Chapter Twelve
Brady
I woke late, startled when I glanced at the clock. Shit. I had called Dana late yesterday afternoon and told her to come by my apartment this afternoon at four o’clock so we could discuss some details over our feigned relationship before it was time to go to the reception. I had just a few minutes to throw on some clothes and quickly glance around my apartment to make sure it was in decent enough condition to receive company. Not that I had ever really cared before.
I had a penthouse suite on top of one of the older buildings in downtown, constructed in the early twentieth century. It kind of stood out like a sore thumb against the more modern steel and glass structures of Dallas, but when I had seen it for the first time, it pulled at something deep inside me. Maybe it was the old stone that looked like it had been exquisitely and carefully chosen, then sanded just so before placement into the edifice. Maybe it was the finely sculptured edgings carved into the stones that delineated each floor from the outside. Then again, maybe it was just the strength and longevity of the building and the fact that it had withstood the test of time and weather, even a tornado back in the thirties.
Stepping inside the foyer, I always felt like I was stepping back in time. The black-and-white marble floors were original, as were the old-fashioned brass-fronted mailboxes along the left wall of the entryway. All the molding was original, and the property owner had done a wonderful job at renovating the formerly abandoned building to its former glory. Dark, highly polished banisters to hold onto if one was predisposed to take the stairs. Otherwise, the only other option from getting from floor to floor was one of those old-fashioned elevators that you had to pull the gate over. Entry into that elevator was always an adventure in itself, never knowing if today would be the day when the ancient contraption would decide to break down.
“Focus!”
My voice jarred me into action, and I quickly started a pot of coffee. Then I paused. I would be announcing Dana as my fiancée to my dad later this evening, and I didn’t know if she even drank coffee. Then again, who didn’t?
The coffee machine was gurgling away when I heard two loud knocks on the door. Oddly enough, I suddenly felt nervous. Not sure why, I headed for the door and opened it. Dana stood there, wearing a very nice cocktail dress; a sequined gold sheath dress, certainly appropriate for a get-together in most situations for sure, but not for the reception we were going to. She had pulled her shoulder-length hair into a bun. She wore little makeup but didn’t need any as far as I was concerned. Tiny faux diamond studs in her earlobes and a slim faux gold bracelet encircled her wrist to complete the ensemble. I stepped back and gestured for her to come inside.
She saw my expression and glanced down at the dress. “Not appropriate?”
I didn’t reply but gestured for her to sit down on the couch. I watched her face. While she did her best to maintain her expression, I couldn’t help notice her mouth dropped open slightly and the dismay in her eyes. For the first time, I wondered about her. Where she lived. How she lived.
“Welcome to my humble abode,” I said, gesturing again to the couch. “Make yourself at home.”
My penthouse suite took up half the upper floor of the old building. Two bedrooms, one and a half baths, a huge living room, and an open kitchen and dining area separated from the living room by a chest high dinette with stools. The entire length of the living room wall facing downtown was glass, offering a gorgeous view of not only the downtown district, but miles and miles into the distance.
Dana took the one step down into the living room area from the foyer and kitchen space and sat on the couch. Rather, on the edge of it, knees together, hands folded neatly on her thighs. She looked calm, expression bland again, but I could tell by the whiteness in her knuckles how nervous she was.
“Feel free to look around,” I invited. “After all, you’re going to be living here too, at least for a while.” I gestured down the hall. “I have two bedrooms, the master bedroom and a smaller though quite comfortably sized bedroom. You can have the master. It has a full bath.”
She nodded and glanced at me and then quickly away to gaze around once more before she spoke. “I live in a studio near the university.”
Now I understood her reaction but with the time, I had to broach the topic of her clothing. I wasn’t sure how to discuss it without hurting her feelings. I suppose I should just blurt it out. “You look nice, Dana, but you can’t go to the event like that.”
She frowned and glanced down at her dress. “Why not? It cost me—you—a pretty penny.”
“Just trust me, okay?” She didn’t look offended, but stared while I reached for my phone. I needed help, so I called Cassie.
Cassie was the only female friend I had. Cassie Darren and I had known each other forever. Literally. I think the first class we shared was in first grade. It wasn’t until we got into junior high that she began to fill out and blossom into the lovely woman she was today, and, of course, with testosterone beginning to surge through my blood, everyone was fairly confident that we would morph from friends into perhaps friends with benefits.
