Читать книгу Accidental Cinderella - Nancy Thompson Robards - Страница 8

“You almost make a girl believe in fairy tales.” In this rare intimate moment amidst the festive chaos, Lindsay Bingham reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair into her friend Sophie Baldwin’s bridal veil.

Sophie looked every bit the princess she was. Literally. A real princess.

The wedding was magical and the reception was the social ticket of the year, Lindsay marveled. It was still hard to believe that salt-of-the-earth Sophie Baldwin from Trevard, North Carolina, was full-fledged royalty.

Last year, she’d discovered her birthright—or maybe it was more apropos to say her birthright finally found her—and she’d been swept away to the island of St. Michel in imperial fashion. As if that weren’t enough good fortune, she’d just married her prince in a gorgeous December wedding.

Right on cue, tall, handsome Luc Lejardin whirled by on the dance floor with another woman in his arms. But as he caught and held his bride’s gaze, it was perfectly clear he only had eyes for one woman.

Lindsay sighed. She would’ve gladly relinquished rights to an entire kingdom to have a man look at her that way.

“If I keep humming, ‘Wish Upon A Star,’ will I get my turn as Cinderella?”

Sophie smiled. “Maybe, but since that song belongs to Pinocchio, you might end up with a fibbing bad boy rather than a handsome prince.”

Fibbing bad boys. The story of her life.

“That’s right,” she conceded. “Cinderella’s fight song was ‘A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes….’”

Sophie winked at her. “A little dream-wishing never hurt anyone.”

“Yeah, but for the foreseeable future, I’m going to do my best to do more than dream. I’m getting my life together. I’m calling it the ‘New Me’ plan.”

Yeah, rather than the old “Plan of Self-Destruction.” A strategy that involved seeing how many years she could accrue at her dead-end job as a receptionist at Trevard Social Services and how many Mr. Wrongs she could pack into one lifetime.

She sighed against the beat of protest that thrummed inside her. Frankly, her “New Me” plan was a lot easier in theory than in practice. Her receptionist job was comfortable. It was so simple she could do it on autopilot. Even though her boss was a colossal pain in the butt, it was definitely one of those devil-you-know situations. Or so she told herself.

But the job was getting her nowhere.

As were the men she sometimes dated.

From her perspective, the journey toward true love sometimes seemed akin to walking a tightrope strung across a dark, scary abyss. She’d walked that rope before, holding the hand of a man she loved and trusted, a man who, once upon a time, said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Ultimately, he’d not just let go of her hand; he’d shoved her into the darkness below.

She’d nearly drowned in the misery.

Even now, almost seven years later, when she thought about the man who’d broken her heart, the pain resurfaced like it was covered by fading Novocain.

To numb herself, she dated. She’d even had relationships—if you could call them that. The men all had one thing in common beyond the tall, broad-shouldered, feral masculinity: none were husband material.

She preferred it that way. By dating the perennial bad boy, it was a given that those relationships wouldn’t last. She kept a firm grip on her heart. That way it couldn’t be broken.

Sophie squeezed Lindsay’s hand. “I think focusing on you is a wonderful idea, and to help you with that, I have a surprise for you.” Sophie’s face lit with a certain look Lindsay had seen before. A look that meant Lindsay should probably run the other way—as fast as she could.

Her friend always meant well, and she could also be extraordinarily generous, as evidenced by the way she’d packed the past month full of fabulous surprises—from daylong, head-to-toe spa days, to designer clothes, shoes and handbags, to the custom-made Cartier diamond necklace and earrings she’d presented her attendants to wear with their bridesmaids dresses.

“What are you up to now?” Lindsay narrowed her eyes, playing along with the tone Sophie had set for this one.

“I’ll tell you in a minute. First, I have to say hello to someone.”

She followed Sophie’s gaze to a short, slight man who was making his way toward them.

“Your highness, such a lovely wedding.” The man had a thick Italian accent. He bowed and dusted Sophie’s hand with a kiss. “It is a great honor to bear witness to such a momentous occasion.”

