Zeke Woodlow.
Lucy was infinitely relieveduntil she put it all together. Shed read about Zekes engagement in The Buzz. Your sister is Summer Elliott. Youre the Elliott family, the ones who own all those magazines. One of the richest families on the Eastern Seaboard.
Scarlet looked startled. You didnt know that?
Maybe shed just better shut up. I didnt know Bryan was one of the Elliotts. Im a little slowjust putting it together now. We havent been dating for long, she added, hoping that would explain away her cluelessness. As for my clothes, I, uh, burned them. I need a fresh start.
Burned them? Where?
Belatedly Lucy remembered you couldnt burn anything in New Yorkit was against the law.
Back home.
Wheres home?
Kansas. On a farm. That much, at least, was true. Shed grown up in a small, conservative Kansas farming town, and her parents were still there.
What was Bryan doing in Kansas? I thought he was in Europe.
Oh, he was. We met in Paris.
Then you went home to the farm, burned your clothes and came back here? Naked?
Lucy smiled as if this wasnt the most ridiculous story anyone had ever tried to pass off as the truth. Right.
Girlfriend, I like your style.
Bryan was still trying to recover his equilibrium as he headed down to the restaurant. Hed realized he was going to have to make it look good if his family was ever going to believe Lucy was his girlfriend. Hed never had a serious relationship before. Well, hed tried once, but hed quickly found out that women didnt like it when he disappeared for weeks at a time. Hed decided that as long as he was in the spy business, it wasnt fair to any woman to try to have a relationship. Not only would they have to put up with frequent absences, but there was always the chance he wouldnt come home.
If that ever happened, the poor woman would probably never find out his fate.
So he dated casually. He occasionally slept with a woman if she was hot, willing and understood the ground rules. Hed seldom brought a woman into his loft, and hed certainly never installed one as a live-in mistress. For his family to buy Lindsays sudden presence in his life, he was going to have to claim he was utterly smitten. And that meant acting the adoring boyfriend, with public displays of affection, longing glances, the whole nine yards.
He probably should have prepared Lucy better for the role she was playing. They hadnt even gone over a cover storywhere Lucy was from, where theyd met.
Oh, well, Lucy was smart enough to wing it. As long as she reported back to him any details shed given Scarlet, so they could keep the story consistent, it would be okay.
As for that kiss, Lucy had looked like the proverbial deer in the headlights when hed swooped in for the light smooch. But he was the one whod been surprised. Her lips had been soft and warm, and her vulnerability had somehow transmitted itself straight from her soul to his, all in the half second of contact between their mouths.
It had been the merest brushing of lips, so innocent, yet it had shaken him to his shoes. No kiss had ever done that.
Hed mostly composed himself by the time he entered the restaurant kitchen, but the memory of the kiss remained in the back of his mind.
Hey, boss, youre back! one of the sous-chefs greeted him.
Monsieur Bryan! called out another. Hey, those Florentine eggrolls are going like hotcakes.
The head chef, Kim Chin, who ran the kitchen like a marine bootcamp, looked up from his sauté pan and grunted a greeting. Bout time.
All right, so hed been neglecting his business lately. No one said it was easy working two jobs, and the Alliance Trust case had been occupying every waking hour these days. While Lucy had worked it from her end, Bryan had been tracking down the people receiving the embezzled funds, working with two French agents to prevent any of the illicit funds from reaching terrorists in Iraq while not tipping off the bad guys on the American side. Not until he had them all rounded up could he assemble the evidence needed to put them away for a good long time.
Wheres Stash? he asked Kim.
Out schmoozing the beautiful people, of course, the worthless Frenchie. Which was pretty funny, since Stash practically lived at the restaurant, keeping everything running, paying the bills, meeting payroll, handling all the hundreds of details that kept Une Nuit at the top of everyones list.
Bryan, youre back! Stash greeted him with a hearty hug and a double air-kiss. Stash Martin was an energetic Frenchman in his thirties. With equal parts stubbornness and optimism, he was the perfect manager for an often absent owner. What keeps you away for so long, eh? he asked with a French accent. The place could have been turned into a hot-dog stand while you were gone.
