A string of profanities fell out of Sean’s mouth as Hope grinned spitefully at him.
Right on cue, Vincent sprang into action, just to rub salt in Sean’s gaping wound. “Good afternoon, Miss Greyson, I’m Vincent Drake, and I’m grateful that you’re willing to help us out with this. I have every confidence that you’ll be able to fix the car. My friend here will pay whatever you charge without complaint. Again, thank you for your time.” His smooth voice caught Hope’s attention, and her eyes became as wide as saucers when he’d said his name.
Hope glanced over Vincent’s shoulder at Lexi, who barely nodded in acknowledgement that he was, in fact, the Vincent Drake. “It’s so nice to meet a man who isn’t a chauvinist pig and knows how to speak to a woman.” Sean started to sputter an apology, but she cut him off. “Let me guess, you’re the dufus who crashed it in the first place?” Sean’s mouth snapped shut. “Give me an hour, and I’ll have that Ferrari as good as new.” Hope turned to Lexi. “Are you going to wait for the car?”
“No, I think we have to get back to the office,” Lexi answered, and Vincent nodded his head in agreement. “Sean will wait, but please don’t hurt him.”
Hope rolled her eyes, zipped up her overalls and whipped her hair up into a high ponytail as she started to walk out the door and into the garage.
“Make sure the jackass has his checkbook on him, because this is going to cost him big time.”
When the door was safely shut, Sean fell into a chair and grinned like a fool. “I think I’m in love.”
“I think you’re lucky to be alive. No one has ever talked to Hope like that and lived to tell about it,” Lexi said with a laugh as she patted him on the shoulder.
∙ 9 ∙
s o, is everyone from Hunter going to be at this swanky party?” Hope asked from her perch on the bed.
“Yep. Why?” Lexi answered from the bathroom.
“Oh, no reason, I was just—” When the door swung open, Hope let out a slow whistle and forgot her question completely. “Girl, you’re a knockout!”
Standing in front of her full-length mirror, Lexi gave a quick spin like she used to do when she was a little girl. She loved to see her dress flare out and move. Hope had spent the entire afternoon helping her get ready for the gala and at the same time preventing Lexi from having a panic attack. As Hope had curled and pinned her hair up, Lexi studied her flashcards, adding last minute guests to the hit list whenever Anna E-mailed more names.
Fifteen minutes before Leigh was due to pick her up, Lexi stood, staring at her reflection in the mirror, hardly recognizing herself. Her white, tea length dress had small, braided spaghetti straps, a fitted bodice and a flared skirt adorned with iridescent white ribbons that hung down from the waist. The ribbons gave a hint of shimmer as the light reflected off them. Lexi’s porcelain skin glowed against the pearly white fabric while a few of her caramel locks hung down around her face in soft curls. The pale color of the dress also brought out the tiny flecks of blue in her green eyes.
“You really do look like a princess. This was really Marie’s dress?”
Lexi gave Hope a sad smile. “Yep. Harry saved it for me after she died. I found it when I was emptying the attic before I put the house on the market and just couldn’t bear to part with it.” She smoothed the ribbons down the front of the dress. Her nerves had been kept in check for most of the day, but now, as she stuffed her color-coded note cards into her tiny purse, the enormity of what she was about to do became too real. “You sure I look all right?”
Hope nodded her head vehemently. “You look like one of the San Francisco elite. Really, Lexi, you need to breathe and just try to have a little fun. It is a party, for God’s sake.”
“Breathing is a good thing to remember.” Lexi fanned her face with her hand, suddenly feeling extremely warm. “I think I need more deodorant.”
“Why are you so nervous?” Hope watched her friend pace back and forth in front of the window.
“You know me. How often does my mouth get me into trouble? I always speak my mind, even when I shouldn’t. I’m used to taking care of myself, doing things on my own. I don’t ask permission or think things through, and I’m fairly certain that I’ll manage to do something stupid tonight. Vincent said this was the most important night of the year for Hunter. I don’t want to embarrass him or the company in any way. I have to meet all these people, most of whom will probably mistake me for one of the servers.”
“Not in that dress they won’t,” Hope said confidently.
“I’m not sure what scares me more—the potential for disaster, having to make small talk with these big-name potential clients, or …”
“Or?” Hope prodded.
“Or seeing Vincent all dressed up and fabulous.” Lexi threw her hands up in frustration. “What is wrong with me? The guy is my boss.”
A sly smile spread across Hope’s face. “Well, of all the things you just listed, which one makes your heart beat the fastest?”
Blushing, Lexi gave Hope a pointed glare. “Don’t make me say it out loud.”
“Seeing Vincent?” When she didn’t answer, Hope chuckled. “You’ve got it bad.”
“Stop it. No I don’t. Vincent’s my boss and nothing more. He has a supermodel girlfriend and a wonderful family. He doesn’t need anything from me other than his messages and coffee at seven a.m. sharp every morning. All of these feelings are simply the resurrection of a long dead high school crush. Except now it’s not cute; it’s just plain pathetic. So, it doesn’t matter how unbelievably attractive I find him, or the way my insides melt when he walks into a room even after all these years. It doesn’t change anything. He’s my boss, nothing more.” Lexi took a deep breath and shrugged it off as if a nonchalant movement of her shoulders would turn the lies she just spewed into the truth.
Hope saw through her charade. “Still slipping him burgers for lunch when his weed-eating girlfriend isn’t looking?” She raised a single eyebrow in question.
“Shut it.” Lexi grabbed her purse and wrapped a shawl over her shoulders when Leigh’s car stopped in front of the building and the horn honked.
“Please, God in heaven, don’t let me make a fool of myself,” Lexi prayed as she tucked her keys into her purse, took one last look in the mirror, and headed for the door.