Play Fling (A Stupid Cupid Book) (8 page)

Plus, Brooke looked capital A amazing.
Carlos, the genius, had shaped her hair to frame her heart face,
bangs to shorten her forehead. Chloe, too, with those rose hues on
Brooke’s eyes. They brought the muddy brown pop to a sweet brandy
amber. Unshaved legs? Like Jason would notice with the scooped line
of the dress begging the eyes to rove over her collarbone. Jason
was standing too close, anyway. Soon to be sitting across from
Brooke in a romantic, dimly lit restaurant, his previous plans
vetoed.

Plans forgotten might be too much to hope
for. But changed? Completely doable. AJ hadn’t gotten much info,
but he’d been certain, Jason’s dinner looked like business. A
lawyer. Not a female lawyer, either. At most, an old chums dinner;
at least, a business meeting. The way Millie figured, Jason would
either ask Brooke to join them or ditch the lawyer altogether.

She’d bet Kiki’s favorite Prada bag on the
latter. Brooke looked that good.

Just to be safe, AJ had already secured
Millie and Brooke a reservation within two tables of Jason’s. But
this,
this
, was beautiful luck. Rather than making her
excuses and leaving at dinner, Millie could just hand Brooke over
and be home in time for True Hollywood Story.

Jason was totally tongue-tied, too.
Excellent. He should be. Mental note, leave huge tip for salon
staff. Jason shouldn’t need to be re-smitten but, hey, the past was
the past. Given such superb circumstances, Millie was positive she
could get these two back together. Back to the place they were in
that photo. No. Better. Closer. More in love than either ever
thought possible. Hollywood stuff, at its best.

Millie nearly patted her own back right
there. One night, candles, music, love. She could almost see Brooke
dressed in white. That smile back on her face. Millie finally rid
of one of her cupid’s handcuffs.

“Elliott?” Brooke half gasped.

Millie’s wedding waltz screeched a beat.
Elliott? Millie rose to her tiptoes to see past Jason’s broad
chest. But the guy was too f-ing tall. Elliott who? What had
Brooke’s attention just pirouetted to?

Jason stepped out of the way. A
twenty-something guy stood staring at Brooke. Looking struck, like
the world had sucked off into outer space. Millie’s spirits crashed
mid-soar. Who the hell was he? Better yet, why the hell was Brooke
agog, grasping for words?

Oh no. Brooke wasn’t the only one grasping.
Jason seemed at a loss for words, too. Spectacular. Millie choked
down the urge to knock him over the head and order him to do
something.

“So, Jason.” Millie clapped his shoulder,
perhaps a tad too roughly. “It’s so nice to finally, officially
meet you. I’m Millie.”

“Sure,” Jason said, his gaze staggering to
hers. “Yes. Nice to meet you.”

Please let her be imagining this. Jason
offered Millie his hand but his gaze ping-ponged between his
ex-wife and this Elliott person. Did he sense it, too? This guy
thieving their moment?

“Brooke?” the guy said.

Brooke flushed with color, apparently
remembering how to speak. “What are you doing here?” Not so much
her audience, though.

He shrugged and stepped closer. His mouth
made an “oh”, but no sound came out. Panic burned up Millie’s
throat. This was not part of the plan. Whoever this guy was, he was
mutilating one very carefully orchestrated strategy. Timing meant
everything. Jason had been about to fall splendidly back in love
with his ex-wife.

Elliott had to go. Now.

Millie crossed the circle their four bodies
made. “Hi there.”

Elliott unhinged his stare from Brooke and
looked at Millie. “Hello,” he said, his voice strange sounding.
Like he hadn’t noticed her there. Or Jason. Or anyone else in the
friggin’ place, for that matter.

Ridiculous.

So, he knew Brooke. And Brooke knew him. No
biggie. Right?

“I’m Millie.” She jutted her hand out.
“Elliott, is it?”

He hesitated then shook her hand. “Good to
meet you.”

Millie lowered her lashes and leaned in. “You
look really familiar,” she said, brushing a thread from his
shoulder. “Where do I know you from?”

She didn’t need to look to know Jason had
seen his opportunity. Millie could feel him turn, interrupting
Brooke’s line of sight to Elliott. Good boy. Now all Millie had to
do was keep it that way. Interrupted.

Elliott cocked his head a little oddly. “I
don’t know. U.N.R. , maybe?”

