“Are you going to announce the fact? No? So it’ll be okay. Although if you do, Nate probably won’t mind.” Josephine winks.
Jun snaps her fingers, and her people start selecting shoes. “Now, let’s see. Heels. Definitely stilettos. Open toe. Straps. Sexy.” She taps her lips. “Silver or gold?”
Clearly in her element, she seems to be perfectly okay making the decision sans any input from me. I look down and see my old flip-flops. Okay, so maybe she thinks my input would be a waste of time. She’s probably worried I’ll pick a pair of industrial carpet shoes.
“Gold is glitzier, but silver has more class,” Josephine murmurs in my ear.
In that case… “Silver.” Glitzier is probably a code word for showier.
Josephine nods with a smile. “Excellent choice. Now. We need to do your mani pedi. And the hair. And makeup.”
“Facial,” Jun says.
I recall Josephine’s compliment about my skin looking good. “I don’t think that’s necessary. I mean, I do exfoliate.”
Jun looks at me like she would a confused child. “Yes, but that’s not the same as a facial. We can probably do the facial and wax at the same time.”
“I shaved this morning,” I point out quickly in case she’s thinking I forgot to shave my armpits.
Jun raises an eyebrow. “You used a razor down there?” She gestures toward my crotch.
What? My cheeks flame. “I mean, my legs and armpits.”
“Well then. A Brazilian, obviously.”
Every nerve cell between my legs shrivels with horror. “Why?” Is the dress see-through in the crotch area? Maybe I should’ve asked before I said yes. And if it is see-through, I’m putting on a pair of granny panties!
Josephine peers at me. “You’re going to win Nate Sterling, aren’t you?”
“Yeah…” Otherwise I wouldn’t be having this ridiculous conversation with two people who have a great sense of fashion but no common sense. “What does that have to with waxing? And why am I discussing waxing with a stranger whose last name I don’t even know?”
“Watanabe,” Jun says with a friendly smile. “And I know yours—Parker. Do you feel more comfortable now?”
Hardly. I think I’m going to cry laughing. And I need a drink. Oh, that’s right, Jun’s people brought one out for me. I reach for a flute and down it fast.
Josephine takes control. “What do you think is going to happen when you win him?”
What is this? A trick question? “Nothing? He’s going to thank me? I’m going to go to work on Monday, make him his shake and take care of his agenda for the day?” I shrug to hide my discomfort and an intense desire to flee. Now I wish I’d driven my own car here. And kept Nate’s AmEx in my purse instead of handing it over to Josephine.
Josephine and Jun start giggling.
“You’re going to go on a date with him,” Josephine says. “Don’t you want to be prepared? You have to baby your lady bits right after you get waxed, especially if it’s your first time.” Her expression says she knows I’ve never done it before. “So better now than later.” Jun nods sagely.
Finally I realize what they’re assuming, and put a hand over my mouth. “Oh, shit. You think Nate and I are…” I let out an awkward laugh. “I mean, you don’t really think… We aren’t like that. I don’t have any intention of going there. He’s my boss.”
“Plenty of people date their bosses,” Jun says.
“And marry them,” Josephine adds.
“Yeah, well, not this one. And Nate?” It’s my turn to laugh. “You know what he hates the most? Commitment. He doesn’t like having his choices stripped away. It’ll be years, decades maybe, before he even starts to think about getting married. If ever. Trust me on this.”
“But you’re going to bid on him tonight,” Jun says gently.
I’m almost tempted to pat her hand. “And I’m going to win him, but that’s as far as it’s going to go. Trust me.”
Chapter Nine
Evie