The girl at the front counter looked like his best bet. From their conversation last night, he had assumed Crystal wouldn’t be at work this morning, but he was counting on her being here this afternoon. He paused at the condom rack, figuring he had to buy something before he could pump the cashier for information. Thanks to his Christmas basket from SoloPlay Enterprises, he was all set for sex toys, but a guy could always use more rubbers.
He stared at the rack in front of the register, confounded by the selection. He knew the world held more than Trojans, but he’d never seen studded condoms. He picked up a box and read the back. Super-sensitizing gel, both inside and outside the condom? Seemed like overkill. He picked up two more boxes and compared the merits of a contoured fit versus a light bulb shape. Hmm. He pictured his erection. Did he need extra head room?
“Can I help you pick something out?”
The counter girl was grinning at him.
He held up the boxes. “I don’t think you have the answer I need.”
She laughed and reached over the counter to pull a pack off the rack. “This is our best seller.”
He replaced the two brands he’d been holding and took the package from her. “Are Japanese condoms as reliable as Japanese cars?”
“Super-thin, super-strong, as close to bareback—”
“Sold.”
He tossed the condoms on the counter and watched her ring them up, wondering if her gray suit was work-wear or wedding-wear, but not wanting to ask. Instead, he dug a twenty and the pink business card out of his pocket. After she made his change, he asked, “Is Crystal LaRusso working today? I’d like to make an appointment.”
She nodded. “She’s working, but she’s booked solid. How about Tuesday?”
He’d be back on a plane to California Tuesday. “Tuesday will be too late,” he said, putting sadness and a little desperation in his voice. “Is there any way I can see her today? I don’t have that many options.” He didn’t dare look her in the eye. Would the restless line of customers forming behind him sway her?
He heard her sigh. “She’s not going to be happy about it, but I’ll book you for a half hour at four-thirty. Make sure you tell her you begged.”
“Thank you.” He didn’t have to feign appreciation when he smiled and gave her a fake name. She scrawled it down in an appointment book, then looked up at him with a frown. He met her gaze with as much innocence as he could muster, afraid his sense of humor had blown his cover. “No relation,” he said.
A customer behind him cleared her throat with unmistakable impatience, so Ryan gave them both a polite nod, picked up his purchase and made a slow beeline for the door. He was looking forward to surprising Crystal. After all these years, she deserved a taste of her own medicine.
Chapter Three
Crystal stepped back and surveyed her handiwork. Alisa’s makeup was understated yet emphasized all of her best features. Her blue eyes looked enormous, thanks to volumizing mascara and some creatively applied shadows. A bit of bronzer on her cheeks played up her natural glow and the sparkle of pink gloss highlighted her happy smile.
Crystal had found Alisa’s parents arguing over spiked coffee in the salon earlier. She had introduced herself and immediately sensed they felt useless. Mark and Alisa had handled all of the wedding details, and there was nothing for them to do except sit around feeling intimidated by the extreme wealth surrounding them. Although she had been tempted to find a copy of
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
and pop it into the DVD player to show them what true misery was like, she put them to work instead.
She had brought Mrs. Mane up to Alisa’s room to make sure the bride had something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, and she had turned Mr. Mane over to Mark to do whatever guys did before weddings. She was grateful that Ryan hadn’t arrived yet, so she could hang onto her serenity and get on with her job. Mark’s emotions were steady and filled with joy and anticipation as he welcomed Mr. Mane into his room. Crystal had never liked him more than she had in that moment.
“How’s Alisa?” he had asked.
“She was freaking out because her parents were fighting, but she’s got her eye on the prize now. That’s you, so be a good little prize and keep Daddy occupied, hmm?”
Mission accomplished, she’d done a quick sweep of the club to check in with the wedding coordinator, look at the flowers and grab another cup of coffee before returning to do Alisa’s makeup. While she had been gone, Bonita had created a dramatic updo with tendrils curling around Alisa’s face. Diamonds glittered in her hair, making her look regal and youthful at the same time.
