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“Is he still dating Emma?”

“No, they broke up last Christmas.” Chloe gives a bleak sigh. “Oh, Frankie, do you think I’m crazy to just pick up and leave?”

“Not at all. I did and I haven’t regretted it since. Change is a good thing, especially after something bad happens in your life.”

“I hope you’re right. I like the sound of that,” she says in a guarded way. It’s almost as if she’s afraid to get her hopes up too much.

“Chloe, you’re gonna love living here.”

Her eyes are filled with doubt and insecurity. “You really think I can adjust to living in Miami?”

“Absolutely. Remember how I didn’t have one decent date last year?”

Chloe nods.

“Well, I don’t know what it is about this place, but ever since I moved down to Miami, the men, or I should say doctors, are crawling out of the woodwork.” I make a face. “Some cockroaches like Alex should have stayed in the cracks, but, otherwise Miami’s full of eligibles.”

Chloe grimaces. “Is there any guy out there who isn’t commitment-phobic?”

“I’ll help you find one,” I say fervently. “Maybe you can find a place in this building and we can all be neighbors. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

She brightens a tad. “I’d love that.”

“In the meantime, you can stay with me as long as you like.”

She smiles. “Thanks. Harrison offered the same. I’m lucky to have the two of you.”

“We’re lucky to have you.” I jump up from the couch. “I feel like celebrating. Let’s invite Harrison and go to a Cuban restaurant.”

“I sure could use a mojito—or two or three,” Chloe says.

“Yippee, I feel like dancing and celebrating!”

Chloe chuckles and wipes her tears. “You are so good for me, Frankie.”

I text Harrison and ten minutes later he responds with, “
Swamped here. Can’t make it. Maybe later
.”

“Oh, too bad,” Chloe says.

I’m so disappointed. Is Harrison dissing me or is he really too swamped to get away, I wonder uneasily.

“Oh well. I’m sure I’ll see him before he leaves for the Canyon.” I smile at Chloe and try to think of something to cheer her up. Her problems are far worse than mine. “Let’s call Fizzy and make it a party.”

Chloe smiles back. “Sure, I can’t wait to meet her.”

“You’ll like her. She’s helping me put together a disguise to wear to Bowled Over.”

“A disguise?” Chloe asks, clearly baffled. “Why do you need one?”

“It’s a long story involving Antoinette, my chicken pox and going to Bowled Over incognito.”

Chloe shakes her head. “What are you up to now, Frankie?”

“You’ll know in a few minutes when I find out what Santiago has come up with.” I love how top secret that sounds.

“Have you finally met Santiago?”

“No, but Fizzy refers to him as her dark and dangerous mystery lover.”

“Dark and dangerous mystery lover,” Chloe repeats, looking envious. “What have I been doing all this time? I want a mystery lover too,” she wails.

“I don’t want a mystery lover. I want Harrison!”

“I hear you.” Chloe’s eyes look sad as she gives me a sympathetic smile.

“I’m going to call Fizz now. She’ll cheer us up.”

A few moments later, Fizzy shows up, ready to party with Chloe and me.

Romeo: Fizzy’s here and she brought Coquette. Rrrrowr, Coquette smells good enough to eat—even better than a cookie. She’s circling me, wearing little scarlet satin bows above her ears that match her dainty pedicure. How much can a sex-deprived dog take? I’m ready to pounce!

While the girls are busy giggling and going through a bag of stuff Fizzy brought over, I think I’ll steer Coquette into Francesca’s room. We are going to partay!

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I can barely contain my nerves as I hover inside my apartment by the front door waiting for Harrison to arrive. Last night, Chloe came up with the perfect way to test my disguise before we head to Bowled Over today. If this works, then I’m home free.

Early this morning, I got spray tanned to a deep brown at Sun-kissed Salon for my exotic look. For the hundredth time, I glance in the mirror and adjust the Panama hat, making sure it stays on my white-haired toupée. My skin is burnished to a dark olive tone to cover lingering pox scars and I’m wearing a man’s ivory linen suit. I look like an over-baked Colonel Sanders, but with Latin flair.

