To Love and to Cherish (9 page)

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

Lazer laughed softly. "Look, I'm sorry, Justin—"

"Enough said. Bygones," I said.

"I heard about Ophie," he said.

"Who hasn't?" I sighed. Sunshine Sheri had had a large segment on her show about it.

"Look, I don't want to pile on, but I have to apologize on that front, too. I inadvertently aided Ophie's cause when I lent Kayla my intern Andrea. I meant it as a goodwill gesture to help Kayla out."

Sure he did. He'd been keeping an eye on me and hoping to get closer to Kay. We both knew it. I let it drop.

"Andrea later confessed to me in tears that she felt partly responsible for what had gone on," he said. "She was in awe of Ophie's competence and skill and considered her a mentor. Ophie often asked about me and my schedule. Since Andrea was friends with my OA, and part of my team, she had access to my calendar. She fed it to Ophie, not realizing she was using it to throw Kayla and me together.

"Ophie was obviously trying to set us up. She got lucky that day you walked in on us. That was unfortunate timing. I'd been telling Kayla how happy I was for you two. And she was telling me how much she loved you." He paused. "I don't want to be the reason you two broke up. She loves you. Don't be an idiot about this, Justin. Get her back."

K
ayla

I had to get a new dress for the big sample sale. All those tight dresses from Italy were getting a little too snug in the waist. The few that might have worked I didn't have the heart to wear. Fresh starts and all. So I bought one from Flash. Which seemed appropriate, given the event.

The big sample sale event was on Saturday, September sixth. Which happened to correspond to what would have been our three- month anniversary, or mensiversary, or whatever you wanted to call it. I was glad I had the event to keep me occupied. It was better than dwelling on my sadness and heartache. Better than sitting home crying over what might have been.

Saturday morning I got my hair done and went to the spa and had a manicure and pedicure. Jus hadn't cut my allowance or cancelled my credit cards, so why not?

The evening of the gala, I planned to dress with care. You never knew who would show up at one of these events. Maybe even Jus.

It was wishful thinking, but just in case he did show up, I'd had a mensiversary cake made and decorated with that custom cake topper I'd had made.

J
ustin

I stared at my reflection in the mirror above the sink in my bathroom, beard clipper poised. A razor on the counter next to the sink.
Grand gesture
, I thought.

From the very beginning Kay had hated this beard. Her one marriage stipulation had been that I would get rid of it. Because of her soft heart, she'd settled for a good trim. The last few weeks I'd been depressed. I hadn't cared about my appearance. Now it was time for more than a trim. If I was going to get the girl back, I needed to do it barefaced. I put the closest guard on the clipper and went to work.

K
ayla

We held the sample sale at a local hotel on the water in downtown Seattle. It wasn't far from the Flashionista offices.

People lined up for the sample sale hours early. I had my staff of Flashionista volunteers on hand and ready for our grand opening. Some of them were going to act as cashiers. Some, mostly merch buyers, were going to be fashion consultants to shoppers, and some were personal shoppers for clients who either couldn't attend in person or who had handicaps or disabilities. And, of course, I had several of our photographers on hand to record the event.

The personal shopper and fashion consultants were my idea to add to the fun of the event. I had had the prop department and the merch people actually arrange the sample sale items so they looked nice and mirrored a high-end department store. Usually the sample sale was like one big garage sale with everything piled in boxes for customers to rummage through. I had also curtained off an area of the grand ballroom to act as a makeshift dressing room in case people wanted to try things on. That, too, was new.

After the sample sale to the general public, there was a benefit dinner with an auction for some of the best, most expensive, most exclusive samples that I'd talked the vendors into donating. Samples they'd usually ask for back. Like expensive watches and fine jewelry.

Britt and the merch buyers and I had pulled those earlier and combined them with donated trips and vacation packages to make some really fabulous, enticing things to bid on at dinner. They should bring a good price. As I'd worked on this event, I kept thinking of how much the money would mean to children like Sophia and parents like Vicki.

During dinner, we were putting on a fashion show with items pulled from the sample sale. Diners could bid on the outfits. One of our models for the Doggy and Me line called in sick at the last minute. The poor dog was sick and had to be taken to the vet. I was going to have to step in.

I called Andrea and asked her to pick up Data and bring her to the hotel just before dinner. I'd booked a hotel room for the night for convenience. If necessary, Andrea could stay with Data in my room until she was needed.

