#1 Fan Page 11

  Evan woke up the next morning feeling more refreshed than he did in the last two days. The feeling was too good. He didn’t want to let it go. He wanted to hold onto it for as long as he could. He laid in bed staring at the ceiling. He could picture laying in a bed with Sara resting in the crook of his shoulder. Their eyes fixated on the sky floating by the skylight.

  The door to the bedroom opened, ripping Evan from his dream. Audrey stood there in a shiny black pair of Jimmy Choo boots which rested just beneath her knees. Her tan dress hugged her fit curvaceous body.

  “Still in bed I see.”

  Evan gripped the covers tightly between his fingers. “Do you know how to use a phone?”

  “Yes, do you know how to answer one?”

  Evan reached for his cell and saw two missed calls from a number he didn’t recognize. “Is your number…” Before he could finish, Audrey had moved next to the bed and pulled the comforter. Evan jumped to his feet, shoving one of the pillows over his package. A tinge of red filled his cheeks. “What the hell’s your problem?”

  “Your laziness.” Evan maneuvered his way back onto his bed trying his best to avoid dropping the pillow. He could feel Audrey’s eyes on him, making him feel like a piece of meat under evaluation. She raised her eyebrows, letting Evan know she saw what he was trying to hide. “Perhaps a cold shower could help with that.”

  Evan didn’t know what this woman had planned for him. Yesterday was nothing but pure pain and exhaustion. What else could she do to him? “What are we doing today?”

  “We’re going to update your look.”

  “What’s wrong with my look?”

  “For starters, other than your suit, you have nothing else that emits the air of success. Everything you own screams I’m a man desperate to make money.”

  Evan’s cheeks had a tinge of pink added to them. He knew most of his clothes weren’t flattering, but he always felt like it suited him perfectly. To hear someone criticize them so bluntly, made him wonder how many others saw him that way, or whispered and laughed behind his back.

  “Okay, but can I have some privacy first?”

  “You have ten minutes.” She looked down at the pillow covering Evan’s lap. “Make that fifteen.” Audrey exited the room, closing the door behind her.

  Relief and embarrassment filled Evan’s mind as he dressed in blue jeans and black wrestling t-shirt. He slipped on his sneakers and headed for the door. He hurried down the stairs, hoping to avoid any further conflict with his mother.

  “I’m all set,” he said as he reached the bottom step.

  Evan took note of the repulsion on Audrey’s face. She let out a sigh before she grabbed her clutch from the counter. “Good, your first appointment is in an hour.”

  “Appointment? What appointment?”

  “You’ll be meeting with my personal shopper. We’re going to set you up with a whole new wardrobe.”

  “But I don’t have the money to…”

  She waved him off. “You worry about focusing on the book tour and writing your next book. I’ll worry managing your expenses.”

  Evan didn’t like that he didn’t have control over his finances, but was told to follow Audrey’s orders. He escorted her to the car, opened the rear passenger side door, and allowed her to enter first. She smiled in return before patting the leather seat next to her.

  The car took them up to the Long Island Expressway (L.I.E.) heading west. “Where are we going?” I thought we were going shopping.”

  “Did you think we were going to a mall?” She laughed as if Evan told her a Gabriel Iglesias joke. “Oh no, I don’t go to shopping malls.”

  “Then where are we going?”

  “I told you, we are meeting with my personal shopper. They have racks of clothes for us to choose from.”

  Evan knew this was going to be a long day, but he hoped shopping at one of the malls would be at least mildly entertaining. He could get food, or run off to a Best Buy or the Gadgets and Gizmos store. At least then, shopping for clothes wouldn’t seem like a death sentence.

  “Wait, if we’re not going to the mall, where are we meeting this personal shopper?”

  “They’re office is located in Manhattan.”

  Great I’m going to be stuck in an office all day trying on clothes. Evan stared out the tinted window, dreading his time in the city. I wish there was a way I could just ditch her and my phone. Maybe I could catch the train to Jersey and meet up with Sara.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Audrey said. Her head kept perfectly still. Her eyes were closed as if she were deep in thought or in a meditative state.