Amazed at my transformation, I stare in the mirror and check for flaws or clues that I’m a girl. Thanks to the white beard that covers most of my face and tinted, black horn-rimmed glasses that obscure the rest of it, I look like an old man. For more obscurity, I’m wearing black contacts over my light brown eyes.

The doorbell rings and I jump. I feel jittery and ludicrous in this garb, but I have to do it. Romeo is barking wildly from behind my closed bedroom door, but I can’t let him out. No way can he be in this picture.

I open the door and brace myself for the reaction. Harrison takes a step forward, stops in his tracks and stares at me. “Is Frankie here?” His brows knit together as he squints at me through narrowed, suspicious eyes.

Wow, Santiago really came through for me with this disguise. I think I fooled Harrison! A giggle starts at the back of my throat and I have to bite my lips to keep from laughing.
Think of tragedies, sick puppies, world famine—anything! Just don’t laugh.

“Eh, ’em.” I stall as I look down and shuffle my feet.

“Where is Frankie?” he demands, looking behind me and scoping my apartment with keen eyes.

Willing my voice to come out deep like I’ve practiced all morning, I hunch over and say, “Don’t know. She’s not here.”

Harrison’s jaw drops and his eyebrows shoot skyward as he gapes at me bug-eyed. Starting from the top of my hat to the tips of my brown leather loafers, he gives me a slow once-over. When his eyes reach mine, he lets out a shout of laughter. “Frankie—or should I say Frank? What the heck are you doing in that getup?”

Great.
“Come in,” I say, deeply disappointed and feeling like a total fool. I shut the door behind him. “What tipped you off? The toupée? The beard? What?”

Harrison tries to say something, but he starts guffawing. “For a minute there I thought you were going international,” he teases.

“What do you mean?”

“Since the local doctors haven’t panned out for you, I thought you might be importing them.”

“Stop it,” I say, slugging his hard shoulder. “How did you know it was me?”

Between guffaws, Harrison tries to say something that sounds like, “Are you kidding?”

“It’s not funny.” I try to keep a straight face, but I can’t because I know I look silly. Harrison’s rumbling laughter is contagious and I give in and join him.

“Shouldn’t you let Romeo out?” he asks, catching his breath. “He’s gonna bust a gut barking like that.”

“Can that happen?” I ask, horrified.

He shakes his head and looks heavenward. “No. I was exaggerating.”

“Oh, well, I think I’ll leave him there for a few minutes. I feel guilty about not letting him out, but he’ll just get in the way and I’m pressed for time.”

Harrison eyes me curiously. “What are you up to, Frankie?”

“C’mon, Harrison, tell me how you knew it was me.”

“It was your voice.” He grins again and his green eyes twinkle. Harrison looks so appealing, I want him to hold me close and… “It’s a dead giveaway,” he says, snapping me back to the present.

“Darn—my voice didn’t sound different to you? I thought I practiced enough.” I feel deflated.

“You look too small and soft to be a guy.”

“I can’t help that. I’ve done the best I can! I have to be at Bowled Over in an hour and Chloe’s going to be my date.”

“She’s what?” He gives me an incredulous look. “Did the chicken pox damage your brain?”

“I hope not!” I say, trying to ignore a stab of alarm.

Harrison stares at me as if I’ve lost my mind and maybe I have, but it’s too late now. “Why are you in that crazy disguise?”

I make a disappointed face. “Antoinette forbade me to go because of my chicken pox, even though I’m over them.”

He cocks his head to one side as his eyes study me beneath furrowed brows. “Is it that important for you to be there?”

“Yes! This fundraiser means everything to me. I created it for my mom and women like her who have heart disease. It’s bad enough that Mom can’t be there in person. I put her interview on a DVD along with other women who are heart attack survivors. They will be showing it tonight.”

“I understand.” Harrison’s eyes look serious, but the corners of his mouth keep twitching. “I hope you reconsider, but if you decide to go through with this, don’t talk. Let Chloe take the lead and pretend you don’t speak English or something.”

