The Hottest Ticket in Town (17 page)

Jason glanced at the small screen and went very still. “Wet T-shirt contest?” he asked in a low, gravelly voice, his gaze still on the phone.

Claire felt the hot blush spread from her neck to her face. She braced herself for Jason to double over with laughter. To her surprise, his smile faded as he gave her a piercing look. “And who is this Max?”

“Give it to me.” She leaped from her chair and made a grab for the phone but he kept it out of reach. It was just like old times.

“Not until you tell me who Max is.”

Claire glanced around the wine bar, hoping they weren't causing a scene. To her relief, no one was paying them any attention. “He's not someone from around here,” she whispered fiercely.

She watched in horror as Jason started typing on the keypad.

Don't freak out. He's messing with you, just like he used to. He's just pretending. He won't dare send a text.

“What did he say?”

“Something about photographic evidence,” he muttered as he texted a reply. “He sounds charming.”

“What are you doing?” She grabbed his arm and was momentarily distracted by the sensation of the warm and solid muscle beneath her fingertips. She wondered how it would feel to have his arms around her. “Do not tell him anything,” she rasped.

“Wow, you are really panicky with this guy.” Jason squinted at the screen as he continued to type. “You must like him a lot.”

Like him? No. But Max Blair could be her fairy godmother. His approval would make her the belle of the ball instead of the wallflower. “It's complicated.”

“Isn't it always?”

She gasped when he pressed the send button. “What did you say to him?”

He shrugged. “Just your run-of-the-mill marriage proposal.”

Her fingers dug into his arms.
“What?”

“I'm kidding.” Jason's smile widened. “So why haven't I heard anything about this guy?”

“There's nothing to tell.” Claire needed to see the text Jason had sent. She jumped for the phone and collided with him. Her hands flattened against his chest as she inhaled his scent. It was woodsy and masculine.

“Are you really entering a wet T-shirt contest?” he asked quietly.

She jerked her head up in shock. Jason's face was right above hers. His blue eyes were mesmerizing and she hurriedly stepped away. “That's what he asked?”

“No,
I'm
asking you.”

She nervously licked her bottom lip. “Why? Do you think I could win?”

Claire should have curbed her tongue. Deep down she knew that question would require Jason to look at her—really look at her. Her skin tingled with awareness as his eyes darkened. Her breasts felt heavy and tight under her printed pink top as his gaze lingered on her chest. She didn't breathe until his eyes met hers again.

“I don't think you're the kind of woman who could enter a wet T-shirt contest.”

Claire reared her head back. “Could?” she repeated. What did that mean? Did he believe she lacked the curves or the audacity for that kind of competition?

“I meant
would
.” Her phone chimed again. Claire held back a panicked whimper. Jason glanced at the screen but didn't say anything about it. “It was supposed to be a compliment.”

Of course it was. She nodded silently. Taking a long look at her and saying she couldn't enter a wet T-shirt contest could only be construed as complimentary.

Her phone chimed again. Claire wanted to wrap her arms around her. Instead she bunched her hands into fists. She wasn't going to react. She wasn't in a playful mood and Jason would catch on. He'd soon lose interest and give her back the phone.

Jason read the text and frowned. “Have you ever been to one of those contests?”

“No,” she admitted reluctantly. She didn't even know where they were held or if there were rules. “Why?”

“Then you may have a problem.” Jason gave her the phone. “Looks like Max is coming for a visit so he can see you in action.”

Visit? That didn't make any sense. Max wouldn't waste his time visiting a rural small town. She read his last text.

I'm going to be in Seattle next Friday. Would love to meet up.

She doubled over as her stomach twisted violently. “Nooo.”

Another text popped up.

Consider this challenge your interview—transform yourself in one week and the job is yours.

The panic clawed her chest as she gulped in air. “This isn't happening.”

* * *

J
ASON
WATCHED
C
LAIRE
with growing concern. She shoved her hands in her long blond hair. Her blue eyes were dull and her full lips were pinched. Her fair skin had gone white. The woman had always been uptight but he had never seen her this upset before.

He glanced at the message on her phone. “Transform?” he asked as he curled his arm around her shoulders. She felt soft and delicate against him. “What is he talking about?”

“Max Blair helps celebrities manage their public image on social media. He is a big deal and he's interviewing me for a job.” She covered her face with her hands. “But I have to pass a test by reinventing myself into a wild party girl.”

Claire Miller, a party girl? He couldn't wrap his head around the idea. This Max Blair knew how to test her. Claire didn't have the attitude to be a wild woman. She was quiet and gentle. Serious. Intense. Always had been. At times it turned into anxiety. When that happened, he tried to distract her until she calmed down. He wasn't always successful.

But this test was something else. Claire didn't like revealing anything about herself, but he discovered something new every time he saw her. Like when she had unintentionally shown her deep romantic streak when she gathered the love stories of his grandparents and parents for a Valentine's Day feature on the website. Claire had tried to act as if it was all to emphasize the family aspect of the winery, but she couldn't hide her true interest from him.

“Are you going to do the interview?”

“I want the job.” She stumbled to the bar stool. Claire sat down and flopped her arms and head onto the bar. “Everyone in my industry would kill to be Max's protégé. I want to be the one. I want everyone envying
me
for a change. Have my colleagues know my name and listen to what I have to say.”

He was missing something. “Then what is stopping you?”

“It means I have to appear...bolder than I am.”