And, finally, there was a contest to see which sample sale shoppers could put together the best outfit made up entirely of items from the sale. We took pictures to show during dinner. The dinner audience was going to vote on their favorite. The winner got a hundred-dollar Flashionista gift card.

It was all going to be great fun. As the closer, Justin was supposed to present the hospital with the earnings from the sale. That had been the original plan. I'd sent him an invitation and a reminder. But he hadn't responded. I was prepared to step in.

I dressed casually, but fashionably, for the sale in flat canvas shoes and jeans. All my volunteers were nervous and excited. At the top of the hour, I gave the command. "Let the shopping begin! Open the doors."

J
ustin

I got my hair cut and dressed in a suit Kay had had hand tailored for me in Milan, along with a custom shirt. Italian suit. Italian shoes. Italian cologne. Italian charisma and charm? That was open for debate.

I took one last look at myself in the mirror, hoping she liked what she saw. Without the beard, I looked like a high school kid again. More like that geeky college guy she remembered. This could backfire on me big time. If Kay didn't like what she saw…

However, Kay deserved to see who she was agreeing to stay with.

This was my gesture. I was giving her what she wanted. If only she would see that I was also giving her my heart.

K
ayla

I dressed for dinner and arrived at the banquet hall early so I could supervise the last-minute preparations. The flowers and table settings looked perfect—mums and asters. Bidding paddles for the auction were put out at every table. At last, I was ready to mingle and greet guests.

I'd purchased several tables for key volunteers and staff from Flash, and one for my party—Riggins and a date, Harry and a date, Lazer and his plus-one (to squelch any lingering rumors about us), Britt, who came solo, Dex, also solo, a place for Jus, and me. Our table was right up front in front of the stage and MC podium. The head table, next to a table of hospital dignitaries.

After a decent interval for mingling and networking, and waiting for Jus, I gave the order for dinner to be served. Justin's place remained empty. I kept my chin up. Though that vacant seat was like the proverbial elephant in the room, no one, either at our table or elsewhere, mentioned it. The waiters served our salad. No Jus. They cleared his uneaten salad and served our entrees while the regular auction began. No Jus.

Riggins bid on, and won, a vacation to the Bahamas he didn't need and would probably never take. Britt won a fabulous handbag. Dex didn't see anything to his taste to bid on but promised to make a donation at the end. Lazer outbid a very zealous older lady to win a bracelet for his date, whose name was Amy and seemed very nice.

Dex, who was skinny but had the appetite of five guys twice his size, eyed Justin's steak. So I passed it over without comment. Dex wolfed it down during a ferocious cross-room bidding war on a set of pearl earrings and seven days in Hawaii.

We had a champagne toast without Jus. I got up to help with the fashion show and change into my ensemble. Backstage, I ran into Sophia and Vicki, who were dressed in their matching Mommy and Me clothes. They looked adorable.

I hugged Sophie. "I bet you two get a fabulous bid for your outfits! Who could resist you?"

"Is Justin here?" Sophia's voice was pitched high with childish delight and enthusiasm.

I kneeled to look her in the eye. "Not yet, sweetie. He wasn't sure he'd be able to make it," I lied. "Let's keep our fingers crossed he will."

Sophia pouted. "He
has
to be here! He promised! He's going to bid on my outfit. And win it so I can have it!"

"He did?" I looked at Vicki for confirmation.

"He stopped by a few days ago." She hesitated. "I'm not sure what he promised, or
if
he promised anything."

"He did, Mom!" Sophia got a determined look on her face. "He did! I'm not making it up. He promised."

Vicki gave me a sympathetic look. "See what you're in for? It never stops."

The diners were having fun with the fashion show. Bidding had been wild and enthusiastic. Britt was one of the fashion announcers helping the MC with fashion commentary.

"Next we have Sophia and Vicki modeling a matching mother and daughter ensemble in pink. Sophia is a frequent patient at the hospital and a nurses' favorite. She's wearing…"

Britt continued talking. But I'd stopped listening. The door to the dining room opened and Jus stepped in. My breath caught. His hair was stylishly cut. He was wearing the Italian suit I'd commissioned for him. It fit him like any cliché you can think of and better. He looked hot. And…his face was bare naked. Smooth as a baby's butt, as they say. The beard was gone.

My mouth fell open. From the wings of the stage, I gaped at him. He looked like the old, young Jus, only a hundred times better. A dozen different unnamable emotions swirled through me. This was the man I loved. And yet he reminded me even more of the old, geeky, sweet, college Jus, all grown up and filled out. He certainly filled out his seat in an eye-pleasing way.

