friend can use a little feminine charm to bring those guys around. Let me know if they give you any real trouble though, okay?”
Maddie nodded and took Sasha’s arm. “We’ll be all right.”
Randy nodded, his relief obvious. “You look great, by the way. Both of you.”
“Thanks.”
Maddie led Sasha into the darker, adjoining room, where a dance floor, a stage, and a long, low-lit bar had been set up. “Come on, let’s see if we can talk some sense into these guys.”
“I can’t talk to them yet,” Sasha whispered, wide-eyed and suddenly nervous. “I pictured myself nicely inebriated before talking to any of the players. And ‘Hart’ means Jake Hart, right? I’m about to meet Jake?”
Maddie rolled her eyes and laughed, pulling her friend along. “Their size is worse than their demeanor. Now show some backbone. Come on.”
Sure enough, as they came closer to where the two men sat, Jake’s voice rang out, slightly slurred, “Would you look at that, Marcus. A witch and an angel, comin’ to visit us.”
Marcus whistled. “I’ll take the witch over an angel any day.” Then louder, directed to them. “Well hello ladies, come on over and have a drink.”
Maddie and Sasha came up to them, Sasha standing right in front of Jake. “I’ll have a drink,” she said, ignoring Maddie’s shocked stare. “Cosmopolitan, please.”
Jake grinned at her, turned to the bartender to order her the drink and then swung back suddenly to Maddie with the question “What’ll you have, angel?”
“I’m not an angel. I’m a fairy. And I won’t be drinking anything.”
“Wait a minute.” His eyes squinted in the dim light as he stared at Maddie’s face. His head nodded up. “You’re that girl. Working for the foundation.”
Maddie gave him a single nod. “Yes, I am. Now Mr. Hart, I’ve put a lot of time and effort into this event and you are supposed to say a few opening remarks, remember?”
“Of course I remember.”
Maddie backed down at his tone. “Well, you seem a little…um, inebriated, to be precise, and I’d like to help you sober up before your speech.”
Jake’s gaze took on a sudden disenchanted sheen. “Oh yeah? How are you planning to do that?”
Maddie fiddled with her skirt, not meaning to draw attention to the clingy sheath of white satin. “Coffee, maybe? Have you eaten anything? Could I get you some appetizers?”
Jake laughed, low and dark. “Sure, let’s go up to my room and have an appetizer together. Why not? I’ve seen you in your costume and I know how good you can move.” His sarcasm was like a slap in the face.
Maddie took a shocked breath. “What are you talking about?”
“Halftime, at the game. You know, you had yourself sashaying all over that floor. Best girl there,” he laughed, “not that any of them were much to watch.”
Maddie felt sudden, angry tears gather in her eyes. Why was he attacking her like this? “Fine. Give your speech and make a fool out of yourself. It will only reflect badly on you, not me.” She turned, choking over her shoulder to Sasha, who looked equally color-drained, “Come on, Sasha. You can’t possibly have a crush on this jerk now.”
Maddie stopped and turned back toward Sasha, wondering why she wasn’t right behind her. She watched in suspended horror as Sasha grabbed her drink from the bar and said to Jake with a low, hissing voice, “You have no idea what you’re talking about or who you’re talking about. Maddie is the best person I know and was begged to dance that night, replacing someone who was sick at the last minute. She didn’t want to do it. She didn’t even know the routine. She did it for the kids at Colburn Place.”
Maddie cringed when Sasha squinted her eyes until they were slits of anger. “You’re not worthy to kiss the soles of her shoes, you, you, cad.” With the look of a sudden decision, Sasha threw the red drink in Jake’s face.
She turned, leaving two shocked, slack-jawed men in
Maddie nodded and took Sasha’s arm. “We’ll be all right.”
Randy nodded, his relief obvious. “You look great, by the way. Both of you.”
“Thanks.”
Maddie led Sasha into the darker, adjoining room, where a dance floor, a stage, and a long, low-lit bar had been set up. “Come on, let’s see if we can talk some sense into these guys.”
“I can’t talk to them yet,” Sasha whispered, wide-eyed and suddenly nervous. “I pictured myself nicely inebriated before talking to any of the players. And ‘Hart’ means Jake Hart, right? I’m about to meet Jake?”
Maddie rolled her eyes and laughed, pulling her friend along. “Their size is worse than their demeanor. Now show some backbone. Come on.”
Sure enough, as they came closer to where the two men sat, Jake’s voice rang out, slightly slurred, “Would you look at that, Marcus. A witch and an angel, comin’ to visit us.”
Marcus whistled. “I’ll take the witch over an angel any day.” Then louder, directed to them. “Well hello ladies, come on over and have a drink.”
Maddie and Sasha came up to them, Sasha standing right in front of Jake. “I’ll have a drink,” she said, ignoring Maddie’s shocked stare. “Cosmopolitan, please.”
Jake grinned at her, turned to the bartender to order her the drink and then swung back suddenly to Maddie with the question “What’ll you have, angel?”
“I’m not an angel. I’m a fairy. And I won’t be drinking anything.”
“Wait a minute.” His eyes squinted in the dim light as he stared at Maddie’s face. His head nodded up. “You’re that girl. Working for the foundation.”
Maddie gave him a single nod. “Yes, I am. Now Mr. Hart, I’ve put a lot of time and effort into this event and you are supposed to say a few opening remarks, remember?”
“Of course I remember.”
Maddie backed down at his tone. “Well, you seem a little…um, inebriated, to be precise, and I’d like to help you sober up before your speech.”
Jake’s gaze took on a sudden disenchanted sheen. “Oh yeah? How are you planning to do that?”
Maddie fiddled with her skirt, not meaning to draw attention to the clingy sheath of white satin. “Coffee, maybe? Have you eaten anything? Could I get you some appetizers?”
Jake laughed, low and dark. “Sure, let’s go up to my room and have an appetizer together. Why not? I’ve seen you in your costume and I know how good you can move.” His sarcasm was like a slap in the face.
Maddie took a shocked breath. “What are you talking about?”
“Halftime, at the game. You know, you had yourself sashaying all over that floor. Best girl there,” he laughed, “not that any of them were much to watch.”
Maddie felt sudden, angry tears gather in her eyes. Why was he attacking her like this? “Fine. Give your speech and make a fool out of yourself. It will only reflect badly on you, not me.” She turned, choking over her shoulder to Sasha, who looked equally color-drained, “Come on, Sasha. You can’t possibly have a crush on this jerk now.”
Maddie stopped and turned back toward Sasha, wondering why she wasn’t right behind her. She watched in suspended horror as Sasha grabbed her drink from the bar and said to Jake with a low, hissing voice, “You have no idea what you’re talking about or who you’re talking about. Maddie is the best person I know and was begged to dance that night, replacing someone who was sick at the last minute. She didn’t want to do it. She didn’t even know the routine. She did it for the kids at Colburn Place.”
Maddie cringed when Sasha squinted her eyes until they were slits of anger. “You’re not worthy to kiss the soles of her shoes, you, you, cad.” With the look of a sudden decision, Sasha threw the red drink in Jake’s face.
She turned, leaving two shocked, slack-jawed men in
Similar Books
