Sparks Fly

sure was that he much preferred long dark hair, olive skin, and hazel eyes over anything else.

    * * *
    After an exhausting trek through every store in the mall, Krista insisted on taking Angelina to dinner before dropping her off at home. Having learned early on that it was usually easier to give in to Krista than to fight her, Angelina agreed. The bistro Krista picked was a little too close to Will’s house for Angelina’s peace of mind, but odds were a million to one that she would run into Will there.
    Besides, she couldn’t go through the rest of her life trying to avoid him.
    Their server had just delivered them their wine when a breathtaking blonde walked through the door. Angelina tried not to stare, but the woman was so perfect—perfectly dressed, coiffed, made up, even her shoes were perfect—that Angelina felt a senseless urge to pull out her sunglasses and put them on even though the sun was long gone.
    Krista turned to see what had caught Angelina’s attention. “Now there’s a piece of work. Think any of that’s real?”
    But before Angelina could reply, Will walked into the restaurant behind the goddess.
    At least, she noted grimly, he had the grace to look chagrined when he saw her. Her prayer that he would ignore her so she could sneak out was not granted as he headed over to her table.
    Angelina whispered to Krista in a shaky voice, “My worst nightmare has just come true.”
    Krista called out to a nearby waiter. “My friend and I need another couple of glasses of wine here, pronto. Unless you’re thinking of switching to something a little more potent, Ang?”
    Heck yeah, I’m ready for something a whole lot more potent, like this gorgeous man standing in front of me, she thought hysterically. And then she remembered who he was with—Ms. I’m-too-perfect-to-be-real—and the fact that he had clearly found her completely forgettable.
    Angelina tried to convince herself that it didn’t hurt, but it did. There was no way she could ever compete with a woman like that.
    In lieu of any better ideas, she fortified herself with a big gulp of white wine. Unfortunately, when she looked up, not only was Will still standing there, but the perfect woman had joined him.
    Will cleared his throat and made the introductions. “Angelina, Krista, this is my ex-wife, Susan.”
    Angelina’s heart sank even further as she looked at the woman who had hired her. This perfect vision was the woman who hoped Angelina’s Feng Shui Cupid powers would win back the affections of her ex-husband? Couldn’t she have just flicked her glossy hair over her shoulder and given him a come-hither glance to do the job?
    Worse still, Angelina was hit between the eyes with a sick dose of guilt for betraying the woman who had hired her in good faith by kissing Will. She wanted nothing more than to run out of the restaurant. At this point, fleeing the country wasn’t out of the question.
    “You’re the Feng Shui consultant, aren’t you?”
    Angelina mustered up all of her “I am a seasoned professional” reserves. She stood up to shake Susan’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
    The stunning woman caught her totally unawares with a hug. “It is so incredibly fabulous to meet you in person. I just cannot believe what you’ve done with Will’s office. Believe me, I tried for years to get him to clean it up, but nothing worked. You’re a miracle worker. May we join you for dinner?”
    Angelina noted Susan didn’t wait for an answer as she gracefully lowered herself into a nearby chair. Susan seemed totally oblivious to any tension as she made herself comfortable. She ordered a salad and glass of wine from the hovering waiter, who practically fainted when she spoke to him.
    Angelina desperately searched her brain trying to find a way out of this awful dinner. She sent a potent look across the table to Krista, silently imploring her to help think of an excuse to bolt. But Krista was sitting back, clearly enjoying the show.
    And some show it was. As Susan talked on and on about meeting the Feng Shui Cupid in person, and all of the miraculous things she had done for her clients, Angelina could only wish that she’d taken more time with her appearance that morning.
    Jeans and a T-shirt really weren’t cutting it. But the sad truth was that she could do a full makeover, top to bottom, and she still wouldn’t be anywhere near playing in Susan’s league.
    If Susan was a Victoria’s Secret model, Angelina was one