Fresh Temptation

behind her wide-rimmed glasses. “So, out with it. Tell us all about your big day.”
    Marcy and Patty both looked at Cara, who was now staring straight ahead at nothing, wondering where to start.
    Cara took another moment to think, then put her hand on her chest, over her top button. She let out a sigh of relief. “Oh good. It held. I’m about to bust out of this top. Thank God for safety pins.” She stuck her palms against her eyes, whining. “Oh shit, I think he noticed, too. He thinks I’m too poor to buy clothes. That’s why he gave me a check today.”
    “What?” Patty asked. “He gave you money?”
    “Yes,” Cara said. “He thinks I’m pathetic. It’s an advance on my paycheck. That’s how I bought all these new clothes today. I barely have any nice clothes in my closet that fit anymore. I could wear anything to Doyle and they didn’t care.”
    Marcy picked up a long blue skirt, inspecting it from top to bottom. “But he didn’t know that, did he?”
    Patty said, “Yeah, you didn’t tell him you needed money, did you?”
    “No.” Cara’s eyes rolled. “He seems to know a lot more about me than he should.” She glared at Patty. “Have you been keeping in touch with him since you met him the other day? Did you tell him Doyle owes me money?”
    “Absolutely not, hon,” Patty said. “I think he does his research because he likes you.”
    Cara sighed. “No, he doesn’t. I promise. You should’ve seen the way he looked at me today. I’m a charity case to him.” She let out a loud groan. “Would you believe I ripped a huge hole in my pantyhose when I got out of the car? I had to take ‘em off. He kept staring at my legs.” She huffed. “Probably at my varicose veins. I was so embarrassed. But at least I remembered to shave.”
    Marcy snickered and shot a funny look at Patty. “Are you hearing what I’m hearing? Sounds to me like he was checking her out.”
    Patty nodded. “Yes, I was just thinking the same thing. He was looking at your legs.”
    “Ugh,” Cara said. “Why would he do that? I felt like a stuffed sausage in this outfit. I should’ve worn my body shaper to keep everything in place.” In her heart, even with the extra weight, Cara didn’t feel unattractive. She always turned a few approving heads when she went out in public. But she was afraid to get her hopes up about Victor.
    “I don’t know why you’re so down on yourself,” Marcy said. “You’re as pretty as ever.”
    Cara picked up a blouse from the pile. “I’m not pretty enough to land a guy like Victor. And I’m not sure I’d even want to. He seems like a control freak.”
    Patty slapped her own knee as she laughed. “God help the man who ever tries to control you.”
    Patty and Marcy shared a long laugh at Cara’s expense.
    Determined not to let them get to her, Cara stood up and headed to the stairs. “I don’t care what you guys think. It’s stupid to think a guy like Victor Barboza would ever be interested in someone like me. You should’ve seen that woman he was with at the charity dinner.”
    Patty shook her head. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. The guy’s obviously interested. Just let it happen and stop being so you about it.”
    Marcy gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. “It’s like a fairy tale come true. Cara, you deserve a fairy tale. Don’t chase him away.”
    Cara let out a frustrated growl. “Fairy tales do not come true. You’ve been watching too many movies. Or reading too many of those cheesy romance novels about regular girls getting swept away by the dashing billionaire.” She sighed as she walked upstairs, her voice trailing off. “What a load of crap.”

Chapter Five
     
    It was eleven-thirty on Cara’s first day at Monarch Enterprises, and so far it was uneventful. She had spent most of the morning sitting through employee safety videos that would probably never apply to her. Gary, Victor’s assistant, had given her the grand tour of the building.
    But there had been no sign of Victor.
    And in a way, Cara was grateful. She’d spent hours on Sunday trying on outfits, determining the ones that were most flattering. After her embarrassing display at the interview, she wanted to prove she was a polished professional. Victor’s absence this morning at least gave her a reprieve from that anxiety.
    At the same time, where was he? If she had allowed herself to think he actually liked her—which she strived not to do—she may have been