Though she had no idea who the sisters were talking about, Madison joined Hannah in assuring them that Corinna was definitely irresistible. Having an overprotective sister of her own, Madison recognized the fierce loyalty in BiBi’s expression. Whoever the object of Corinna’s desire happened to be, he’d better be wary of hurting BiBi’s little sister.
The way Corinna sighed suggested it was already too late for that. “Yeah, right. He made it clear enough that he’s not interested in me as anything other than a longtime family friend. I know I’m just wasting my time hoping he’ll change his mind, but still…”
“He’s a jerk,” Hannah suggested.
Corinna shook her head with a slightly sad smile. “That’s the problem. He’s totally not a jerk. He’s so kind and compassionate and thoughtful. I could tell it hurt him almost as much as it hurt me when I finally got up the nerve to ask him out and he had to tell me he wasn’t interested in me that way. I thought maybe he would see me differently after I came back to Dallas from those five years in Austin, but I guess he still just thinks of me as BiBi’s little sister. There’s never going to be anything between us.”
“Don’t give up,” BiBi said. “He’s not seeing anyone else right now, as far as I know—and trust me, I’ve asked around. Maybe he’s still stinging a little from the breakup with Samantha, but that was months ago. And he’s been really busy with work lately. Maybe seeing you around this weekend, looking so gorgeous and grown-up, will make him realize what he’s been missing out on.”
Losing interest in the conversation, Madison leaned toward the mirror to touch up her lip gloss. She had to admit she was a little tired. She felt as though she’d been running full speed ever since she’d landed at the Dallas airport a few hours earlier, and that after a very difficult month crammed full of work and fellowship interviews. As a medical resident, she was used to long, busy days, but she could feel her energy flagging. An evening of lying in bed watching TV actually sounded more tempting than a sure-to-be-rowdy costume party.
That thought took her aback—TV in bed rather than a lively costume party? She was only twenty-eight, for crying out loud.
What had happened to her? Of the three overachieving Baker siblings, she was the most relaxed, the most determined to have a life outside of work, the one who’d always enjoyed fashion and parties and music and fun. Yet as hard as she’d worked lately, she could barely remember the last time she’d just cut loose and had a blast.
Tossing her hair, she glanced toward the door of BiBi’s suite, where they had gathered to change into their costumes. BiBi’s other three bridesmaids all lived in the area and planned to meet them at the party, but BiBi had thought it would be fun for those staying in the hotel to primp together. And no one was arguing with BiBi this weekend, Madison thought with a stifled smile. The bride was in full diva mode, and no one had the heart—or the courage—to thwart her wishes.
Somewhat high-strung at the best of times, BiBi was a bundle of nerves and determination as the wedding she’d been planning for more than a year drew closer. Madison had already heard of a few tense moments between the bride and her wedding planner, the caterer, a couple of hotel employees and even BiBi’s long-suffering parents. As fond as Madison was of her friend, she was well aware that it would be a good idea to walk on eggshells that weekend, just to keep everything calm and comfortable.
“Well?” she asked, tucking her lip gloss into a hidden zippered pocket on her wide purple-waist sash, along with the key card to her room. “Ready to go show off how good we look?”
Corinna giggled and whirled away from the mirror, her chin lifted in determination. “Definitely.”
BiBi led the charge out of the suite, leaving Madison to close the door behind them.
The minute the friends stepped into
the noisy, unconventionally decorated hotel ballroom, they were swept into a welcoming crowd of costumed revelers. BiBi hadn’t exaggerated about how many guests would be in attendance tonight. The room was packed, leaving only a smallish opening for a dance floor at one end near the DJ’s setup. BiBi and her bridesmaids were only a few minutes late arriving, but the festivities were already well under way. The music was loud, the booze free-flowing, the food plentiful and everyone seemed in the mood to have a great time. BiBi and Corinna were immediately absorbed into the crowd of their friends.
Someone pressed a mixed drink into Madison’s hand and she sipped it while surveying the creative mix of costumes in the room—at least, the ones she could see clearly. Some genius had decided that very dim lighting equaled Halloween atmosphere. Colored lights flickered around the dance area, which was still almost empty this early in the evening. The booming music required close proximity for individual conversations, blending into a cacophony of chatter and laughter.
Science fiction seemed to be the predominant theme of the evening. Na’vi, Vulcans, Jedi and assorted other recognizable sci-fi icons mingled among the more generic witches, vampires and pirates in the shadowy room. A very pregnant warrior princess waddled past, nodding to her with a smile. Hannah saw a group of friends and rushed off to speak to them, leaving Madison to fend for herself. Eyeing a nearby Borg flirting with a very busty Klingon woman, Madison chuckled as she lowered her glass after taking another swallow of the deceptively innocent-tasting brew.
“My parents would be right at home here,” she remarked to no one in particular.
“Seriously? Your parents would like this party?”
Surprised that anyone had even heard her amid the commotion, she turned in response to the male voice. A tall, lean man in a leather jacket, boots, khaki shirt and pants stood just behind her. A coiled whip dangled from his leather belt. His face was shadowed by a battered fedora, but she certainly recognized the costume. “Indiana Jones, I presume?”
Reaching up to nudge his hat with his thumb, he drawled, “At your service, ma’am.”
Oh, my. Turned out there was a very nice face hidden beneath the brim of that dashing fedora. Dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin, white teeth, just a hint of a dint in a strong, square jaw. Yum.
Remembering that he had asked her a question, she silently cleared her throat before explaining, “My parents met at a sci-fi convention in the ’70s. My late father was an avid Trekkie, and mom still likes science fiction.”
He chuckled, and she took another quick sip of her drink. He was even more attractive when he smiled. She couldn’t help noticing that the right side of his mouth tilted into a hint of a dimple just at the corner of his lips.
“And what about your costume?” He lowered his dark gaze from her face to study her revealing outfit. “Are you portraying a particular character?”
She felt a funny little quiver follow the path of his survey all the way down to her exposed leg. Taking another sip of her drink, she shook her head. “Just a generic gypsy fortune-teller.”
“You’re much too stunning to be described as generic,” he commented, his deep tone intensifying her quiver to a full-blown tingle.
“Thank you. You look quite dashing, yourself.” She took another long swallow of the drink, looking up at him through her heavily darkened lashes.
“That drink looks good.”
She lowered the now-empty glass. “It was. Very good.”