Reinvention of Chastity (2 page)

“Well excuse me, miss. I’m just trying to make conversation.”

“And I’m just trying to work, Pearl. I have a lot to get through today,”

Chastity said as patiently as she could.

“Are you implying that I don’t have a lot of work to do?” Pearl took offense so easily; it was hard to say something without the woman getting her back up.

“I said no such thing.”

“You certainly implied it.”

Chastity silently counted to ten. “I apologize if that’s how it sounded, but it wasn’t what I meant.”

“Hmph,” was the only reply from the grumpy woman.

Great, now Pearl would be on her case all morning. This day was going from bad to worse.

* * *

“Girl, you know I love you, but you can’t sit around whining about it.

You have to take action,” Dallas Jamison said, flipping a stray lock of black hair from her eyes.

“Come on, Dallas, can’t you see the kid is miserable? The least we can do is offer her some support,” Kevin chimed in.

Dallas pursed her lips. “Support my ass. What the hell do you think we’ve been doing for the past couple hours? I’ve been here since six o’

clock and it’s now eleven. Right now I could be getting laid and having a couple cocktails, not necessarily in that order. And what about you, Kevin? You should be spending time with Nick but nooo, we’re both here for Chastity’s pity party. The time for crying is over, my friend.”

Chastity’s head shot up as she glared at her best friend since middle school. Dallas was gorgeous to look at with her even mahogany skin and slanted chocolate eyes that gave her a cat-like appearance. Her triangular shaped face was framed with a neat glossy black chin-length 10

The Reinvention of Chastity

bob. Tall and lithe, she looked exactly like the type Sebastian would go for, which made Chastity feel even more miserable.

Dallas was probably right. What was the point in crying about it? The damage was done, but damn, the humiliation still burned strong. “What would you have me do? I mean, it’ll probably take a while for me to find another job as high paying as the one I have now. You have no idea how it felt this morning walking into the office just to hear Sebastian rip me apart like I’m the biggest loser of the century.” Her fingers tightened over her Calico cat Monty’s neck, causing him to hiss furiously. “I’m sorry baby,” she murmured, setting the angry feline free.

“You see? Even Monty doesn’t want to be around right now, and who knows what happened to Fluffy,” Dallas pointed out, untangling long legs from under her before standing up, arms akimbo.

Chastity recognized that determined gleam in her friend’s eyes and knew a plan was hatching. Uh-oh. The last time Dallas had that particular look, Chastity ended up with a broken leg. “Save me, Kevin,”

she whispered to the blond sitting at her side.

Kevin shrugged, probably realizing that he could no more stop Dallas than she could. “This should be interesting,” he muttered, raking long fingers through short, spiky hair.

“I don’t think you should quit your job,” Dallas mused. “I think you should seduce him and then when you have him where you want him, dump his ass. Show him how little his feelings mean to you. I guarantee it’ll teach that bastard not to walk all over you again. Who the hell does he think he is anyway, to treat you like that?”

“Are you on crack? If you haven’t realized, I’m not exactly seduction material, and there’s a little issue about my short, pudgy body. I think he prefers his women with a little less meat on their bones.”

Dallas rolled her eyes. “You’re nowhere near fat, not even pleasantly plump. You’re thick and do you know how many men love thick women?

Look at Oprah, Queen Latifah and Tocara from that modeling show.

There’s more cushin’ to the pushin’, baby.”

“Said the size six,” Chastity snorted.

11

Eve Vaughn

“Actually, I’m a size four, thank you very much. Don’t let the big booty fool you.” Dallas winked, rubbing well-manicured hands over her hips.

Flipping her friend the bird, Chastity shook her head. “Bitch.”

The other woman grinned, blowing her a kiss. “But you love me anyway.”

“Unfortunately,” Chastity sighed. Even though Dallas’s idea was completely preposterous, she giggled at the thought of seducing Sebastian. Something like that would never happen.

Kevin’s dark eyes narrowed, giving Chastity a discerning look. “You know, I think the idea has merit. Nick could take you shopping. He loves getting his hands on a new project. It’ll be just like
Pretty Woman
.”

“I don’t want to be anyone’s project.”