We kissed once in awhile, but neither one of us seemed to want to endanger our friendship with tawdry sex. By the time we entered high school, we both discovered that her interests leaned more toward women than men. Not that I would’ve hesitated if it had been different, because she was drop-dead gorgeous by then. If we hadn’t been best friends, who knows? Our moms had been friends before Cassie and I were, and that’s how we had met. She had been there for me every day following my mom’s death and—
After two rings a throaty, sexy voice answered.
“Brady, I was wondering when you would get around to calling me. You back from Spain?”
“Cassie, I need your help.”
“What kind of help?”
“It’s a long story, but I need you to help a friend of mine with a makeover.” I glanced at Dana and saw her frown, waving her hand in a negative gesture. I glanced away from her and pointedly stared out the window. “You know, dress, hair, and makeup.”
Dana softly protested.
“When?”
“Right now if possible. I’m taking her to a gathering at Dad’s this evening. You know what that means.”
“I’m on my way.”
“Thanks, Cassie.” I disconnected the call. The moment I did, Dana spoke up.
“If I need fancier clothes, I can go get them myself. I just didn’t want to spend too much money. The price of this thing was outrageous as it was. And as far as that goes, I can do my own hair and makeup too.”
“Please don’t be offended, Dana,” I said, walking toward the couch and sitting at the opposite end. “Honest, I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, you are lovely. Absolutely lovely.” I meant it. “But to fool my dad, you have to look the part.”
“The part?”
I cleared my throat, thinking there was just no other way to say it. “I have to admit that you’re not… well, you’re not the kind of woman I typically hook up with.” Her eyes widened, and I quickly rushed on. “Not in the looks department, that’s not what I mean. You’re beautiful, no doubt about that. I just mean… I mean—”
“You don’t need to explain, Brady, I get it,” she said.
“I don’t think you do.”
“Look, I don’t know anything about you or your family, and you don’t know anything about me. I’ll follow your lead, but I hope you don’t think the fancy hairdo or a dress is going to change who I really am.” She shook her head. “That I can’t do.”
“You don’t have to change who you are, at least not on the inside,” I assured her. “It’s just that this is a formal gathering. Very formal.” I shook my head. “They’re all formal gatherings, at least in my opinion. Hobnobbing with millionaires—most of them snobs, mind you—it’s not my favorite thing to do either, believe me.”
She nodded as if she understood, but I saw her fidgeting, her short nails idly tracing one of the sequined patterns on the dress. When she saw me watching her, she stopped and held out her hands.
“Let me be blunt. I’m a nursing student. I grew up poor, and I still am poor,” she said simply. “Or I was. I don’t like to waste money on frivolous things like this.” She swept her hand down the dress. “I don’t spend my hard-earned money on makeup and I do my hair myself. School and work.” She glanced down at her fingers and offered a shrug. “Long fingernails get in the way.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “Cassie will fix you up with some of those French nails or something. You can take them off after tonight.”
“Who’s Cassie?”
“A friend of mine. We’ve known each other forever.” I glanced at the clock. Barely ten minutes had passed since I called Cassie. She didn’t live far, but the sooner she got here, the better.
“So what’s the story I’m supposed to stick to tonight when we meet your dad?”
I gave her some basic background information about how we supposedly met and where. We’d been dating on and off for the past six months or so, but only during the past couple of months had we grown more serious.
“That’s it?”
I nodded. “The simpler we keep the story, the easier it will be to stick to it.”
Just then a knock sounded on my door, and I quickly rose from the couch, opened it, and smiled as Cassie brushed past me with barely a wave and focused on Dana. She paused at the step, glanced at me, and nodded in approval.
“My name’s Cassie,” she said, quickly heading for Dana, hand extended. “Come on, girlfriend, we’ve got some shopping to do!”
*
I arrived at my dad’s estate sans Dana, hoping that she and Cassie wouldn’t be much longer. I had called Cassie and hour ago to get a status update. She told me that they were running late and she would bring Dana to meet me at my dad’s. Since I’d arrived, I’d studiously avoided him, hovering near the edge of the wet bar as I watched the guests mingle. Typical for one of my dad’s “get-togethers” with about fifty or more people in attendance, everyone dressed to the nines.
