The Cinderella Obsession (6 page)

"Hey, Dad. Gonna treat me to lunch?" His teenage daughter leaned on the counter beside him.

"You got paid today. Why don’t you treat me for a change?"

"Yeah, right." She grinned and hung up the three costumes on the rack behind the counter. "I wonder how come that lady didn’t wait until today to bring in the other costume."

"Other costume?"

"I think it was Sleeping Beauty." She frowned. "Or maybe Cinderella. Anyway, she brought it back Saturday morning."

"Really? It was probably someone who just looks like her."

"No way. I remember her earrings. Dangly little silver stars." She hooked her arm around his. "So, we going?"

"Hold on, Suzie. I just have to make a call first."

* * * *

"Vanessa. How nice. You didn’t need to bring me flowers," Rachel exclaimed, as her face lit up at the white blossoms tipped in rich burgundy.

"Don’t be silly. I know how you love carnations, especially fancy colored ones." She’d seen the flowers at a stand on the corner near her office and couldn’t resist. "I also brought you a knitting book and some yarn. You get your first lesson tomorrow night." She tugged the pattern book from her shoulder bag and watched Rachel’s eyes light up further at the bright-eyed baby dressed in a sweater and hat set on the cover.

"Oh, it’s adorable."

"And that one’s not too hard. You could do it."

"You’re kidding, right? I have no talent for this sort of thing."

"Ah, ah, ah. No negative attitude. You told me you’ve always wanted to learn, so you’ve got to give it a try." She examined her friend’s expression, wondering if she was being too pushy. "You do want to, don’t you, Rach?"

Rachel’s mouth curled up in a half grin. "You know I do. Just don’t laugh if it doesn’t come out right."

"You know me better than that." She handed the book to her friend. "Pick out something you’d like to start on--they’re all rated for beginners--and I’ll pick up the yarn and needles for you tomorrow."

"Okay. Thanks, pal." She snapped the book closed and put it on her bedside table. Suddenly, her eyes went wide. "Oh, Vanessa. Come here quick."

"What is it?" Alarmed, Vanessa raced to her side.

Rachel grabbed Vanessa’s hand and laid it flat on her belly. "Do you feel that?"

Vanessa felt a tiny thump against her palm. "Oh." She glanced at Rachel and a huge grin captured her face. "Is that the baby kicking?" she asked.

Rachel nodded, her mouth curling up in the contented smile of a mother-to-be. A baby. Vanessa’s eyes misted over as she thought about how lucky Rachel was, with a wonderful husband who adored children and her first child on the way.

Rachel sighed. "Enough of that for now. I want to know how your first day at the office went. Do you like Nick?"

Vanessa sat down in the chair beside the bed. "He’s … uh … very nice."

"What do you mean ‘he’s … uh … very nice’? Did something go wrong?"

She straightened her skirt, smoothing it down over her knees. "No, not exactly."

Rachel reached out and took Vanessa’s hand. "Hey, Vanessa, what is it?" Her eyes narrowed. "You were trying too hard to make a good impression, weren’t you? You don’t have to, you know. Just be yourself and do your job with your usual efficiency and he’ll love you."

"But, Rachel, I…." She lifted her gaze to Rachel’s.

"What, Vanessa? Do you think he doesn’t like you?"

"No, that’s not it."

"Then what is it?"

She pursed her lips. "He’s going to fire me. I just know it."

Rachel squeezed her hand. "Fire you? For heaven’s sake, why? What did you do?"

She tugged her hand away and stood up to pace. "Because I went to that party."

Rachel pushed herself higher against her pillows. "Are you back to that, again? What could that possibly have to do with you getting fired?"

Vanessa turned back to face Rachel. "You know he was the host of the party."

"Of course I know. I’m his secretary--I mean I was his secretary--remember? But he’s not going to fire you just because you crashed his party."

Vanessa leaned against the back of the chair, her fingers gripping the brown vinyl tightly. "No? He might if he found out I was the woman he kissed."

"Nick? He was the man you told me about?" Rachel shook her head, a broad grin spreading across her mouth. "Well, how about that? You and Nick."

"No!" Vanessa slammed a fist on the top of the chair. "Not me and Nick."

Rachel glanced up at her, startled. "Well, if he kissed you … I mean, this is great. Nick’s a wonderful guy and he’d be perfect for you."

"Perfect? How can you say that?" Vanessa took to pacing again. "Nicholas Powers is rich and powerful. He’s part of the social elite. He and I are about as different as two people can be." He’d never want someone like me.

Rachel leaned forward, tracking her friend’s movements with her eyes. "Not where it counts, Vanessa. If you give yourself the chance to get to know him, you’ll find he’s a really down to earth guy and…."

Vanessa stopped in her tracks. "And a two-timer. You’re forgetting about Amy."

"Amy? Is that who he thought you were?" Rachel laughed. "Then you have no problem."

"How can you say that? He kissed Amy."

"You mean you."

Exasperated, she dropped into the chair. "It may have been me, but he thought it was Amy."

Rachel shook her head. "No, you must have that wrong. He and Amy have been friends forever--just friends. I can’t believe--"

"I don’t have it wrong and he didn’t kiss me--her--like a friend," Vanessa muttered.

"Look, there has to be some mistake. If you just talk to him, I’m sure--"

Vanessa gripped the armrests with clenched fingers. "There’s no way I’m going to talk to him about this. I don’t want him to know I was the one behind the mask."

"Why not? He’s obviously attracted to you. He’s a rich eligible bachelor. He’s the perfect Prince Charming. What’s wrong with you?"

He scares me to death. Or rather, my reaction to him scares me to death.

"If he finds out I was the one, he’d be sure to fire me."

Rachel slumped back against her pillow. "Oh, for heaven’s sake, why do you think that?"

