A Ring to Die For by Stephanie Damore

Author:Stephanie Damore [Damore, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pink Sapphire Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Makeup and Murder

(Beauty Secrets Book #1)

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Chapter 1

In my world, Christmas falls on May 14 every year. That’s when the summer issue of Beauty Secrets magazine drops, and all my clients anxiously await their copies.

Today was that day.

If the worst part of my job was getting up at sunrise every few months for a couple of catalogs, then I didn’t have much to complain about. As soon as those beauties landed on my doorstep, I ripped open the cellophane and dove into the hot new looks of summer. I had seen the product sneak peeks at last month’s regional meeting, but was still amazed by all the new fashions. Lipsticks that plumped, mascara that defined, and moisturizers that worked magic, rounded the lineup. Sexy summer skin was merely a click away. Out with the smoky eye shadows and heavy bronzers. In with soft watercolors for the eyes, shimmering blushes, and bright nail polishes—the romantic look. I was eager to try it out, and I was certain my clients would flip for it too.

I knew I’d have to be on my A-game if I was to visit all of them before sunset, which is why I was steering my little Chevy pickup truck down Sugar Plantation by a quarter after eight, toward my first client’s house. Yes, I know it’s not the sexiest of rides; but hey, it was free—thanks to my parents—and no car payment meant extra money for shopping. Hello, Nordstrom!

My first stop was to see Aria, my best friend, and the first one to snatch up any free samples. Thankfully, she also hosted the best parties, so I didn’t mind. Aria’s a girl’s girl—fashionably chic and a straight-talker with a sweet spot for nail polish. Her love of the candy-colored lacquer made her a platinum-card-carrying, top-notch client for Beauty Secrets, and the new summer shade selection promised to deliver. I had the free samples to prove it.

I pulled into Aria’s neighborhood and gagged at the bubble-gum colored Jeep idling at the stop sign waiting to pull out. What was Justine Martin doing here? The woman was my arch enemy ever since fourth and a new beauty representative for that Other Company, a fact that I wasn’t able to understand given that her makeup looked like she slapped it on with a paint brush. If pastels were in, I’d guarantee her face looked like a chalked up Easter egg. It was no coincidence she was pulling out of my business’ most popular neighborhood the day of a catalog drop. I knew better.

She rolled down her window and leaned forward as I slowed to turn in. Her fluffy white poodle sat on the seat next to her wearing some ridiculous sequined outfit. The poor pup. I sped up as I turned the corner instead. My truck splashed some nice muddy water off the road curtesy of the last night’s rain onto her gaudy ride. I smiled at her shocked expression and gave her a little wave. I hadn’t willingly spoken to her since 1995.

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