The Playboy's Proposal (Sorensen Family) (7 page)

“I don’t think minidresses are something that will blend in well at my pediatric practice.”

“I’m not saying you have to wear four-inch heels and slinky dresses, but there’s got to be more.” He looked her over, nodding in approval.

She was wearing an outfit they’d chosen the other day that made her appear chic and sophisticated. Her ponytail was lower and looser, already making her seem softer, more approachable. In fact, that hair he’d just tucked away had come loose again and was curling below that full bottom lip. Subtle but sexy. If you looked hard enough. Because other than that, she looked like a kindergarten teacher.

She was going to need more if she wanted to catch the attention of an eternal bachelor like Luke Seeley.

“You look nice—for holding little kids’ hands, blowing their noses, and putting that little scope into their ears like you do. Nice. Nonthreatening. But you’re going to need to step it up if you want Luke to want
you
. Try wearing your hair down. It’s true. Men really do like long hair.” He looked at her face, bright and young, cheekbones that were there but barely discernible. “Get some layers in your hair. And do you know what a mascara wand is for?”

She crooked up her lips into a smile. “Do you?”

“I’ve dated my share of women, so I know a thing or two about what they wear. Lipstick, base, eyeliner. Just go easy on it, okay? You want to enhance what you’ve already got. I know someone who will get us started.”

“I’m not saying I’m doing any of this, but let’s say for argument’s sake that I did try a little makeup, maybe get a haircut. And let’s say I have Luke’s attention, he’s smiling at me in that way he smiled the other night at the glamazon creature. But then what?”

He glanced at his watch. He was meeting that cute barista for drinks at ten. He had time. “What are you doing now?”

Half an hour later, the two were stretched out on his couch, eating what was left of Benny’s takeout.

“Get him talking about something he likes. Check. Nod and smile, look as if I’m hanging on his every word. Check. Giggle and laugh at everything he says because my brain is too soft and empty to have anything more to do than engage him. Check.”

He smiled at the annoyance in Benny’s voice. The disgruntled look on her face. “Oh, and don’t forget to lean forward as much as you can, preferably in a low-neckline top with a lacy bra underneath.”

“Should I baby talk, too? Maybe ask him if I can massage his feet?”

“If you think it might help.” Her brows drew together in vexation again, and he chuckled. “Okay, I’m not saying you have to do all this. But—I’m not proud to admit this—all men, even the best of us, are still little boys underneath. We want to be assured that a woman likes us. Finds us irresistible. But it’s a fine line. You want to be interested but not an easy conquest.”

“I’ve lost half my brain cells just listening to all of this.” She set her plate down.

“Just give it a try. Also, lick your lips a lot. You have great lips. You want to draw his attention to them. Make him want to kiss you.”

“All those years in medical school, and now I’m resigned to licking my lips to elicit his interest. Great.”

“You’re forgetting the bigger picture. These are just little tricks, small steps you can take to initially capture his interest. His attention. Once Luke’s looking at you with more than clinical interest and more actual bona fide sexual interest, then it’s up to you to keep his attention. Engage him in any debate or whatever burning medical question you two might want. Just be sure that when it’s all over he still wants to slip his tongue down your throat.”

She wadded up her napkin and threw it at him. “You’re disgusting.”

He grinned. “But I know what I’m talking about.”

She studied him now, picking up her wineglass. “Yeah, because you’re kind of a slut. I’ve seen the women parading in and out of your place. Always a different woman for a different night. Don’t you ever want more? You know, something actually long lasting?”

“Why?”

“Why? Because that’s what we’re built for. Humans. To forge relationships, find that person you want to spend forever with.”

“You really believe that forever is possible? Well, look at you,” he said, settling back in his chair, kicking his legs up on the coffee table between them. “I had you pegged as a cynic, not a closet romantic.”

“I’m hardly a romantic, but I do think—no, I know—that you can find someone and make it work. Make something wonderful together.”

“I’ll have to take your word for that.” He thought about his mother, who had been on husband number seven when she died. He didn’t remember his dad really being with anyone after the divorce. And his sister? She’d been in and out of relationships since she was in high school, barely taking the time to marry Ella’s dad before they both called it quits and moved on. He knew from experience that as much as people like Benny wanted to believe in forever, it just wasn’t realistic.

“You’re forgetting what I do. I know people. I base my career on tantalizing the average consumer, who thinks they’re happy with what they have, into wanting the newest and brightest. People who think they’re content with that reliable and even still attractive 2015 SUV, until they see the newest model, with the newest bells and whistles. Then they’re trading that SUV in and moving up. Same with cell phones, furniture, even a favorite coffee flavor. Anyone can be hooked by something new. Trust me.”

