Chapter Ten
“If your eye makeup is not looking right and it’s patchy, it is either the product you’re using, and the formula is terrible, or it’s your technique,” Maeve said.
She stared directly into the mirror for Charlotte to watch.
“You need to make sure your eyes are prepped, depending on your own or your client’s skin care needs.
Dry eyelids need a hydrating base. Oily eyelids, more mat and less hydration.
Normal skin types are just freaking lucky and can do whatever they want for prep. ”
Charlotte laughed. “You know so much.”
“I have been doing this for well over ten years. I’ve had it all, and seen it all.”
“I overheard a couple of women at the college, and you’re kind of a legend there.”
Maeve smiled. “That’s sweet. I did my time there, and I worked my ass off learning all the techniques.” She dipped into the eye shadow palette with a mid-tone shade and started to work at the outer corner of her eye. “What were they saying?”
“They reckon you might be taking a job at Kristin Shaw’s salon.”
“I am thinking about it.”
“Do you think you’d do a few classes at the college as well?” Charlotte asked.
“I don’t think that is something I want to do.
Now, if it’s not the formula, in most instances, it’s technique.
You’re picking up too much product and depositing too much at one point, and you’re not blending.
The key to good eye makeup is the right amount of product and to blend.
” She worked her brush in the same spot, working the eye shadow until it was a seamless blend.
“Pick up your brush, and let me see your technique.”
They were sitting at her dining room table, on either side. Maeve had a mirror set up in front of her and made sure Charlotte had one in front of herself as well.
She watched as Charlotte dipped into her own eyeshadow palette and saw instantly what the problem was.
“To start with, you’re going for way too dark a shade. You need to look at your palette and decide what is the lightest, darkest, and mid-tones.” She started to show her each shade, and she pulled out several different palettes she liked to keep in her kit and explained how she used them.
“I thought there didn’t have to be a rule with makeup?” Charlotte asked.
“There doesn’t have to be a rule. However, when you have clients in your chair, and they want a certain look, you don’t have four hours to blend, so it’s best to stick with the general rule. That way, you keep moving and don’t have too much mess on your hands in the first place.”
“You’re amazing at this.”
Maeve chuckled. “I’m giving you free lessons. You do not have to compliment me so much.”
“You know, my mom doesn’t get my fascination with this, but you do.”
“Your mom wants you to be happy.”
Charlotte sighed. “She wants me to do what she wants.”
Maeve tried not to wince. She and Nancy understood each other, and the other woman had given her her blessing when it came to Doc. Maeve did not want to get between family. She was falling for Doc, and this was not a feeling that was fleeting.
“She wants you to know there are options out there. It’s a good thing. Trust me on this.” She offered Charlotte a smile, but the younger woman sighed.
“She wants to leave Rivermont Ridge, and she wants me to go with her.”
“You don’t want to go?”
“She thinks I need a fresh start away from Dad and the biker crap, but I don’t want to run away. I don’t need to leave. I love it here. I mean, aside from the assholes that used to bully me, everything else is okay.”
“Used to? They’re not bullying you anymore?”
“Oh, no, that has long stopped. Yeah, they kind of had the fear of death put into them, and that bullying ended.”
Maeve assumed it was her dad that did that.
“You don’t want to go and explore the world?” Maeve asked.
“No. Rivermont is home. It’s family. I don’t need to get away from it. Not even because of Jake.” Charlotte sighed. “Does that make me a bad person?”
“Why do you feel it will make you a bad person?”
“I don’t know, because I don’t feel the way they do.” She shrugged. “Ignore me.”
“Your mom just wants you to know there are a lot of options out there, and if you want to go to another state or even another country, she supports you,” Maeve said. “Your dad wants you to be happy as well.”
“I am happy. I’m learning makeup, and it can open up a lot of doors. I know, I know, it’s a competitive field, but I like it. It will keep it fresh, and looks are always changing, and they’re always bringing out new products to play with, and I like that.”
Maeve smiled at her.
“There are a lot of good things about makeup.”
It was good to listen to Charlotte, as it helped to remind her what she loved about makeup in the first place. She never wanted to be at a job that was always routine, day in and day out. She would get bored so easily.
“Can I ask you something?” Charlotte asked.
“Sure.”
She may as well finish her eye makeup, seeing as she had started it.
“How do you get a guy’s attention?”
This made Maeve pause. “There’s a guy?”
