Lovers & Liars (4 page)

“Have
it with me.” Gunther raised his eyes.

Max
hesitated before shaking his head.

“Aw,
come on, Max. Live a little. I’m paying.”

Max
met Gunther’s gaze. “Well, if you’re putting it that way. How can I refuse to
keep you company?” Max chuckled like an eight-year-old boy conspiring mischief
with a friend.

Gunther
grinned and motioned for the waiter.
Lobster.
Who’d a thought?
His stomach growled in anticipation. Max smiled at him and
ordered the same dish plus another Cosmo. Gunther sat back in his seat.
It’s working. I’m winning him over.

“Tell
me more about East West Productions, Gunther. Oh, before we firm up any plans
to start this company, you have to make amends with Grace Brewster. She’s not
only a close friend, but the writer I’ve hired to do the script for
Sway
.”

Gunther
gulped. “I’ll do whatever I have to, Max, to convince you I’m sincere.
Including apologizing to Grace.”

Max
nodded. “Continue, then.”

* * * *

Gunther
arrived back at his office at three thirty. Wearing a grin that stretched from
ear to ear, his arms loaded down with packages, he whistled a tune as he
entered the office. Erica glanced up from the papers on her desk, did a double
take, and cocked her head. He presented her with a bouquet of flowers and a big
box of
Godiva c
hocolates.

“For
me?” She lifted her brows. “How much did you have to drink at lunch?”

“I’m
not drunk.”

“Never
said you were. Maybe a little happy?”

He
shot her a quick frown. “You were right about Max. Meeting on his turf. He was
comfortable, off guard. It was like taking candy from a baby. He loved my plan.
And I had lobster. It was great.” Gunther leaned over and kissed her on the
cheek. A faint pink stained her cheeks, making her more attractive.
Why doesn’t she wear makeup? She’d be great
looking.

His
gaze rested on her cleavage for a moment too long. When he looked up, she was
staring at him. Now he sensed heat seeping into his cheeks.

“My
face is up here,” she said, motioning.

“Sorry.
I’m a guy. Can’t help it.” He shrugged.

“I
can’t take credit for your success with Max. You pitched him.”

“I
know, but everything was right. He was in a good mood. He even had lobster with
me and smiled when I picked up the check.”

“And
what did he agree to?”

“Giving
me movie rights for
Sway.
He said
he’d look over a contract for East West Productions, too. Get Grant Hollings on
the phone. I need those contracts yesterday.”

“Fantastic.
Congratulations.” Her smile seemed real.

Gunther
stopped and retraced his steps.
Haven’t
had anyone, outside of Ma, genuinely happy for me in forever. Not since Laurel.
“Thanks. There’ll be a bonus in it for you, too. Once the contracts are signed.
Almost forgot, this is for you, too.” He plopped a bottle of
Dom
Perignon
on her desk.

Erica
blushed deeper and picked up the phone. Gunther retreated to his office,
closing the door. He danced a few steps while humming
Sway.
He opened all the curtains and looked out over the city.
This will be a first. I’ll be locking up
most of the top musicals on Broadway.
Dorrie
will
choreograph for me. We’re on the way.

Excitement
bubbled up in his veins. He played the tune on his computer and danced around
the room. Always a good dancer, he really got into it.
Celebrate.
Gotta
celebrate tonight.
Then,
he stopped cold.
Elsa.
Gotta
celebrate with her. She’s not a musical movie star.
Only sexy stuff, comedies with nudity. This means nothing to her.
He
remembered she was in Spain shooting a foreign film anyway.

He
collapsed into his big chair like a deflated balloon. Having no one to
celebrate with depressed him.
Maybe I do
have someone…let’s see.

Marshaling
all his charm, he popped his head out the door and called to Erica. “You doing
anything tonight?”

She
swiveled in her chair to face him. “Just reading treatments. Why?”

“Go
to Maggie’s shop and get the hottest dress you can. Tell her to charge it to
me. I’ll pick you up at eight. We’re celebrating.
Dinner,
then clubs.
Wear spikes.” Before she could answer, Gunther slipped back
into his office, like a jack-in-the-box.

He
flipped the music back on and turned down the sound before picking up his
private line and hitting speed dial. “Maggie? Yeah. I’ve got a makeover for
you. My assistant, Erica Wheeler. I need everything—clothes, makeup, hair. For
tonight. She’s on her way. Thanks.”

He
peeked out and spied Erica still working at her desk. “Chop
chop
,
lady!”

She
jumped, startled.

“The
big boss gave you an order. Off you go to Maggie’s. Now.”

A
strange sensation, the feeling he’d rather celebrate with Erica than Elsa,
entered his heart. He shook it off.
Of
course it’s better to take Erica, she helped bring this deal together. Elsa
could care less as there won’t be anything in it for her.

Once
back in his office, he played “Sway” over and over as he looked out over Los
Angeles. Leaning back in his chair, he brought the fingertips of both hands
together and grinned.
What do you think
of this deal, Dad? Ten times bigger than any you ever made.
A small portion
of the emptiness in his heart filled up. He propped his feet up and closed his
eyes.
We’ll be the biggest thing on both
coasts.

The
clock on the wall chimed five times, and he leapt up. As he hummed, he selected
his clothes for the evening and hit the shower.

* * * *

Erica
turned the key in her old car. It refused to turn over on the first three
tries. Fear that the vehicle would drop dead long before she could afford to
replace it made her hands sweat. She followed the directions from
MapQuest
to The Stylish Lady Salon. When
she arrived, she parked in the back and went in.

Bells
on the door brought out a beautifully dressed, older woman. She was short and
slender. Wearing teal silk pants and a matching tunic, she wound a long,
lavender print, chiffon scarf loosely around her neck. Chin-length brown hair
matched keen brown eyes. A warm smile put Erica at ease.

