Splendor (Inevitable #2) (11 page)

“Come on, you can see for yourself how awesome you look,” cajoled Julia as she propelled Tessa into her bedroom and inside the walk-in closet.

Tessa had been dumbfounded the first time she’d seen Julia’s closet, never having imagined that one person could own so many dresses or shoes or bags. She only owned about three pair of shoes that were suitable for the office, and one oversized purse that she used for everything. Julia had been horrified at the thought of Tessa taking the rather beat-up bag to tonight’s formal affair, and had set her foot down that she use the clutch instead.

“Okay, tell me what you think,” prodded Julia as they stopped in front of the full length mirror hanging on the back of the closet door.

Tessa gasped and could only stare back at her reflection in disbelief. She had never, ever, looked like this before – or felt so beautiful – almost like Cinderella herself.

The dress fit her perfectly, the strapless top baring her shoulders and upper chest but stopping just short of revealing too much cleavage. Tessa offered up a silent thanks that she’d devoted extra time these last few weeks to toning her upper body, for her bare arms and shoulders looked lean and shapely. The sapphire blue shade was very close to her eye color, and flattered her ivory skin and golden blonde hair. The strappy silver shoes had a higher heel than she normally wore, and made her legs look even longer. She was glad Julia had suggested breaking the high heels in and walking around her apartment in them a few times so that she felt steady with the added height.

Julia had done a fabulous job on her makeup – making her eyes look twice as big with the silvery gray shadow, subtle application of liner and three coats of mascara. Her complexion glowed rosily with the light touch of foundation and blush, while her mouth appeared fuller and plumper with the shiny rose gloss.

Her thick golden hair had been curled into soft, loose waves, held back on one side with a rhinestone clip. It smelled like peaches or apricots, courtesy of the decadently rich shampoo and conditioner Julia had used on her, so much nicer than the cheap brands she bought at the drugstore.

Julia brushed a stray hair off of Tessa’s cheek. “You look perfect. Gorgeous, sexy, sophisticated.” Then she groaned. “I just wish I’d been able to arrange a better coat for you. No offense, but that raincoat of yours just doesn’t do it for me.”

The five-year-old beige belted raincoat was the only actual coat she owned, and was just going to have to do. It was cold outside tonight, the gusty winds making it feel even chillier, and any of her other jackets or sweaters wouldn’t do a thing to keep her warm. Julia would have gladly loaned her a coat, but the five inch difference in their heights took that option off the table.

“It’s fine,” assured Tessa. “No one will even see me in the coat – I’ll be checking it as soon as I walk into the hotel.”

Julia shook her head. “If you’d given me even a week’s notice, I could have had Aunt Maddy ship out something for you. Or I would have been happy to loan you the money.”

“No. Thank you, but no. I’ve stretched my budget way too thin as it is buying the dress and shoes. But I just needed – you know – to -”

“To feel pretty,” finished Julia. “I get it, honey. From what I can tell you hardly ever treat yourself to anything. You should make Ian give you a nice Christmas bonus. Or a raise.”

Tessa was glad Julia had whisked an extra bit of blusher on her cheeks, because it masked the real flush that heated her skin. Just the mention of the handsome, enigmatic Brit was enough to set all her nerve endings on edge. Ever since the incident last month in the fitness room, she’d been even more aware of him than usual, forcing herself not to react whenever he walked by. Fortunately, he’d been traveling on business quite a bit these past few weeks and hadn’t been around much.

She’d been shocked to discover that Jason Baldwin had been transferred out of the regional headquarters to manage the hotel down in Silicon Valley. And doubly shocked at the swiftness of Ian’s promised actions, for Jason had been gone the very next day after the incident. Speculation as to why he’d been transferred had run rampant around the office for several days, but Tessa had kept her mouth tightly shut about the real reason. There was no way she would discuss that with anyone, even Julia. She had merely continued to echo what everyone else in the office surmised – that there must have been a complaint filed against Jason and that management had wisely decided to remove him.

“We should head downstairs. Our cab will be arriving within the next five minutes,” reminded Julia.