Okay, this could take a while. But Lindsay had monopolized Sophie long enough. It was time to relinquish her friend and give others a turn. It was a good time to get a drink. The guests didn’t want to talk to her, and that was okay. Really, it was. She didn’t want to stand there, awkward as a sixth finger while this man did what every guest at this wedding endeavored to do: endear himself to the future queen of St. Michel.

She turned to Sophie. “Will you excuse me for a moment?”

Sophie smiled. “Is everything okay?”

Lindsay nodded. “Absolutely, I need something to drink. Would either of you care for something?”

“Nothing for me,” said the Italian. “But please allow me to be at your service.”

“No, no, thank you. You stay here and talk. I’ll be back.”

“You don’t have to leave,” Sophie whispered.

She’d been so good to make sure Lindsay didn’t feel out of place during her stay at the palace. The poor woman must be exhausted.

“I’m fine,” Lindsay assured her. “I’ll find you later.”

“Okay, don’t forget. Your surprise.”

Sophie had been so generous already. Lindsay couldn’t imagine what else she could pull out of her crown. Especially tonight. Sophie’s big night. It felt wrong for her friend to take time away from her wedding to give her something else. If anyone should be fussed over tonight, it was the bride.

Across the room, Lindsay spied a tux-clad server with a tray of champagne flutes. She walked over and helped herself, then turned to survey the crowd. The guest list was studded with several A-listers who melded so well with the others that sometimes Lindsay had to do a double take before she could identify them. But she was careful to not be too obvious. No one here gawked or gushed.

That’s why it was important that she honored the agreement she’d made with herself and remained cool—and not go stark raving fan girl, even though Johnny Depp was sitting directly in her line of vision at a table for two, with his arm draped around a petite woman.

Lindsay bit her bottom lip instead.

Johnny. Depp.

She watched as the actor lifted a cigarette to his lips, taking a long drag. It was just as well she didn’t try to engage him in conversation, because with all this pent-up nervous energy, she’d probably end up saying the wrong thing or bleating like a startled goat rather than forming words that made any sense.

Her toes curled in her custom-made Jimmy Choos (one of the bridesmaid gifts from Sophie), and she exhaled a full-body sigh, reluctantly tearing her gaze from him.

As she skimmed the crowd, she stopped suddenly, backtracking to a familiar face. A sulking hulk of handsomeness and broad shoulders sat alone at a table toward the back of the ballroom.

It was that famous chef. Oh, what was his name…?

As she studied his ruggedly attractive face, the olive skin and perpetual five o’clock shadow, Lindsay’s mind flipped through names one by one, but she couldn’t quite pin it down.

A couple of years ago, he’d been the poster boy of the trashy tabloids. Oh, what was his name…? He used to have a show on Food TV…but something had happened. She couldn’t remember what. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him on television. Not that she’d ever been a big fan—but boy, he was even better-looking in person than on TV, and the tabloid photos didn’t do him justice.

Montigo.

Carlos Montigo.

Yes! That was it.

She snapped her fingers. As if he’d heard her, which was impossible over the clamor of conversation and music, his dark gaze slid to hers and locked into place.

Her stomach performed a curious lurching summersault. Good grief, the guy was handsome. But based on the headlines, he was no Prince Charming. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

Still, she couldn’t make herself look away.

Ping. There it was. That steel-to-bad boy magnetic draw of attraction—pulling her in a direction her better judgment warned she shouldn’t go.

He kept watching her and she kept watching him back, over the top of her champagne flute.

She’d known guys with bad reputations like him. He was exactly the type of guy she was drawn to.

If there was one thing her résumé of postengagement relationships had taught her it was you can’t rehabilitate a bad boy.

That was the short-term draw.

A slow, lopsided smile that barely turned up the corner of Montigo’s lips promised trouble. Those were definitely bad-boy eyes gazing at her. Dark, sexy, bad-boy eyes that were meandering brazenly down the length of her body.

It wasn’t the way Luc looked at Sophie. No, this was something altogether different. Her mind skittered through all sorts of possibilities involving bare broad shoulders, rumpled bed sheets and a lot more skin than he was showing now….

It kind of took her breath away.

It was her last night in St. Michel….

Even if he wasn’t part of her “New Me” plan, she’d never see him again.

But then the strangest thing happened. Her better judgment kicked in.