"Because I was trespassing and … well, I think he’ll be embarrassed that he mistook me for his girlfriend
--
"

"She’s not his girlfriend."

"--and he won’t want to admit he was actually attracted to someone like me."

Rachel’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, someone like you?"

"You know, someone who isn’t … successful."

Rachel’s fingers slid around the bed rail. "Vanessa, just tell him," she said, her voice tight.

"No, in fact, I … I think I’m going to quit."

"Quit?" Her fingers clenched. "You are crazy. This is the best break you’ll ever get. If you do well on this job, they’ll probably find you a permanent position. Isn’t that what you’ve wanted? To get into a big firm like Power Systems as an executive secretary? You can’t give it up now."

"I know but … If I stay, he’s bound to figure out I was the one." Vanessa leaned forward in the chair. "He’s started looking for her--me--you know? He called up the costume shop and asked them to describe the woman who returned the costume."

"You’re kidding. You must have knocked his socks off with that kiss. So he knows what you look like now? And he hasn’t twigged yet?"

"No, he didn’t get a description. I guess the woman who served me only works on weekends."

She felt a twinge of conscience about the little white lie, but tried to ignore it. Better guilt than the fear that had flashed through her when she’d checked Nick’s voice messages after lunch. There had been one from Mr. Green at the costume shop, telling Nick that the woman who’d brought in the three costumes today had been the same one who brought in the Cinderella costume on Saturday. How had he figured that out? She squashed the tiny feeling of guilt at having erased the message. After all, for Nicholas Powers this was a game of hide and seek, but for Vanessa it was self-preservation.

"Vanessa, you just can’t quit your job. Look at it this way, if he were to find out, what’s the worst he can do? Even if he does fire you at some point, you’ll have made some money at the job--and he’ll owe you severance. Being fired won’t look any worse on your resume than deciding to leave after a single day on the job. And you know the likelihood is, he’ll never find out.

"Rachel…." She sighed and glanced down at her hands. "He has my earring, the one I lost." She felt a tug in her heart, wondering if she’d ever get it back.

"Vanessa, if--"

She immediately cut off that persuasive voice, certain that Rachel would try again to talk her into telling Nick. "Don’t you see?" She sank into the chair. "I can’t stay. If I do, I’m afraid he’s going to figure it out."

"No, Vanessa. Don’t you see? This means that you’ve got to stay."

Vanessa locked gazes with her. "Why?"

Rachel’s hands fluttered up. "Well, what better way to keep him off track than to be on hand when the clues come in? That way, you’ll know what he knows, and maybe you can divert any information that lets him get too close."

Vanessa felt her face drain of blood. Rachel had a very good point. It had already happened once.

"And you’ve got to get your earring back," Rachel continued. "You can’t do that if you run off."

"I guess you’re right, Rachel."

She grinned impishly. "Aren’t I always?"

* * * *

Nick walked through the hospital corridor, following the blue line on the floor that the receptionist had told him would lead to the maternity ward. He glanced at the numbers on the rooms, following until he saw five seventeen, then peered inside to see if Rachel was awake--and decent. She was, on both counts, wearing a red plaid nightgown and glancing through a magazine. He tugged on his collar as he entered the room. He always felt a bit uncomfortable visiting a woman in a hospital.

"Rachel, how are you doing?"

Rachel looked up from the magazine--something with a picture of a baby on it--and smiled warmly.

"Nick, what are you doing here?"

He stepped further into the room. "Can’t a guy come visit the woman who’s kept his office in order for five years?"

"Thanks for the flowers you sent. They’re gorgeous." She indicated a huge basket of mixed flowers, the purples and pinks adding vibrant color to the beige room. "So how are things at the office without me? Falling around your ears?" she teased.

"They would be if it weren’t for the great secretary personnel hired for me."

Rachel’s hand fluttered to her flannel-clad chest. "I’m crushed. I’m gone a whole day and you don’t even miss me."

"Seriously, you know I do, Rachel. And your job will be waiting for you when you get back."

"Thanks, Nick." She took a sip from the water glass sitting on the little bedside table. "So, how’d your party go? Meet anyone special?"

He settled into her guest chair. "Funny you should ask that. A woman crashed the party."

Her gaze flicked to his face. "Oh? And how do you know that? With everyone wearing a mask and all?"

"I thought she was Amy, but when we…." He cleared his throat. "Well, I figured out it wasn’t her."

"So, did you have her thrown out or something? The impostor, I mean."

"No, in fact, I want to find her."

Again, that flickering glance. "Why?"

"I want to know who she is and why she came to my party." His reasons were a lot more complicated than that but he wasn’t about to confide his inner secrets to Rachel, no matter how long they’d worked together.

"You don’t think she was up to something shady, do you?"

"Shady?" He glanced at Rachel and was surprised by the look of concern etched across her features. "No, nothing like that."

"Nick, I know you. You wouldn’t be chasing after this woman if you didn’t have a solid reason."

He shifted in his seat, unsure how to explain his crazy reaction. Was it a good enough reason that he couldn’t stop thinking about her? That he desperately wanted to hold her again, to feel her lips under his?

"Did … something happen between you two?"

He folded his hands together and dropped them between his knees. "Not really."

Except the most devastating kiss I’ve ever experienced--then she ran away with my heart.
But no, he was being foolish. Love at first sight didn’t make any sense, especially when he didn’t know anything about the woman. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t get to know her. He had to find out why she had this unnerving affect on him, to explore the magic that had shimmered between them when they danced, to--

"Then why do you want to find her?"

He got up and paced over to the window, staring out into the darkness with unseeing eyes. "Look, it’s a long story and I don’t want to get into it." He peered back at her, frowning. "The point is, she was at my party uninvited and I want to know why."