Tessa nodded, forcing thoughts of Ian Gregson from her mind. It was going to be hard enough seeing him at the party tonight with another woman, especially when she’d be there without an escort of her own. Julia had tentatively offered to set her up with a friend of Nathan’s but Tessa had gently but adamantly refused.

“I appreciate the thought, but I’m just not ready to start dating yet,” she’d admitted.

Julia had nodded. “I get it. When Nathan was still with his ex, I knew I should force myself to get out there and meet other guys, but I just didn’t have the heart. Besides,” she had added with a wink, “the few remaining single friends Nathan has are just about the biggest guy sluts I’ve ever met. And, my God, can those guys drink! You’d probably never speak to me again if I set you up with one of them.”

The two women were sharing a cab downtown, dropping Tessa off first at the posh Gregson Hotel where the Christmas party was being held. Julia was continuing on a little further to meet Nathan and a group of his friends for dinner.

“It’s his water polo teammates from college,” she’d explained to Tessa. “They have this tradition of meeting over at Berkeley and playing in some sort of alumni game. Then they go get drunk at one of their old hangouts before hopping on public transit – thank God for that – and meeting their wives and girlfriends for dinner.”

Tessa had frowned. “It doesn’t bother you – him getting drunk, I mean?”

Julia had smiled impishly. “Nathan knows his limits, unlike some of his idiot friends. And when he gets a little tipsy he’s really, really fun in bed.”

The subject of alcohol and getting drunk had always been a touchy one for Tessa. Her own mother had overindulged in both booze and drugs at various times, though never to the point where it had become an addiction. Peter’s mother, on the other hand, had been a raging alcoholic and, as a result, he’d sworn off liquor and refused to keep any in the apartment. Tessa hadn’t minded, having been completely sympathetic to the hell Peter’s life had been, and she seldom touched alcohol herself.

During the cab ride, Tessa gave Julia’s hand an impulsive little squeeze. At her friend’s inquiring gaze, Tessa told her, “Thank you. For all of this. Helping me get ready, encouraging me to go, sharing the cab.”

“It’s nothing,” assured Julia. “I had fun getting you all girly. I hardly ever get to do stuff like that to my other friends. You’ve met Angela – the last thing on her mind these days is making herself look pretty. And my sister – let’s just say it takes a lot of arm twisting to convince her to dress up. I don’t really have any other close girlfriends – just the people I work with and now the wives and girlfriends of Nathan’s buddies. And you, of course.”

Tessa felt immensely pleased that Julia included her on the surprisingly short list of her friends. Julia was so beautiful, smart and accomplished that Tessa was more than a little in awe of her – and almost pathetically grateful for her friendship.

When the cab pulled up to the grand porte-cochere of the hotel, Tessa tried to hand Julia some cash for her share of the fare only to have it firmly refused.

“No. I told you this was my treat. God, when you mentioned you were going to take the bus or the metro here tonight I thought I’d faint.” Julia shook her head. “And you’d better take a taxi home, too. Are you okay for that?”

Tessa understood that Julia was really asking if she had enough money, and nodded, trying to conceal her embarrassment. “Yes, thanks. Especially since you won’t let me pay half of this fare.”

Julia smirked. “I have a rich boss. Who also happens to be my rich boyfriend. I can afford a twenty dollar cab fare. Besides, it’s something like the third – or is it the fourth – night of Hanukkah, so consider this a little gift.”

Tessa laughed. “But neither of us is Jewish.”

“Doesn’t matter. Now, you go have yourself a fabulous time, all right? I wish I was going with you instead of to this overgrown frat boy party of Nathan’s.”

As Tessa walked inside the hotel, she wished Julia was accompanying her, too. She felt awkward and uneasy attending this fancy party alone, especially when all of her co-workers were bringing a date or their spouse. There would be very few people in attendance tonight who were here by themselves, and she fought off the feeling of being a pathetic wallflower.

‘It’s not like it’s a high school dance, silly,’ she chastised herself. ‘Nobody’s going to be gossiping about what a loser you are during first period English class on Monday.’

But as she checked her well-worn raincoat at the coat check just outside of the enormous ballroom, Tessa couldn’t help feeling once again like the new girl in school – the outsider who had no friends, who was too shy to speak to anyone, who was always alone and lonely. Some things, she thought sadly, never seemed to change.