“I think that’s a great idea, Kevin.” Dallas jumped from one foot to the other in excitement as though Chastity hadn’t said a word. “I’ll take her to the salon to get her hair styled. She has a fine grade of hair. I wish she didn’t wear it pulled back into that tired-looking bun all the time. She’ll definitely need to get those brows shaped, along with a manicure and pedicure. We’ll hook her up!”

Kevin nodded, beaming from ear to ear, revealing big white teeth. “It’s a must that we get rid of those coke bottle glasses. I’ve always thought they were hideous. They make her eyes look like tiny raisins.”

That was it. Chastity couldn’t just sit like a lump while they dissected her as if she were some specimen on a Petri dish. Raising her hand, she said, “Uh, hello? I’m sitting right here and I think I’m just fine the way I am. I realize I could lose a few pounds, but I don’t need your makeover help.” She couldn’t believe their audacity. Sure Dallas shot straight from the hip, but Chastity was surprised at her neighbor and good friend of three years, Kevin. Considering his job was that of a corporate sensitivity trainer, Chastity expected a little more support.

“I hate to tell you, hon, but your style does leave little to be desired.

Nick and I were just talking about it the other day. Just because you’re not a Tyra or Naomi, doesn’t mean you can’t be sexy. Let’s face facts, nearly all of your skirts practically touch the floor and those blazers make you look like my nana,” Kevin went on ruthlessly.

12

The Reinvention of Chastity

Chastity crossed her arms over ample breasts. “Well, sorry if my sense of fashion offends you. We don’t all have the luxury of being born a gay man.”

“Stop playing the martyr. It’s time for you to take charge of your life.

Make him notice you, and then squash him like the rat he is.” Kevin emphasized the point by slamming his fist in his palm.

“Even if I do get a makeover, it won’t necessarily mean he’ll suddenly want me.”

Dallas sighed. “Maybe not, but at least you can show him that you don’t give a damn about what Sebastian Rossi thinks. Besides, if our plan doesn’t work out exactly as we want it to, you just may find someone more worthy of your devotion. When was the last time you got laid anyway?”

“Is nothing sacred with you, Dallas?”

Her friend shrugged impatiently. “Just answer the question.”

Chastity shook her head in disbelief, unable to believe the turn this conversation had taken. “That’s none of your business.”

“Don’t be such a prude, girl. If you can’t tell your friends, who can you tell?” Dallas asked, plopping back down on the loveseat with her usual dramatic flair.

Kevin took Chastity’s hand in his, giving her a wink. With his blond hair, guileless brown eyes and wholesome face, he had the All-American-boy-next-door looks that made women drool. Why were the cute ones either assholes or gay? “Enquiring minds want to know, honey,” he drawled.

Chastity sighed. There was no point in trying to keep anything from these two. “It’s been about four years, but I will have you know that I choose to be celibate.”

A look of horror crossed Dallas’s face. “Are you saying the last guy you slept with was Melvin Sloane? Eww. He looked like Urkel’s twin brother, but not as cute.”

“Oh stop that. He wasn’t that bad and you know it. Melvin was a nice guy and he wasn’t a bad lover either.”

Her girlfriend laughed. “As if you have a lot to compare him to.”

13

Eve Vaughn

“Three partners is nothing to sneeze at. Unlike you, I prefer being in a relationship before I’m intimate with a man. I don’t do random penises.”

“And where has that gotten you?” Dallas shot back. “You spend your nights alone curled up on the couch. You get up and go to work, then come home. I have to practically beg you to hang out with us sometimes.

That’s not living, girl.”

Chastity’s face burned with embarrassment. She didn’t see anything wrong with being careful about choosing sex partners, but when put like that, her life sounded as exciting as cold dishwater.

Sebastian’s deep laugher filled her mind.
It’s not my fault she has a
crush on me.
Thinking of all the hours she’d put in to help around the office while the rest of the staff had gone home, raised her ire. Then she remembered the times she’d showered him with compliments. There was even a time when she’d brought him homemade cookies.

And he laughed behind her back.

