing him and all, and I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t trying.”

“Oh, dear,” Vivian said, sighing. “I’m so sorry, darling.”

“It’s not your fault, really. I wanted to know for myself, too. And I guess part of me was hoping that if he kept asking me out and I kept being the perfect escort, things would change. But Jason only wants the part of me that shows up on his arm and doesn’t speak much.” She leaned back on the couch. “And to be honest with you, I’m not sure he has anything I want, either.”

Vivian gave her that woman-to-woman look.

“Well, of course I wanted
that.
Who wouldn’t?”

“So use him as he uses you. Quid pro quo. Happens all the time in acceptable society.”

“That’s what my friend Jana was just telling me.”

“Wise woman, Jana.”

“Believe me, if I thought I could pull it off, maybe I would try. But I’m not cut out for that lifestyle, either. I don’t just want to be wanted sexually, or want someone sexually, I want—”

“To be loved,” Vivian said solemnly. She rubbed Lucy’s knee, the rings on her fingers clinking together lightly. “Don’t we all.” Then that wicked smile returned. “But no need to dismiss the one while waiting for the other.”

Lucy had to smile at that. She really was incorrigible, this godmother she’d somehow adopted. “I just don’t think I’m cut out for it.”

“Well, that’s fair, too.” Vivian sighed a little, then patted her knee as the determined look came over her face again. “So what do you plan to do?”

“I’m not sure,” Lucy said. “Jana and I were talking about that when you rang. I thought it was Jason coming early and I was sort of scrambling around.”

“Maybe you should have just let him see you in all your preparatory glory. I firmly believe men would have a great deal more respect for us if they had even a glimpse into the horrors we submit ourselves to for their viewing pleasure.”

“Amen to that. Except, knowing Jason, he’d have turned around and walked away. I’m sure he could find any one of a dozen suitable last-minute dates before he reached his car.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. That little black book might be filled with names and numbers, but they are hollow entries.”

“What do you mean?”

“If he’s only investing his energy in advancing his own cause, then all the names and numbers in the world won’t make him a more enriched human being. How many people in that supposed book of his do you think really know the man and not just the figure? And how many of those names and numbers do you think know anything more about him than he knows about you?”

Lucy thought about that.

“So what if you can’t dial up a dozen men at the drop of a pin—though I could make that happen for you, too.”

Lucy waved her hand. “Thanks, but no.”

Vivian just smiled. “Just keep that in mind. But as I was saying, just because you don’t tote around a similar pile of entries doesn’t mean you don’t have him beat where it really counts. Friends. People who know and love you and would do anything for you. I seem to recall one rather nice one waiting for you outside Glass Slipper.”

“Grady?”

Vivian smiled. “He seemed quite taken with you.”

Again, all Lucy could do was say “Grady?”

Vivian lifted a shoulder. “Maybe I’m wrong.” But she said it in a way that left little doubt of what she believed.

“He’s my oldest friend. We talked about that way back, remember? Although lately things have been a little rocky.”

“‘Lately’ . . . since you’ve been dating Mr. Prescott?”

Lucy frowned. Vivian couldn’t really think . . . her and Grady? “It’s a long story, but suffice it to say, he has no love lost for Jason.”

“Hmm. Well, I suppose that’s really neither here nor there.” She smiled brightly, but Lucy wondered if she was really letting the matter drop or saving it for later. “All I’m saying is you don’t need a pile of friends, but you do need them. I’m not sure the Jason Prescotts of the world understand that. Until, of course, the tides of fortune turn against them and they find out the hard way.”

Lucy studied Vivian for a long moment. “You sound like you speak from experience.”

“I do, dear. Unfortunately, I do. Back in my Hollywood days I was much like Jason. A ‘player,’ I think they call them now. And I ended up hurting a man who loved and trusted me, because I thought everyone was like me.” She smoothed her face with a smile. “I readily admit there is still more Jason in me than I’m proud of. But then, I am comfortable in that world. However, I know the value of friends now, and I am most loyal to those who have been loyal to me.” She took Lucy’s hand. “I hope you know I’ll be there for you, and accept my apologies for perhaps pushing you down the path that I mistakenly took myself, so many years ago. One thing I have learned is you have to be true to yourself above all else.”

“Which means breaking up with Jason,” Lucy said.