  “Think about what?”

  “Trying to ditch me once we get into the city. We have several appointments to keep. Contrary to your belief, I don’t want to be doing this all day either.”

  Evan glanced back at her. Something about the way Audrey said she didn’t want to be shop all day made Evan believe her. “Okay, but let’s just make this quick.”

  They arrived at an office building in Uptown Manhattan. They entered through the gold revolving door and entered the lobby.

  “Can I help you,” a man in a navy blue suit asked. His eyes widened when he noticed Audrey. “Sorry Ms. Stone, I didn’t see you. Let me get the elevator for you.” The stocky man hurried around the desk and shuffled his feet against the marble floor. He pressed the button and waited patiently for Evan and Audrey to meet him.

  Audrey stepped inside the elevator first, followed by Evan, and finally the security guard. He pressed the button for the twenty-fifth floor. Evan watched the doors close slowly in front of him. He was trapped, knowing he would be subjected to the tedious task of trying on clothes he wasn’t comfortable wearing.

  The doors to the elevator opened on the lobby two hours later. Audrey led the way as Evan carried the garment bags filled with suits, dress shirts, ties, polo shirts, sweaters, and expensive t-shirts. There were bags wrapped around his wrists containing dress shoes, loafers, and boat shoes. He dragged them out to the car and let the driver help him place the items in the trunk.

  “Okay, shopping’s done. Can we stop and get something to eat before heading home? I’m starving.”

  Audrey dipped her sunglasses down to the tip of her nose. The look in her eyes showed her seriousness. “You think that was it? Evan, that’s just part of the makeover process.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Her lips twitched a smile. “You’ll see.”

  The car drove for several minutes, stopping at a local spa. “A spa?” Evan’s eyes lit up. He envisioned lying in a hot tub with beautiful women before being called for his massage. “I could go for a spa day.”

  “Really? I’m so glad you said that.” The sound of Audrey’s voice made Evan feel uneasy, but shrugged it off. He exited the car and held Audrey’s hand as she stepped out from the backseat. They were greeted instantly. “Hello, my client, Evan Taylor, is here for his appointment.”

  The woman dressed in white clothes typed Evan’s name into the computer and brought up the appointment. “Okay Mr. Taylor, we have you down for the full body treatment.” Evan’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he heard the woman say “full body treatment.” His smile was ear to ear, wondering when the other shoe would drop. He watched the receptionist step around the desk. “You can follow me.”

  Evan marched down the hall, turning his head every few steps. He noticed Audrey was falling further behind. “You coming?”

  “No, I’m afraid not. I have an appointment of my own. I’ll see you when you’re done. Enjoy,” the last word was said with a smirk of satisfaction.

  Evan continued to follow the receptionist into the first of several rooms. The first had a wall that allowed the client to go behind to change. Evan was handed a soft white fluffy robe. “Keep your underwear on underneath that,” the receptionist said coldly. Evan guessed there were plenty of men that didn’t do that in the past and caused some sort of incident.

  After changing
into the robe, Evan returned with his clothes in hand. “What do you want me to do with these?”

  “I’d prefer you burn them.” Evan’s eyes grew wide as he saw Audrey standing in the room with him. Her blond hair spilled around the shoulders of her white robe. Her high heeled boots were replaced by a pair of sandals, displaying her paint chipped toenails.

  The receptionist took the clothes from Evan, snapping him out of his gawking. “Right this way, Mr. Taylor.” She opened the door and directed Evan to another room down the hall. “Wait here and someone will be with you shortly.”

  Evan entered a dimly lit room with a white cushioned table in the center of it. He took a seat and admired the soft glow of the lit candles scattered around the room. He leaned back, placing his folded hands behind his head, and inhaled the vanilla scent that filled the room. I can get used to this.

  The door to the room opened, letting a five-foot-five brunette enter. “Hello,” the woman said. Her soft Asian accent caught Evan off guard. He sat up on the table and stared blankly at her as she pushed a cart. “It’s okay; I’m here to do your facial.