Okay. So Millie wasn’t five-eight and
traffic-stopping anymore. She wasn’t about to give up. “Hmmm.
That’s weird. I wonder why you seem familiar. We haven’t met and
Brooke has never mentioned you.” She paused, one ear trained on
Brooke behind them. If Jason would just say something.

Elliott stiffened. His hands sank deeper into
his pockets. “No?”

“And I’m pretty certain she’d tell me about
someone like you.”

He shrugged one shoulder but she could see
she’d gotten to him.

“Maybe she’s been keeping you secret.
Everybody has secrets, I suppose, though.” Her favorite line from
back in the day. Men had been a cinch as Kiki. She tilted her head
and drew closer. “Don’t you?”

Maybe the wrong line or the wrong guy.
Elliott narrowed his gaze on her, suspicion bright. That line had
brought millionaires—married, single, even gay—to their knees.
Elliott only walked past her and she didn’t have to see to know
that Jason—if he could make it any worse—backed out of the way. He
actually moved out of Elliott’s way! It didn’t take a body language
expert to tell her Jason’s spark for his former flame had just been
snuffed out.

Millie suppressed a scream. She should have
brought AJ. One chemically enhanced concoction from AJ in the right
direction and lust would ooze into Jason’s every pore. Smack into
Brooke. He’d be cock-blocking anything testosterone within a twenty
foot radius. That’s what Millie got for determining she could
handle this on her own. For thinking her over-dependency on him was
the reason none of these stupid bracelets had fallen off.

Crap.

Nothing else to do. She couldn’t risk
attempting a potion of her own. Not after Tucson. Millie moved
after Elliott. Some man barreled past and knocked Millie off her
feet. With a small shriek, she landed smack onto her ass.

“Oh, no!” The man stopped, horror contorting
his features as he bent to help her up, unaware of her three
companions now peering over his shoulder. “Are you alright? I’m so
sorry. I didn’t see you. I swear, I’m like a bull in a china shop
sometimes.”

“I’m fine,” Millie gritted out, accepting his
outstretched hand.

He helped her up, his eyes begging for
reassurance. She wasn’t about to give it.
Scurry along now, shop
away, or whatever men did in a mall.
He wasn’t tall but he
could stock a shipyard with those shoulders. No wonder she’d landed
on her butt.

“Are you alright, Millie?” Brooke sounded
relieved but also distracted. Not good. The reason for her
distraction peered down, right next to Brooke.

“I’m fine. Accidents happen. Right?” Millie
tried her coldest eyebrow arch. He just stood there, hands out like
she might fall again. “Thanks, but I’m alright. Goodbye now.”

He nodded. But his body turned, followed
rather than walked.

“Gordon,” Elliott said to him. “There you
are.”

“Gordon?” Jason said as well.

Mr. Clumsy smiled. “Jason. Hi.”

Wait a minute. Jason knew this ox? Great.
Just flipping great. Another distraction to ruin sparks and magic
and all that mojo love junk.

Millie’s mind raced. Jason knew the ox who
knew Elliott who knew Brooke. What the…? “You two know each other?”
Millie really needed AJ right now. If only she could snap her
fingers to have him appear. Getting Brooke to go through with
something like this was a one time shot. Millie wouldn’t get
another.

An awkward silence spread over the group. And
everyone seemed in on some secret. Some happy little secret that
had each of them fidgeting, shifting weight and avoiding eye
contact.

“Yes,” said Jason, while Gordon nodded, while
Elliott glanced to Brooke, who was staring at him.

What was going on here? Better yet, how did
she get in on it and back to her excellent plan?

“Small world! How, exactly?” Millie said,
forcing a smile to her lips despite how thin it felt. She only
cared about Brooke’s answer, but at this point, anyone’s would
do.

“Jason is my realtor,” Gordon said but it
sounded like a question.

“That’s right. I am.” Jason offered Gordon a
rather relieved smile.

“And Gordon is my cousin,” Elliott said after
no one else spoke for a moment.

“Really?” Jason asked and immediately shook
Elliott’s hand. “Great to meet you. I think I’ve heard all about
you. Elliott, is it?”

“Yes.” Gordon and Elliott in unison.

Why weren’t Elliott and Gordon going on their
way? Millie wanted to shout out, “Wrap it up, gentlemen. I’ve got a
lady to parade here.” Instead Millie cleared her throat and sent
Brooke a meaningful look. Brooke however, only appeared confused.
Nervous as hell, too, face splotching up and all.