Vivian just shrugged. “If that’s what you think is best for you.” She stood. “I’ll leave the dress here anyway. It might be fun just to play dress-up.” She checked her watch. “And as much as I hate to dash off, I’m expected at a dinner shortly. Aurora will nag me all evening if I’m late.”

Lucy followed Vivian to the door, then when she turned to say good-bye, she impulsively hugged her. Careful not to muss Vivian’s hair or her makeup, of course.

At first Vivian was startled by the display, but she quickly returned the hug, perhaps even more tightly. She bussed Lucy’s cheek, then used her thumb to remove the lipstick print. “You are a strong one, Lucy Harper,” she told her, her eyes glistening with affection. “You’ll always be a swan to me.”

Now Lucy’s eyes began to swim, and when they both sniffed, Vivian laughed. “God, aren’t we a pair.”

A knock on the door startled them both.

“Jason!” they both whispered, eyes wide, as they stared at the door, then each other.

“I’m not ready!” Lucy whispered heatedly. “For any of this.” She clutched Vivian’s arm. “I know you have to go. But can you, I don’t know, work your godmother magic and somehow get him to wait outside for . . . a few days?” She was being ridiculous, of course, but panic did that to her.

Vivian turned her head and peeked out the eyehole, then looked to Lucy in surprise as she stepped back and opened the door.

“Vivian!” Lucy hissed. She leapt back, prepared to dash to her bedroom and simply lock herself in forever, or until Jason left, whichever came first.

But then the door swung wide.

“Grady?”

Chapter
26
                                                                                                                                       

A
h, hi! What brings you by?”

Vivian looked back at a clearly startled Lucy, then to the young man who’d rattled her composure. Tall, lanky, nice cheekbones. He was even nicer close-up. Of course, she personally preferred her men a little more groomed, but she supposed his thick mop of glossy dark curls would appeal to some.

She gave him a smile, then nudged Lucy. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your gentleman caller?”

“What? Oh, right. Vivian, this is Grady Matthews.”

Vivian smiled and extended her hand. “We were just talking about you.”

Lucy rushed on with the introductions. “Grady, this is Vivian dePalma.” Lucy shifted her gaze to Grady.

Vivian didn’t miss the warning note. Interesting.

“She’s one of the owners of Glass Slipper.”

Grady held Lucy’s gaze for a challenging moment, then took Vivian’s extended hand in his own much larger one. Quite large, Vivian noted with approval. Some old wives’ tales weren’t tales, after all.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he said, his voice a lovely mellow bass to go along with his height. “Lucy has had nothing but nice things to say about you.”

Pleasant and polite, too.
And if she wasn’t mistaken—and she rarely was—the intensity with which Grady held the regard of her Lucy spoke of feelings far stronger than an old friendship. So she hadn’t misread the situation that day. She held on to his hand a scant moment longer than necessary, quite aware of Lucy fidgeting beside her. Of course, her beau was set to arrive any moment and it was obvious she didn’t want the two men’s paths to cross.

If Lucy wasn’t so busy worrying about tuning in to her own signals, maybe she’d have already picked up on his.

She reluctantly released Grady’s hand, but her smile grew as she began to put a plan together. Lucy clearly adored this fine young man. And friendships were often the basis for some of the strongest love matches. Lucy wanted someone who both loved her and wanted her. All she had to do was have something—or someone—open her eyes to what was right in front of her face. Well, that shouldn’t be too hard for a fairy godmother to pull off.

“The pleasure is all mine, I assure you.” She smiled at Lucy. She was going to get lucky, all right. In ways she’d never imagined. “Well,” she said with a note of finality, “I wish I could stay and chat with you both, but I must be off.”

Lucy appeared uncertain how to juggle yet another visitor and the impending arrival of her date. Vivian’s heart tugged a little at the beseeching look she darted her way. She was going to help her. She only hoped Lucy appreciated her interference when the dust settled.

“Grady,” she said, then offered him her best smile, “you don’t mind if I call you Grady, do you?” She kept her hand on the sleeve of his coat.

He managed to pull his gaze away from Lucy long enough to look down at her. She admired his barely restrained patience.
My, my.
How could Lucy not see what she had here? The intensity was all but scorching. Yum.

“No, not at all,” Grady assured her.

“I so hate to be a bother, but would you mind terribly fetching me that garment bag?”

“But—”

She talked over Lucy’s startled reaction. “It’s right inside, hanging on the bedroom door. You can’t miss it.”