Who the hell did he think he was to trample over her feelings, unknowingly or not? What gave him the right to think she was someone to tread upon—someone he could treat like a wind-up-doll, just because he could? Apparently he thought he had every right to do so, and she only had herself to blame.

Well no more Miss Nice Guy. For the first time that day she was angry. No, she was pissed. Maybe she’d never be the femme fatale Dallas and Kevin wanted to make her into, but Chastity swore to herself that she’d bring Sebastian Rossi to his knees if it was the last thing she did.

“Okay, guys. You win. When do we start? I’m ready to be reinvented.”

14

The Reinvention of Chastity

Something fishy was going on.

Sebastian checked his watch, and then his desk clock to make sure the times matched. What the hell had gotten into Chastity? Out of the seven paralegals at the firm, she was generally the most dependable. If he needed a subpoena drafted or a letter written, Sebastian knew he could count on her. He never had to ask her to stay late. It was just something she volunteered to do, arriving early and leaving late.

Beyond her cats, she never talked about anyone special in her life, so it never occurred to him that she had much of a life. He was well aware of her crush on him. He’d be an idiot not to notice, especially by the way she stared at him, her eagerness to please and the constant chatter.

At first, Sebastian found her attention a little embarrassing and contemplated letting her go, but since she didn’t act upon those feelings, he was able to ignore them. Now he was just used to it. He freely admitted there were times when he’d use those feelings to his advantage.

Guilt would assail him, but he managed to push it away, convincing himself that she enjoyed doing his bidding, so why knock a good thing?

Chastity was a nice lady and a damn good worker, but she just wasn’t his type. She reminded him of his twelfth grade math teacher, round and frumpy. He supposed she could be attractive if she did a little more with her appearance and got rid of those thick glasses. Where the hell did she find those things anyway? They looked like something straight out of the fifties.

He had to admit though, that smile of hers was rather arresting. It was actually kind of pleasant coming to the office to see a bright smile greeting him in the morning. And despite the many layers of clothes she favored wearing, they didn’t disguise a very generous rack. Once, he’d even wondered what she’d look like stripped beneath his gaze. Would she 15

Eve Vaughn

be a hellcat in bed? The quiet ones usually were. Not that it really mattered anyway. He preferred his women taller and…more pleasing to the eye.

As superficial as that may be to some people, why should he settle for someone who obviously didn’t take pride in her appearance? Sure she was neat and clean, but that wasn’t enough for him. Perhaps he was the hopeless snob, where women were concerned, his mother accused him of being, but it was how he felt.

Sebastian glanced at his watch again and frowned. It was now nine-thirty. Chastity had left a message with the receptionist, saying she’d be running late. She should have been in the office an hour ago. Normally, he didn’t really have time to notice when his employees were tardy, unless the office manager brought it to his attention, but it wasn’t like Chastity to be late at all.

In fact, all last week, her behavior had been odd. Whenever Sebastian would ask her to do something for him, she’d hesitate, not attacking the task with her usual eagerness. When he spoke to her, she didn’t meet his eyes. Not even a smile tilted her lips when he walked by. There almost seemed to be an air of resentment surrounding her.

Had he done something to her? Said something offensive? Sebastian racked his brain, trying to figure out the reason for the total about-face.

It shouldn’t have bothered him so much, especially if it meant her being over him, but it did. It bothered the hell out of him.

He’d even asked Chastity about her stupid cats, just to get a smile out of her, but the only reply had been a curt, “fine”. What did it matter?

She was just an employee anyway. As long as she did her job, that should be that.

Just then his office door burst open. His partner Jeremy stepped inside and closed the door behind him, a flushed look on his face.

Sebastian knew that look well. Jeremy had big news.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in court this morning?”

“No. It’s been postponed. Dugan filed a motion to dismiss. Judge Larson won’t have a decision until the end of the week,” the blond answered, flopping down into the chair in front of Sebastian’s large oak desk.

16

The Reinvention of Chastity

“Does he have a leg to stand on?”

“Not really. He’s probably just trying to buy more time. The case is cut and dry. His clients clearly ignored the safety regulations, which caused Mr. Jones’ injury. I’m not sure why they haven’t discussed a settlement yet. I have a feeling Dugan’s trying to dig up some dirt on my guy.”