Trust in Advertising (37 page)

220

Trust in Advertising

Lexi, however, patiently waited for the comeback.

Hope sat back in her chair and gave him a long, slow appraisal from head to toe, then shrugged. “Your club isn’t big enough to tame me,
babe
.”

Madison breezed into the room as everyone exploded with laughter. “Time for the magic show!” Madison kept all the adults busy for the next forty-five minutes with her tricks and an impromptu game of charades. The girls destroyed the boys’ team, mainly because Erik was the worst charades player of all time and all they did was argue when it was their turn.

“This,” Erik gestured his hands wildly at his sides, “is
not
flying, Sean. I was bicycling my arms. The word was bicycle.”

“You were flapping your wings, man, or having a seizure, or being electrocuted. Nothing about that says bicycle. Madison, your dad stinks at this game.

Can we be done?”

“I think that’s a great idea. I need to give Maddie her bath anyway and start getting her ready for bed. Make yourselves comfortable, and I’ll be right back.”

Anna excused herself upstairs with Madison right behind her.

“Lexi, the car runs like a dream now. That noise was a belt. I changed it and fixed the leaking hose. She’s as good as new. I had to keep it the extra day because the moron sent me the wrong part.” Hope tossed the keys to Lexi.

“You’re the best.” Lexi gave her friend a big hug.

“So what kind of car do you drive?” Vincent asked from right behind her. “I’m dying to see what the girl who called my car a toy thinks is a worthy automobile.”

Lexi slipped the keys into his hand and gestured toward the door. “Go see for yourself.”

Vincent made it as far as the door when he stopped short and said, “I know that car.”

Everyone walked outside and stared at Lexi’s gorgeous silver ’67 Chevy Camaro with racing stripes. She grinned proudly as they ran over to get a closer look.

“Did you restore this?” Sean asked Hope incredulously. His mouth fell open when she nodded her head.

“This was your dad’s car.” Vincent ran his hand over the curve of the hood.

“I remember him driving around town in this all the time.”

“So you remember my dad’s car, but not me? Great. That does wonders for a girl’s self-esteem. Thanks, Vincent.” Lexi laughed, opening the door.

221

Victoria Michaels

“Your baby’s back and in perfect working condition, thanks to yours truly.”

Hope grinned as Sean continued to walk around the car, his mouth still agape.

“I messed with the engine again while I was waiting for the belt to get delivered.

Give it a start.”

Lexi stole the key from Vincent and hopped in the car, letting the engine roar to life. The resulting purr sounded like heaven and always made her think of Harry. She ran her hands lovingly over the steering wheel and smiled. She hardly noticed when Vincent climbed into the car beside her.

“I want your car.”

“What? Your little Matchbox car not doing it for you anymore now that you’ve seen a fine, performance machine like this?” she teased, laughing as he ran his hands over the dashboard.

“My car is still faster, but this is just gorgeous.”

“Excuse me? Faster? I don’t think so. Listen to this.” Lexi slammed her foot down on the gas. The engine thundered, making her teeth rattle from the vibration. “Hope put so much horsepower in this thing it would eat your car for breakfast.”

“Can I drive it? Can I drive it?” Sean popped his head in the window, a hopeful look in his eye.

The only other person Lexi ever let drive the car was Hope. It was the last piece of Harry she had, and that’s why she put so much time and care into it.

Sean was a good man and would understand. “It was my dad’s, Sean. It’s all I have left of him. Be careful, and I have one condition.” She climbed out of the driver’s seat so he could get in. Vincent vacated the passenger’s side at the same time. “Hope has to go with you to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”

“Agreed!” He crooked his finger at Hope and tapped the seat beside him.

“Come on, baby, let’s roll.”

“Lexi,” Hope snarled as she walked by her friend, “if he puts his hand on my knee while he’s driving …”

“You’ll love every second of it,” Lexi whispered and gave her a push toward the car. “Have fun, you two. No making out in my car, please.” Lexi waved and ignored Hope flipping her the bird as they went screaming down the driveway.

“Your car wins,” Vincent chuckled as they walked back to the house and sat down on the porch swing together. Erik went inside to check on Anna and Madison while Lexi and Vincent watched the sun set behind the tall trees at the edge of the yard.

