The Cinderella Obsession (5 page)

And when he did, he could put things in perspective again.

A knock at the door snapped him out of his reverie.

"Come in," he called.

Vanessa pushed open the door and carried a steaming mug of coffee to his desk.

"You commented on the coffee when you got here, so I thought I’d bring you a cup."

"That’s great. Thank you." He smiled at her. "I promise, I won’t expect it to become a regular thing."

She returned his smile, setting her lovely features aglow. Her hair, cut short and feathery around her face, made her eyes appear huge--and hauntingly familiar. She claimed they had never met, but he was sure he’d seen those eyes before. Still, he felt certain he would have remembered her if they had met.

She put the mug on his desk and turned away. The coffee had cream in it. He took a sip and it had no sugar.

"Are you sure we’ve never met?" he asked.

She twirled back to face him. "What? No. No, we haven’t."

Why did she look so panic-stricken? "If we haven’t met, then how did you know how I take my coffee?"

She walked backwards while she talked. "Oh, that, I … I like to do my research, that’s all."

She bumped into the door, jerked around, then skittered out.

She certainly was nervous, but he couldn’t fault her enthusiasm for the job. If she’d never worked at the executive level before, she might feel a bit tense around the president of the company.

He smiled at the memory of his teasing when he’d first found her in here. Realizing now how much stress that must have put her under, he promised himself he’d make it up to her. Maybe even his body would cooperate and stop leaping to attention every time she got near, a reaction he found very annoying. It wasn’t like him to react this way to an employee, even one as beautiful as Vanessa.

Maybe he could do something to relax her. He didn’t want her jumping at his every word. He made a mental note to pull her employee file.

He tugged his handkerchief from his pocket and unwrapped it carefully, revealing a delicate glass slipper earring.

But right now, he was going to start tracking down his Cinderella.

Vanessa stared at her computer screen and tried to get her breathing back to normal. The shock of meeting her new boss, Nicholas Powers, and discovering he was her Prince Charming from the Masquerade had left her disoriented. What in heaven’s name was she going to do? If she stayed on as his secretary, he might figure out she’d been his Cinderella. He’d already commented on her eyes. Should she get tinted contact lenses to disguise them? No. She was being ridiculous. He might notice the difference, and anyway, she really couldn’t afford an expense like that. On the other hand, she couldn’t afford to lose this job, either.

"Vanessa, would you track something down for me?"

At the sound of Mr. Powers’ voice, she jerked upright in her seat, nearly toppling the African violets on the side of the desk. She glanced over her computer screen to see him watching her with an expression of mild amusement. He slid the potted plant a foot further away from her.

"I didn’t mean to startle you."

"It’s all right. I’m sorry, I was just … deep in thought." She flicked the Save menu to store her file. "What was it you wanted?"

"Rachel arranged to rent some costumes for a masquerade ball I held last Friday night. I’d like you to find the
name
of the rental company
and
the
phone number
."

"Certainly, Mr. Powers." A chill went down Vanessa’s spine. The last thing she wanted right now was a reminder of that party--and she certainly didn’t want it on the top of his mind. He might just make a connection she didn’t want him to make.

"None of that ‘Mr. Powers’. We’re very casual around here. Call me Nick. Okay?"

"Yes, Mr. … I mean, Nick." She swiveled in her chair to reach for the drawers.

"Bring it in when you find it," he called over his shoulder.

She watched as he strode back into his office. Why was he interested in the costumes? Chidingly, she told herself he probably just wanted to check the amount against his budget, or something of that nature. She had to stop worrying about that stupid party.

The best night of her life.

But it was over and she couldn’t let it keep encroaching on her real life. And she couldn’t let the fear of discovery paralyze her, either.

She couldn’t remember the name of the shop, so finding the
receipt
in Rachel’s files would probably be the fastest way to find the information. 
She opened the large file drawer and flicked through the index tabs to the one labeled "Current Expenses". She pulled out the folder and scanned through the contents until she found a folded invoice from "Custom Costumes" the little shop on Bank Street that specialized in fancy costumes. She snapped the folder closed and carried the paper in to Mr. Powers--Nick.

Nick heard someone tap on his door, then push it open. He glanced up to see Vanessa enter.

