same. She was finally
led back to Tom and he started working on her final style. The cut was
finished, but he was giving her something special for tonight, he said. He
curled and teased and sprayed for so long that she wondered if he would ever
finish. Then he stepped back and gave her a warm smile.
“Stunning, if I do say so myself.”
He spun her around, and she was forced to agree, even
though it sounded insane for her to admit such a thing. He’d pulled her hair up
and piled it on top of her head. She had no idea how he’d made it all stay
there, but it was a mass of curls that moved when she did without collapsing.
Wispy tendrils trailed around her face, artfully placed to be perfect without
appearing planned. Claire didn’t know how to express what she was feeling. She
was a teacher, but she couldn’t even begin to find the words. They ushered her
into a dressing room where she put on one of her new outfits, stuffing her old
clothes into the sack the new ones had come out of. When she stepped out of the
dressing room she found half the workers in the spa waiting for her. There were
indrawn breaths and sighs followed by applause. Claire felt herself blush and
struggled to hold back the tears that leapt into her eyes. She didn’t dare mess
up everything they’d worked so hard to accomplish.
She spent several minutes thanking everyone for all they’d
done, then she finally gathered all her belongings and
headed for the exit. She paused in the reception area though, suddenly afraid
to leave. What was going to happen when everyone saw what she’d done? She had a
horrible flash of them laughing at her. It almost made her drop the bags she carried.
Then she jumped when she felt a hand touch her arm. She turned around to meet
the gaze of the receptionist who’d signed her in. There was understanding in
her eyes as she smiled up at Claire.
“You’ve got the look. All you need is the attitude. Just
hold your head high and walk like nothing in the world can touch you.”
Claire almost started crying again. She blinked several
times, then smiled as she thanked the woman. A moment
later she squared her shoulders and walked out the door. Whatever happened
next, she would take it in stride. She was never going to let anyone make her
feel inferior again, including herself.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Colin was starting to really worry about Claire. He’d been
watching for her all day, but he hadn’t caught so much as a glimpse of her.
Granted, it was a big ship and accidentally bumping into someone wasn’t
something had really happened with any frequency. But he’d been looking for
Claire. Not to talk to her, or to even let her know he was looking, just to
make sure she was okay. Trouble was , she was nowhere
to be found. Which meant she was probably still locked in her
room. Now it was dinnertime and she still hadn’t shown up. It wasn’t
like her to be late. She always got to the table first. Was she going to spend
the rest of the cruise hiding in her room?
He cursed himself as he accepted that she might do exactly
that. He’d wanted to make sure she decided he wasn’t the man she wanted, but
maybe he’d gone too far. He knew she was insecure, that’s why he’d tried to get
rid of her by being offensive. But what if she’d only felt it as a rejection?
What if she couldn’t get past that fact? He glanced around the table as Garret
drew a laugh from everyone. Not one of the others who’d shared the table with
Claire for eleven nights even seemed to notice that she was missing. It ticked
him off to know they could all ignore her so easily. She deserved better.
Claire was shaking as she walked down the hall toward the
dining room. She’d sat in her room for an hour, watching the minutes tick by as
she tried to convince herself that she’d be just fine going to dinner. They’d
all be shocked. They’d certainly say something, but there was no reason at all
to think they’d laugh at her. Most likely they’d be
led back to Tom and he started working on her final style. The cut was
finished, but he was giving her something special for tonight, he said. He
curled and teased and sprayed for so long that she wondered if he would ever
finish. Then he stepped back and gave her a warm smile.
“Stunning, if I do say so myself.”
He spun her around, and she was forced to agree, even
though it sounded insane for her to admit such a thing. He’d pulled her hair up
and piled it on top of her head. She had no idea how he’d made it all stay
there, but it was a mass of curls that moved when she did without collapsing.
Wispy tendrils trailed around her face, artfully placed to be perfect without
appearing planned. Claire didn’t know how to express what she was feeling. She
was a teacher, but she couldn’t even begin to find the words. They ushered her
into a dressing room where she put on one of her new outfits, stuffing her old
clothes into the sack the new ones had come out of. When she stepped out of the
dressing room she found half the workers in the spa waiting for her. There were
indrawn breaths and sighs followed by applause. Claire felt herself blush and
struggled to hold back the tears that leapt into her eyes. She didn’t dare mess
up everything they’d worked so hard to accomplish.
She spent several minutes thanking everyone for all they’d
done, then she finally gathered all her belongings and
headed for the exit. She paused in the reception area though, suddenly afraid
to leave. What was going to happen when everyone saw what she’d done? She had a
horrible flash of them laughing at her. It almost made her drop the bags she carried.
Then she jumped when she felt a hand touch her arm. She turned around to meet
the gaze of the receptionist who’d signed her in. There was understanding in
her eyes as she smiled up at Claire.
“You’ve got the look. All you need is the attitude. Just
hold your head high and walk like nothing in the world can touch you.”
Claire almost started crying again. She blinked several
times, then smiled as she thanked the woman. A moment
later she squared her shoulders and walked out the door. Whatever happened
next, she would take it in stride. She was never going to let anyone make her
feel inferior again, including herself.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Colin was starting to really worry about Claire. He’d been
watching for her all day, but he hadn’t caught so much as a glimpse of her.
Granted, it was a big ship and accidentally bumping into someone wasn’t
something had really happened with any frequency. But he’d been looking for
Claire. Not to talk to her, or to even let her know he was looking, just to
make sure she was okay. Trouble was , she was nowhere
to be found. Which meant she was probably still locked in her
room. Now it was dinnertime and she still hadn’t shown up. It wasn’t
like her to be late. She always got to the table first. Was she going to spend
the rest of the cruise hiding in her room?
He cursed himself as he accepted that she might do exactly
that. He’d wanted to make sure she decided he wasn’t the man she wanted, but
maybe he’d gone too far. He knew she was insecure, that’s why he’d tried to get
rid of her by being offensive. But what if she’d only felt it as a rejection?
What if she couldn’t get past that fact? He glanced around the table as Garret
drew a laugh from everyone. Not one of the others who’d shared the table with
Claire for eleven nights even seemed to notice that she was missing. It ticked
him off to know they could all ignore her so easily. She deserved better.
Claire was shaking as she walked down the hall toward the
dining room. She’d sat in her room for an hour, watching the minutes tick by as
she tried to convince herself that she’d be just fine going to dinner. They’d
all be shocked. They’d certainly say something, but there was no reason at all
to think they’d laugh at her. Most likely they’d be
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