Todd: Dammit! It’s Black Friday. No way am I shopping in that. We’ll make do.
I laughed. He’d figure it out. No way would I go back to the mall. I switched to the text with Wes.
Ellie: Sure, sounds good. When?
His reply came later while I munched on a bowl of cereal. I hoped he’d gotten busy with family Thanksgiving stuff and hadn’t forgotten me.
Wes: Sorry for the delay. Saturday? I’m free after two.
I didn’t know where my surge of confidence came from—two different dates, two days in a row—but I liked it. I bit my lip in excitement and typed out my reply.
Ellie: Works for me. See you at the coffee shop by your office at two.
By the time Todd let himself into my apartment Friday, I was pacing the floor. Satan sat on my bed, glaring at me as I moved. I’d already gone through the plucking, lotioning, and exfoliating regimen he taught me days before. My hair was in a towel, and my face was ready for Todd’s expertise.
“Hurry! My hair is going to dry. I got excited and showered too early.”
Todd scurried over and took the bottle of hair product I offered. “My word, you’re a nervous wreck. Sit down and let me fix you up. I’m going to give you a glossier hairdo this time, as you’ll be at the theater. You’ve got to dress up for this.”
“I hadn’t even thought of that! Do I have a dress?” My nerves were a wreck. At that moment, I would’ve done anything Todd told me to, including shopping.
“Of course you do! What do you take me for?” He laughed as he massaged the goop into my hair.
Todd took his time and made my hair and makeup dramatic for my date. He called it an evening look. Finally, he finished, and I checked out his completed work. He gave me a smoky eye and bold lip, tamed my hair into a sleek side sweep. My blond tresses had never been shinier. “I still feel like the same person, just… nice. Pretty”
“That’s because I’m that good, darling. And you have fantastic hair.” He held out my dress for me to step into. The theater didn’t call for full formal—he’d made me text Arch and find out where we were going so he’d know how to dress me. I ended up in a sleeveless, black, sparkly cocktail dress with a sultry diagonal hemline.
“You’re perfection. My job is done. Call me after.” With an air kiss, he left. Five minutes later, my doorbell rang. I checked the monitors to find Arch standing in the hall in a form fitting suit.
I let him in, and like a hero in a novel, he nearly took my breath away. His hair had a small spike in the front, which elongated his features. I could tell he’d shaved, but he already showed the smallest signs of stubble.Sexy as all hell.
“Hi,” I said, voice small.
“You look amazing.” Arch’s eyes raked up and down my body, making me shiver. My spine straightened under his gaze.
“Thank you. You look stunning yourself.” I felt like a fool complimenting a man like him, but he cut a hell of a figure.
“Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?” His eyes bored into mine.
“It was fine.” I’d spent the day with Todd and Rick. I couldn’t do a big Thanksgiving without my dad. “How was yours?”
He gave me an odd glance at the word fine but nodded his head. “Good. I spent it with the guys and my little sister, Moriah. Most of our family is all in Atlanta, so we usually have a dinner at Gray’s place.”
I grinned up at him while he continued rattling off his Thanksgiving day story. He seemed a little off kilter. I flattered myself to hope he was as nervous as I was. “Should we go?” I asked when he trailed off his speech about well-prepared turkey.
He motioned me to the exit, and I led the way. Once I locked up, I asked the question on my mind for days. “So, you didn’t want to talk about the case then?”
He had the decency to duck his head in shame. “No, not at all. To keep things ethical, we can’t discuss anything else about your case anymore.”
I laughed nervously. I didn’t want to have to worry about an ethics violation for my case. “Are you sure it’s okay for us to do this?”
“Absolutely. I’m not your lawyer, and as long as I give you no legal advice and don’t work on your case, we’re good to go. Your case isn’t in my expertise.”
Relief flooded me. “All right then. Let’s go.”
We walked down to the parking garage, and he opened my door in a show of chivalry. “After you, my lady,” he said with a deep bow.
“Thank you, kind sir!” I replied with an exaggerated southern belle accent.