“It’s time to get dressed. Are you ready?” Crystal asked.
Alisa nodded, smiling at herself in the mirror. God, she was beautiful. Crystal’s heart squeezed in her chest. She put her hands on her friend’s shoulders and caught her eyes in the mirror. “You look breathtaking,” she whispered as emotion flowed between them in a poignant stream.
Alisa’s fingers touched hers, sharing her joy.
Mrs. Mane dithered in the background, but it was a good kind of dithering. “Something old—she’s wearing her great-grandmother’s diamond earrings. Something new is always easy—the dress. She’s wearing my pearls, so she has something borrowed, but what about blue? Honey, do you have something blue?”
“My eyes?” Alisa suggested.
“Doesn’t count,” Crystal said. “But I’ve got you covered.” She retrieved a signature pink bag from the corner. She handed it to Alisa. “Open it.”
Alisa pulled pink tissue paper out of the way and giggled. She pulled out an ice-blue bra and panty ensemble that was light enough not to show through her dress but blue enough to fulfill the rhyme. “It’s perfect!”
“To match your eyes,” Crystal said softly.
Alisa’s smile was tender. “Thank you.”
Crystal clapped her hands, dispelling the emotion in the air. “All right, Mrs. Mane, you’re on. Can you get our girl dressed while Bonita and I finish getting ready?”
Bonita shook her head. “I’m all set.”
Of course she was—Bonita never had a hair out of place and lived in perfect makeup. Well, Crystal might be slightly more challenged in that regard, but she made up for it in speed as she slid into Alisa’s spot at the mirror and touched up her makeup.
Ten minutes later, she and Alisa stood side by side, looking into the mirror.
“My work is done.” Alisa’s mom kissed her cheek. “I’m going to go check on your cousins.” The young bridesmaids had arrived in a flurry of nervousness and had been sent into the gallery to watch the crowd.
Crystal tugged at her neckline. Her black dress was knee-length and she was wearing a conservative amount of makeup, but she was showing way too much cleavage for a morning wedding. Would Alisa mind?
“What did you do to that dress?” Alisa asked. She was frowning too.
“Nothing,” Crystal said, feeling guilty anyway.
Alisa stepped behind her and pulled the dress down to bare Crystal’s tattoo, then tightened the back of the corset until Crystal’s boobs looked twice as big as they had a second ago. “Whoa, hey. What on earth are you doing?” Crystal gasped.
Alisa rolled her eyes. “You don’t buy Gaultier and wear it like Laura Ashley, for God’s sake. It’s supposed to look like this.”
“For a wedding?”
“Don’t argue with the bride.” Alisa leaned to whisper, “I’d never ask you to change for me, Crystal. I love your style. Now you’ve got five minutes to fix your makeup. I don’t want a pale imitation of my best friend standing beside me today, got it?”
Gratitude, warm and overwhelming, made her voice husky as she said, “Got it.”
Crystal took a long, slow belly breath to calm her jumping nerves. It was showtime. Time to show Ryan a strong front, impenetrable, confident, unaffected…which could only happen if she left the room. Bonita had taken Alisa down for pictures five minutes ago.
Since then, she’d been sitting on the bed with her eyes shut, trying to find balance. It wasn’t working. Every time she tried to go downstairs to join the wedding party, she thought about Ryan and a tidal wave of emotion knocked her sideways. She couldn’t dam her emotions. Like water, they kept slipping through the cracks in her shield. Usually she spent her energy shielding herself from the emotions of others. It had been a long time since her own feelings had caused so much trouble.
Maybe it was better to take a Zen approach—acknowledge the feelings and let them flow away. She opened her eyes, but she no longer saw the luxurious room around her. She saw a frat house bedroom, walls covered with movie posters. She heard the sounds of a party, smelled Ryan’s cologne and tasted tequila on his breath. She felt an incredible, powerful connection.
Breath rushed out of her lungs as she abandoned herself to the memory.
