Try Me On for Size (2 page)

CHAPTER
Two

O
liver Christensen
sat on a wobbly bar stool watching the woman in a hooded sweatshirt, an almost fluorescent shade of pink. Not normal attire for a bar, even this kind of establishment. It wasn’t his usual drinking spot, but sitting alone and unrecognized would never happen at any of the places he regularly patronized. He needed to sit and drink and not think about his disaster of a life.

He’d watched her sit there for a while, checking her phone for the time almost every minute. Only a blind man would not notice her, and not only for the bright shade of her shirt. That long dark hair. He couldn’t help but imagine his hands tangled in it. But it was the eyes, too—catlike with long, sexy lashes. The way they scanned the bar, filled with anxiety, hope. Was she meeting someone? A blind date, maybe? She wouldn’t impress anyone on a first date with that outfit.

But it did seem to suit her. The hair was simple—no high-maintenance hairdo or dye job needing retouching every month. Minimal makeup, as far as he could tell. Just a little bit of something on her eyes to really make them stand out. A down-to-earth normal kind of woman. God, that sounded refreshing.

Oliver tossed back his scotch—not the high-end stuff he was used to, so it burned. But sometimes a little burn was good. Reminded him he was still part of the world even though he often felt like a caged animal. He stood and removed his loosened tie and slid the suit coat from his shoulders. Unbuttoning his sleeves, he rolled them to midforearm for a more casual appearance.

“Hi,” he said as he approached her table. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Oh. Hi. You’re here. Um, no. I’m good.” She lifted her half-empty glass and motioned toward the open seat across from her. “Sit.”

Wow. Nervous.

“How are you?” he asked. Why, all of a sudden, did he feel nervous, too?

“Good. So do you want to know more about me and the shop? I already know the basics about you, though you do look a little different from your photos. Were they taken awhile ago?”

Her mouth moved so fast he almost didn’t catch what she’d said. Another sign she was completely out of her element. That and the chugging of the remaining contents of her glass.

She must think he’s her mystery date. A blind date from an Internet dating service maybe? A good guy would stop her right there and tell her he wasn’t who she thought he was. But was there really any harm? He may not have been who she was supposed to meet that night, but he sure could use a night of fun, and pretending to be someone else sounded like just the thing.

“Yeah. I probably should get new ones.”

“Well, I’m from Classy ’n’ Sassy Lingerie.” She motioned to the logo on the front of her shirt. “I started the business with my best friend after college. And, as you know, we’ve decided to take the business in a new direction and that’s where you come in.”

Interesting. Oliver had no clue what he was “coming in” for, but it sounded intriguing.

“We’re hoping to really boost sales with the new product line and save the business. This is so important for us. We need to get it right. We’re only interviewing a very select group of models for the job.”

“And I made the cut?” Did she seriously think he was a model? Because this was clearly a job interview and not a blind date.

“Yes. We were really impressed with your, um . . . photos.”

“Oh. Good.”

Silence. Should he ask her name? Or was he supposed to already know it? This impersonating a no-show interviewee thing wasn’t as easy as he’d thought. He looked to the table and her empty glass. “Can I get you another drink?”

“Yeah. Maybe one more would be good. White wine, please.”

Oliver went to the bar and ordered the wine and another scotch for himself, questioning whether or not he should be doing this. It was wrong. And it was only a matter of time before she realized he was not who she thought he was.

He turned to look over his shoulder and found her gaze on him. Had she been checking him out?

Her head whipped back, smile bowing her lips, and slowly she turned to meet his eyes again. Oliver couldn’t suppress a smile of his own. God, she was adorable. He needed to know more about her. And spilling the truth now would not allow that to happen.

The bartender set the drinks in front of him and he paid, leaving a generous tip. He handed her the wineglass and she drank. No, she guzzled.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he sat back in his seat.

She set her glass down and dabbed her lips with a bar napkin. “Just a bit nervous.”

“Let’s get rid of that right now. Tell me more about you. Where’d you grow up? Where’d you go to school?”

“Kenville. Go Knights!” She pumped her fist like a perky cheerleader.