What was the point of a one-night stand—besides a night of great sex?

Back home, her friend Ida May Higgins, the woman who’d known Lindsay since she was born, who’d cared for her after her mother died and had in many ways been a surrogate mother to her, insisted that the only way Lindsay could fix what her former fiancé, Derrick, had broken was by simply taking the time to be alone so that she could get to know herself.

Alone.

As in no one-night stands.

Besides, Sophie had yet to cut the cake and toss the bouquet. As the maid of honor, Lindsay needed to be available for Sophie, not formulating a plan to hook up with Mr. Hottie.

Willing herself not to look back at him, Lindsay swallowed the rest of her champagne, set the empty glass on a busing tray and made her way toward the terrace for a breath of fresh air.

Something—anything—to clear her head.

If she were at home right now, she’d pull out her mother’s recipe book—a small red notebook filled with pages of handwritten recipes, mostly desserts—and bake. The kitchen was her sanctuary; baking helped her keep her sanity.

Even though she’d been so young when her mother had died she didn’t have memories of her, she had her recipes. And bringing them to life somehow made Lindsay feel connected to this woman she never really knew.

She’d brought the red notebook to St. Michel with her but she hadn’t been near a kitchen in the month she’d been there. So, since baking wasn’t an option, she made her way toward the ballroom’s open doors.

The terrace was dotted with a smattering of people. Mostly couples who’d stepped out into the moonlight for a little romance, it seemed, from the way people were paired up, some with arms entwined, others stealing little kisses—one couple, off in the far corner, getting a little too frisky for public decency.

Lindsay hated intruding on the romance, but she couldn’t go back inside. Not just yet. To give them some privacy, she walked to the other end of the terrace, leaned against the ornate wrought-iron railing and tilted her face into the briny breeze that blew in off the ocean.

It was a gorgeous night. In North Carolina, she’d need a parka and gloves to be outside on a December evening. Here, the temperature was a little chilly, but it was brisk and fresh—just what she needed. She was already starting to feel revived.

After being in St. Michel a month, Trevard, North Carolina, seemed like a vague smudge on a distant horizon. It was hard to believe she’d be going home tomorrow. She blinked away the thought. No way would she waste her last night dwelling on the mundane. She’d have her fill of that soon enough.

She looked around, taking in the huge moon hanging over the water like a brilliant blood orange, spilling diamond seeds across the inky sky and into the restless sea below. Such a beautiful moon on Sophie and Luc’s wedding night, as if the heavens were bestowing a special blessing upon their union.

It was all so romantic.

A shooting star burst across the sky like a Roman candle. Remembering her earlier conversation with Sophie, a chill skittered over her. She crossed her arms to rub away the goose bumps, then closed her eyes and wished…

When she was done, she looked around, blinking a couple of times at the couples paired up on the terrace.

Well, Cinderella, you’re certainly not going to find your prince at Lover’s Lane. Better get back inside.

As she turned to leave the happy couples to their romantic seclusion, she nearly bumped into someone. Backlit by the warm glow of the ballroom, he was silhouetted and she could barely make out his features. But she didn’t need better light to recognize Carlos Montigo.

“It’s a beautiful night,” he said with a melodic Spanish accent, warming her from the inside out.

“It is beautiful. I was just—”

“If you’re cold, I’d be happy to offer you my jacket.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine.”

He nodded and stepped up to the railing next to her. Looking at him from this angle made her draw in a quick breath. He might’ve been born of the bad-boy mold that attracted her, but something in his voice and in the way he carried himself suggested he was different. But exactly how, she couldn’t discern.

“You made a beautiful bridesmaid for the princess.”

“Thank you. Are you a friend of the bride or the groom?”

She cringed at the inane question. This was not North Carolina. Sophie hadn’t met three-quarters of the guests, and she’d bet good money that Sophie and Luc didn’t know most of them personally. That was what famous people did—hang out with other famous people. Go to their weddings. Whether they knew each other or not.

“I am acquainted with the Henri Lejardin, St. Michel’s minister of art and culture, the brother of the groom. I have catered events for him in the past. I am in town for another occasion—the St. Michel Food and Wine Festival—and he invited me tonight.