Mahogany eyes, warm, like bittersweet chocolate, gazing at her with infinite tenderness. He slid inside her walls with the reverence of one receiving a benediction, and the boundaries of her mind expanded, exploded, changed forever.
She gasped, trembling. She had instantly fallen in love.
Alone.
That night with Ryan had been a life-changing experience for her, but just another hookup for him—and that was okay. It was okay to be young, dumb and innocent. She had forgiven herself for that, but it was impossible to forget the man who had somehow turned her into a walking emotional minefield, and it was damn near impossible to pretend she had never cared about him.
The door opened, startling her out of the past. Bonita poked her head into the room. “Hey, what’s the holdup? They need you for the group shots.”
“Nothing.” Crystal stood. She looked in the mirror to make sure her armor was in place, but even though she looked as exotically outrageous as ever, she still felt exposed.
“Crystal? What can I do to help?” Bonita asked gently.
Relief rushed through her as she remembered she didn’t have to handle this alone anymore. Thank God for friends. “Will you be my date for the reception tonight? You aren’t bringing anyone else, right?”
“Why do you need a date?” Bonita asked.
“I don’t have time to explain.”
“Later then.” It wasn’t a question.
“I will. I promise I’ll explain everything, but right now I’m not going to be able to function during the next hour without knowing someone is going to hold my hand tonight. Please? I don’t want to lead any of my girlfriends on by inviting them to a wedding, but I need an extra layer of protection tonight.”
Bonita cocked an eyebrow. “Interesting word choice. Does that make me your social condom?” She held out her hand. “I’ll be your date tonight, but you really need to get downstairs before the photographer has a conniption.”
Crystal took her hand, grateful as always that Bonita kept her emotions to herself. It was one of the reasons they had become such good friends. Ever since she had arrived at the door of Come Again a shattered, horny, freaked-out teenager, Bonita had given her support and space, an invaluable combination. When they reached the lobby where the photographer had set up near an enormous fireplace, Bonita gave her a long, steadying look. “You good to go?”
Crystal nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
She looked for Ryan and found him talking to Mark’s parents. Her heart jolted, then settled. The long ride in the ancient elevator had given her time to focus on the present. She wasn’t alone and she wasn’t eighteen anymore. She watched Bonita disappear into the ballroom.
The photographer motioned to her and she joined the bridal party. The wedding planner rushed over with her bouquet. Joy was contagious, especially for her, so it was easier than she had expected to smile. At one point, she felt Ryan brush against her and a wave of desire tore through her just as the camera flashed. The photographer insisted on re-doing the shot, and she assumed it was her fault.
Since Alisa preferred candid shots, the formal pictures only took a few minutes. The wedding party filed down the hall. So far, so good. She felt Ryan moving into place just ahead of her. Her pulse sped and her hands shook, so she took extra time adjusting Alisa’s train and veil. When Alisa looked perfect, Crystal stepped into place in front of her.
Ryan was watching.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered.
“Thank you.” She gave him a faint smile, avoiding his eyes. “You look very handsome yourself.” His tux fit him perfectly and he wore it with ease. She focused on the stephanotis pinned to his lapel.
The wedding planner reminded everyone to go slow and keep their flowers low before she opened the ballroom door. Music filled the hall. Mark began to walk forward, flanked by both of his parents. Crystal glanced behind her to enjoy the excitement on Alisa’s face. When she turned back around, Ryan held out his arm. She straightened her spine and took a deep breath, pulling her emotions inward, locking them down. For the next hour she needed to make like a turtle pulling into its shell. The hall full of seated wedding guests felt like a living, breathing entity, and she had to walk into its heart. This was a small wedding? How many people were going to be at the reception tonight?
The line moved forward. Ryan was waiting. She exhaled, slowly, keeping an iron grip on herself. Even so, taking his arm shot lightning to her core. Suddenly, she wasn’t worried about the guests. Withdrawing into her shell wasn’t going to help if the man beside her set her on fire from the inside out.