Chapter 2
Longing for him
Arielle Nygard
Nerves make my hands unsteady as I apply mascara to my lashes, and I nearly poke my eye with the brush. If eyeliner didn’t make my brown eyes pop, I wouldn’t risk stabbing myself with the pencil. I haven’t been on a second date in ten years, but I know that when a gorgeous, sexy, intelligent man asks you to dinner, you put on your best face.
“Dammit,” I swear as I smudge the mascara.
“Everything alright, Mrs. Nygard?” Sally asks from the passage. Sally is babysitting my son while I go to dinner with Samuel Foster aka Atticus Colt, world-famous magician…and my boss. I can barely even believe it myself. “Do you need any help?” she goes on.
“Oh, I’m just attempting my new performance of ‘blinding by mascara wand’,” I say with a laugh. “But yes, please help.”
“You can’t be that nervous,” she says as she enters my bedroom. “You’ve known Mr. Foster for months. And you’ve already been out with him.” Sally settles me on the stool in front of my dressing table and sets about fixing the smudge.
“This is different. Our first date was an afternoon at the funfair. This is a romantic dinner. It’s a real grown-up date. I haven’t been on a romantic dinner date in so long. I’m afraid I’m going to mess it up.”
“I think Mr. Foster is so into you that he wouldn’t mind if you dumped a plate of spaghetti on his head,” she says as she expertly applies eyeliner to my lids. “Are you going to put your hair up?”
“No, I think I’ll leave it loose.” I run my fingers through my bright red tresses. I’ve chosen a form-fitting black satin dress for the evening. It’s been years since I wore it last, and I’m pleased that it still fits. It contrasts nicely with my pale skin and red hair.
“Well, then, you just need a bit of lipstick and you’re ready,” Sally says. She steps back and admires her work with a sigh. “I wish I was going out with a totally hot guy who only had eyes for me.” Sally is seventeen with bright blonde hair, big blue eyes, long legs, and a lithe frame. She’s also smart, kind, and funny. If she ever pulled her nose from her schoolbooks, she’d know that every guy she walked past would fawn over her in a second.
“You could have any guy you wanted,” I say with a smile. “Except for Sam. You can’t have him.”
“Oh, he’d never choose me over you. He’s totally into you.”
The doorbell rings. Sam is a few minutes late, which suits me just fine – I’m still trying to pull myself together.
“I’ll get it,” Sally says. “Make him wait for a few minutes. Lady’s prerogative, don’t you know…” she winks.
I take a couple of deep breaths to calm the butterflies that are doing somersaults in my belly. I fasten a delicate gold bracelet around my left wrist. The sight of it makes my heart clench a little – it was an anniversary gift from Steve just a short while before he was killed on duty. He was my first, and until recently, only love. But in the few months since I’ve been working as Sam’s cat-sitter, I’ve been feeling a shift. For the first time in two years, I feel like I’m falling in love again.
Sam is everything I could ever want. He’s kind and gentle and takes an interest in my son. Nine-year-old Austin isn’t the easiest kid to impress, but Sam has managed to capture his attention. He captured mine too, just a few hours after putting on a show for the kids in Austin’s special needs playgroup at the hospital where I work part-time. My mind reels back to that kiss on my birthday. The kiss that left me weak at the knees and standing speechless in the parking lot of the bar where I was celebrating turning thirty. Of course, that night I had no idea that arrogant showman, Atticus Colt was also my sweet-natured boss, Samuel Foster. It’s hard to believe that one person can have two such different personalities.
I run a brush through my hair one last time and head to the living room, where I can hear voices. Sam is showing Austin another magic trick, much to my son’s delight. I smile at the scene before me; Sam is in a form-fitting dark shirt over Levis, crouching down to Austin’s level. He’s pulling a stuffed rabbit from inside Austin’s pajamas and my normally silent son is giggling in delight.
“Hi guys,” I say, startling Sam; he almost falls over and I suppress a smile. “What’s going on here?”
Sam gets to his feet, looking slightly guilty for being discovered playing with a child. “Oh, ah, nothing much,” he stammers. “Just a little fun.” He turns to face me, and his mouth drops open in surprise. “Wow. You look beautiful.” He leans down to Austin. “Doesn’t your mom look beautiful?” I feel my eyes well with tears; no one else has ever treated my son like this. Like he’s just a regular kid instead of damaged goods. Austin doesn’t respond, but it doesn’t seem to bother Sam. He stands again. “Shall we go?”
I swallow my tears. “Yes.” I turn to Sally. “Call if you need me.”
“We’ll be fine,” she assures me. “Go and have a wonderful time.”
We step outside and I hear the reassuring click of the lock behind me. Sam offers me his arm. It’s going to be an amazing evening.