Bryan had prepared a long, shaggy-dog story about his exploits in Europe. Instead he said, I met someone. He had to set up Lucys cover story, he reasoned. Lying came easily to him, given the number of years hed worked undercover. But the scary thing was, he didnt have to manufacture the edge in his voice when he talked about Lucy. What had started as a fairly routine job had turned into something exciting and challengingand for all the wrong reasons.
Lucy stared at herself in the mirror, then stared some more. Scarlet hadnt allowed her to watch the transformation, so her own image was a complete surprise. No, a shock. Her mother wouldnt recognize herwhich was the point, of course.
Her brown hair lay in piles on the floor. Scarlet had cut it to chin length, dyed it to a pale blond, then blow-dried it straight so that it fell in a shimmering fringe that bounced with her every move. Her eyebrows had been plucked and reshaped, and the artfully applied cosmetics had sculpted her face and redefined the shape of her mouth. She now had cheekbones.
Then there were the clothes. After sorting through the piles and piles of glamorous outfits, Scarlet had decided that Lucy needed a look, and had chosen an array of clingy knits in a palette of soft colorsmossy green, plum, cantaloupe, tawny gold. The outfit she wore now was a pair of green low-rider pants and a cropped tank top that clung to all her curves. A second shirt in a paler green, with a front zipper and short sleeves, went over the tank. Wedge-heeled sandals and bold jewelry completed the look.
The most amazing thing, though, was the fact that she had cleavage. Scarlet had found her a really clever push-up bra that made her A cups look like Cs.
Lucy kept putting her glasses on to look at herself from far away, then taking them off and peering at her face from close up. She just couldnt believe it. She did look like someone who could be Bryan Elliotts girlfriend. Someone who belonged in New York. When shed lived here before, shed never felt quite at home, never really shed her Kansas persona.
This is just amazing, she said for about the third time.
The models you see in magazines dont have anything we dont have, Scarlet said. Hairstylists, makeup artists, good lighting and a skilled photographer can turn the plainest-looking woman into a knockout.
Lucy was convinced. But she wasnt sure the Lucy Miller on the inside matched the one on the outside. Beautiful womenlike Scarlethad an inner confidence, a way of moving and talking that Lucy lacked.
What if I cant carry it off? she asked in a small voice.
Youll manage. Listen, I cant imagine Bryan hooking up with a woman who isnt really, really special. He saw something in you, something inside. Just remember that, and youll be fine.
Oh, yeah. What Scarlet didnt know was that Bryan didnt pick her at all. Shed dropped into his lap, and now he was stuck with her.
So are you close to Bryan? Lucy asked, figuring this was a golden opportunity to find out more about her supposed boyfriend.
All the Elliott cousins are close. Here, stand up on the bed and let me shorten those pants. Youre as slim as a model, but not quite as tall as one.
Do most of you work for the magazines? Lucy asked, trying not to think about the fact she was standing on Bryans bed, trying not to think of him sleeping there. Or doing something else.
We all work for Elliott Publication Holdings in one capacity or another. Except Bryan. Hes the only one to escape that fate.
Why is that, do you think?
Oh, he had other ideas from the time he was young. His heart problem kept him somewhat separated from the rest of us, I think. Until he had his operation, he couldnt run and play with us, and we were an extremely active bunch. Turn.
Lucy obediently turned, but her mind was reeling. Heart problem? Bryan?
By the time they fixed his heart, his interest in food and cooking had already developed. Then he got into sports, bigtimehad to outdo his brother and all his cousins, as if he was making up for lost time. The magazines just didnt hold any appeal for him, I guess. Oh, he studied finance in school with some vague notion of going to work for the company, but that didnt last long. He wanted to do his own thing. He may have been the smartest one in the bunch.
Why would you say that? Working for Charisma must be like a dream.
Ordinarily, yes. But with the competition going onOh, Bryan probably didnt tell you about that, and why would he?
Lucy was intrigued. What competition? Tell me.
My grandfather has decided to retire and make one of his children the CEO of the corporation. Each is currently head of one of the magazinesPulse, Snap, The Buzz and Charisma. So the one whose magazine shows the biggest profit growth by the end of the year wins the top spot. Needless to say, everyone is at each others throats. My boss, Aunt Fin, practically lives at the magazine, shes so obsessed with winning. And Uncle MichaelWell, his wife, my Aunt Karen, is recovering from breast cancer and he should be focusing on that, not worrying about a stupid contest.