I reached up to loosen the shirt collar beneath my formal tux jacket, feeling like a fraud. Which I was. I nodded greetings and offered pleasantries to many of the guests who acknowledged me, people I had known my entire life. Most of them business friends and associates of my dad’s, but some just old friends not involved in any business dealings.
The catering staff moved among the guests wearing black pants, long-sleeved white button-down shirts and maroon vests, bearing trays of hors d’oeuvres, wine, and flutes golden with champagne. I turned to the wet bar, glanced at the bartender my dad had hired, and ordered a Scotch. I had promised Dana that I wouldn’t overindulge, and I meant to keep my word, but if anything called for a Scotch, it was now.
I had to—
“Brady.”
I turned to find my dad standing behind me, features somber, a slight frown marring his brow. “Hey, Dad.”
He made an overt gesture of peering through the crowd. “So where’s this fiancée of yours?”
“She’s on her way with Cassie.” He nodded, but I could tell he didn’t believe me. I tried to anticipate the look of surprise on his face—
She entered the room then. Dana. And it was I who had to struggle to maintain my expression. She looked absolutely radiant, transformed even. Not that she hadn’t been beautiful to begin with; she had great bone structure, gorgeous eyes, and perfect lips. But now? My heart trip hammered, and I felt arousal heat my groin. Oh my God. Though I longed to gulp it down, I placed the glass of Scotch down and smiled when she found me. I held out my hand. A perfectly normal reaction, drawing her toward me.
She stepped toward me with a sensual smile, her body encased in a form fitting yet tasteful one-shouldered gown. She played the part well, a smile softening her face as she quickly made her way through the crowd, Cassie giving me a look that I understood. I gave her a wink and a nod as Dana’s hand met mine. I glanced down and saw the sparkling diamond ring, the long fingernails painted in a tasteful subdued pink. And the dress. I couldn’t help the top-to-toe gaze, or stare rather, that I gave her. The long, charcoal black sleeveless dress was more than tasteful for the event, hugging her figure closely. Cassie must’ve encouraged her to wear a push up bra because her cleavage, though not overly exposed, had my thoughts running wild. My dick wiggled again, but I forced myself to turn toward my dad.
“Dad, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Dana Sommers.” I could see he was impressed. “Dana, this is my dad, Clint Shaw.”
Dana offered her hand, palm down, and my father took her hand between both of his.
“Very pleased to meet you, Dana.”
He glanced at me with a raised eyebrow then turned back to Dana. “So when’s the wedding?”
Dana didn’t even hesitate. She smiled warmly as she glanced at me.
“We haven’t set a date yet,” she said. “But we’ll be working out the details very soon.”
“That’s wonderful, wonderful to hear.” He nodded.
I watched my dad. For the first time, he appeared a bit flustered. I wanted to hug Dana right then and there for playing her part so well. My dad excused himself and made his way toward the other side of the room, schmoozing with his guests along the way. Still holding Dana’s hand, I guided her toward the far wall near the window.
“You look absolutely gorgeous,” I said, meaning it. “And the ring… I didn’t even think of that.”
“I didn’t either,” Dana said. “Cassie’s got very good taste.”
“That she does,” I agreed. “Actually—”
Dana’s arms suddenly wrapped around my waist, pulling me close. The movement startled me, even more so when she lifted herself upward, body pressed close to mine, and kissed me on the lips. My surprise lasted only a second. The feel of her lips on mine caused my dick to wiggle again. I’m sure she felt it, but I lost myself in the kiss until it was abruptly cut off.
I gazed down at her in confusion, but she offered an explanation before I could even ask.
“Your dad is looking at us,” she said, a smile pasted on her face as her fingers plucked at an imaginary piece of fuzz on the tuxedo jacket.
Before I could even respond to that comment, she wrapped her hands around the back of my neck and pulled my head down, whispering into my ear.
“I think your dad bought it.”
My lips still tingled from her caress. Believe me, I’ve probably kissed hundreds of women, but none of them ever felt like that. It took me a bit off guard and left me more than slightly confused.