222

Trust in Advertising

“There’s nothing wrong with your car, Vincent. I was just teasing you earlier.

So, you remember Harry’s car?”

Vincent smiled sheepishly. “I used to see it at the diner every day when I drove home from school. One day, I stopped to get a better look at it, and your dad must have seen me through the window. He came out, and I thought he was going to yel at me, but instead he popped the hood and told me about the engine.

I didn’t understand half of what he was saying.” He looked over at Lexi, who had tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

Lexi always had a hard time talking about Harry, but to hear Vincent talk about him in such a kind and loving way was more than her heart could handle.

She buried her face in her hands and wept.

“Shh, it’s okay, Lexi. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” Vincent pulled her against his chest and let her cry. He held her and rocked them gently on the swing, doing his best to soothe her.

“No, I’m sorry,” Lexi whispered against his chest. She felt ridiculous, sobbing in front of him and clinging to his shirt for dear life, but to have his arms wrapped around her felt like home. For the first time in a while, she felt loved and cared for. More than that, she felt protected, something that up until then, only Harry had been able to do. “I’m such a wimp.”

Vincent’s expression hardened. “You are most certainly not a wimp. You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. Look at what you’ve been through and still you walk around with a smile on your face, bringing joy to everyone around you.” Lexi made a small grunt of disbelief. “I’m serious. What about the presentation? That new campaign? It was all you. Your ideas were the centerpiece of it, and you stayed in that office all night, helping me when I was acting like a complete bastard. You, Alexandra White, are amazing.”

Lexi was captivated by the sound of his voice. He spoke with such power, such certainty, that she couldn’t question it. She found herself lost in his eyes, which showed the honesty of his words. He wasn’t feeding her a line; he wasn’t simply being kind and telling her what she needed to hear. He was speaking from his heart, and Lexi was overwhelmed by it.

She was hyperaware of him, picking up on even the slightest movement, like the way his shoulder bumped into her, or the way his forearm slid against hers.

She doubted the contact was accidental. With great care, like she was a fragile china doll, Vincent reached up and wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks with the pad of his thumb, his fingers lingering on her face. Between his touch, 223

Victoria Michaels

his eyes, and his heartfelt words, Lexi felt herself falling again, falling for the man who had held her heart all these years, even if he’d had no idea.

Vincent leaned in closer, his eyes still on hers, never wavering. He dipped his face, brushing his cheek against hers, not once, but twice. Lexi’s whole body tensed, waiting to see what would happen next. She felt his lips lightly graze the corner of her mouth, and then the spell he had on her was broken by the loud crunch of tires on the driveway. Vincent pulled away from her, putting a safe distance between them but still looking guilty as sin.

224

∙ 18 ∙

A very tired Elizabeth and Robert Drake climbed out of the car and waved.

Vincent and Lexi jumped up from the porch swing and hurried over to help them with their bags. “Hello, kids! How are you?” Elizabeth hugged them both and gave them each a motherly kiss on the cheek. “I hear you had a big day today.”

Robert came around the car, and Lexi introduced herself. “Hel o, Mr. Drake, you probably don’t remember me, but I’m Lexi White. Nice to see you again.”

“Lexi, dear! My wife’s been talking about you nonstop. I’m sorry I didn’t get to talk to you at the gala and welcome you to Hunter, but she kept me busy.

Vincent, congratulations on landing Stone. We’re so proud of you. Your mother tried to change her flight three times this morning to get home to help you after Jared checked his voicemail and told her what had happened. American Airlines will never be the same again. I’m sure we’ll be stopped by security and subjected to a full body cavity search every time we fly in and out of Miami.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t that bad. You’re always exaggerating.

The woman wasn’t listening to me when I told her it was urgent.”

Robert wrapped his arm around his wife as he led her to the house. “Oh, she was listening. Everyone in Terminal A was listening, dear. Your voice carries.”

“Grandma! Grandpa!” Madison appeared at the bottom of the stairs dressed in her silky pink pajamas, saving Robert from his wife.

Victoria Michaels

“Hello, angel face. Look, Grandpa and I bought you lots of presents. He has the bag in the family room. Go see what he’s got.”

Madison flew off after Robert to check out her bounty. Elizabeth, however, cornered Lexi and Vincent with a knowing grin. “So, tell me everything.”

