The Little Shop of Afternoon Delights: 6 Book Romance Collection. Zara Stoneley
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come when she’d be wearing her herself. She held her breath. Both the dresses were gorgeous, but she really hoped Edwina would agree with her on this one.
“I wish I was in your shoes, Maggie. Which one do you prefer?”
“They’re both lovely. But if it’s up to me to choose, I’d pick the Amandine Kendal.”
“Bravo.” Edwina clapped her hands together. Her bangles jangled. “Good choice. My work here is done.”
Maggie hugged her. “You’re a twenty-first-century fairy godmother. I feel like Cinderella.”
Edwina swept a jingle-jangle arm through the air grandly. “You shall go to the ball, my dear. There’s just a little matter of a makeover to do before I send for a pumpkin and turn it into a carriage. By the time Alex gets back to the suite we’ll have transformed you into a paparazzo’s dream.”
Hours later Maggie’s usual trendy nail color had been replaced by a classic red. According to Edwina, it complemented her gorgeous designer gown magnificently. Her make-up was fabulous too. She’d insisted on keeping the lipstick as understated as a red could be. But since the words “red” and “understated” didn’t really work well together, she’d drawn a deep breath and was going with the girly theme and praying that she didn’t look like a man-eater. She couldn’t believe what they’d done with her hair. She felt like a completely different person. The hair stylist had scattered a few sun-bleached highlights through her mop to terrific effect. Then she’d piled it up on her head, all soft and wispy, as if one breath of a breeze would send it tumbling, only it was so skillfully done and secure that nothing would shift it.
Finally it was time for the dress. She adored it. From the intricately detailed embroidered lace of the sculpted bodice to the contrasting floaty silk skirt, it was the dress of Maggie’s dreams. Only normally, she’d never have dreamed of actually wearing it – for real, outside of her imagination. It was enough to know that she could make that happen for other people.
Edwina had thought of everything. She’d located wispily brief red-lace undies and brought a size up and a size down in everything to be sure of getting the perfect fit. Maggie stepped into the dress. It was magical going from stylist to styled. Edwina zipped the impossible-to-reach zip and presented her with an outrageous pair of skyscrapers to finish off the look.
“I can’t wear those.”
“You’ve no choice on this one, honey. There’s about a foot and a half too much dress as it is. Without those heels you’ll be trailing too much fabric.”
Maggie slid her feet into the shoes, feeling like Cinderella again. When she walked into the grand living room and saw Alex waiting for her, her heart missed a beat. Way more Prince Charming than penguin, she had to admit that he carried off a tux to perfection.
“Will I do?” she asked. “Safe to say, I’d never have styled myself this way in a million years.”
He looked at her with a lazy smile, as if Edwina and her girls weren’t there. “Wow.” He rumbled the word out on a long breath, adding with a cough, as if he’d suddenly realized they had company, “You scrub up well.” There was no disguising the flicker of get-a-room heat in his gaze.
We’ve got a room.
Maggie stood on the red carpet under the lighted canopy of the New York movie theater and breathed in. Flashes exploded all around. She felt for all the world like a princess. It was practically an out-of-body experience.
In her incredible skyscraper heels her head reached above Alex’s shoulder for once. Even so, when they paused to pose for the cameras, several inches of scarlet silk made a puddle at her feet.
Alex looked as unreal as she felt. At home on the red carpet, he sizzled – every inch a star. Presenters and journalists vied for the celebrities’ attention. Maggie fired off smiles in all directions, as if she’d been born to it. Inside, her heart was beating like crazy. The phrase “deer in the headlights” sprang to mind. It didn’t come close to covering how she felt behind the paparazzi-ready smile. What she lacked in savoir faire, Alex made up for. He had enough confidence for them both.
“Alex Wells, over here!”
Alex, Alex, Alex. His name rang in her ears. Devoted fans and vaguely interested passersby leaned across the barriers holding up phones, capturing him for their social media pages.
“Alex, Kerry Sheldon – Manhattan Tonight Show – can I have a word?”
Alex took Maggie’s hand and stopped in front of a television camera. His fingers touching hers sent waves of heat pulsing through her. She smiled affably as Alex chatted away, charming the pants off the presenter. Maggie’s fixed smile had started to make her feel like a Barbie doll, when all of a sudden the focus turned to her.
The presenter shoved a microphone in her face and shot a question at her. “Magenta Plumtree – who are you wearing tonight?”
“Me? Ohhh …” She glanced around in a daze. Oh my. “This is Amandine Kendal.” She struggled to hide the tremble in her voice.
“And tell me, Magenta, did you style yourself for this evening’s premiere?” A supercilious note in the presenter’s voice made her suspicious. “Red on the red carpet. That’s a brave look to pull off for a lady who’s never walked the red carpet before!” Maggie gulped. Was she being got at by this pushy woman? She’d smarmed the words out making her insult sound as if it had been intended as a compliment. Normally so far behind the scenes, Maggie had never had to deal with any of this mad palaver before. She hesitated, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.
That instant she felt Alex’s strong arm slide protectively around her waist. Feeling him close, helping keep her nerves steady, she floated on air. “I styled Magenta tonight,” he cut in, rescuing her just in time. “She’s here as my guest.” He glared directly into the camera with the full potency of his blue irises. “She looks fabulous.” He turned and moved away, his arm tightly banded around Maggie. “If you’ll excuse us, please, we’ve got a movie to see.”
As he swept her away from the cameras into the lobby, Maggie caught a glimpse of the presenter’s face. Stunned, she was now the one doing the goldfish impression. Alex dipped his head, his mouth so whisperingly close to her ear that she sensed the heat of his breath on her neck. “You look amazing.”
Inside, the place was a huge movie palace with chandeliers, gold trimmings, red walls, and plush red carpets. Who knew she’d blend so easily in red?
A waiter approached with a tray of champagne. Alex took two flutes and went to hand one to Maggie. She shook her head, shrugging apologetically.
“Oh, yeah. I almost forgot.” He put both glasses back and lifted two sparkling-water-filled flutes from another passing tray.”
“Good old fizzy water.”
“Cheers.” He clinked Maggie’s glass with his and smiled at her in a way that made her already wobbly stomach slosh like a washing machine on the delicates cycle. “Listen. We don’t have to stay, you know. We can do the rounds and slip off before the movie starts.”
“We can’t do that.”
“Yes we can. The stars will be doing it. They’ll do a little spiel at the beginning and by the time it’s over they’ll be happily downing cocktails in some hip bar, or halfway to LA, or London, or wherever they’re doing their next promo. Believe me, they don’t always stay to watch the movie.”
A weird, flat feeling befuddled Maggie. “Do you mean to say that I’ve spent virtually the entire day getting dolled up like a dog’s dinner just to step onto the red carpet and leave? I don’t even get to see the film?” Alex gave her a very sexy