Lena Matthews
as she spoke in a soft girlie voice. “It’s not as if Drew is asking Cyn to cover for her so she can go to the mall. This audition could be important for her career.”
“What career?” Cyn asked. An extra in a straight to video horror film did not constitute a profession.
“Everyone has to start off somewhere, Cynthia. Besides, my girls weren’t as lucky as you are to have such a kind and generous father.”
Here we go again. “Be that as it may, I have plans today, so I can’t work.”
“What type of plans?” Franny eyes narrowed with annoyance as she crossed her hands over her breasts, as if she was put off by the whole discussion.
“I have a date.”
“A lunch date?” Franny questioned with a faint of hint of disapproval.
“No.” Not that it mattered. “A dinner date.”
“Then I don’t see why you can’t open up just this once.”
“Just this once?” Had her words fallen on deaf ears? “Did you miss the part where I said I worked the last two weekends for her?”
“Family pitches in at times like these.”
Family my ass. “Fine then. Let Staci work today.”
“Me?” Staci squeaked. “Why do I have to work? It’s not my day.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, sister.” Cyn smirked.
“I have one question.” Walt chimed in. Cyn could already hear father’s next words.
She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the disappointment of his capitulation.
“Who’s this young fella you’re going out with?”
Okay, she hadn’t been expecting that. “No one you know.”
“Well, I hope not, seeing as how every man I know is either gay or not good enough for you.” Walt stepped away from Franny and walked over to Cyn with a large grin on his handsome face. “Are you going to bring him by the house so I can meet him?”
“No, Dad, this isn’t the gun over the fireplace type of date.”
“Aww…come on. I haven’t dusted my rifle off in years.”
40
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Head over Heels
“Dad.” Cyn buried her face in his shirt, breathing in the familiar scent of his Old Spice cologne. “I haven’t known him long enough for you to scare him off yet.”
“You never let me have any fun,” he teased.
“That’s because—”
“Walt, honey,” Franny called out, interrupting as she always did when they were talking. “What about the store? Who’s going to open it?”
“I will.” Walt offered, much to everyone’s surprise. These days her father was more of a behind-the-scenes kind of man, leaving the day to day running of the store in Cyn’s capable hands.
She knew one of the main reasons he’d wanted her to hire the girls was because he was trying to help relieve some of the stress on her shoulders, unknowingly giving her more than she had in the beginning. And Cyn, forever the peacemaker, worked hard to make sure he didn’t have to know.
“You?” Fran stiffened, the fake smile she wore like fur, frozen on her face.
“Yes, it is my store after all.”
“But we had plans,” Franny whined in almost the same pitch as Drew. Like mother like daughter.
“Plans change. As you said, dear heart, family pitches in at times like these. But, Drew, I expect you at the shop no later than three, plus you’ll take one of Cyn’s closing shifts this week to make up for the weekends she covered for you.”
“But…” Walt raised a brow and he stared at Drew until she caved. “Yes, sir.”
“Wonderful.” Walt’s face relaxed. He was a pushover the majority of the time, but he never failed to step up to the plate when necessary. “Now, Cyn, I want all the details of this young man.”
With his hand around Cyn’s shoulder he led her from the room, but not before she saw Franny shoot her a hostile glare as if it were Cyn’s fault her father was working today. With a heavy sigh, Cyn shook her head. She knew without a doubt this wouldn’t be the last time she was going to hear about this.
www.samhainpublishing.com 41
Lena Matthews
This was ridiculous. Parker released a heavy sigh and for what seemed to be the millionth time, walked to the door of the restaurant and peered into the dimly lit street. It was five minutes past the hour. Where was she? Better question, what the hell was wrong with him? Anyone would think from the way he was acting he’d never been on a date before.
For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why he was so anxious. On the same note though, what drew him to Cyn was just as baffling. She wasn’t the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, he lived in Hollywood for Pete’s sake. But there was just something about her he couldn’t get out of his mind.
There were no two ways about it, she was haunting him. Even though they lived over three hundred miles apart, Parker found himself damn near breaking his neck doing a double take when a woman who even slightly resembled her walked by.
He needed a drink. He needed a smoke. Hell, he needed to get laid. He needed her under him, writhing beneath him, meeting him stroke for stroke. Her heated flesh, her breathy cries, just her.
“Christ.” Frustrated, he turned his back on the door and ran his fingers through his hair. He needed to get a hold of himself before he attacked her the second she entered the restaurant.
It was just a date. A simple little da—
“Hello, stranger.”
And just like that, his tension eased. His mouth curved in an unconscious smile as he turned around. “Hello.”
She’d been worth the wait. In a word, she was beautiful. No wonder he’d been obsessing all week long. His gaze raked boldly over her as he took in her enticing appearance. She was wearing a simple yet elegant black knee length dress, that showcased her
