But everything seemed to have fallen apart. How was this possible? What happened? We had never had this happen before. Even the event last summer, during a power outage following a wicked summer storm. More than half of the girls scheduled had shown up for that one.
Tonight all of them had pulled a no-show. Every single one? What the hell happened?
Had Marguerite cancelled the event without telling me?
There had to be a logical explanation.
At the sound of the back door slamming, my heart rate kicked into double time. That had to be Marguerite.
Either I was about to get some answers, or I was going to be making up excuses left and right to appease her. God, I hoped she knew what was going on.
Aware that I was wringing my hands, I forced myself to lower them to my sides as I click-clacked down the hall toward her office. My thumping heartbeat pounded in my ears.
Her door was open, so I poked my head inside. She was standing behind her desk, her eyes focused on her computer screen. If she knew I was there, she wasn’t acknowledging me.
Knees a little wobbly, I knocked.
Her eyes lifted. She smiled. “Ah, Daryl. Is everything all set for tonight?”
“Y-yes, I think so.”
“Good.” She gave me a little nod as she settled into her chair and rolled it into place. Her head tipped slightly. “Is there a problem?”
“Was there a change in the schedule?” I asked.
“No. The event was booked for seven o’clock.” Marguerite turned her attention back to her computer.
Damn. “Okay.” I checked my watch for the millionth time. It was ten to seven. We required all girls to arrive an hour before the start of the event so we had time to go over their clothes and makeup, give the new girls a rundown of the rules. “Marguerite, there are no girls.”
She responded, without looking up from her computer, “Yes there is.”
“I’ve been waiting for almost an hour. None of them came. Not Katarina. Not Josephine. None of them.”
“That’s because I called them all and told them not to come.” Pushing out of her chair, she circled her desk as I stood mute trying to figure out what the heck was going on. She approached me with a calm, pleasant expression on her face. Clearly, my news wasn’t earthshaking. Clearly she intended for none of the girls we had initially invited to come. Why?
“I talked to Tevin, Daryl. There’s only one girl he’s interested in seeing tonight.”
Was she going to…did he…?
“He wants to see you.”
He didn’t.
He did.
Oh God, was I in trouble?
Her smile widened. If I was about to be fired, would she be looking at me like that? “Daryl, it’s okay. I could see the sparks between you two at the last mixer. I’m a matchmaker. It’s my job to notice those things.”
Oh God. “I…okay, yes. Maybe there is a spark between us. You aren’t angry? I can still do my job--”
“Why would I be angry? I didn’t fail. I think I may have found Tevin a match. A great one. He’s a good man. And you’re intelligent. And beautiful. You deserve a good man as much as any of my girls.”
That wasn’t the response I was expecting. Had I been torturing myself this whole time needlessly? Should I have told Marguerite from the start? I pulled in a deep breath and let it out. A weight lifted off my shoulders, and I felt like I could finally breathe. While I suspected Tevin hadn’t told Marguerite about our secret dates, she knew enough now that I didn’t have to totally lie. But after a wave of giddiness washed over me, a wave of fear, of panic followed. If Tevin was no longer beyond my reach, then that meant…that meant…Was I ready for what it meant? Did I want to pursue a relationship with him? “He does seem to be a good man.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Trust me, he is.” She gave my shoulder a pat. “Now, let’s get you fixed up for your date. We don’t have a lot of time. And that hair…” She rolled her eyes. “Honey, how many times do you need to be told, you don’t wear your hair in a ponytail for a date?”
We shared a laugh at our inside joke as we headed into the dressing room, where we kept a stash of makeup, clothes, and hair stuff to help the girls with last minute preparations.
In fifteen minutes, I emerged from the dressing room looking completely different. My hair was a mass of bouncy, sexy curls, my makeup was darker and sexier, and I was wearing a knit top and skirt that clung to my curves perfectly. I had never felt so sexy.
Or so conflicted.
Yes, I was attracted to Tevin. Very. And now there was nothing keeping us apart. Or so it seemed. There was just one little issue.
That issue was me. I genuinely didn’t believe I was capable of having a lasting relationship with a man. Not only was there the issue with my parents. Being the daughter of two murderers tended to scare away most men. There was also something wrong with me. Which was why the few relationship I had been in ended so badly. This one, if it got that far, would too. And then what? Would Marguerite find out about my parents? Would she judge me? Would she fire me?