“You’re even worse than I thought. But you’re wrong. I’ve seen it myself. My parents have been happily married for nearly forty years. And they’re not together because they’re used to each other or they’re afraid to be alone, like you’re probably about to argue. They’re together because they love each other and are devoted to each other and know the only one who can make them happy is the other. My brothers are the same way. Both are married to amazing women, and I can assure you, they’re not looking to trade up. They have the only one they’ll ever want.”

It was cute how naive she was.

But to each his own. He shrugged. “If you say so. But for me, I don’t have any expectations going into anything. I’ll enjoy someone’s company, their attention for as long as it lasts, knowing that eventually we’ll both be ready to move on. No hurt feelings. No unreasonable expectations.”

“And on that note, I’m heading home. I have an early morning.” She stood up and headed for the door.

Henry suppressed the tiniest twinge of disappointment at losing her company, even if he was probably ten minutes past the time he should have left to meet the barista. But it had been fun to rile Benny up, to see her eyes flare with disgust and disbelief.

“I’ll reach out to my hairdresser and see if we can get you in tomorrow.” She looked like she was about to argue, and he held his hands up. “I know you think everything I’ve told you is a bunch of BS, but as you agreed, we’ll try things my way. See if I know what I’m talking about.”

“I can’t wait.”

“I know.” He smiled and watched her walk down the hallway, still shaking her head and probably muttering a few more choice words at the superficiality of it all.

And he’d agree. It was superficial. But people were superficial. He should know.

Chapter Seven

Benny thought of a million excuses to get out of tonight’s torture as she drove to the address Henry had texted her earlier today.

An actual freaking makeover? The last time she’d succumbed to anything similar she’d been in junior high, and Daisy had bribed her to sit still while she practiced her hand at applying eyeliner, thinking for about two weeks that she wanted to go into cosmetology before the next great career prospect popped into her mind.

It was a good thing Daisy had found something else to work toward, because a cosmetologist she was not. When Benny had looked at herself, her eyebrows plucked to near slivers, black eyeliner that made her look like a raccoon rather than a woman—let alone an attractive woman—and the brightest orangeish lipstick her sister could find, an actual scream had ripped from her throat.

Needless to say, tweezers had never passed within a foot of Benny’s face since that day.

The women leaving the salon looked like they’d posed for the cover of some fashion magazine, their hair swishing around them. Benny’s own hair was too thick and coarse to swish, and she’d accepted that long ago.

She sat in her car another minute, deciding whether a date with Luke Seeley was worth the agony she was bound to endure over the next hour. Then she thought of Henry’s smug smile, knowing that she’d been too afraid to go through with it.

Pull on your big-girl panties and get inside
.

Cool and fragrant air greeted her as she stepped inside, a relief from the sweltering nineties outside. The earthy scent was actually somewhat calming, but not enough to still the rapid beating of her heart as anxiety took hold.

What if it was seventh grade all over again and she was resigned to spending the next few months praying that her eyebrows finally returned?

She spotted Henry flirting, as usual, with an attractive woman with short but sleek burgundy hair. He waved her over when he spotted her.

“Katrina, this is Dr. Benny Sorensen. Benny, this is Katrina, my good friend.”
Yeah, I’ll just bet.
“She’s going to take care of you today. Believe me, you’re in the hands of a pro.”

She bit off the witty retort she had ready about the woman’s “pro” hands, realizing she didn’t want to risk offending the woman Benny was entrusting herself to for the next hour.

“Benny? That’s an interesting name. Is it short for anything?” the woman asked her and guided her to a salon chair where she proceeded to clasp a cape around Benny’s neck.

“It is.” Benny slipped a sideways glance at Henry, who was watching them both. Damn. Why did the woman have to start with such prying questions? “It’s short for”—she cleared her throat—“Bernadette.” A name more appropriate for a saint than a former tomboy who’d grown up hating the old-fashioned moniker.

Henry’s eyebrows lifted at that. But he fortunately remained silent. Probably knowing he’d risk bodily harm if he dared utter anything.

“Bernadette, huh? Pretty name.” The woman pulled the elastic from Benny’s hair and spread the mass around her shoulders and back. “Wow. That’s a lot of hair.”

No one said anything, and the silence felt oppressive to Benny, squirming under both of their gazes. They’d probably already decided it was a lost cause.

Katrina’s eyes narrowed, and she nodded, almost to herself.

“Let’s get you washed, and then we’ll get started. Henry, weren’t you saying you had to be somewhere?”

Huh. The lady was growing on Benny. Dismissing Henry like that.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” He looked at Benny again, his eyes speculative. “You’ll be fine. Try and enjoy it. I’ll catch you a little later. Katrina, thanks again. I’ll have those tickets sent over tomorrow for you and Sherry.”

