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“Anson?” Jillian cooed. “We all have faith in you as a future congressman. Why would you question Waverly’s chances?”
“Sorry.” Anson half smiled in apology. The two of them got along so well. For all Anson’s attempts to show off Vera as his girlfriend, he certainly fell into Jillian’s matchmaking attempts. If her mother had things her way, Anson would eventually be governor and Waverly, a former Miss Georgia, would be his wife. “I just want to be realistic. Waverly knows whatever the outcome, I’m proud to have her representing my city.”
The last time Anson gave a pep talk to Waverly about her future as a beauty queen, he’d alluded to her not winning. Did he know something she didn’t? The Morality Committee sat on as judges and took in the responses from social media. Waverly had been in the lead with the most votes from the public for the longest time, but Vera received a push when the memes from the cookie contest painted Vera as a referee in another meme. Someone fixed the photograph to have Waverly’s hair teased up on top of her head and had her looking like Don King egging on her fighters, the Crownes.
“Thanks, Mayor Ascot,” Dominic said, coming up behind the man. Dominic clapped Anson so hard on the shoulder, the mayor’s head rattled. “Leave.”
“Mr. Crowne,” Jillian hissed, snaking her arm through the crook of Anson’s elbow. “Do you always have to verbally prove you’re from the wrong side of the tracks?”
“Don’t forget a thug from the wrong side of the tracks,” Dominic quipped. Jillian, at a loss for words, scoffed. “Always a pleasure seeing you.” Dominic nodded as her mother reached for Anson’s arm to leave the dressing room.
Waverly’s pulse raced as she laughed. From the wrong side of tracks or not, the man could definitely wear a suit. To most, it was just plain black. To Waverly, this was the same suit she’d gone with him to have tailored. Behind the privacy of the dressing room curtains at the tailor’s, Waverly and Dominic had shared another immoral moment together. Unlike the Packard, he was going to have to keep the suit and put it on at nighttime to seduce her, just as lingerie set the tone for men. Waverly licked her lips as her mother and Anson finally stormed out of the dressing room.
“Waverly,” Zoe said, “you’re making my job too easy and too fun. Dominic, you’re too much.”
“Thanks, Zoe,” Waverly said, watching Zoe pack up her makeup in the signature Ravens Cosmetics lavender box. “Have you and Will set a date yet?”
“Yeah,” Dominic chimed in. “I need to know when to get the rest of our brothers together for one hell of a bachelor party.” He rubbed his hands together in mischief.
Waverly crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “They could never party like the pageant scene, am I right?”
With a shake of her head, Zoe gave Waverly a high five. “All right, let me go find my fiancé, Will.”
Dominic pointed his thumb down the hall. “Last I saw, my brother was speaking with some cousins of his down the hall.”
“Thanks,” said Zoe. She collected her box on the table in front of the mirror. “I’ll see you after the talent portion.”
“Cool.”
Zoe headed toward the door, patting Dominic on the shoulder on her way out. “See you in the audience. Will said you’re going to need a crew to keep you down in your seat during the swimsuit portion.”
“Swimsuit?” Dominic repeated. He glared in Waverly’s direction with raised brows. “This is a runoff, correct?”
“Here.” Zoe cleared her throat. “I believe you dropped this.”
Waverly cocked her head to see what Zoe handed him. It looked like a cell phone but it was not his. Distracted by the swimsuit issue, Dominic slid it into the pocket of his black slacks. Zoe disappeared out the door.
“Swimsuit, Waverly?”
Waverly nibbled her lips, covered in pink Pageant Pleasures lipstick. “Didn’t I mention it?”
“Didn’t I mention I don’t like to share?”
The anger in his voice was real but not threatening. Waverly had purposely left out the swimsuit portion in her description, not knowing how he would respond. “It’s part of the pageant.”
Dominic crossed the room. Waverly’s heart raced. He clamped his hands on either side of the arms of the chair and brought her face close to his. “You’re lucky I’m secure.”
His lips hovered over hers, careful not to mess up her lipstick. Waverly shivered at the erotic warmth of his breath. Dominic traced the pale pink sweetheart neckline of her gown. Due to the untraditional runoff, Lexi was able to design a gown for Waverly that fit her curves perfectly.
“Sorry to interrupt.”
A deep voice entered the room and caused Dominic to growl before he stoo
d upright and turned around. Waverly leaned forward in her chair. Her eyes narrowed at the man in the doorway. He wore a pair of faded denim jeans, black boots and a white T-shirt, a page straight out of her history. “Johnny Del Vecchio?”
At the mention of the name, Dominic turned his head toward Waverly. She shrugged.
Johnny stepped farther into the room and closer to Waverly. Dominic crossed his arms over his chest. “All right. You got me.” Johnny laughed. “I am not sorry for interrupting. Johnny, Johnny Del Vecchio,” he said to Dominic.