“I am Carlos Montigo.” He offered a hand and she took it.

“Lindsay Bingham,” she returned.

He lifted her hand to his lips. She liked this gallant European custom.

His gaze slid to hers and locked into place.

An electric jolt coursed through her, and she couldn’t look away. Even though she knew she should.

Oh, boy, she was in trouble.

But then, with the same air of rogue regality he’d shown when he so blatantly perused her from across the room, he released her hand and did a sweeping search of her face, his gaze finally lingering on her lips, which were suddenly so dry she had to moisten them before she could speak.

“Where are you from?” she asked.

“Florida.”

“Really? I had you pegged for a European all the way.”

“All the way?” he said, mimicking her slight southern accent. His mouth quirked up at the corner, forming a sexy half smile that Lindsay would’ve bet money had driven more than one woman wild.

“You’re definitely American, and judging from the accent, from somewhere below the Mason-Dixon line. Am I right?”

“No, you’re not. I don’t have an accent.”

He stood about a foot taller than Lindsay, yet now that her vision had adjusted to the moonlit terrace, she could see that his eyes were actually a deep shade of green rather than brown as she first thought.

“Yes, love, you do.”

Oh, boy, indeed. Tall. Broad shoulders. Green eyes.

A lethal trinity, and if she didn’t watch herself, she could find herself in a lot of trouble. A cool breeze blew in across the water. She tipped her face up to it and closed her eyes, hoping it would help her regain her senses.

“Mmm, that’s nice. Isn’t it?”

“Paradise,” Carlos murmured. “I think I may have just found paradise, Lindsay Bingham.”

What?

“Really?” She leveled him with a bemused gaze. “And I think I’ve just heard the cheesiest pickup line ever.”

They laughed, and his eyes did that face-searching thing again that made her feel completely and deliciously devoured.

“May I buy you a drink?” he asked. “Seeing that it’s open bar.”

“Only if it’s the best champagne.”

He smiled. “Wait right here. I’ll be back. With a bottle.”

She was definitely in trouble. Especially since in the five seconds that he’d been gone, she’d already begun to tell herself that Florida and North Carolina weren’t that far apart. At least there wasn’t an ocean between them.

Even so, it didn’t mean she had to sleep with him just because the guy was coming on to her….

A little dose of harmless flirtation might be good for her. So why not?

Because.

That soothing breeze blew in again, caressing her. Not in a seductive way, but in a way that reminded her of her “New Me” plan.

In answer, she tipped her face into the breeze and breathed in deep.

Even though Carlos Montigo was tempting, she was tired. And if she was completely honest with herself, she didn’t have the energy to play games. Because her gut was warning that if she laid one hand on the Montigo burner she would surely get burned.

“Lindsay? There you are.”

It was Sophie. In that split second before Lindsay realized it, she’d checked her posture and smiled. Reflexive moves, thanks to the ever-present paparazzi that had been milling about the past month. Not because of how Carlos Montigo’s gaze had just shamelessly undressed her, and in response she’d thanked him with her best what happens on my last night in St. Michel stays in St. Michel smolder….

Her cheeks burned, and she strengthened her resolve to resist temptation.

“I thought you were coming back?” Sophie said. “We’ve been looking for you.” With her head, she gestured to Carson Chandler, who waited in the doorway. “Carson wants to talk to you.”

Talk to me?

Sophie had introduced Lindsay to Chandler earlier that week. Tonight, as she and Sophie walked toward him, he’d acknowledged her with a polite, “Good evening, Ms. Bingham. Lovely to see you.”

Why did he want to talk to her?

The billionaire media mogul had turned a travel guide business into an empire. Everyone knew his name. Sort of like how people knew of the Rockefellers or William Randolph Hearst.

Sophie gave Lindsay a look and mouthed, surprise!

“What?” Lindsay mouthed back.

But Sophie ignored her, turning instead to Chandler. “Carson, would you do me a favor?”

He smiled. “Certainly, your highness, your wish is my command.”

“Will you dance with Lindsay? My handlers are beckoning.” Sophie rolled her eyes and gave her head a quick shake. “Don’t think I’ll ever get used to having handlers. Or, for that matter, the fact that I need to be handled.”

