Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
“ I thought we were waiting until Friday to start the makeover,” Mel said as Lilly slid a plaid headband out of Mel’s hair. “That’s still two days away.”
“Oh, I already made you an appointment to see my stylist,” Lilly said. “Consider this a little experiment first. Now lean forward and shake your head.”
Mel did so, then rose to see her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Great. Now she wasn’t just dowdy, she looked like Cousin Itt. She blew the hair from her face, giving Lilly a dubious glance. “This isn’t going to work.”
All her doubt demons crawled out of their hiding spots. Even here, in the privacy of her own home, she already felt naked without her trusty headband. And if she felt that way here , what in the world would happen when she set foot in a bar?
“Yes, it is.” Lilly turned her around and forced Mel to sit on the edge of the tub. “We’re not doing anything drastic tonight, just trying out a new hairstyle and some makeup. That dress of mine looks super cute on you, too.” As Lilly talked, she smoothed a comb through Mel’s hair, slicking it back into a sleek ponytail at the nape of her neck. She clipped in a chunky barrette to hold it in place, then spritzed Mel with some flowery-smelling hairspray. “There. Nice and sophisticated. And your widow’s peak is a unique touch.”
“Right. Maybe if my name’s Morticia Addams.” Mel stood and stared at her reflection in the mirror above the vanity, tugging at the skirt of the bright crimson minidress that felt way too short for her comfort.
“Whatever.” Lilly rolled her eyes. “It’s already way better than your usual style. Now let me put some makeup on you, and you’ll be all set.”
“I don’t know, Lils.” Mel scrunched her nose. “I’m too tired to go out. Maybe I should just go to bed.”
“You can sleep later.” Her best friend positioned Mel under the vanity lights, then opened the elaborate makeup case she’d brought along. There were all sorts of pots and little jars containing every glittery color of the rainbow. “It would be a shame to get you glammed up just to wash it all off afterward. Besides, I already told Dom we’d meet him and his friends at the Black Dog.”
“What?” Mel tried to move away, but Lilly blocked her. Dominic D’Angelo owned the local tire store and had been dating Lilly for nearly a month. That had to be some kind of record where her bestie was concerned. “Now I’ll be the third wheel, too? No thanks. Besides, I have to work tomorrow.”
“It’s Wednesday. Everyone has to work tomorrow.”
Lilly set about smearing cream on Mel’s face. Next came powder and blush and eye shadow and liner and a shade of lipstick that looked like a cross between Rudolph’s nose and a stop sign. “C’mon. It’ll just be for an hour. We walk in, say hello, have a drink, then come home. Simple.”
Simple for her, maybe. Lilly was funny and easy to talk to. Men liked her.
“Adam Foster might be there,” Lilly added as she applied a final coat of mascara to Mel’s lashes. “Dom’s good friends with the guys at Victory Vets and hangs out with them a lot.”
“Then I’m definitely not going.” Mel darted left this time when Lilly went right and gained her freedom. On her way out the door, though, Mel locked eyes with a stranger in the mirror and stopped short. It was her, but a version she’d never seen before. This Mel looked sassy and bright and, well… sparkly.
“What do you think?” Lils peered over Mel’s shoulder. “Pretty good, eh?”
It didn’t suck. Mel smacked her lips together, tasting the cherry gloss slicked on top of the lipstick to give it a little shimmer. Having her hair pulled back from her face revealed her bone structure—high cheekbones and a pointed chin. The widow’s peak still bothered her, but overall, even Mel had to admit she was impressed. Lilly did the makeup for some of her photography clients, too, and Mel could see now why her best friend held the title of “Point Beacon’s Most Flattering Portraitist.”
“Thank you,” she said finally, unable to look away from her own reflection.
“You’re welcome.” Lils applied some of the same gloss to her own lips before leading Mel out of the bathroom. “Now get your shoes and bag or we’ll be late. ”
“I don’t know?—”
“I do.” Lilly pointed at the pair of red flats she’d lent Mel to match the slinky rayon halter-style minidress, then grabbed both their purses. “We are so doing this. Ready?”
In the end, the possibility of showing Adam what he was missing was too good an opportunity to pass up. She could do this.
She would do this.
Shoulders squared, Mel walked to the front door. “Ready.”
“Good.” Lilly grinned. “Don’t overthink this. You look fabulous.”
Fifteen minutes later, they were in the Black Dog Pub, a typical small-town bar with lots of rowdy patrons and local memorabilia on the walls. The smells of fried food and beer filled the air, along with cheers and jeers from a group of customers in the corner rooting for their favorite baseball team on the flat-screen TV mounted from the ceiling.
At first, the same old fears threatened to sabotage Mel’s newfound courage, but she forced herself to stay strong. A few people caught her eye as she and Lilly made their way across the crowded, dimly lit room. Two guys in suits and loosened ties gave Mel lopsided smiles, looking her up and down. That was a good sign, right? Frankly, it was more interest than she’d ever gotten from one of her dates. Heck, the second guy even winked at her.
Feeling a confidence boost, Mel grinned back. That earned her a leering catcall.