  Evan’s palms dug into the table, afraid of what the woman planned to do to him. “What do you mean? What kind of facial?”

  “Relax Mr. Taylor. It is to help you relax, clean out all your pores, and hydrates your skin.” She placed a hand on his chest and eased him back on the table. “It’s okay. I do this all day. You’ll be fine.”

  After spending an hour getting a fascial, Evan felt completely relaxed for the first time in what seemed like forever. “This was great,” he said with a refreshing tone.

  “There’s still more. Come with me.”

  Evan stood up and collected his clothes before following the woman. With a spring in his step, he walked down the hall and entered another room. Three women with blue masks covering their nose and mouths eyed him up suspiciously. There was a brown leather chair, similar to the massage chairs he remembered from the mall.

  “Now this is what I’m talking about.” Evan hurried into the room and took his seat in the chair. “So what are we doing here, prepping for my massage or something?”

  “You’re here for manicure and pedicure.” Evan always considered that to be something only girls do, but he knew guys that got them too, and they loved it.

  “Okay, sounds good to me.”

  He slipped his feet from the sandals as one of the women guided them into a hot, bubbling foot tub. The jets felt great against his skin, helping Evan to relax further. The chair vibrated and worked all the kinks out of his back.

  After several minutes, the first woman took Evan’s feet out of the tub and dried them one by one. She nodded to the others as they readied their trays. All three attacked him at the same time. The first two filed his nails and used the clippers to remove the skin around the cuticles.

  “Ow, hey, that hurts.” They continued their assault while the third placed her thumb and index finger on his chin. She made a tsk sound with her tongue before grabbing and small brush. Evan noticed what was happening, knew what the woman planned on doing with the brush. “Oh no, you’re not coming near me with that. I didn’t sign-up for this.”

  The door opened again. Audrey appeared behind the employees tending to his hands and feet. Her blond hair was pulled to the side. She looked more comfortable than she did before they pulled up to the spa.

  “Mr. Taylor, I booked this appointment for you. Everything you are scheduled for is part of the makeover process.” She raised her eyebrows as she inched closer. “That, you did sign-up for.”

  “I don’t want them to wax me.”

  “It’ll only hurt for a moment. You’ll barely feel a thing.”

  His eyes shifted from Audrey to the employee holding the brush. A deep breath and a gentle nod, signaled his readiness. The hot wax brushed against his skin. The paper pressed against his forehead. The woman silently counted to three before ripping the paper from Evan’s head. A loud roar erupted. His scream echoed through the building, bringing a joyous smile to Audrey’s face.

  “When you’re done with his eyebrows, I want his chest done next.” Evan calmed down long enough to hear Audrey’s orders. He watched her face to see if she would change her mind or tell them she was only joking.

  “Hell no! I’m drawing the line. There’s no way this crazy lady is going to wax my chest.”

  “Ladies, may I have a moment alone with my client?” The three employees exited the room, leaving Evan alone with Audrey. He started to get up from the chair, but she moved quickly and shoved him back into it. She leaned towards him, her hands moved up the front of Evan’s robe until they were near his neck. She grabbed a handful and pulled him closer. “Now you listen to me.” The intense tone she used with Evan’s mother returned. It was the type of tone that put men, women, and anyone else in their place. “I’m sick of repeating myself. Your agent hired me to get you ready for this book tour. He told you to do exactly as I say. So this is your last warning. If you refuse to do anything I tell you one more time, I walk and so does your book tour. Do I make myself clear?”

  Evan swallowed the lump in his throat. The anger in Audrey’s eyes ensured Evan knew she wasn’t joking. “Okay, it’s just…that shit hurts, and that was just the space between my eyebrows. How do you expect me to let them do that to my chest?”

  Audrey released her hold on Evan’s robe and stepped back from the chair. “What if I gave you something to focus on while they work on you?”

  It was an enticing offer, but Evan was unsure of what she was going to give him. “What do you have in mind?” Audrey placed her foot between Evan’s legs and bent over it. Her hands gently touched the top of her foot and let her fingertips glide over her bronzed skin. They inched the hem of the robe up her thighs, exposing more skin with every passing second until it the only part hidden by fabric was her pelvis.