She turned on a flourish of tulle and silk, leaving Lindsay and the older man alone. There was an awkward pause during which Lindsay’s mind spun. Carlos would be back any minute with the champagne. She couldn’t just leave without excusing herself. What kind of surprise could Carson Chandler have for her? He was handsome in an aloof, moneyed way, but then again didn’t all men look gorgeous in white tie? Still, he was old enough to be her grandfather. She resisted the urge to fidget, or worse yet, glance around for Carlos.

Finally, Chandler tilted his head to one side in a regal gesture and offered his arm. “Shall we?”

Feeling suddenly shy and exhausted, Lindsay tried to let him off the hook. “Please don’t feel obligated to entertain me.”

She was the kind of wrung-out tired that made even the thought of dancing feel like an effort. Since she was leaving tomorrow, what she really wanted to do was go upstairs and enjoy one last long, hot soak in that huge, marble tub in her suite.

“Dancing with you, Miss Bingham, would be my honor,” said Carson. “Besides, I have something I need to talk to you about.”

“Oh. Well, then.” How could she deny a man his honor? One quick dance wouldn’t hurt. In fact, she might even be back before Carlos returned with the champagne. “But please call me Lindsay.”

She took his arm and walked back into the ballroom with him. When he smiled, he vaguely reminded her of Ricardo Montalbán sans accent. Of course he would. Because wasn’t St. Michel Fantasy Island? How could she have missed that? A place where her best friend got to be a princess and Lindsay had been able to play Cinderella. For an entire month.

Here she was at the ball. Even though tomorrow her coach would turn back into a pumpkin and she’d board a plane homeward bound for Trevard, she’d had the time of her life.

Of course, she wished her Cinderella fantasy came with Prince Charming and happily-ever-after. But as Carson Chandler whirled her around the gilded and mirrored ballroom, she glanced up at the crystal chandeliers, admiring the way the light played through the facets, illuminating the cut crystal like brilliant diamonds.

How many women got to attend a royal wedding in their lifetime? She should be grateful for the experience, even if the handsome prince didn’t come chasing her across the Atlantic to see if the slipper fit.

Her gaze wandered back to the doors to the terrace. She wondered if Carlos was back yet. She hoped he didn’t think she’d run out on him. Surely he’d wait. Wouldn’t he? A ridiculous tangled sense of conflict flooded through her.

Oh, well. They’d just met and tomorrow she’d go home. Her “New Me” plan didn’t call for leaving one Jimmy Choo behind on the palace step with the slim hope a man—even Carlos Montigo—would find it and bring it to her on the other side of the ocean.

“The princess tells me you’ve worked in television, Miss Bingham.”

Carson’s voice startled her back to the present.

“Excuse me?”

The orchestra was loud. She must not have heard him correctly. He leaned in closer. A little too close for Lindsay’s comfort.

“You’re such a beautiful woman. Actually, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since we were introduced earlier this week. Princess Sophie tells me you have broadcast journalism experience?”

Her cheeks warmed and graceless dread unfurled in her belly, working its way up until it blocked the words to explain her short-lived journalistic career. The question unlocked a door in the recesses of her mind behind which she’d stashed a very bad memory. The memory of an incident that cost Lindsay her dream.

“I was curious about the type of television work you’d done?”

Sophie was one of the few people who knew of this thwarted dream. Why would she tell Chandler?

“I don’t know what Sophie told you.” Or more important, why. “But in college, I majored in broadcast journalism, and I reported for a network affiliate for a short time.”

“Why for only a short while? I have a feeling the camera would love your face.”

Lindsay stiffened, suddenly aware of his hand on the small of her back. Nothing improper, but now the door that had been closed tight for years had opened and a flood of bad memories…of a powerful man taking advantage…poured out.

“Relax, Miss Bingham, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I’m a happily married man.”

Okay.

She felt a little silly for jumping to conclusions. With her penchant for bad boys, obviously, she was no prude, but those relationships had always been mutual and consensual. Even if the men in her past had ended up being bad choices, she’d never sold herself for a job. And she never would. That’s why she’d left the television industry in the first place.

“You didn’t answer my question, Miss Bingham. Why are you no longer working in television?”

