“I don’t need sushi if you tell me that the reason you’re still obsessing over last month’s numbers is because of the gorgeous Derek Killion,” Natalie said.
“Maybe a little,” Alice said. “But I have a new theory that I want to explore.”
“So you’re still working with him?”
“And his partner. I even went on an investigative mission to the hotel. I think I would make an excellent spy.”
Natalie laughed. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. And I changed my mind about the sushi. I’d like a dragon roll and some edamame, please.”
When Alice arrived at the Mane Attraction, Natalie was leaning against the reception desk, looking almost like a teenager in her day-off attire of slim jeans, pink T-shirt, ballet flats, and minimal makeup. She gestured to a bulging envelope lying beside her hip. “Here are the receipts but you don’t get to grab them and run. Sit down and eat lunch with me,” the salon owner said. “I want to hear about your espionage.”
They settled in the staff break room, a tiny space crammed with a round white Formica table and four pink plastic chairs. It was odd not to hear the buzz of hair dryers and hum of voices sharing salon gossip.
Alice described her foray into undercover work and sighed. “But Derek is ticked about it. He’s afraid someone from BalanceTrakR will get upset and do something nasty, like destroying my business reputation. I personally believe they’ll be glad to know they have a bug, so they can fix it.”
Natalie shook her head. “You are such a cockeyed optimist sometimes. They’re just as likely to want to cover it up so they don’t have a lot of unhappy customers demanding their money back.” She smiled. “I like that Derek is worried about you. That shows he cares.”
“In a professional way.”
Natalie pointed one of her chopsticks at Alice. “Stop it!”
“Stop what? Being honest?” Luckily, Natalie didn’t know how often Derek starred in Alice’s dreams. It was funny how having her dream hero be a real, live human being made her fantasies so much more vivid. Just thinking about Derek dressed in gleaming riding boots made her pulse pick up.
“You shut men down before they can even think about starting something with you,” Natalie fumed. “You don’t give them or yourself a chance.”
Alice pointed her chopstick right back at Natalie. “People like Derek Killion don’t date people like me. He’s rich, successful, and gorgeous. I’m sure equally rich, successful, gorgeous women are falling over themselves to get his attention.”
“Actually, according to my internet research, he’s a workaholic who has very little social life outside of business. So maybe you’ve found the best way to his heart. Through accounting.” Natalie’s smile was teasing, but her smile faded as she said, “Besides, you can’t judge every beautiful human being by your mother. Just because she’s a self-centered bi—broad doesn’t mean Derek is the same way.”
“You can call her a bitch,” Alice said. “I’ve thought worse about her at times.”
Natalie had heard Gabrielle’s putdown of her daughter a couple of weeks before. The hairdresser had been blowing Alice’s hair dry when her mother stopped behind the chair to watch, saying, “Your hair has such a beautiful texture, sweetheart, but the color is kind of dull. You should let Natalie put some blonde streaks in it, like mine.”
Alice always hoped she had gotten beyond being hurt by her mother’s pinpricks but they still drew blood. Natalie thought Gabrielle did it deliberately but Alice knew the truth was worse. Her mother was trying to help her unbeautiful daughter make the best of what she had.
“Back to Derek Killion,” Natalie said. “When are you going to see him again?”
“Maybe never.” That depressed Alice more than she wanted to admit. “There’s really no reason to. We can do everything via email and the phone.”
“Find a reason to. Go visit him at his office.”
“Why are you so determined to throw me together with Derek? You’ve never even met the man.”
“Because I see the look on your face when his name comes up.”
Alice glanced toward the small mirror hanging on the wall. “I have a look?”
“Your eyes get this sort of unfocused inwardness and the corners of your mouth curl up in a soft little smile. Oh, and you touch your hair. That’s a sure sign that you’re attracted to him.”
“All I’ve been touching is the sushi with my chopsticks,” Alice said, hoping she didn’t look as gooey on the outside as she felt on the inside when Derek’s name came up.
“Not the first time I mentioned him.”
Alice made a mental note to be more aware of what she did with her hands. “For all we know, he’s married or at least engaged. He’s too big a catch not to be.” Wow, she sounded like the matchmaking mamas in her Georgette Heyer novels.
“Nope, he’s not. I checked online.” Natalie was a super sleuth when it came to tracking celebrities’ marital status. She said it was all in the service of beauty-salon gossip. Of course, Derek didn’t qualify as famous but Alice’s friend clearly had her trusted internet sources. Natalie hesitated before she added, “He was engaged once but they split up over a year ago.”
“I knew it! No one that good-looking and that successful could stay single forever.” Alice’s triumph was pushed aside by her curiosity, even though she knew it would be torture to find out what beautiful woman Derek had fallen in love with. “Who was she? Why did the engagement end?”
Natalie swiped a few times on her phone, handing it to Alice. “She’s a lawyer at a big Manhattan firm.”
“So she’s really smart,” Alice said, examining the photo that accompanied the announcement of Derek and Courtney Miller’s engagement. His ex-fiancée was stylish and elegant but not knockout gorgeous, which surprised Alice. It also made her like Derek better. Despite his stunning looks, he didn’t require the same from the woman he intended to marry.
“You’re extremely smart too,” Natalie said with a reprimand in her tone.
Alice skimmed Courtney’s bio while her tiny bit of hope shriveled. “But I didn’t go to Yale undergrad and Harvard Law. I’m not headed for partner at a prestigious New York City law firm.” Nor did she wear designer suits and high-heeled pumps like the tall, slim woman in the photo.
“Notice that he’s not engaged to her anymore,” Natalie pointed out.
“Did your research uncover the reason?”
“Only that they had mutually agreed to call off the wedding.”
“No speculation as to why? You’re usually good at finding the dirt.” She wanted to know if Derek was still nursing a broken heart.
Natalie smiled. “Neither one of them is famous—or infamous—enough to stir up that kind of gossip. The only negative I could find was that comment about Derek being a workaholic. Since you’re the same way, that makes you compatible.”
“Except Courtney was on partner track so she must have been pretty dedicated to her job too.” And a woman with all those accomplishments couldn’t hold on to Derek.