“I ... you know, for future reference,” Charlotte asked.
“There is a guy you like?”
“Yeah, there’s a guy I like, but he doesn’t notice me at all.”
“And you want him to notice you?”
Charlotte nodded. “Yeah, but how would he? I mean, I’m nearly nineteen and he is only interested in women, and you know what, ignore me.”
This made Maeve frown. “Do I know this guy?”
The younger woman looked at her. “It’s just someone from high school.”
She had a feeling Charlotte was lying to her. “Would your dad approve?”
“Hell, no, but he wouldn’t approve of anyone that was dating his daughter.”
Maeve smiled. “You’ve got to be yourself. There’s no point in pretending to be someone different, because that’s not you. You want him to fall in love with you.”
“You make it sound so easy,” Charlotte said.
“I don’t know if I should say it’s easy or hard. Men are complicated, but so are us women as well. I wish I had more answers for you, but I’ve got absolutely nothing.”
****
A week before the Easter Fair that was once again happening in Rivermont Ridge, Maeve had a client she refused to say no to, and had no choice but to travel out of town. Doc pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number. She answered on the second ring.
“I was wondering when you would call,” Maeve said.
“I miss you. How was work?” he asked.
“It’s busy. I’m glad I’m flying home tomorrow.”
“Are you getting ready to paint bunny faces and clowns, and whatever kids ask for?”
Maeve laughed. “Yeah, and I’ve got Charlotte working with me, so that should be good. What are you up to?”
“Not much. What are your plans for tonight?” he asked, making his way down the long corridor.
“Not much. I ordered Chinese. Hold on, I think that is it.”
Doc smiled and the door to Maeve’s hotel room opened, and he held the bag of food he’d taken from the delivery driver, giving him a large tip so he could surprise Maeve himself.
Her mouth fell open, and she turned off her cell phone. He was about to tell her surprise, but she already threw her arms around him, pulling him in close.
“I can’t believe you came!” she said.
He stepped into her hotel room.
“I saw you didn’t want to leave town, and I figured if I surprised you, it would be like bringing a little bit of town right to you.” He closed the door and held out the Chinese food. “This smells delicious.”
Maeve smiled. “I ordered enough for two. I was hungry, and I couldn’t decide.”
“You’re staying in a nice place.”
“My client likes to take care of me while I’m here.”
The job was several days of Maeve helping her with her makeup and hair. It was a long job.
“Do you have to work tomorrow?” he asked.
“Nope. She got all her meetings handled. I was heading back tomorrow.” Maeve picked up the chopsticks and opened one of the cartons.
They all smelled so good. It looked like she was enjoying some Singapore noodles, and he grabbed another carton, opening it to see special fried rice.
He used the chopsticks and dived in, taking as much as he could. He was hungry.
“I can’t believe you traveled all this way just to see me.”
“Of course, I would do it again for you.”
Maeve smiled at him.
“How is everything back home?” Maeve asked.
“It’s good. Eden is more than fine. So is Razor. He’s a little pissy at the moment.”
“Why?”
“Eden wants to set you up on a date, and he thinks we should tell her we’re together.”
“You know with work, and Eden busy with Razor, it’s the first time I’ve not spent any real time with my sister.” She shook her head. “It’s crazy. We used to spend every single day together.”
“That’s life. Do you think you’re ready to tell her?”
“Are you ready to tell Charlotte?” Maeve asked.
“I’m ready.” He was aware Nancy already knew about him and Maeve. It wasn’t like he’d purposefully kept it a secret. Far from it.
“We can always tell them when we get back,” Maeve said.
“Consider it a done deal.”
“Wait,” Maeve said. “Can we do it after the Easter Fair, just in case Charlotte’s pissed? I don’t want to have to deal with that.”
He laughed. “Charlotte would be able to handle it.”
She let out a little wince, and he laughed.
“Okay, fine, I’ll hold off telling Charlotte. How about you and I tell her together?” he asked.
“I like that idea.”
They finished their food, and he got Maeve to tell him about her last few days.
It was not easy being a makeup artist. Her client was a business owner, and it would seem her board had attempted to overthrow her.
They were trying to vote on her lack of ability to run her company as well as her family.
Maeve came in to help fix her up and show that she could be both.
“And did it work?”
“Yes, it worked,” Maeve said. “She’s a good woman, and she would never put her employees in jeopardy.”