"Already? I can’t believe you’ve figured out Rachel’s file system so soon." He smiled at her. Rachel was good, but this woman was exceptional. All that talent and a body made
in heaven.

“I found the receipt.  It has the name and phone number at the top.”

She held out the paper and he took it from her outstretched hand, just barely stopping himself from brushing against her fingers. He longed to see if her skin was as soft as Cinderella’s. He glanced at the paper rather than his delectable secretary.

Cinderella had obviously affected him more than he’d thought. Now he was trying to find her in other women. At least, in this other woman.

What was the matter with him? He’d never had a problem keeping business separate from pleasure before. In fact, he’d always been able to keep his mind strictly on work in the office. Today, however, his secretary seemed determined to star in his daydreams.

But Cinderella, whoever she was, had haunted his dreams all weekend. He was under her spell as surely as if her fairy godmother had hit him straight in the heart with her magic wand.

And magic was a new experience for him. One he was determined to relive. As soon as he found his mystery woman. He focused on the phone number on the invoice, listed under the store name.

"Speaking of filing systems…."

He glanced up at her again, noting her tense expression.

"I wanted to familiarize myself with the files in here. Would you mind if I reviewed them?" she asked.

He appreciated her efficiency and eagerness to excel in her new job, but right now he wished she’d relax a bit so she wouldn’t keep herself under so much stress. The strain showed clearly on her pretty face.

"Sounds like a great idea. Let me know when."

Her hands clasped tightly in front of her. "How about now? I’ll try not to disturb you."

Try not to disturb him?
A woman like Vanessa couldn’t help but disturb any red-blooded male. Her distinctly feminine aura tickled his imagination into action anytime she came near. He couldn’t be in the same room and not be aware of her. But he couldn’t fault her for that.

"Fine, go ahead." He waved his hand toward the credenza. "Be my guest."

She turned away and headed toward the cabinet, walking with the quiet grace of a cat. He watched the gentle sway of her hips, feeling a tightness tug at his body.

As she pulled open the drawer, he reluctantly drew his gaze away, picking up the phone and dialing. The electronic ring sounded twice before someone picked up, answering with the store name.

"Hello, I’m calling about a costume that was rented last week. It was a Cinderella costume, one of four rented for Nicholas Powers."

Watching Vanessa open the large drawer and scan through the files, his gaze drifted to her nicely curved derriere.
Looking isn’t a crime,
he assured himself
. As long as you don’t touch.

"Ah, Mr. Powers. This is Harold Green the manager of Custom Costumes. I spoke with your secretary last week when she picked up those outfits. I trust the party went well."

"Yes, the party was a great success, thank you. I want to know if the Cinderella costume has been returned yet."

"Returned? They weren’t expected back until today and nothing’s come in this morning. You don’t still have it?"

"I have three of them but that one has gone missing."

"Oh, I see. Let me check if it came back on the weekend."

Nick heard the sound of papers flipping.

"Do you think the costume was stolen?" Mr. Green asked as he searched his files.

"Stolen? Yes, I guess it was."

A sharp sound across the office drew Nick’s attention and he noticed Vanessa chewing on her fingertip as she picked up a large binder that had fallen over on its side. For such a graceful woman, she certainly was clumsy.

"Wait. It says here the Cinderella costume came in Saturday morning, right after we opened. Either you’re mistaken about it being stolen, Mr. Powers, or you have a very conscientious thief."

"I see. Very interesting." More conscientious than himself. He still had to get the other three costumes back before four and he had a meeting in fifteen minutes that would probably take the rest of the day. "Can you tell me who returned it?"

"No, I’m afraid not. It was paid for ahead of time, so we didn’t record that information. Wouldn’t it have been your secretary Rachel?"

"No, she’s been out of commission all weekend. I take it you weren’t there when the costume came back. Can you find out what the person looked like?"

"I could talk to the weekend staff if you like, but I can’t guarantee they’ll remember."

"That’s fine. Anything would be of help." Nick pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket while he talked. "Mr. Green, can you tell me one more thing?" Unwrapping the white cloth, he revealed the tiny earring he’d found glinting in the moonlight after his mystery woman had fled. "Are glass slipper earrings part of the costume? Pierced?" He lifted the delicate piece of crystal and examined it, thinking of the woman whose ear it had adorned.

