Chapter 31 Going Fast
Normally, when Andrea needed a gown for an event, Kelsey would schedule it weeks in advance. Dozens of designers constantly offered their wares, hoping Andrea would be seen in their work and others would take note. Up and coming gown designers were constantly contacting Kelsey, and the assistant would weed out the ones that wouldn’t do or didn’t match Andrea’s style. Thus, Andrea never worried about looking good in public. She always knew far in advance that everything was taken care of.
That wouldn’t be the case for New Year’s Eve, though. After a rough night of sleeping in a bed in a house where she knew she wasn’t wanted, Andrea prepared to go out with Case and find a suitable gown for the mayor of Seattle’s annual New Year’s Eve ball. She hadn’t rushed to pick out something so important since she’d found out one of her friends had an extra ticket to a Taylor Swift concert five years ago.
As she finished fixing her hair, Andrea couldn’t help but think about the conversation she’d had with Case the night before. Part of her wanted to say her concerns that he was also trying to embarrass her, that this was an elaborate scheme thought up by Sarah, were ridiculous and she needed to let it go. But Andrea wasn’t used to being able to trust others, especially men, and the more she thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense.
Sarah might not have known her plane would get snowed in in Chicago, but she might’ve told Case if he ever had a chance to make a move on Andrea to take it.
She checked her lipstick one more time. Deciding she looked good in her purple sweater and black slacks, she took a deep breath and headed out of her room, praying that she wouldn’t have to see Mrs. Meyer again.
That wish was shattered before she even reached the bottom of the stairs. Voices echoed from the foyer. Mrs. Meyer and Shayna were having a discussion, and it sounded as if it were growing more heated by the moment.
“Mom, you can’t possibly think that was her fault. She wasn’t even around Sarah when it happened.”
“You don’t know that. Besides, stress has a way of lingering. If Andrea wasn’t always so ugly to Sarah, perhaps she wouldn’t have been so anxious and out of sorts all the time. All I’m saying is that things could be very different right now if it weren’t for her. I don’t think for a second she met Case by chance. I bet she’d been conniving to get her claws into him ever since he and Sarah started dating.”
“Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?” Shayna shrieked. “She’s our guest. You have got to behave!”
Unable to stall any longer, and not wanting to hear another word anyway, Andrea finished her descent, making her shoes extra loud on the marble tile.
The voices quieted as she came around the corner until Shayna saw her. “Oh, hi Andrea. You look so beautiful. Purple is a nice color on you.”
“Thank you, Shayna. Your hair looks pretty like that. The curls are just gorgeous.”
Shayna put a hand beneath a bouncy girl by her face and moved it up and down batting her eyelashes. “That’s so nice of you to say. Case is in the kitchen.”
“Thank you.” Andrea’s smile was a tight line. Timidly, she looked at Case’s mom, who was scowling at her. “Good morning, Mrs. Meyer.”
She pursed her lips and grumbled. Shayna nudged her with an elbow. “Good morning, Andrea.” It was clear Rhonda was not an actress.
Andrea headed into the kitchen to find Case making a stack of pancakes several inches high. “What are you doing?” she asked, stopping next to the island.
“Oh, hi.” He turned around and smiled, placing another hotcake on top of the pile and then wiping his free hand on the apron he was wearing. “I thought you might be hungry. Mom gives the cook, Tory, Wednesdays off, so I decided to make you pancakes. You do like them, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course. Thank you.” Andrea didn’t know what to think. Yet again, Case was doing something sweet and unexpected. Would he go to this much trouble if it was all an act? “Can I help?”
“Nope. Just have a seat. I’m almost done.”
A few moments later, he brought over the heaping stack of pancakes, as well as juice, fresh fruit, butter and maple syrup. Andrea didn’t know what to say, other than thank you. She dug in and discovered Case was also a good cook. What couldn’t the man do? She reminded herself that someone who seemed so perfect was probably not all that he seemed.
When they were finished eating, he asked, “Are you ready to go find a dress?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
He led her over to the garage. There were several cars kept there, but it was obvious the second they stepped into the space which one Case would choose. A jet black Ferrari shone in the dim light of the wide space.
“This is gorgeous.” Andrea ran her hand over the finish.
“Thanks. It’s one of the first cars I bought myself after I started winning races. I hope you like to go fast, Andrea.” He raised an eyebrow at her, and closed the space between them.
Her breath caught in her throat as she lost herself in his emerald eyes, that intoxicating scent overcoming her. Something told Andrea he wasn’t just talking about the car. She was in big trouble. Yep—big trouble.00
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