He knew of the small urban area a few towns away. A whole different world compared to his wealthy Newford upbringing. “Were you on the cheer squad?”

“Oh, God no! But my best friend was. I still wonder how we became so close. While she was practicing her basket toss, I was studying for the SATs.”

“So, you’re the brains of the operation then?”

Laughter. Man, she had a great laugh. And it meant she was relaxing.

“Bryn is smart, but I’m the one with the business sense. She’s more the girly one with the creative genius. She always knew she wanted to own her own boutique and I kinda tagged along for the ride. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but when I applied to college for business I never thought I’d be peddling bras and panties.”

Oliver nodded. What did a women’s lingerie shop need male models for? He shook off the question and got back to her, whoever she was. He now knew the BFF was Bryn, but he wished he knew her name instead.

“How did you come up with the name of the shop? Why didn’t you use your own names in it, like Victoria’s Secret?”

“We had a bunch of ideas in the planning stages. Originally she had wanted to use our names, but I didn’t like what she came up with. They sounded corny to me.”

“Like what?”

She took another sip of wine and her cheeks appeared to redden. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this. It’s so embarrassing. She wanted to name the shop Bryn’s Baubles or Mia’s Mentionables.”

Mia. Nice. “Yeah, those are pretty bad.”

“We came up with the official name together. I told her we needed something that represented both the classy things we would sell and the sexier stuff, too. And it hit us—Classy ’n’ Sassy. And it fits. I’m the laid-back, modest, classy one, and she’s the outgoing, show-it-off, sassy one.”

“Sounds like the perfect shop name.”

Laid back, modest Mia. A much-welcomed change from what he was accustomed to.

She finished her drink and set the glass back on the table. “Ready to go? I walked here, so you can either walk to my apartment with me and leave your car here, or drive over. But I have to warn you, the parking situation near my building is really bad.”

They’re going back to her place? What kind of job was this interview for? This was not right. He really should tell her about the mistaken identity and end this. Regardless of how beautiful she was, and funny and sweet. Regardless of the fact that his day—hell, his life—was boring and planned and miserable until he sat at her table and started chatting with her. He’d never done an impulsive thing in his thirty-two years of existence.

Maybe it was time he started making decisions based on what he wanted instead of catering to everyone else. He was sick of being Mr. Responsible. For one night he could be someone else. He deserved a few moments of happiness, right?

“I’ll walk with you.”

COULD MIA
have been more dorky? Babbling like that? But it didn’t matter. She didn’t care what this guy thought of her.

They walked toward the exit and Ryan opened the door for her, a gentlemanly behavior that wasn’t necessary, but was appreciated. Guess she could take back the strike she’d given him for being late. So many times she’d had doors slam in her face on dates. But this wasn’t a date. It was a job interview, and like any other job interview, the interviewee had to prove his capabilities. That’s all this sexcapade was. The only way to find out if his stuff worked the way she needed it to was to test it out. She’d be completely ignoring that sexy smile and the way his behind looked in suit pants. Wonder what it looked like without the pants? She didn’t have a photo of that part of his anatomy.

Focus! Back to business.

So far Ryan had aced the interview. He was pleasant and kind and would be great for the in-store meet and greets. She could see him posing and flirting with young women, but also being sweet to the older women. He seemed like the ideal spokesman.

“It must be nice living in such a trendy part of the city,” Ryan said as they walked down the sidewalk.

“Yeah. It’s the new it place to live. So glad I moved in years ago and locked into a cheap lease.”

“These old buildings must be gorgeous inside.”

“That’s what really attracted me to the area. I’d always wanted to leave Kenville, and when I started looking for my own place, I wanted something close to the shop. Bryn stayed in Kenville. It was easier for her to be close to her family with the kids and all, and her husband in Iraq.”

Mia stopped talking. Why was she yakking away with this guy like she’d known him forever? Should she be telling a virtual stranger all about her life and her best friend’s?

“Um, anyway. At the time they were just starting to renovate these buildings and I lucked out. Mine was the first done and it was all updated and newly painted and everything.”

“Lucky you. These buildings have so much character. Far more interesting than where I live.”