"Pierced earrings? Oh, my, no. There are health laws about that kind of thing."

"That’s what I thought. If you find out anything about the person who returned the outfit, please call me."

He stared at the tiny glass slipper dangling from his fingers.

"I … uh. Could I see that?"

He realized Vanessa was standing right beside his desk, staring at the earring as though it was the most precious jewel in the world. He held it out to her.

"Just be careful. I think it might be antique."

She took it reverently. "Oh, it is."

He glanced at her sharply. "How do you know?"

"Oh, I … I just mean, it’s so beautiful, it must be antique, or very valuable."

Light shimmered from its faceted surface. "Yes, it is beautiful."

Almost as beautiful as the woman who’d left it behind. He’d found it dangling from the hedge surrounding his mansion property. He just couldn’t imagine his beautiful Cinderella in that magnificent gown pushing through those bushes. Why had she been so desperate to escape?

"I’ve finished reviewing the files. I’ll go see if your mail’s arrived yet."

Vanessa was halfway across the office before Nick realized she hadn’t given the earring back.

"Vanessa, aren’t you forgetting something?"

She glanced back at him. "Forgetting?"

He held out his hand, palm up. "The earring?"

She laughed nervously. "Oh, yes. I forgot I had it. Sorry."

She stepped toward him and gently laid the earring in his hand, almost reluctantly, he thought. Her intense gaze remained locked on it while he wrapped it carefully in the handkerchief again and tucked it into his jacket pocket.

Clumsy and forgetful. How in the world did she manage to be so efficient?

Once the earring was out of sight, she turned to leave again.

"Vanessa, wait. Have you got a car?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I’ve got to get the costumes back before the store closes at four but--"

"Three-thirty."

His gaze darted to her face. "What? How do you know that?"

"I … uh…." She glanced at the bill and jabbed a finger at the hand-written note scrawled across the middle which said
Pick up before 3:30 Friday.
"I assumed from that."

"I see. Yes, I think you’re right. Anyway, I’m going to be tied up until late. Would you mind taking them back for me? You can take an extended lunch and I’ll pick up the tab at a nice restaurant as a thank you."

"That isn’t really necessary, I--"

He waved away her protest. "Nonsense. I do it with Rachel all the time."

"Okay, thank you."

"Great, I’ll go get them from my car."

* * * *

Vanessa peered in the window of Custom Costumes, feeling like a thief casing the joint. She strained to see past the fairy costume to the people inside, trying to assure herself that none of the store clerks who’d seen her on Saturday were here now. Not that they’d really remember her, she felt certain--she wasn’t all that memorable--but why take chances?

Finally convinced she was safe, she retrieved the costumes from her car and slipped into the store, keeping her sunglasses on just in case.

"Ah, you’re returning Mr. Powers’ costumes, I see." A slightly balding man with grey hair and glasses bustled over to her. "I’m Mr. Green. I spoke with Mr. Powers just this morning. Has he found out any more about the Cinderella costume?"

"Any more? Uh, no."

"I see. I can’t figure out why he wants to know who returned it. His secretary probably just asked someone to bring it back for her, though why it didn’t come back with these ones I don’t know."

"The woman who was supposed to wear it took sick," Vanessa volunteered.

"Well, there, you see? Rachel probably just asked a friend to bring it back."

"I guess," Vanessa agreed, not really wanting to be drawn and further into the conversation. All she wanted to do was get out of here.

A young woman ducked past Vanessa and scooted into the back room.

"So why are you bringing these back instead of Rachel? Is she sick or something?"

"Yes, that’s right."

"Nothing wrong with the baby?" His eyebrows arched up in concern.

"No. The baby’s fine." Good heavens. Vanessa knew Rachel had only been in here once. This man had a better memory than most. Thank heavens he hadn’t been here on Saturday. She felt sure he’d have been able to describe her from top to bottom given the sharpness in those friendly, but observant, eyes.

"So you’re filling in for her, are you?"

"Mm hmm." She glanced at her watch. "I have to be getting back. Are we all done?" she asked politely.

He tore the tags off the hangers and stapled them to the bill. "We are now." He smiled. "Have a nice day."

Harold Green watched the lovely young woman leave his shop. This Powers sure seemed to attract pretty little things as his secretaries. Rachel had been more talkative but this one clearly had something on her mind.