When We Were Perfect by Emily Duvall

Author:Emily Duvall [Duvall, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press
Published: 2014-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

The reflection in the mirror showed Brooke painted in the light of glamour. The subtle bronze color gave her eyes a wow factor; cheeks blushed in pink accented her thin, lipstick-kissed mouth. The twin carat earrings, from Aaron, beaconed at the drop of her ears. The strapless russet dress bared Brooke’s ivory shoulders, while the silk chiffon skirt bunched at her hip, falling to one-half inch above her strappy heels, thanks to Callie’s adept fingers and eye for symmetry.

Weeks before, Aaron’s parents had invited them to attend a party. They’d flow up from their home in Thousand Oaks for the occasion. Brooke forgot to ask about the location. A country club or museum, she assumed. The evening ahead held promise of good food and expensive drinks. What it didn’t include was privacy with her fiancé.

Callie inserted the crystal hibiscus into the bun at Brooke’s nape, grinning. “You look golden,” she said, stepping back. Around her, a clutter of hair gel, pins, and makeup brushes covered the counter. “You’re such a knockout.” In the mirror, she pumped her own hair and wiped away a mark of mascara. “I know how you feel.”

“So pretty, Mommy,” Evie said with star-struck eyes. The doorbell broke her concentration. “Aaron’s here!”

Callie picked up the pincushion shaped like a tomato. “I almost forgot to tell you: I friended Dianna Powell on Facebook.” Instead of making eye contact with Brooke, she gathered up the classroom of beauty products.

Brooke frowned. The very breath in her mouth stopped. She grabbed her sheer crème pashmina and the beaded clutch. “Why would you contact Joanna’s best friend from a million years ago?” Of course she knew the answer, and didn’t like it one bit. “Callie, don’t do this. Don’t try to locate Joanna. You’ll be disappointed all over again.”

Callie faced Brooke, their eyes flashing the same stubborn green. She tossed a bottle of mousse into her bag. “It’s my disappointment to feel.”

“Then good luck to you.” Brooke reached for the doorknob, and left. A swirl of fabric snuck through the door as it closed behind her.

A hazy orange sunset knocked on windows and doors as Aaron drove his black Mercedes uphill. Speed walkers and joggers clogged the sidewalks, the whole city soaking up the final days of fall. Aaron explained how Baker Beach had attracted a nudist. Brooke nodded mechanically, accustomed to his tales of the city. Sometimes the anecdotes involved clogged sewers, a water main break, or public transportation conflicts.

In the beginning of their relationship, she had reacted to the injustice of zoning laws, taxes, and treatment of the non-yuppies. Now she’d lost faith in elected officials, including Aaron, who managed to get center stage in the headlines on a regular basis. Public funds had vanished from his office; he’d been taken to court over a bribe scandal with a prominent judge. He denied all of it and hadn’t been found guilty. Still, the controversy followed his name. So far, Brooke had managed to keep Wentworth’s squeaky-clean image untied from his.

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