She frowned. Okay, maybe not so good after all. She wanted to be the life of the party as much as the next gal, but she also didn’t want to be treated like a side of choice beef. She tugged her tiny dress down farther to make sure everything was still covered, just in case.
At last, they reached the far corner of the room and the rowdy table, which turned out to be Dom and the guys from Victory Vets.
“Hey, baby.” Lilly dropped a quick kiss on Dom’s cheek. “You all know Mel, yes?”
Lilly tugged her forward.
Mel saw Adam sitting at the end of the table, along with other mechanics from his garage. Lordy, the guy could fill out a black T-shirt like nobody’s business, all lean sinew and hard muscle. His hair was tamed tonight, combed back to reveal his gorgeous dark eyes. There was a tightness to his jaw though as he took her in, and Mel felt the insane urge to run her tongue over that rigid line, then down his neck, to see if he tasted as good as he looked.
“Hey, ladies.” Dom grabbed a couple of spare chairs for them. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” Mel squeezed in between Adam and Jag.
“You, uh, look different tonight,” Adam said, watching her.
Not exactly the compliment she’d been hoping for, but having his undivided attention made her insides quiver. Still, she wanted to show him he wasn’t the only fish in the pond, so she turned to Jag instead. Except he was focused solely on the game on TV, which was going into its ninth inning, from what the announcer said.
“How are things at the garage, Jag?” Mel asked him loudly, hoping to gain the guy’s attention. Not exactly world-class small talk, but it would have to do on such short notice .
Jag grunted in answer, fumbling for his beer on the table without taking his eyes off the screen.
Meanwhile, those two guys in suits at the bar that had catcalled her earlier were moving closer, still spewing lewd remarks in her direction. Mel’s stomach clenched, and she gave a nervous glance in Adam’s direction to see if he’d heard.
Yeah, based on his darkening scowl and the glare he shot the two suits, he’d heard. Then next thing she knew, Adam had stood and taken her by the arm. “Can I speak to you for a minute, Mel?”
He led her to a secluded hallway near the restrooms, sticking closer to her side the whole way as if wanting to block her from any prying views. Once they were alone, he asked, “What the hell are you doing?”
Hurt and anger welled up inside her at his icy tone. He’d had his chance to help her the other night, and he’d turned her down. He had no right to an opinion anymore. She could wear what she liked, do what she liked, with anyone she liked. Mel lifted her chin defiantly. “Lilly came over and asked me to go out. Why do you care?”
“Because I promise James I’d look out for his family until he got back.” His voice, deep and hard, sent a chill down her spine. Adam turned to shoot a scathing look at the two suited idiot who’d returned to the bar the second they’d seen Adam. Then he turned back to Mel and took her chin between his fingers as he gave her a head-to-toe appraisal. “Did Lilly do this?”
“Yes.” Mel shook off his touch, ignoring the thrum of her pulse and sizzle of nerve endings from his closeness. Adam under normal circumstances as a brooding bad boy was dangerous enough to her heart. Adam when he got all alpha- protective? Well, that was downright lethal. She battled the tingle in her traitorous knees and said, “Why? Are you jealous?”
“I’m not jealous. I’m concerned.” He rested his palm on the wall beside her head, his heat surrounding her as his expression softened into something far worse than anger. Pity.
Her eyes stung, and she bit her lip hard. She would not cry. Not here. That would only make this night even worse. Despite her efforts, Adam’s gorgeous face blurred as hot tears welled over and slid down her cheeks. She should have stayed home. She really was as pathetic as everyone in this town thought she was.
Adam swore softly and hung his head. He hadn’t meant to make her cry. He’d only wanted to show her the kinds of threats those jackal playboys who frequented this place could pose to her. He should know. Hell, he’d been one of them on occasion. Not that he was proud of it.
Adam grabbed a napkin off the nearby service cart for her as he wrestled with his own guilt. Because he’d not been completely honest. He wasn’t jealous necessarily, but he also wasn’t okay with other men ogling Mel’s assets, either, especially when they didn’t appreciate all her other wonderful qualities, like her intelligence and her humor and her kindness. It didn’t matter what she was wearing. It was a free country. She had the right to wear what she wanted without being harassed for it. Still, the thought of those two punks drooling over Mel’s gorgeous curves made him want to slam a fist into their faces to prove his point.
He turned back to face Mel again, once more stunned by how she looked tonight. Every time he’d seen her since he’d been back in town, she’d always looked professional, prim, and proper. Now, she looked vibrant and free and, well…scorching hot. Which made it all the harder to keep her where she needed to be in his mind.
A tidy friend-zone box, with a side of best friend’s little sis.
Thinking of Mel that way helped Adam stay on the straight and narrow where she was concerned. But in that little red dress, with legs up to there and a neckline cut low enough to offer a tantalizing hint of the soft curves beneath, adrenaline shot straight southward for Adam. Oh boy. He was in trouble here.
Then Mel sniffled, and empathy joined the confusing rush of emotions flooding his system. Adam sighed. “Please don’t cry.”
“Why not? This evening has become a disaster already.” She fiddled with her napkin and her hands brushed his chest, sending tingles of need through his torso.