“Ah, sure. No problem.” Grady ducked past Lucy and headed inside.

Lucy bent closer to Vivian and in a hushed whisper said, “What are you doing? I thought I was supposed to wear that dress on my date tonight?”

“I thought you were going to cancel?”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do!”

Vivian took hold of Lucy’s forearms and tugged her close. “Honey, if you’re smart, you’ll dial up Jason’s cell phone and beg off. Your . . . friend here looks to me as if he has something important he needs to discuss with you.”

“Grady? Why would you think that? Besides, if Grady needed to talk to me, he has had ample time over the past few weeks. Whatever he has to talk about now can wait.”

Vivian looked past her to where Grady was wrestling the garment bag into submission over his arm. Her time was short. “You were going to put Jason off anyway. And if you and Grady have been having problems, then you should see to those instead. After all, isn’t he more important to you than Jason?” She looked up and smiled. “Ah, there you go.” She stepped past Lucy and took the garment bag from Grady’s arm. “Aurora would have had my head if I’d forgotten this.” She glanced back to Lucy. “You know what, let me take care of that other little matter for you.” She glanced at the wall clock. “In fact, I imagine I can handle it on my way out.”

Lucy glanced at the clock, then at Vivian, and pointedly not at Grady. “Vivian,” she said, clearly worried.

“Now, now, darling,” Vivian said, beaming up at the two of them. Such a handsome couple they’d make. “What good is it having a fairy godmother if she can’t handle the small details, hmm?” Before Lucy could say anything, Vivian glanced at Grady. “It was a pleasure to meet you. And, if you don’t mind a bit of advice from someone who’s been around the block a few times, a woman can’t make up her mind about what she really wants unless she’s aware of all her options.”

Lucy looked nonplussed, but Grady’s gaze sharpened instantly. Vivian smiled in satisfaction. “’Night, you two.” She ducked into the hall and hurried to the elevator. If she was going to intercept Mr. Prescott before he got on the lift coming up, she had to hurry.

Lucy watched Vivian disappear in a cloud of garment bag and Black Cashmere, slipping into a conveniently available elevator before Lucy could call her back. Sighing in defeat, she closed the door. “I’m sorry,” she said to Grady, “I have no idea what she was talking about.”

Grady’s jaw twitched a little. Was he angry at her again? Now what? “Actually, I think she understands more than the both of us put together.”

He lifted his hand toward her and she ducked back, having no idea what his intentions were, but if his expression was any indication, it wasn’t good. He scowled when she ducked, and reached farther, touching her cheek. “You had something stuck to your cheek. It looks like dried lettuce.”

She paused, raised her hand to her face, and cringed at the crusty little bumps she could feel around the edges. “A facial mask that didn’t come off right,” she said defensively, though she didn’t know exactly why. “What are you doing here? I’m getting ready—”

“I know. For a date with Prescott.” At her arched brow, his scowl deepened. “Jana told me.”

Lucy sighed. “I know I’ve been begging you to talk to me more, but now really isn’t a good time.”

“Actually, I can’t think of a better one.” He turned around, walked into the living area and made himself at home on her couch.

“Grady! Didn’t you hear me?”

“The whole floor heard you.”

“Well, given the fact that you can’t even utter the man’s name without grinding your teeth into stubs, you’ll understand if I’d prefer you not actually be here when he shows up at my door.”

“I don’t think he’s going to show up at your door. Not if your fairy godmother has anything to say about it.”

Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “Okay, what’s really going on here?” Because Vivian had taken one look at Grady and changed her thinking on everything. And Grady had looked a bit taken aback by her mysterious bit of advice. Now, however, he seemed totally on the same page. “I’m really getting tired of everyone else knowing what’s going on besides me.”

Her doorbell rang.

“Oh, for God’s sake!” She stomped over to the door and flung it open, thinking Vivian had come back for whatever reason and fully prepared to keep her locked in the apartment until she explained her cryptic remarks. Only it wasn’t Vivian. It was Jason.

Jason’s broad smile dimmed instantly as he took in her disheveled appearance. “Hi. I thought you were going to meet me downstairs.” His gaze traveled to her hair, still half in and half out of rollers, then down her body, still in sweats. “So . . . I assume you’re running a little behind schedule? You did remember we had a date this evening?” He said it in a way as to make it clear that he couldn’t possibly believe she’d have forgotten something so important. As if her social calendar was a wasteland except for those nights that he so graciously chose to fill it. But then, by always being available for these last-minute functions, hadn’t she sent him that exact signal?