Lexi’s face paled, wondering just how much Elizabeth had seen when she pulled into the driveway. It must have looked awful, Lexi in Vincent’s arms, his face against hers. Elizabeth probably thought she was a tramp for throwing herself at a man with girlfriend. Lexi’s cheeks flamed red as she stared at the toe of her shoe, unable to look Elizabeth in the face. Vincent, too, was suddenly dumbstruck.

“About the presentation,” Elizabeth prompted as she glanced back and forth between the guilty-looking pair standing in front of her.

“Oh, it went very well. Julian thought it was perfect. He loved Lexi’s print ad. I think that’s what sold him on the idea.” Vincent smiled proudly at his partner in crime.

“He’s being too kind, really, Elizabeth. He came up with the overall concept.

I just followed his lead.”

“You worked all night on the new project, and then gave a spotless presentation? You must be exhausted. You two make quite a team. The person who hired Lexi is one smart cookie, if I do say so myself. Maybe Mom really did know best, huh, Vincent?”

Lexi chuckled as Vincent scowled at his mother.

“Just say ‘Thank you, Mother,’ and I’ll consider us even.” Elizabeth waited with folded arms, tapping her foot.

“Thank you, Mother.” Vincent ground out the words through his clenched jaw.

“Thank you, Elizabeth, for hiring me, and giving me the pleasure of working with this ray of sunshine every day,” Lexi sang and quickly placed a kiss on Elizabeth’s cheek before chasing after Madison, trying to tickle the tiny girl.

“Madison, bed time.”

“But, Mom …”

“No arguing. Let’s go.”

“Can Lexi read me a story, please?” she asked, looking at Lexi with a huge grin on her face. “Or can you and Uncle Vince do another sleepover, but this time at my house?”

Elizabeth mumbled a shocked “Oh my.”

“Maddie, Lexi and I didn’t—”

226

Trust in Advertising

Lexi glared at Vincent. “She’s five, Vincent. Do you really want to explain
that
to her?” She turned her attention back to Maddie. “How about you pick out a book, and I’ll read it to you up in bed. I can’t sleep over, because I have to get Miss Hope home soon. She gets cranky if she’s up too late.”

“And we wouldn’t want that now, would we?” Sean snickered as he walked in the front door of the house, Hope right behind him.

Lexi eyed Hope, who had a funny look on her face. “Is my car still in one piece?”

“Never better.” Sean grinned as he tossed the keys back to Lexi and gave Hope a sideways glance.

“Arrogant fool,” Hope griped, and then joined Elizabeth and Robert on the couch.

Before Lexi could go ask her friend why she seemed embarrassed, Madison came flying down the stairs with a large book in her hands. “Let’s go, Lexi. I know just the book. Uncle Vincent, are you going to come too?”

“I’ll be there in a minute, honey. You two go on upstairs and get started.”

Vincent smiled as Madison gave everyone a hug and a kiss and said goodnight.

Then she slipped her hand in Lexi’s and led her to her room.

Madison’s room was done in pale pinks with a mural of a meadow littered with purple flowers and grazing horses. Off in the distance stood a beautiful castle. The sun washed over the whole scene, giving it a warm, happy feel.

“Wow, Madison, this room is awesome.”

The little girl crawled into the center of her large, white canopy bed and patted the mattress beside her. “Come lay down, Lexi!”

Lexi drew back the white bedspread and Madison snuggled under the fluffy fabric. Once Madison was comfortable, Lexi lay down on top of the comforter beside her and picked up the book.

“
Beauty and the Beast
?” Lexi smiled.

“Yes! Because
you
are in it. Well, her name is Belle, but I call her Lexi now.

And Uncle Vincent is the Beast!” Madison exploded into a fit of giggles and quickly had Lexi laughing right alongside her.

All childlike giddiness vanished when Lexi felt a heated stare from the doorway. Vincent was leaning against the doorframe, watching them laugh and be silly. He occasionally glanced Madison’s way, but mostly his eyes stayed locked on Lexi while a secretive smile crept across his lips.

227

Victoria Michaels

“Do I even want to know what you two are giggling about?” His deep voice washed over Lexi, and she had to look away as he approached the bed. When she felt the bed dip from his weight as he climbed in beside Maddie, and inches away from Lexi, her heart began beating wildly.