He stepped back and raked a hand through his hair, searching for his lost control. “It’s not that bad, Mel. Just not your usual crowd.”
“Great. That’s exactly what I was going for. Not.” She threw up her hands in exasperation. “Now you see why I need your help? I can’t believe you turned me down. After I laid out all my faults in excruciating detail to you the other night too.” More tears welled as she sagged back against the wall. Adam took a step closer, glancing around to make sure no one was watching them. Her sweet scent surrounded him once more—sweet cherry blossoms and vanilla, mixed tonight with a hint of roses from whatever stuff she’d used in her hair. It chased away the harsh environment of the pub, and he forced himself to focus on the graffiti-carved wooden wall behind her head and not how the warmth of her penetrated the front of his T-shirt, beckoning him closer. Because if he thought about that, Adam wasn’t sure he could stop himself from gathering her into his arms and resting his cheek atop her silky hair to comfort her. “Don’t be upset.”
“I’m not crying because I’m upset, Adam. I’m crying because I’m frustrated.” Her words were muffled by the napkin, and he had to strain to hear them over the din in the bar and the race of blood in his ears.
Adam did his best to distract himself by recalling the past. “Remember when you were a kid and you and James would fight? Your face would get all red and scrunched up and you’d scream at him and sob all at the same time. Like that little angry dude in the animated emotions movie, with the flames shooting out the top of his head.”
She smacked him on the arm, but she also laughed, a good sign in Adam’s book.
He put a little distance between them again as Mel dabbed away the tears from her cheeks. “Can you grab my purse from the table? I want to check my makeup.”
“Sure thing.” He got it, then returned to her side in seconds. The last thing he wanted was for one of those idiots in the suits to come over and try to pick her up right now. She was too vulnerable. Mel needed someone to look out for her.
She offered you that job.
His gut knotted. Yeah, she had. And he’d turned it down.
“Oh, no.” Mel tried to wipe away the smudges of mascara staining the skin beneath her eyes with one hand while holding a tiny mirror with the other, but all it ended up doing was make her look like a raccoon. “This is worse than the time I got painted like the Joker at the state fair.”
Her eyes met Adam’s over the top of her mirror, and they stared at each other for along second before cracking up completely, the unbearable tension that had started inside him the minute he’d seen her walk up to the table tonight dissipating until Adam could finally breathe again.
Mel’s laughter drifted over him like the wind chimes his mom had hung from the front of their house when he’d been a toddler. They’d fascinated him with their lilting, soothing quality. He felt the same way now—enchanted, mesmerized.
Whoa there, cowboy.
He couldn’t fall down that slippery slope of attraction to Mel again, because each time he did, it got more difficult to find his way back up to reality. And the reality was that helping Mel with her “special project” would be nothing short of stupid. Bad enough he’d dreamed about her last night. About her crooked little grin and how he wished he could make her smile like that forever.
He’d never survive if they spent 24-7 together working to get her a decent date.
“Oh well.” Mel straightened at last, pushing away from the wall to smooth a hand down the front of her tiny dress. “Back to the trenches.”
“Wait.” Adam placed his other hand on the wall beside her, caging her in before he realized what he was doing. All he knew was he didn’t want her to go. Not yet. “You don’t have to do this, Mel. The whole makeover thing.”
“Yeah, I do.” She blinked up at him with those pretty green eyes, so bright and innocent and determined. “I need to do this. For me.”
His head was a mess, his instincts torn and twisted. He’d known Mel for years. He’d seen her strength, her resilience. He knew she wouldn’t give up until she achieved her goal, one way or the other. And yes, he had a lot on the line here, but he couldn’t just sit by on the sidelines and watch her put herself out there like that without knowing what would happen. Which meant Adam had to make a choice. Actively participate, where at least he could work to keep Mel safe and protected, or make sure he didn’t see her again until it was all over. Which in a town the size of Point Beacon would be close to impossible. So, in the end, there was no choice at all.
“What other plans does Lilly have for you?” he asked.
Mel shrugged. “She got me an appointment with her salon in Indy this Friday. Then we were going to have lunch and shop afterward for a new wardrobe.”
“I’ll come too,” Adam said before he thought better of it. “I’ll take the day off from the garage. If you still want me to help you, that is.”
She blinked at him, looking about as shocked as he felt. “Yes, I still want you to help me.”
“Good. Now, the ground rules.” He’d dug himself into a hole here, but he wanted to make sure they could both escape as unscathed as possible at the end. The rest he’d figure out along the way. “I’ll help with the makeover and pointers about men and dating, but that’s it. No practice dates. And no sex. Not between us anyway. Deal?”
He extended a hand to her as she’d done to him the other night.
Mel hesitated, then shook on it. “Okay. Deal.”
Adam wanted to run, wanted to hide, but he’d made a promise, and he didn’t break them. And sure, Mel seemed to affect him more than any other woman had in a long time. It was because he’d been alone too long that was all.
She was way too good for him. Way out of his league.
The knowing didn’t stop the wanting.
When he realized they were both just standing there, staring at each other, he cleared his throat and gestured for Mel to proceed him out of the hallway. “Great. Let’s get started then.”