AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was about to object, but Cindy threw some cash on the table, grabbed my hand, and pulled me to my feet. I barely had a chance to snag my purse before she pulled me out of the restaurant.
Immediately, a sleek black sedan pulled up, and two men got out. I recognized one as her bodyguard, and the other must have been the driver. “Slight change of plans. We need to make a stop at Madame Darla,” she told them as she slid in. “Normally, you need an appointment to go in, but she’ll make an exception for me.”
“An appointment?” I shook my head. “That sounds like a store I can’t afford.”
Cindy fluttered a hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of you. If you’re going out tonight, I’m going to make sure that you are the most gorgeous thing in the room, and I have a feeling that once we get you out of those drab clothes, it won’t be hard at all.”
“But I don’t need to be the most gorgeous thing in the room,” I argued. “I just need something appropriate to wear. It’s just a charity event.”
“Wait, are you talking about the Holstein Gala? You’re going to that?” She swiveled her head. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Shit.
I knew this would happen, and the logical part of me knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep my secret for very long. After all, the ranch was only four hours away, and since almost everyone in the sleepy little town knew that I was married, I couldn’t hope for secrecy much longer.
But I wasn’t ready to talk about everything yet.
“I wasn’t the one invited,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t dig. “I was only coming to see you, but my associate was going and invited me along.”
“You’re associate? Jillian, you’re not really going to leave me in the dark, are you? I share everything with you!”
“Trust me, my life is not nearly as exciting as yours.” I laughed, but even I could hear the discomfort in the tone. “And tonight is no exception.”
“Fine. Be all mysterious. But I’m still going to find you a dress that knocks the socks off this mysterious associate of yours.” Cindy grinned.
The car stopped, and the minute Cindy got out, there was a swarm of cameras. I didn’t notice them until the flashbulbs were going off in my face. What the hell were they doing here? “Cindy!” someone yelled. “Are you here for alterations for your dress tonight? Can you tell us who you’ll be wearing?”
They weren’t here for Cindy. Any old famous actress would have done, apparently.
Nervous, I shielded my face, but that didn’t stop them from pointing their cameras at me. “Who’s your friend?”
I hoped that Cindy would steal the limelight, but she grabbed my hand. “This is my good friend and therapist, Jillian Quinn. I have been so nervous about tonight, and she has been the absolute best. Remember the name because when she has her own practice next year, she’ll be taking this city by storm. Mark my words!”
I tried to smile bravely as Cindy’s bodyguard broke through the crowd and cleared a pathway for us. Once we were safely inside, the door was locked and the blinds were closed. An older woman in her seventies greeted us. Her gorgeous silver hair was piled elegantly on top of her head, and her face was wrinkled but still tastefully done up in makeup. Large hoop earrings framed her face, and she was dressed in a stunning red evening gown that showed off her excellent figure.
“Cindy! Why didn’t you call and tell me that you were coming?” the woman asked as she kissed Cindy’s cheek.
“We’re not here for me. Madame Darla, this is my friend Jillian. She’s going to the Holstein Gala tonight and needs something to wear.”
“Tonight? You’re cutting it close,” Madame Darla said with a frown. She surveyed me, and the frown deepened even further. “Bah. Beige. What were you thinking, child? Such a beautiful face washed out by such blandness. Come. Come. You need something bold and passionate. I know just the thing.”
I immediately thought about Brendan. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her that bold and passionate was the last thing I needed, but suddenly, I felt like throwing caution into the wind.
How much would it hurt if, for one night, he looked at me in a new light? Not the woman he married years ago or the woman who couldn’t make that marriage work, but someone new?
“Let’s do it,” I said impulsively.
Behind me, Cindy cheered, and I hoped that I wasn’t about to make a mistake.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Brendan
When she walked out of the bathroom, I couldn’t breathe. It felt like someone had punched me in the gut. The woman who had walked in wearing tan pants and a beige button-up top walked out in an emerald green dress that shimmied down her body until it pooled at her feet. Hooked behind her neck, it plunged deep over her cleavage, and when she turned around, I nearly lost all control. Her entire back was bare. All I wanted to do was trace her spine and press my lips to her creamy skin.
