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“Well, I took your advice…” I winced as she yanked on my hair. “We made up. With our bodies. We did lots of making up.” I felt myself turning red.
“Girl, by the number of knots in your hair, I’m guessing you had more orgasms today than I’ve had in the past three months!”
“I don’t know,” I mumbled, “I lost count.”
She threw back her head and laughed. “Chloe Windsor, you are something. Good for you! Iknewit! Mr. Windsor was so grumpy these past few weeks because you were gone, and he isaddictedto you. I bet when I see him next, he’s going to be in a much better mood. ThankGodyou came back. Everything was going to hell, but I have a good feeling about all this. I think you’re a lucky charm for this family, I really do.”
“That’s nice, Midge. But I don’t think I’ve ever been exactly lucky.”
“That’s the good thing about luck—it can change.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Hold still. I’m going to whip your hair into shape, do your makeup in three minutes flat, and put you in a dress that shows off that ‘freshly fucked’ vibe.”
“Midge!”
“Sorry.” But she grinned wickedly as she turned the blowdryer on. Midge was quick, running her fingers through my damp hair. She finished in record time and then went at me with a pouffy brush. A little concealer, blush, eyeliner, and several swipes of mascara later, I was finished. “It’s good to be young and gorgeous. Voila!” She turned me around to face the mirror.
My hair was revived with big, beachy waves, and my makeup lookedamazing. “I didn’t even think you put that much on my face, but wow! It looks great. Thank you so much!”
“Ha! Honey, that wasn’t me—that was Mr. Windsor. You look like you just had a thousand-dollar facial because he showered you with orgasms all afternoon.” She shivered. “Ah, to be young and be in love!”
She dragged me back into the bedroom and started tearing through the wardrobe. My phone was blowing up with text messages from Olivia Jensen.T-5!She wrote.Get a move on!
“Ugh, I have to go. What should I wear?”
“Let me find it, I had the perfect thing—aha!” Midge pulled out a flowing back maxi dress with spaghetti straps. “This will look great on you, and it’s totally in this season. Here, wear it with these sandals. You’ll be so happy that they’re flat.” She pulled out a pair of simple black flip-flops, and I sighed in relief.
“Thanks, Midge. You’re the best.”
“Oh wait—you need these.” She tossed a strapless black bra at me and a thong so delicate, I could floss my teeth with it.
Bryce wouldloveit. I ran into the bathroom and changed.
When I came back, Midge clapped her hands together. “Perfect!” She pulled me in front of the full-length mirror, then arranged my hair over one shoulder. “You look beautiful, Chloe. It’s so nice to have you back.” She dabbed at her eyes.
“Midge, are youcrying?”
“No.” She shooed me out the door. “Go on, you’re going to be late. I’m just happy, that’s all. I really like working for this family. I feel bad that they’re having so much trouble. The older Mr. Windsor’s a pain in the ass, but your husband is a good guy. It’s nice to see you back together.”
My heart twisted. “Thanks, Midge.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her that what was happening was for show. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, either, but it was safer to keep it in mind. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
I hustled down the hall, eager to be reunited with Bryce. He was waiting in his customary spot in the landing, glaring at his cellphone. He’d changed into a white linen button-down shirt, a pair of khakis, and flip-flops. The outfit was casual, but he still looked impossibly rich and handsome.
The glare slid from his face when he saw me. “Don’t you look pretty.”
He sounded happy, normal…human. My heart leaped.
“Thank you. You look nice, too.”
“Save it for the cameras, you two.” A blur of red hair, Olivia Jensen crashed our party. She grinned at us. “Just kidding! But could you actually fawn all over each other outside and on the boat? The camera operators can’t take pictures of you in the house. And we need content, so let’s go!”
She shooed us down the hall. By the time we got outside, Bryce practically had smoke coming out of his ears. “Olivia.” He stopped and turned to her. “I appreciate that you are taking my family’s situation seriously—but you’re overstepping.”
Olivia nodded. “Iappreciate that you feel that way. But the SEC had another meeting with your father’s defense team this afternoon. Things are progressing quickly. This could become a formal investigation with subpoenas soon—we need to get ahead of it. We can’t influence the outcome with the government, but winning over the publicwillhelp your company. You know that.”
Bryce nodded. He seemed incapable of verbalizing that she was right.
“Okay, then.” She smiled at him. “Now you two get back to making goo-goo eyes at each other. The public’s going to eat this up, I’m telling you!”
She motioned toward the bushes. “The photographers are hiding in there. Guys, wave!”