“Oh? Where do you live?” Mia wondered about this guy. He seemed wealthy. The proof was in the Armani label inside his suit jacket when he’d hung it on the back of his chair. But if the price they’d be paying him was his usual for a modeling gig, he obviously hadn’t made his fortune doing that.

“North side of Newford. Pearl and Main.”

Well, he definitely didn’t pay for that with modeling money. The people living there made at least mid–six digits.

“Is that where you grew up?”

“Yes.”

Hmm. A one-word answer, no elaboration. What did that mean? Mia didn’t get the chance to find out.

“Here’s my building.”

The fear and anxiety that had momentarily left her body was back. It wasn’t too late. She could still end it.

Mia opened the door and led him up to the third floor. No turning back once she took him inside. To her bed. To test out his penis.

Even now, after all the planning, the idea still sounded ridiculous. She shook away the jitters and put her robot face back on. Do it and get it over with. The first interview would be hardest, right?

Deep breath. Mia turned the key and stepped into apartment 3A, Ryan at her heels.

He walked into the living room, scanning the walls and ceiling. “The architecture is amazing.”

He was pulling her out of robot mode again.

“Um, yeah. Thanks.”

Looking around some more, he pointed to the wall. “That photo is beautiful.”

The thirty-by-forty-inch black-and-white print of downtown Newford at night hung over her couch.

“I got it last summer. I love black-and-white prints.”

“Yeah. Me, too.”

She broke away from his gaze. “Want a bottle of water? So we can get started?”

“Sure.”

She grabbed two and handed one over. He took it from her, chugging half.

Was that sweat on his forehead? It wasn’t hot in the apartment. In fact, it was kind of chilly. One drawback to living in an old building: bad heating system. Was he nervous? Having second thoughts? They couldn’t have two nervous people in this thing. Guess she’d be the one to suck up the fear and get on with it.

“Let’s go into the bedroom.”

He followed her to the room she’d spent hours cleaning. Even if this was a onetime thing, for business purposes, she still didn’t want the guy thinking she was a slob. Mia flipped on her overhead lighting and illuminated the room. Too bright. She hadn’t given any thought to lights on or off. Would she need to see during this thing?

She quickly turned the bright light off and went for her softer bedside lamp. Much better.

“Okay. You can put your jacket, pants, and underwear on that chair. Your choice if you wanna leave your socks and shirt on.”

Mia turned away from Ryan and pulled her hoodie over her head. She’d preplanned and wore just a bra and ribbed tank. She dropped her jeans to the floor and stepped out before turning to him. Ho-ly crap.

Standing there completely naked, the test subject already halfway to its full glory, the live Ryan was way better than his eight-by-ten glossies. Mia yelled at her inner butterflies and told them to cut the fluttering. “I guess we’re ready then.”

He stepped to her, silent, and reached for her hand. Damn butterflies were back and on ecstasy or something. No, no, no! Mia blinked out of her hunky haze. This was business.

“I think it will be best if we start with you on the bed.” She and Bryn had already discussed the best ways to test the specimens. She needed the feel of him from all angles.

But instead of doing as he’d been asked, he put his free hand to the nape of her neck, entangling his fingers in her hair and pulling her to his lips. For a brief moment, Mia closed her eyes and let him kiss her, the warmth of his mouth, his tongue twisting with hers. His lips were so amazingly soft and plump. Was it normal for a guy to feel so luscious?
God, it’s been too long since I’ve had a kiss like this.

But it wasn’t hers to have. This was a job interview, not a one-night fling. Her eyes shot open and she pulled away.

“No.” Her fingertips went to her still tingling lips. “None of that.”

His eyes widened. “I’m . . . sorry. I didn’t know.”

“It’s fine. Just lay on the bed and I’ll do what I need to do.”

His brow furrowed but he obeyed, lying with one hand tucked behind his head. “Like this?”

Mia scanned his body, sparkling blue eyes to mounded pectorals, flat stomach to the fully erect prototype. She focused on a birthmark on his hip. Never had one been more sexy. “Um. Yeah. That’s fine.”