Scarlet had gotten a bit worked up, and she stopped suddenly. Im sorry. Bryan would skewer me like a shish-kebab if he knew I was airing family laundry to his new girl.
I wont say anything, Lucy assured her.
Lucy glanced at her new watcha big, copper-colored bracelet thingand was surprised to see it was after 1 a.m. Bryan wasnt home yet. What was he doing, she wondered. He obviously wasnt anxious to get back to her. It was probably a relief to be free of her for a while.
Well, I hate to undo your hard work, but I think Ill take off all this makeup and turn in, Lucy said. Its been a long day. Thank you so much, Scarlet. It was really nice of you to spend your evening this way.
My pleasure, believe me. It was nice to get away from family and work pressure for a while. The two women embraced, and Lucy felt a rush of warmth and gratitude to Scarlet. She hadnt had any close girlfriends the last couple of years since moving to D.C. A few women at work had invited her occasionally to join them for dinner or drinks or a movie, but shed kept her distance. Shed told herself it was because she wanted to keep her focus on work and not get distracted until her career was better established. But she could see now shed been punishing herself. Having fun had gotten her into a lot of trouble. Therefore, fun was bad and it had to be eliminated from her life.
She imagined Scarlet already had a full complement of friends, though. Anyway, Lucy probably wouldnt have time for socializing. She had to go through all the data shed downloaded from the bank and figure out who the embezzler was.
She helped Scarlet pack up her things and walked her to the elevator. Id walk you down and help you carry all this, but I dont know how to get back in.
Scarlet rolled her eyes. Bryans silly elevator. He does have some pretty valuable artwork he doesnt want stolen, but he so overdid it with the security.
Maybe, but Lucy was grateful for it. They said goodbye. Then Lucy headed back up to the lofts upper level, which housed the master suite and Bryans study. She wanted to move all of her things back down to her own bedroom before Bryan returned.
No such luck. She heard the elevator as she was heading down the stairs with an armload of clothing, her new wardrobe.
Lucy? he called out as he strode into the living room. Oh, there you are. It took longer than I thought to go through the He stopped midstride and stared at her. What have you done to your hair?
You you dont like it? Lucy squeaked. Scarlet had pointed out that men liked long hair, and Bryan might not be too keen on the short do. Her hair barely skimmed her jawline. Lucy had hesitated only briefly. The point was to look different, not to please Bryan.
But now she realized how badly she wanted him to like the new Lucy. Or rather, Lindsay.
You just look soCome down here. Put those clothes down and let me have a look at you.
Lucy did as asked, laying the beautiful new clothes on a chair and standing there, feeling enormously self-conscious as Bryan looked her up and down, then walked behind her and all around her, his expression unreadable.
He came closer and reached toward her face. She tried not to react as he removed her glasses and studied her features.
Scarlet gave me the name of an optometrist who can fit me with green contacts. I can do that tomorrow.
Okay. He didnt give her back the glasses. Instead, he stuck them in his shirt pocket.
Well? she said impatiently. Will I do? Or do I just look ridiculous? Maybe she was a sows ear that couldnt pass muster as a silk purse.
A smile spread slowly across Bryans face, which was a bit blurry to her. Oh, youll do, all right. Lucy, you look like a movie star. His gaze on her was like a heat lamp. Or maybe the heat was coming from inside her. She couldnt see him all that well, after all. She was probably imagining the blatant interest in the way he looked at her.
Suddenly, all she could think about was the way hed kissed her earlier, so casually, and how shed almost melted on the spot. It was all a game to him, but she wasnt used to being deceptive.
Dont you think you should start calling me Lindsay all the time? she said, sounding testy even to her own ears. And if youre going to kiss me like you did, at least give me a little warning.
Were supposed to be besotted with each other, so you can expect me to kiss you just about any time.
O-okay.
You dont sound too sure. He grasped her upper arms with both hands and looked deeply into her eyes. Do you think you can pull this off? If not, well have to think of something else. My family cant suspect the truth. That would be a disaster.