The
woman looked her over. “You must be Erica.”

“
It’s
public knowledge how badly I dress?”

The
woman chuckled. “No, my dear. Gunther called. He’s a dear man. Always been very
good to me.”

Erica
raised her eyebrows.
Never heard that
before.

“Come,
here, in the back. Let’s select some dresses for you. This is a big night for
Gunther, eh? Too bad he doesn’t have his significant other to celebrate with.”

I’m Elsa’s stand-in? Hey, a nice
dinner and some dancing is fine with me. Doesn’t have to be real.
She
took a deep breath to slow her pulse.
Dancing with Gunther.
A
small tremor shot up her spine at the idea of his strong arms leading her
around the dance floor. Would she get close enough to be pressed against his
chest? Would his hot breath tickle her ear? Anticipation sent heat to her
belly.

Emotion
caught in her chest at the thought.
He’s
taken. Engaged.
And too...too…out of my league.
Still.
For one night, I’ll be his princess.

“Why
do you hide such beauty under ugly clothes?” Maggie asked, folding her arms
across her chest.

Erica
looked at her, but said nothing.
If you
only knew.

“Come,
darling girl. This’ll be the easiest makeover ever.” Maggie led Erica into a
back room filled with rack upon rack of colorful, silky gowns.

You can keep amusement parks. This
is my kind of fairyland.

“Take
off those clothes, and let’s see what we have to work with.”

Maggie
sat in a director’s chair and watched Erica strip down to her bra and panties.

“Oh,
my dear. You have breasts. We must let them show.” The designer pushed to her
feet and shuffled through dress after dress, pulling some out placing them on
another rack. When she was done, she returned to her seat.

“A
fashion show, my dear, for me.
First, take down the
hair. That bun is dreadful! It must go.”

Erica
released her hair from the tight band. The soft, golden locks fell to her
shoulders, framing her face.

“Lovely!
Pick any dress to start, and let’s see which one lets your beauty shine through
the best.”

Erica
was drawn to a raspberry pink gown immediately. She looked at each one on the
rack—silver, gold, teal blue, emerald green—the colors were spectacular. The
fabrics were rich. Fine silks and satins caressed her fingertips.

Even
when her mother was alive, Erica had never seen clothing of this quality. Her
mother had shopped at discount stores for them both, as money was always tight.
She had dreamed of fairy dresses when she was little, as many girls do. At
seven, she was completely convinced she’d be a princess one day.

But
when the hard knocks of reality hit her square in the face at thirteen, those
dreams gradually evaporated from her consciousness. Ambitions of any sort
became attached to her hunger to perform. Acting was the only way to escape the
brutality of her real life.

Which dress to choose?
Erica smiled to herself. She would try on all of them to make this a true fairy
princess experience. Life had taught her to live in the moment. She unzipped
the pink dress and eased the elegant, slippery satin over her hips. The
coolness of the fabric gave her a shiver.

* * * *

Erica
swung her slim legs out of the car and stood up on the pavement. Her black,
patent leather, spiked heels made her taller and slimmer. She brushed the skirt
of her teal blue iridescent, thigh-high dress.
Wish it were just a little longer.
The new bra pushed her generous
breasts up so that the tops peeked invitingly over the low-cut neckline. The
slinky, sleeveless outfit hugged her curves.

Subtle
makeup emphasized her enormous eyes, made bluer by the blue-green of the material.
Her lips were rouged in a dark pink. A silver heart pendant rested just above
her cleavage. Tiny silver hearts, a sweet touch, dangled from her ears. A
chunky silver bracelet finished off the icy look. Her thick hair hung loose, curling
around and caressing her shoulders, inviting any man within twenty feet to run
his fingers through it.

When
the makeover was complete, Maggie had gasped in disbelief and joy at the
gorgeous creature standing before her. Erica was delighted to look so good, but
wary about parading in front of Gunther Quill.
If he makes a pass at me, I’ll crumble like old newspaper. He’s my
boss. I can’t take a chance on losing this job. But I can’t resist him.

She
entered the office slowly. As she closed the door behind her, a low whistle
made her turn quickly. Raising her gaze, she sucked in air. Always handsome and
beautifully dressed, this Gunther was beyond her expectations. His hair and
scruff were perfect, as usual, but the black suit with narrow lapels hugging
his hard body, and the white, silk shirt open at the neck, revealing some black
chest hair, made her heart stop.

The
heat of his stare melted any last shred of resistance. She felt his gaze glide
over her body like the caress of a warm hand. Her pulse kicked up, and heat
pooled in places not used to much action of late.

“You
look amazing,” he said.

“So
do you.” She could hardly breathe.

“Why
did you hide all…this?” He made a sweeping gesture.

“You
have a reputation, and you’re…my boss.” She shrugged.

“But
this level of eye candy shouldn’t be kept under wraps. I promise to look and
not touch.” A spot of color appeared in each of his cheeks.

Damn! Is that what I really want?
The
tingling growing in her body under his scrutiny awoke Erica to the void she’d
had in her life. Working and scrimping had left her dateless, man-less. She had
stuffed her feelings away, motivated only to succeed, to survive, ignoring the
searing loneliness gnawing at her heart.
When
was the last time I woke up in bed in the arms of a man after a night of making
love? Could it actually be a year ago?

Grabby
photographers had turned her wary. Being a nameless, faceless, temporary office
worker left her feeling like a pane of glass, fragile and see-through,
transparent. All of a sudden, she was visible, in a big way, to a powerful,
handsome man. Ignoring her emotions wouldn’t work this time. She suppressed her
desire to unbutton his shirt and run her hands through the hair on his chest.
And he’s engaged, too. Back off or get
crushed.