Their food was finished, and Doc stood, reached his hand out for Maeve, and lifted her to her feet. Once she was there, he leaned forward and was not too gentle as he lifted her up over his shoulder and stared to carry her toward the bedroom.
“Does this place have a shower?”
Maeve laughed. “You could have just asked, and I would have gladly walked to the shower. Are you trying to tell me I smell?”
“Nope, but I want you naked, and I need a shower, because I’ve been traveling most of the day. I stink.”
She laughed and wriggled in his arms.
He was not going to let her go.
Doc found the shower, and he didn’t remove their clothes as he pressed her into the corner of the shower stall.
“What are you doing?”
He turned on the shower, and Maeve let out a squeal.
“Doc, I have not removed my makeup!” She pressed a hand to her face.
“So, I get to see every nitty-gritty part of you.”
“I’m not wearing waterproof mascara.”
With the shower cascading down on her, he saw her mascara had already started to run, but he didn’t care. He loved every part of Maeve. Watery, running makeup and all. He reached for her, pulled her in close, and kissed her.
Maeve was tense at first, but he was not a man to give up easily. He pulled her in close and kissed her again, then again. She let out a little whimper, and slowly she started to open up to him.
She wore a white blouse and a pair of pants, which he worked off her body, letting them fall to the floor of the shower. Running his hands all over her, he couldn’t get enough. She felt so good.
The last few days had been a bit of a nightmare. He didn’t like sleeping without her. She was his one solid ground. He loved falling asleep with her in his arms and waking up beside her. Sleep hadn’t come. Not even when he’d used a pillow, but Maeve was better than a cold pillow.
“You’re driving me crazy,” she said.
She grabbed his belt and tugged him left and right, trying to get the jeans off. Doc had no choice but to take over, opening the belt and sliding it out of the loop. He shoved his jeans down, and Maeve sunk to her knees before him, taking his boxer briefs with her.
They fell to the floor, and he reached out, sinking his fingers into her hair.
She wrapped her fingers around his length and took the tip into her mouth, taking more of him until he hit the back of her throat.
She didn’t pull back, and he felt her mouth work over him and closed his eyes, pumping in, but it made her gag, so he pulled back enough.
He opened his eyes and looked down, watching her lips work over his length, but he didn’t pull her into the shower so she could work her magic with her mouth.
Lifting her up, it was his time to sink down to his knees, and he lifted one of her legs and placed it over his shoulder.
She reached out, spreading her arms wide, using the wall for leverage as he worked her clit.
He flicked his tongue across her clit, sliding down to enter her pussy, drawing back to go to her clit, and stroking back and forth.
The sounds that spilled from her lips were the sweetest music. He couldn’t get enough of her. She was pure, fiery magic, and he wanted her to fall apart. He’d catch her. He would always catch her.
When she got close to her orgasm, he pulled back to go to her cunt, penetrating her. He’d be filling her pussy real soon. Drawing back up to her clit, he teased and stroked across her clit.
“Doc, please.”
And then he pulled away and reached for the soap.
“Hey!”
“Don’t worry, I’m not done with you yet.” He ran his hands all over her, getting her body nice and soaped up. He saw the tension within her.
Maeve took the soap from his hands, and he knew he was punishing himself as much as he was her.
Her hands wrapped around his cock, and he tried to grit his teeth and handle it, but that was next to impossible. Her hands, her touch set him completely on fire, and he couldn’t think, nor could he focus. She was everywhere.
“You drive me crazy,” he said.
“That’s how you make me feel.”
Once he’d shampooed her hair, his patience had long gone, and he couldn’t handle another second.
He didn’t even bother to take the time to dry the two of them.
He carried her straight through to the bed and dropped her right down on top of it.
Doc moved her up until she was laid against the pillows, then he spread her legs wide and thrust hard and deep inside her.
Looking down at where they were joined, he watched her take all of his cock.
He was so close, and he pulled back just enough to reach down and play with her pussy, working her clit.
She cried out, and he felt her orgasm start to build, and it only took a few seconds of his touching to set her on edge, and she came apart beneath him.
Her orgasm brought his close to the surface, and there was no way he was going to be able to hold back. He was on fire, his need building to a fever pitch, and as he came, he filled her to the hilt, feeling each pulse of his cum as it flooded her pussy.
Doc hoped this was the one that would make her pregnant.