Bold? No, that wasn't Claire Miller. She was like his favorite dry Riesling—a balanced contrast of sharp and sweet. He would have added flowery, considering her secret romantic side, but now he wondered if there was an underlying hint of spice.

“This interview technique is questionable,” Jason said. “Are you sure he's not one of those creeps who uses his position to get women into bed? Does he use job openings as a casting couch?”

“Jason, please.” Her voice was muffled. “Now is not the time to share your paranoid theories that I'm walking into danger.”

“Paranoid theories?” he repeated. He had pulled Claire and his sister, Kim, out of one bad situation after another for as long as he could remember. He didn't ask for the role as their protector but he couldn't stop being concerned. Especially about Claire. She seemed more vulnerable and more trusting than his sister.

“You didn't answer my question, Claire. What do you know about this guy?”

Claire sighed. “He's a legend and has launched the career of many influential people in the field. Max can make you a star or he can send you back into obscurity. He gets hundreds of résumés in a week and he approached me for a job.
Me
.”

Jason realized Claire had been seduced simply by the way she was offered the position. “Is this your dream job?”

She rocked her head from side to side. “I never allowed myself to dream about it. I didn't think it was possible.”

Jason sat down next to her. “What about your business? You built it from scratch. You are the boss.”

“I know.” She lifted her head. “I love my work. I love being in charge. But this offer...I could be more. I could be a star in my industry.”

Jason watched her silently. He didn't think that accolades would have been important to Claire. She didn't seek the spotlight.

She rested her head against her hand. “The thing is, I'm sure I could do this assignment. I can create an image and maintain it. Make it feel authentic. I've done it many times for my clients. But can I do it to myself?”

Jason shrugged. “How is it different than working with one of your clients?”

Claire smiled at his suggestion. “I can be a different person online. That's what's so great about social media,” she said as she splayed her hands in the air. “With the right strategy you can appear more successful, more popular and more interesting than you are in real life. But face-to-face? Forget it.”

“It's not that hard to do something wild and crazy. Take my word for it. All you need is poor judgment and witnesses. The problem is living it down for the rest of your life.”

“Not you. You're the golden boy. You could do anything and it doesn't stick to you.” Claire slowly pushed her hair from her face and sat up straight. “In fact, you're an expert on this. You could help me reinvent myself.”

Jason's eyes widened. “Excuse me? I don't know anything about transformations or changing an image. That's why I hired you to promote this place.”

“But I don't have a personal image.” She pulled at the lapels of her blazer and smoothed her hands over the pink blouse she wore underneath. “And it's time to work on that. With your help.”

“No way, I'm not doing it.” He wasn't sure what all
it
would entail, but his imagination was going wild. Jason didn't like that determined look in Claire's eyes. He raised his hands as if he could stop her. “If this guy is making you do weird assignments for an interview, what is he going to make you do once you get the job? I'm not so sure about this Max Blair.”

She slapped her hand against the bar. “Jason, I'm calling in a favor.”

“No.” He stood up and crossed his arms. “When I said I owe you one, I meant something like a reference or a free case of wine.”

Claire slowly rose from her seat and met his gaze. She had a spark in her eye that he hadn't seen before. “Do you know how many favors I've done for you? How many times I made your project my top priority? You wouldn't want that to stop now, would you?”

“What are you saying? That you'll stop working for me?” He couldn't let that happen. Claire's work was critical to his success. Not only that, but she made his work life easier.

“No, I will continue to work for you because we have a contract.” She copied his stance and crossed her arms. “But I won't break my neck trying to meet your insane deadlines and emergencies.”

“You wouldn't.” She
couldn't
. Claire never said no to him. He hadn't realized that until now.

“Let's hope it doesn't go that far. I'm calling in all my favors.” She pointed at him. “If you help me transform into a party girl for one week, I promise to wipe the slate clean. You won't owe me anything.”

Jason paused. Anything? That was a generous offer. “Seriously?”

“I promise.”

He believed her, but that didn't mean he should agree. “This is going to blow up in our faces.”

Her eyes twinkled when she realized he was weakening. “No one will know.”

Jason scoffed at her prediction. “You are transforming yourself into a wild party girl. Someone is going to notice.”

“It'll only be temporary.” She clasped her hands together, silently begging him to agree. “You can spare a week.”

“There is no such thing as a temporary reputation.” He'd been labeled as the golden boy in middle school and everyone in town still expected him to succeed in everything he did.

“I got it!” Claire's eyes grew round as the excitement built inside her. “I'll tell everyone I went off the rails and you pulled me back from the brink of self-destruction. You'll be the hero in the story.”

Claire loved storytelling in her social media campaigns but this was different. “No one is going to believe that.”

“Please, I can spin a story,” Claire said with quiet confidence. “Max doesn't agree with some of my methods or my emphasis on storytelling. This is my chance to show him that I know what I'm talking about. So what do you say? Are you in?”

Jason sighed and raked his hand through his hair. It was clearly important to Claire to show her expertise to this so-called legend. But Jason didn't trust the guy's motives. He doubted there was a legitimate job offer at the end of the test. Claire was naive and her ambitions were blinding her to the risks. He needed to watch over Claire and make sure she didn't do something that could hurt her in the long run.

“I'm in,” he said with great reluctance. “What all does Max want you to do? Start from the beginning.”

Copyright © 2015 by Susanna Carr