  There was an animalistic look in Evan’s eyes. The tease was too tempting. In that moment, he wanted to be those fingertips. He wanted to be the one touching her body. He wanted to see what was hidden behind that robe.

  “I think that should do for now,” Audrey said as she backed away. Her hands relinquished their hold on the robe, letting the fabric drop to her knees. “Now, I want you to think about that for a while.” She moved towards the door as Evan sat with glassy eyed look on his face. Audrey opened the door and let the employees resume their work. Not a peep was heard from Evan for the remainder of his time at the spa.

  Chapter 16-Sara

  Sara was nearly dead on her feet when she got home from work. She hated working for a doctor’s office. There were too many egos, not enough pay or benefits, and always had someone telling her to do something that had no relation to her job responsibilities. The uniform was an entirely different hatred. The staff was forced to wear white sneakers, preferably orthotics, a pair of white pants, and a smock, which was nothing more than a hideous floral monstrosity. The thought of anyone she knew seeing her in the uniform would be considered rock bottom. The moment she got off of work, Sara jumped in her car and sped home. Once the coast was clear, she would make a beeline for her apartment and prayed no one from her building saw her. The door opened just enough for a body to slip through before it was slammed shut. It was another day where Sara made it home without running into anyone she knew.

  The sound of a woman clearing her throat startled her. Sara turned to find Julie lounging on the bed. “Julie, what the hell are you doing here?”

  Sara watched as Julie sat up in the bed. Her mouth hung open in shock. “Never mind that; what the hell are you wearing?”

  Sara quickly pulled the hideous smock over her head and threw it to the floor. Her feet kicked off the shoes as she rushed towards her closet. “It-it’s my work uniform.” Sara’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “It’s not like I had a choice.” She slid out of her work pants and jumped into a pair of sweatpants. “How’d you get in here? I locked the door before I left this morning.” A key dangled from Julie
’s finger, reminding Sara she had given her friend the spare key in case of an emergency. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Sara moved to snatch the key, but Julie closed her hand around it. “I told you last night we were going to do something about this Evan guy.”

  “Leave him alone. He’s not a bad guy.”

  “No, he’s not. I actually like the jerk. He seems to make you happy when he’s not ignoring your texts and calls.”

  “He’s been busy.”

  “I know, and we’re going to do something about that.”

  “What do you mean?” Sara stood with her hands resting on her hips. Her eyes were locked onto her friend, trying to read the devious thoughts running through Julie’s mind. “What did you do?”

  “I haven’t done anything yet.” She moved to the end of the bed and bent over, retrieving a duffle bag. She dropped it next to her with a smile.

  “What’s that?”

  “Your bag. We’re going on a little road trip.”

  “Wait, what? Where?”

  “Where do you think? Look out Long Island, double trouble’s heading your way.” Sara stood stunned by Julie’s declaration. She knew there was no changing her friend’s mind. Sara quickly turned towards her closet. “What are you looking for,” Julie asked.

  “I don’t know. But if we find Evan, I don’t want him seeing me like this.” Sara pointed to the sweatpants and sports bra.

  “I already have clothes in the car for you. Go take a shower, and get that stale smell of the doctor’s office off of you. I’ll bring your bag downstairs.”

  Sara smiled and hugged her friend. “Thank you,” she whispered in Julie’s ear.

  “I’d do anything for you, including driving two and a half hours just so you can see this fool. Now hurry up before I change my mind.”

  The girls were in the car less than an hour later. The G.P.S. said it would take two hours and forty minutes to arrive at their destination. But with Julie behind the wheel, Sara expected to be there in an hour and a half. It was a girl’s night out/road trip. It wasn’t common, but it also wasn’t the first time Sara was dragged on a random road trip with Julie. The last random trip was brought on by Julie’s craving for an authentic Chicago deep dish pizza. It ended with Sara sleeping in the car while Julie found some random guy at a bar to hook-up with.