Then he was gone.

Probably for the best. Because when Katrina held the gleaming scissors in front of her a few minutes later, Benny might have wanted to cry. Just a little.

It was absolutely silly, really. The way this transformation instantly made her feel like a whole new person. Benny stood at the counter while Katrina tallied up her purchases, trying not to stare at herself in the mirror ahead of her.

A good four inches of her hair was back on the floor around Katrina’s chair, and even though Katrina had assured her there was still enough length to pull it back into a ponytail if she needed to, it felt a lot shorter. Lighter. Then there was the fringe of bangs that grazed the top of her eyebrows. The last time she had bangs she’d been seven. But Benny had to admit, they actually looked…not bad.

Katrina kept smiling—actually, more like gloating—every time she glanced at Benny. “You like it?” she asked.

“It’s definitely going to take getting used to.” That was about as much as Benny would give. For now. She still needed to go home and plant herself in front of the mirror and analyze herself at every angle to make the final judgment.

But her head did feel a million times lighter. Her face, even with the layer of products, somehow felt smoother and more polished. Curious.

Her phone chirped, and she looked down to see a text from Daisy asking if Benny wanted to stop by. Her sister was settled into her place, and the kids were thriving, but even with their aunt Glenda next door, Benny knew she got lonely.

Well, there was no reason to let this little makeover go to waste, now was there? She needed to hear accolades—and with Henry taking off early and not seeing the final creation, she had to get someone’s opinion. Who knew how competent she’d be in the morning when it was time to duplicate it.

I’m on my way
, she texted back.

Thanking Katrina, she took her bag and headed outside. The fading sun was still warm, and the air was cloying, but Benny felt lighter as she headed to her car.

The sound of her nieces and nephew shouting and laughing around the back of Daisy’s place greeted her a few minutes later when she pulled up into the driveway. It was good to hear, considering how shattered their world had been over the past year after their dad walked out.

Her nieces, Jenna and Natalie, were pumping their legs trying to get higher than the other on the swing set that everyone had helped chip in to buy last spring—ignoring any arguments from Daisy, who hated taking anything that she might view as charity. Paul was digging a hole, for some unknown reason, while Daisy sat on the back step, a tall glass of iced tea next to her.

“Hi, guys,” Benny yelled loud enough to be heard over the girls.

“Hi, Aunt Be—” the two girls started in unison but when they saw her, they both stopped, stunned.

Daisy glanced over, a ready smile on her face for her sister, but her eyes nearly bugged out when she caught sight of Benny. “Wow. Look at you.” She came to her feet and met Benny halfway on the lawn, stopping to stare at her hair and then face. “You look…great.”

Well, that didn’t sound as enthusiastic as Benny had expected.

“Great?” Her hands went to her hair, now doubting the cut and style and everything she’d put herself through the past couple of hours.

“Sorry, Ben, you just took me by surprise. It’s…different. I didn’t expect it. You almost don’t look like…you.”

“Different.” Benny blinked, trying not to let the deflating feeling show in her face. “Different is painting my face green and shaving my head. That’s not exactly a resounding compliment.”

Her nieces had reached her now and were staring at her wide-eyed. “Aunt Benny, you look so…”

Benny held her breath, waiting for another hit. Eight-year-old Natalie touched her arm, as though almost unsure she was real.

“Beautiful. Like a princess or something.”

Jenna, a more sophisticated ten-year-old, disagreed. “No, dummy. Not a princess. More like a movie star. Mom, can I have my hair cut like Aunt Benny’s?”

Benny swallowed a lump. That was better. Kids didn’t lie, right? She glanced back at Daisy, who was studying her again, nodding. Then smiling. “They’re right. You look gorgeous, the hair, the clothes, the makeup. It’s all so glamorous and chic I almost didn’t recognize you.” Daisy grabbed her and hugged her. “I’m sorry. You look beautiful. Really.”

Somewhat appeased, Benny nodded. She had thought the makeup was a bit heavier than she’d like. The lip color a little more dramatic than she was used to.
She
was still getting used to it, and she knew it was there. She couldn’t blame her sister for being thrown off.

“You hungry?” Daisy asked and flipped Benny’s hair. “We ordered pizza. I was tired and it’s too darned hot to cook.”

“Starved.” Benny glanced back to see the girls back on the swing and Paul still digging the hole. “What’s with Paul?”

Daisy sighed and shut the door. “He’s still set on getting a dog. He’s digging a hole to show he’s responsible.” Benny raised her brows, unsure of the connection. Daisy expanded. “He’s showing me his scooping skills to prove he won’t balk when it’s time to clean up the dog poop.”

“You’ve got to give the kid credit for creativity.”