She wished she’d simply told him she had no experience rather than opening this can of worms. Oh, Sophie, what did you do?

“It just wasn’t the career for me.”

Again, his hand pressed into the small of her back as he gently led into a turn on the dance floor.

“Do you work now?” he asked.

She laughed. She couldn’t help it.

“Well, yes. Of course I do. Not everyone here is royalty or independently wealthy.”

Ugh, that sounded rude. She hadn’t meant it to.

“I work for Trevard County Social Services in North Carolina. That’s how I know Sophie.”

“The same line of work as the princess’s former job?”

“No. Not exactly.”

“Well, what exactly do you do?”

She bristled. Why the game of fifty questions? She wasn’t embarrassed by where she came from or that she’d chosen not to be a television talking head. She had an honest job. That was more than some could say—those who had no qualms about sleeping with a married man on their quest to the anchor desk.

“I’m the office manager.”

“And do you enjoy your work, Miss Bingham?”

No.

“It’s Lindsay.” She glanced up at him, frowning. “Do you always ask so many questions, Mr. Chandler?”

“Only when I’m trying to decide if I’ll invite someone to interview for a job.”

A job?

The music stopped. Carson Chandler escorted Lindsay off the dance floor.

Wait! What job?

As they reached the edge of the parquet, he said. “Thank you for the dance. Miss Bingham, er, Lindsay, Chandler Guides produces a three-minute segment that airs on Food TV between full-length shows. It’s called The Diva Dishes. The spots highlight travel, food and festivities of various destinations. Have you seen the spots?”

Lindsay nodded. She was addicted to Food TV.

“The mini-sodes, if you will, have the potential to boost the sales of our travel guides. But in the first year, increases didn’t live up to our expectations. Because of that we let the host go. She didn’t have that diva spark I was looking for. That je ne sais quoi that captivates.”

He paused and put a hand to Lindsay’s chin, looking her over appraisingly. “You really do have the most exquisite eyes, my dear. I’m sure everyone tells you so.”

Lindsay’s guard went up again like steel trapdoors. She was just about to pull away, a split second before Chandler dropped his hand.

“I digress,” he continued. “Monday, right here in St. Michel, we will conclude auditions for the new host. The person we choose will start right away because we’re taping this weekend at the St. Michel Food and Wine Festival. I’m inviting you to audition.”

Every nerve in Lindsay’s body went on hyperalert. The St. Michel Food and Wine Festival? Wasn’t that the event Carlos mentioned?

But…but she couldn’t audition. She was flying out tomorrow. Mary was expecting her back at work bright and early Monday morning. Plus, Chandler made her uncomfortable. Brought back too many bad memories.

He must have read the hesitancy in her expression, or perhaps she didn’t return a properly enthusiastic response.

“Hundreds have auditioned, Lindsay. To be quite honest, you will be the only one we see Monday. I’m sure I needn’t remind you that you have a fabulous friend in the princess. She was quite generous with her praise of you, and quite convincing that you are the diva for whom I’ve been searching.”

An awkward pause followed this unexpected compliment. Boy, Sophie wasn’t kidding when she said she had a surprise.

As Lindsay searched for how to respond to Chandler, the clock in the castle tower tolled midnight. Out of the corner of her eye, Lindsay glimpsed Carlos walk through the doorway that led in from the terrace, but then she lost sight of him as he was swallowed up by the crowd.

Chandler reached inside his breast pocket and produced a business card. In the style of a magician weaving a coin through his fingers, he presented it to her with a flourish.

“Call my assistant for the location of the audition. It will be a very nice, lucrative opportunity.”

She took a deep breath, glancing around, trying to locate Carlos as she gathered the words she needed to nip Chandler’s wild idea in the bud.

“Thank you for the offer, Mr. Chandler. I’m flattered, really I am. But it’s been several years since I was in front of a camera. As tempting as the opportunity sounds, I’m afraid I’m not the person you’re looking for.”

“Oh, but I believe you are. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not offering you the job on the spot.” He smiled. “We’ll have to see how you look on camera, but as I said earlier, I have a hunch the camera will love your face. And, Miss Bingham, my hunches are always right.”