If The Shoe Fits by Laurie LeClair

Small, soft, yet firm and strong. His wife
was a mixture of contradictions. And he loved that about her.
    Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “Kiss?”
    Before he knew what was happening, she
brushed her lips against his. She giggled as she raced up the
stairs with Dolly behind her. Charlie called out, “But you’ve still
got to court me. Six weeks should do.”

Chapter 14
     
     
    With neat piles of paper stacked carefully on
her desk, Charlie snatched up the ringing phone. “Did you get
him?”
    Her assistant’s chirpy voice sang back, “I’m
the girl wonder, whatcha think? He’s on line one.”
    “Thanks, Peg, ol’ great one.” She smiled as
she punched the one on her phone. “Rico, I can’t thank you enough
for returning my call.”
    “Sweetie, anything for you.”
    “I’m glad you feel that way, because I have
an offer for you.”
    “Ohhhhhh! Who is he and what does he look
like?”
    “Quit! It’s not a date.” She heard him mutter
in her ear. “Sorry, friend, I’m no matchmaker. But I can get you
one of the hottest jobs in town.”
    “Really?” His voice piqued with interest. “Do
tell.”
    “With me.”
    “You? Oh, honey, are you finally kicking that
place to the curb and starting your own design biz?”
    She laughed then. “Not quite. I am taking
over, though.”
    “No way!”
    “Way!”
    “Details, details!”
    Well, she couldn’t tell all, but she did fill
him in about her new position. She ended with, “And there are going
to be lots of changes over the next few weeks. Remember when we
talked about you and your team taking over the salon here at King’s
for a week, performing makeovers on our customers?”
    “That was ages ago and the barracuda turned
us down flat.”
    “She doesn’t have a say-so now. I do.”
    He whistled softly. “Oh, I love make overs.
Publicity? Before and after shots? Clothes, makeup, hair, undies,
everything?”
    “The works.”
    “Count me in, honey.”
    After hanging up on the third similar call,
Charlie eased back in her chair. “Yes, yes, yes!” Things were
working out just fine.
    She’d arranged for one of her friends at an
advertising firm to assist in the marketing. And, to top it all
off, she’d gotten the best-known print ad photographer to not only
take the before and after pictures for the makeovers, but to snap
shots for a special advertising campaign she dubbed Operation
Charmings. Starring her, of all people.
    She mulled over her predicaments. Two, she
knew of. First, Dexter. Would he be so willing to help her? She’d
hurt him. Not on purpose, but nonetheless she had. She sighed
heavily. Not once had she led him on. His brilliance and ideas had
sparked a kinship.
    But romance? No. Well, not on her part.
Obviously, it had on his.
    Brushing that dilemma aside for now, she
focused on the next one. Alex. His actions stunned her. Making a
deal with the barracuda. Buying the store to marry her. Now he
wanted to destroy the one thing that she’d dreamt of for so long.
How could he?
    She quickly reminded herself it wasn’t her
personally he wanted to harm. No, if she believed him, he’d gone to
great measures just to get her stepmother’s approval to marry her.
At first it seemed difficult to grasp.
    But he’d pled his case and made it plausible.
He’d have never done it for her stepsisters. No, he’d have walked
away and not had a second thought or a lingering doubt.
    But for her, he’d bargained.
    “With a master, at that,” she muttered,
thinking of how shrewd and calculating her stepmother could be most
of the time.
    “Why me?” she wondered aloud.
    “Why not, honey?” Dolly asked as she stood
with her hands on her hips and filling the doorframe.
    Surprised, Charlie sat upright. “Dolly? When
did you get here?”
    “Just in time, by the looks of it.” The older
woman waved a hand at her. “Come on, the unveiling is about to take
place.”
    She glanced at the clock on her phone, and
then jumped up. “Already?”
    Not quite