Still, she was flustered and embarrassed and in no mood to be patronized. “Yes, of course. A—a number of things sort of came up and delayed me. Ah, actually, I was going to call you.”

Now Jason frowned. “About?”

“Well . . .” Why, oh, why, hadn’t Vivian stalled him? Given how quickly he’d arrived after her departure, Lucy could only guess that Jason had been on his way up in one elevator as Vivian had descended in the other.

“Can I come in? I’d rather not have this conversation in the hall.”

Again with the tone. She was tempted to say she’d rather not be treated like an empty-headed bimbo, either, but Jason peered past her just then. “Who is that?”

Shit.
“A—a friend of mine. He just dropped by.”

Any hope her ego might have had that Grady’s presence would incite a flare of jealousy on Jason’s part died a swift death. He barely glanced at him. “Didn’t you tell him you were going out tonight?”

As if there could be no competition when the great Jason Prescott came calling, commanding her attendance at yet another staggeringly boring legal soiree. It was really only in that moment that she realized just how true that was. Sure they were dazzling affairs filled with dazzling people. All of whom ignored her after the perfunctory introductions, whereby she spent the remainder of the evening sipping drinks and eating food she didn’t order, all the while doing her best to appear the ever-fascinated date while Jason charmed everyone with his center-of-attention stories.

Much like he’d been in high school, she realized. Jana was right, tigers didn’t change their stripes. Just their audience. And their arm candy. God, where was Debbie Markham when she needed her?

“I told you,” she said evenly, “he’s a friend. And this isn’t about my having company.”

Jason stepped past her into the tiny vestibule inside her front door.

Grady smiled and waved from his perch on the couch. Still frowning, Jason waved back, then looked immediately back to Lucy. “Can you get rid of him? Would you like me to?”

Lucy had noted the twinkle of devilish delight in Grady’s eyes. She sent him a warning glance, then turned back to Jason. “Listen, I—I’m sorry to cancel on you like this—”

Jason’s eyes widened. “Excuse me? Lucy, my firm had to buy tickets to this event tonight. It’s a political fund-raiser, and very important to me.”

Not, Lucy knew, because Jason harbored any strong sense of patriotism or political views, but because it was likely the guest roster contained several names that might “fund-raise” his firm’s bottom line. She knew the drill by now. Just as she knew the firm wouldn’t miss the money for her one measly ticket. “I understand that.” Lucy also understood his only real concern at the moment was showing up sans trophy, not that he was going to miss spending any time with her. “I wish I could have given you earlier notice so you could find another date.”

This is where he should have realized his social gaffe and assured her that it wasn’t all about him, but now that her blinders had been torn the rest of the way off, she already knew he wasn’t going to.

Jason’s cheeks flushed with agitation. “Like anyone else is going to be available at this late date,” he snapped.

Lucy’s face flushed, too, but in mortification. Anyone else, that is . . . except her. “I’m sorry,” she said instinctively, then immediately wondered why in the hell she was apologizing. Except she
was
sorry. Sorry she’d ever entertained the idea that Jason Prescott was her dream date, much less her dream mate. That if she just hung in there long enough, he’d see what a gem he had in her. When, at the moment, all she could wonder was why she’d ever thought she had a gem in him.

She’d been sticking it out because it was too embarrassing to admit that Jana and Grady had been right all along. And too personally mortifying to admit that she’d been so far gone about this whole makeover thing as to think that being considered arm candy was actually flattering.

“I’ll be glad to reimburse your firm for the price of the ticket.”

“It was fifteen hundred a plate.”

Lucy gulped.

“Somehow I don’t think that’s going to fit into a schoolteacher’s budget.”

She looked at Jason’s sneer and realized just how deeply embedded those blinders had been. She’d never seen this side of him during their time together. In fact, not since high school. But then, she’d made sure she was the perfect date, so why would he have to? Jason Prescott thwarted was not a nice thing to behold.

“No, you’re right,” Lucy said, temper heating up. The fact that she felt so intensely foolish for letting herself be used like this only fanned the flames. And while that was her own stupid fault, at the moment it felt perfectly acceptable to target Jason. “I imagine you wouldn’t miss it, though. Not that I believe for a moment that your firm won’t absorb the cost. All you have to do is schmooze an additional client tonight and you’ll more than make up for the investment.”