Page 4 of Daniel
“Make sure that you don’t eat more than a small salad at dinner,” she said firmly.
“Are you kidding? The food on the flight was dreadful, and I’m starving.”
“I’m serious,” Lila insisted. “If you’re going to be hanging out with the Kings, that means that the entire town is going to be watching you. They are really well known here, especially this season, when their toy factory has given so many people jobs. They’re all kind of low key heroes.”
“I don’t see how that has anything to do with me having some supper.”
“Seriously, Prairie. You’re going to have to be elegant, refined, and picture perfect.” There was a long pause. “Or at least, you know. Try your best.”
I tried to ignore the dig. “How fancy is this ball?”
“You’ll be okay there,” she said. “It’s as dressy as you want to be. Daniel will definitely be wearing a really nice suit. So wear a plain dark dress, and put your hair half up in a sparkly clip or something. Wear shoes that you can dance in, and do a smoky eye makeup.”
“Okay.” Geez, this was all suddenly making me nervous. “Any more advice?”
Lila laughed. “Considering how much work you have to do to steam a dress, fix your hair and makeup, and have a tiny snack so that you don’t eat at dinner, you’d better get cracking.”
“Thanks. Bye.”
I took a moment to stretch across my bed, staring up at the beautiful crown molding around the top edge of the room. This old-fashioned bedroom was lovely, but it wouldn’t feel like mine for some time.
A new town, a new home. I didn’t even have a job here yet, or know anybody other than my family.
Yet suddenly I had a date to the event of the season with the most eligible bachelor in town.
Not knowing why was going to bother me until I managed to find a way to ferret out the truth.
3
DANIEL
For the first time in my entire life, I fussed over my appearance. I actually looked up a fancy way to knot my tie, following along with the video six times before I got it perfect.
On the way back to Prairie’s house, I managed to swing by the florist to pick up a tiny corsage with a red rose and some white flowery bits around it. Mrs. Giovanni assured me that it was the perfect gift for a date to a Christmas ball.
Since I had barely dated in my life, I took her word for it gratefully. Even though I knew that by sharing with her that I was escorting someone to the dance, I might be the talk of the town in less than an hour.
By the time I was at the door, I needed a slow breath to steady myself. Prairie answered my knock in seconds as if she’d been waiting for me.
She was a vision. The top of her long strawberry hair was spun up in a complicated twist, with the rest gently curling around her shoulders. Whatever she’d done to her makeup made her lovely eyes dominate her beautiful face.
The elegant dark green gown skimmed her mouthwatering curves perfectly, with just enough cleavage to knock the air out of my lungs.
Prairie blinked up at me as I stared at her, and I forced myself to shake my head. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to stare. I’ve honestly just never seen a woman as beautiful as you are.”
It was adorable that my compliment made her blush. “Maybe it’s cheesy, but I got you this,” I said, holding out the corsage.
Her eyes lit up. “I was just thinking that this dress was too dark. It’s perfect.”
She took it from me, then realized she couldn’t quite angle her hands to pin it on, which made her blush a bit more. “Um, could you help me?” Her sweet, light voice was already my favorite sound.
“Of course.”
Somewhere in the back of my mind it registered that I was going to remember this moment standing in her front foyer forever.
In order to pin the flowers on, I had to slip my fingers inside her dress, just at the top of her chest, nearly at her shoulder. Although it wasn’t exactly inappropriate, the feeling of my fingers against her soft skin made my craving for her intensify to the point that I honestly wondered if I could control myself throughout the entire night.
After the corsage was secure, I dragged the backs of my fingers slowly along her collarbone, studying the way her eyes sparkled.