“Don’t start.”

Daisy grabbed a plate and handed it to Benny, who grabbed a couple of pieces and sat at the kitchen table, where they had a view of the kids playing outside.

Daisy joined her, setting out glasses of tea for them both. “So, I’ve been bugging you since, oh, about, birth, to let me do your hair, and you’ve never let me prevail. What inspired this new look suddenly?”

Benny hadn’t shared with Daisy the fact that her new coworker was adorably cute, smart, and overall wonderful and was meant to be the father of her children. She still wasn’t sure she wanted to. It had been a hard lesson that summer when Daisy had scooped up the dreamy lifeguard Benny had been certain was her soul mate. Truth was, ever since that moment, seeing her sister on the arm of the guy she had been so desperately in love with, she’d realized she would never be able to compete with Daisy. Couldn’t trust that whomever she liked wouldn’t fall at Daisy’s feet.

Not that Benny was going to be competing with Daisy for Luke Seeley’s attention. She knew that. On some level. But it didn’t mean she could just ignore old habits of pretending disinterest when it came to some of the hotter men the two had met. No sense setting herself up for the inevitable crushing blow when the guy went for Daisy. It was too humiliating, and her sister would only feel sorry for her. Which was
not
acceptable.

So she fibbed.

“I just figured that I needed to overhaul my general professional appearance. I spend half of each visit just convincing the parents that, yes indeed, I did go to medical school, and yes, I am a bona fide doctor.”

“Yeah. I guess I can see that.” Daisy took another sip of her tea and wiped the lipstick from the glass with her thumb. “I wanted to apologize to you for what the kids said at your birthday party the other night. I know that you acted like it didn’t bother you, but being reminded that you’re single can’t be easy. Believe me, I’ve been fielding a few invasive questions from moms at the kids’ summer camp. I can see the judgment flash in their eyes that quickly disappear behind smiles as they rush their kids on their way. Like my single status is going to rub off on them or something.”

“Don’t let them bother you, Daisy. You wouldn’t want to be friends with someone like that anyway.”

“I suppose not. Sorry. Pity party for me. I’ll adjust.”

“You will. You’re a great mom. Look at them. They’re lucky to have a mom like you.” Benny nodded outside to where Paul had given up on the hole digging and was chasing his sisters around the yard with a water gun.

Daisy smiled. “No, I’m lucky to have them. They’re my bright rays of sunshine. But enough about me.” She turned a sly smile to Benny. “Since I’m not really ready to be back in the dating game—Lord knows if I ever will—I have to rely on you to live vicariously through. So, are you seeing anyone?”

Benny rolled her eyes. “What was that whole bit earlier where you apologized because everyone was scrutinizing my single status?”

Daisy waved dismissively. “That’s different. I’m your sister. I get to ask the prying, embarrassing questions. So spill. At least tell me what this hot playboy bachelor who lives next to you is like. I’ve seen his pictures, you know. Does he have a revolving door of women coming in and out of his place? Are any of them supermodels? I heard he used to date that British supermodel, Kyra something or other.”

“Henry is…Henry. Handsome, rich, used to getting what he wants.” Although she wasn’t sure if that was as true as she’d thought. And even though he had his own motive for helping her get a date with Luke, he had been more than cooperative. Helpful, even. “He’s not all bad, though. Has a darling little niece he helps out with.”

Benny explained Henry and Ella’s unexpected arrival in her examining room the other night—purposefully withholding the meatier details about their deal and his help with this makeover, since she didn’t know how she’d even tackle explaining why she’d asked his advice in the first place. She could see Daisy melt a little at hearing how sweet he’d been with Ella. Then Daisy’s eyes turned more speculative as she looked at her sister. Her smile widened. “Sounds like maybe he has some deeper layers than you thought, huh?”

“Don’t look at me like that. I am not, one hundred percent
not
, interested in Henry Ellison. He goes through women faster than your household goes through a roll of toilet paper.” Which, with three kids, Benny knew was fast. They’d spent one afternoon at her place and gone through an entire roll. “I am not looking to be another notch on his bedpost. Can you imagine how awful it would be to have to continue seeing him after a breakup? Talk about awkward.”

Plus there was the fact that he’d taken off earlier with particular urgency, not even interested in seeing how the whole haircut and makeup thing went. It was like he’d said—a man either wanted to sleep with you or he didn’t and was content to be friends. Men like Henry would only peg Benny in the friendship camp. Which was fine. She could always use more friends.

“You seem to have already done a great deal of thinking about this prospect already,” Daisy teased, breaking into Benny’s thoughts.

“Shut up. And if you don’t stop, I’m going to start asking all my single dads if they’d like your phone number,” she threatened back, even as Daisy laughed.