“Good idea. I wish you could have joined us last night.”

“I wanted to come. But I had an emergency case and it went on until late.”

“We missed you,” I say, giving him a wistful look.

“Don’t look at me like that with those huge puppy dog eyes. It makes me want to kiss you.” He chuckles. “On second thought, it’s not gonna happen. That beard ain’t doin’ it for me.”

“You can always close your eyes,” I suggest, my heart thumping.

To my disappointment, Harrison kisses the tip of my nose instead. “Gotta go.” His shoulders shake with amusement. “So this is why she kept insisting I come down here.”

“Harrison…”

“What?”

I swallow hard. “About Alex…”

“I know about his arrest. Fizzy told me.”

I touch his arm. “Oh…well, I wanted you to know I stopped seeing Alex long before they arrested him. Now he’s out on bail and awaiting trial.”

“What about your sex therapist?” He quirks an eyebrow and scrutinizes my face. His eyes are so intensely green and gorgeous, I can’t look away. I really wish he’d kiss me.

“There was never anything between me and Devon and he is
not
my sex therapist! I only went on one date with him.”

“Good,” he says.

“Besides, before I go international, there is a local doctor that…” I decide to leave it at that when I see his eyes brimming with amusement.

He chokes back a chuckle.

“Why can’t you stop laughing?” I ask, frustrated. This was supposed to be an important conversation and Harrison isn’t taking me seriously.

“Have you looked in the mirror lately?”

“It doesn’t matter what I look like now. I’ll be back to myself tonight…” I say, batting my lashes. But that only makes him double over with hilarity.

“You’re killing me in that costume,” he says, between chuckles. “I thought Bowled Over was going to go on into the evening. I’m turning in early. Going skydiving at the crack of dawn tomorrow.”

“Oh.” Now I feel dejected.

He shrugs. “I’d invite you to come along, Frankie, but we both know you’re not a risk-taker.”

Is it my imagination or does Harrison sound like he’s goading me? That’s the second time he has reminded me that I’m not a risk-taker. It’s not as if I haven’t been trying.

“Gosh, you make it sound like I have a social disease just because I’m cautious,” I say, my shoulders slumping under the suit jacket.

“Nah, I didn’t mean it that way.” He stretches out his arms. “C’mere.”

Maybe he’s going to kiss me after all, and tell me he’s missed me. I happily snuggle into his brawny arms and mold my body to his solid chest. I’m feeling warm and fluttery inside until he pulls back and studies me with a teasing glint in his eyes.

“What?” I ask.

“Try not to pick up any cute chicks today, hot stuff.” He gives my beard a playful tug and then pats my bottom.

“Ha, ha, very funny,” I say, slapping his hand away.

Harrison winks at me and leaves me feeling frustrated and grumpy. When I let Romeo out of the room, he runs circles around my feet and his growls escalate into frantic, high-pitched barks.

“What are
you
complaining about?” I pick him up and cuddle him against my shoulder like a baby. Romeo licks my earlobe. “I thought Harrison was going to kiss me, but he tugged on my beard and patted my bottom instead. That’s not exactly the way I wanted him to leave. Now every time he thinks about me, he’s going to start laughing at how silly I looked.”

Romeo howls in agreement.

I feel hollow inside. I think Harrison’s interest in me is waning. Maybe it’s because I can’t share his passion for adventurous stuff like skydiving. If that’s a deal breaker for him, then I’m doomed—I can’t change overnight. I don’t think I can ever change that much and I’m not sure I would even want to.

I hate feeling vulnerable and sad, but I’m in danger of losing the best guy I’ve ever met. I love Harrison. The realization nearly knocks me to the floor with despair. What if he doesn’t love me back?

My iPhone pings with a text from Chloe:
Your trophy date awaits you, sir.

I have to get going. If I don’t move fast I’ll be late for my event. On the way there, I’ll pick Chloe’s brain and she’ll give me advice on Harrison.