Abort! Abort!
“Well, don’t let us keep
any of you,” Millie said at last and hooked arms with Brooke. “We
have places to be.”

One thing about men, they like the upper
hand. Two decent looking women walking away would prick any ego,
wouldn’t it? Just let it prick the right ego. Three paces. By five,
Jason had better be trying to get Brooke’s attention back. The
other two could pound sand for all she cared. Come on now. Last
ditch. Not any one of them?

Not a single word.

If this ploy didn’t work, she was back to the
drawing board. The only other idea on the drawing board was
operation surprise party. A long shot. Brooke would hate it. Really
and truly. Brooke would walk in, and run for the bathroom. Might
even pee herself.

So, onward they walked. No man stopped them.
Millie glanced back, ignoring the itch in her brain saying she’d
just missed something in that little dynamic. Besides utter
failure, she had no idea what it might be. A glance back showed
Gordon and Elliott chatting with Jason, who was
not
wistfully searching out his made-over ex. Elliott sent Millie a
small wave then crossed his arms and reverted his attention to the
other men.

“Millie?” Brooke’s voice shook. “I don’t
think I can handle any more surprises today.” She stopped and took
Millie’s hand. “I know you probably have more planned, but, I just
really want to go home and have a hot bath and…no more surprises
today. Is that alright with you?”

There went dinner, her last, slim hope. Ah,
who was she fooling? If Elliott had just left, or the other guy
hadn’t bumped into her, dinner would have been a perfectly natural
next step. Now, it would be desperate and obvious at best.

“Of course. Don’t worry.” Millie had no way
to re-interest Jason. With her luck, Jason would invite Elliott and
Gordon along, too. No thanks. “I’m all out of surprises so, yes, go
home. Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow at The Book
Exchange.”

Brooke scrunched her chin up. “Are you sure?
I feel bad.”

“Don’t! I just wanted you to have a good
time. You know, get pampered, relax. Figures the ex would show up
and ruin it all, right?” Yeah, so, a little fishing couldn’t hurt.
Right?

“Jason? Oh no. He’s fine. It was actually
nice to see him. He looked good, don’t you think? Happy. Well, not
that you’ve seen him before.”

“Nope. Can’t say that I have.” On paper
didn’t count. But she would see him. Soon. Definitely soon. “He
looked happy enough. He certainly couldn’t take his eyes off of
you.” One tiny exaggeration. Not much.

Brooke gave her a sidelong glance and
shrugged one shoulder. Didn’t flattery get you everywhere? But
then, this was Brooke. Unflappable, serene, no need for love to
validate her, Munkle.

Millie unclenched her hands. They exited the
mall into the darkened parking lot. No wind tonight. Just biting
November cold. A quick goodbye, lots of thanks and you’re welcomes
later, Millie watched Brooke drive away. Her grand scheme had
failed, thanks to Tweedle Gee and Tweedle Glasses. But, she would
prevail. Love would triumph. Whatever that meant. It had to.
Otherwise, so long, AJ, and good luck, Brooke.

In the meantime, how on earth could she get
those two together again?

Chapter Seven

Brooke smacked her lips. Steam rose off the
bath water in tendrils. Lavender and chamomile enveloped her
senses. Complimented the tart wine. She rolled another sip in her
mouth, over her tongue. The scene at the mall replayed over and
over. Her, blindfolded. Him, approaching. Elliott.

How had he found her?

Brooke frowned at Sampson on his toilet seat
perch. “Just who does this guy think he is, popping up all over the
place?” Looking all young and hot and…and what else, she didn’t
know. Something. Delicious, maybe.

Sampson grunt-meowed, typically unimpressed.
Brooke wiped a wet lock of hair from her cheek and sighed. Water
dripped from her legs and toes. The heat and the alcohol soaked a
nice numbness into her limbs. No such luck on her mind.

“And how long had he stood there watching
Millie lead me around like a blindfolded idiot? And why whisper
against my neck like that? To amuse himself? To screw with me? I
mean, you gotta wonder.” Sampson blinked. She dropped her head
back. “Or not.”

In a city like Reno, life didn’t have six
degrees of separation. More like two. Running into your hairdresser
at the grocery store, your mailman at the new bar, wasn’t out of
place. Divorce taught her that quickly. Nowadays, she expected
it.

Discovering Elliott was more than just a guy
with some guts and romance even made sense in this smaller world.
But seeing him tonight, right there in the middle of Jason and
Millie put him outside of degrees. Suddenly, he became much closer.
Her inner circle.