Fortunately, some of her unease began to fade as she spotted Kevin and Shelby nearby with their respective companions. Kevin was living with his current boyfriend – an older, wealthy attorney named Terence. It was very obvious from all of the disparaging, almost insulting comments that Kevin frequently made about his lover that he was merely using him for his money. But for tonight at least Kevin preened over the older man, touching his arm and laughing at whatever he said.

Shelby, who was wearing a skintight pink bandage dress that clashed oddly with her strawberry blonde hair, was already making the chirpy bird sound laugh when Tessa reached her side. Tessa had met Shelby’s date – a slightly overweight, prematurely balding young man named Grant – when he’d taken Shelby out to lunch a couple of weeks ago. Tessa chose to ignore how Grant’s close-set eyes lingered a little too long on her boobs.

“Sweetie pie, you look a-maz-ing!” exclaimed Kevin. “Wow! If there was any woman in the world who might have a shot at turning me straight, it would definitely be you!”

Tessa couldn’t help laughing in delight at his praise, and let him envelop her in a hug, not even caring that his new cologne was even more pungent than his old one.

“Thanks,” she answered demurely. “Um, a friend of mine helped me get ready.”

She intentionally didn’t mention Julia’s name, fairly certain that no one at the office would mind her friendship with the interior designer, but thought it prudent not to advertise the news, either.

“Well, she did a fabulous job on you, sugar, just fabulous,” gushed Kevin. “Now, aren’t you glad we all talked you into coming tonight? Much better than sitting home all by your lonesome.”

She had finally confessed to her co-workers that she and Peter had split. The news had sort of slipped out a few days before Thanksgiving, when she hadn’t been able to stem the flow of tears that had started after Peter still hadn’t responded to her email of five days earlier.

All five of her co-workers had been sympathetic, and even Gina and Alicia had seemed genuinely kind and concerned. When Kevin had learned that Tessa was going to be alone on Thanksgiving, he’d insisted she join him and Terence for dinner at their home. She had felt a little out of place among the two dozen or so people at their “little gathering”, but it had definitely been preferable to spending the holiday by herself.

The group had next ganged up on her until she’d reluctantly agreed to attend the office Christmas party. And even though the round tables were really only set for ten, they were squeezing in an extra chair so that Tessa could sit with everyone else.

It had touched Tessa to have the support of her team, who had acted like real friends to her, helping to lift her spirits and give her encouragement. And, so far as she knew, they had kept the news of her impending divorce to themselves as she’d requested. At least, no one else in the office had said a word to her about it.

Within a few minutes. Marisol and her husband Raul, Gina and her boyfriend Alex, and Alicia and her date Ross had all arrived, the girls gushing over Tessa’s dress and hair and makeup. Of course, Gina and Alicia were dressed to kill in obviously expensive designer gowns, their own hair and makeup flawless. Tessa tried not to worry about how cheap her own dress and shoes – the same ones Julia had assured her looked awesome – must appear next to not just Gina’s and Alicia’s but to every other woman’s here tonight.

She accepted a flute of champagne from a passing waiter, but was careful to sip it very slowly. While Peter have never outright asked her not to drink, she had always tried to be supportive of him and had usually refrained. She’d never had more than a glass or two of wine at one time, and most definitely didn’t want to experiment with more at the office Christmas party, where every member of the management team was in attendance.

She was aware of Ian’s presence well before she actually saw him. He had that sort of magnetism, the kind that drew everyone’s attention no matter who else might be in the room. Tessa merely had to glance in the same direction as everyone else around her to find him, and her heart did a rapid little flutter when she saw him for the first time this evening.

He’d been traveling these past two weeks to several of the hotels in Mexico and South America, and his ruggedly handsome features were deeply tanned. His hair had been cut very recently, and was as expertly styled as always. Ian wore a beautifully tailored black tuxedo, paired with a snowy white shirt and classic black bowtie. He was suave and sophisticated, classy elegance and overwhelming masculinity all rolled into one mouthwatering package.

To Tessa, he was far more attractive and compelling than any movie star. He could easily be some sort of diplomat or head of state, or even the prince of some small European nation.