My emotions were complex and hard to describe. I only really knew that I wanted him back. And there was a good chance the time for that had passed. He hadn't even wanted to have dinner with his friends and me. Not if I was there.

He winked at Sophia, pulled the pair of colorblind correction glasses I'd given him for his birthday from his pocket, put them on, and grinned.

Sophia had been behaving like a perfect little model up until that point. The moment she saw Jus, she jumped up and down, squealed, took her mother's hand, and pointed to him.

As if on cue, the whole crowd turned to see what the big deal was. A hush fell over the room. Everyone knew who Jus was.

"Sorry I'm late." His grin was infectious. "I don't mean to interrupt. Fifty thousand dollars for the outfits being modeled on stage." He looked around the room, daring anyone to outbid him.

If I knew Jus, he would be happy to bid higher.

The crowd's silence held like they were holding their collective breath. Heads turned. Everyone was waiting for another bidder. Riggins or Lazer could have stepped in. But they didn't. They let Jus have his moment.

"Sold to the stylish gentleman in the back! You have good taste, sir. Someone get that man a paddle so he can bid properly."

Sophia squealed again and jumped off the stage, running to him.

"And your name would be?" the MC said, though he knew full well.

"Justin Green." He scooped Sophia up and hugged her.

The crowd gave a collective "ahh" and erupted in applause.

Data barked in my arms and struggled to get free to go to him. I scratched her behind the ears and held on to her. "Traitor," I whispered to her. "Those two are going to be a hard act to follow."

Yeah, and it wasn't as if I expected Jus to bid on me. I hoped Lazer or Dex would at least do the honors.

Britt glanced at me and made a face. Our secret look of horror we'd used since we were kids. She tried to mouth something to me, but I couldn't understand what she was trying to tell me. I thought it might have been
are you okay?
I nodded just in case.

She cleared her throat, clearly rattled. "Next up we have Mrs. Justin Green and Data modeling matching rhinestone collars and pink ribbons."

I strode on stage like the amateur model I was, hamming it up. Blowing kisses and begging for bids shamelessly. Hey, I was the queen of our sorority on philanthropy day. I knew how to raise money.

Jus went to our table and shook Lazer's hand. He took his seat next to the stage. He set Sophia in my chair. A waiter served her a bowl of ice cream. Someone handed Jus a paddle. It was decidedly down and not in the bidding position.

Britt finished her description. The MC opened the floor for bids. A woman in the back bid first. "That will look adorable on my granddaughter and her puppy."

I was wearing a pink A-line dress that hid my tiny baby bump and pink kitten heels. Sort of a retro sixties look. Data had the rhinestone collar that matched mine and a pink doggy shirt. Which was over the top for a pomsky like Data, who looked more husky than Pomeranian. But still, adorable.

I was trying not to stare at Jus or give myself away by yelling at Dex to bid, for heaven's sake, bid!

Another woman bid. A few more paddles were raised. The bid went up to two hundred dollars.

"Come on! This is for the children, folks! Two-twenty-five, anyone?" The MC looked around the room.

No one moved. Not a paddle stirred.

The MC raised his gavel to close the deal just as Jus raised his.

Jus looked me in the eye. "One million dollars."

I gasped. The diners gasped.

The MC pounded the gavel before Jus could change his mind. "Sold for one million dollars to the gentleman at the head table."

Data barked, squirming to get down. Jus stood, jumped on stage, pulled me into his arms, and kissed me while Data wiggled between us and whined for attention and the audience gave us a standing ovation.

Jus whispered into my ear over the roar of the applause, "You look beautiful in pink. From now on when I tell you you look like a million bucks, you better believe me. Happy mensiversary, baby! I hope they'll be many more." He took off his color correction glasses and put them in his pocket. "I love you. I'd like to try again."

I stroked his bare cheek. It was smooth and soft. "I hope there will be many
anniversaries
. Your cheek's so smooth. What? Did you shave in the lobby?" I had tears in my eyes.

"So?" He gazed into my eyes.

"Soooo? What?" I teased him.

"Can we try again?" His voice broke.

"That's what you really want?" I asked.

He nodded.

I nodded, too. "I love you, too."

He pulled me into his arms and helped me off the stage. I couldn't stop staring at him.

Vicki moved Sophia out of my chair so I could sit. Jus sat next to me, set Data in his lap, and put his arm around me.