Unforeseen Danger (25 page)

Selma
worked like a whirlwind.
 
She whisked through Nikki’s hair so quickly Nikki was afraid of what the end result would look like, especially after
Selma
admonished, “You know, you’ve always worn your hair too long.
 
It’s so thick that all that weight just pulls it flat.”

Nikki closed her eyes as long strands of hair kept falling around her.
 
She was afraid of what she’d look like when
Selma
was through.
 

She kept them closed until
Selma
crowed, “Okay, take a look!”

The transformation astounded her.
 
Selma
had managed to camouflage the little shaven spot on Nikki’s scalp with strategically placed layers.
 
The layers formed a soft frame around her face, emphasizing her delicate features.
 
Her hair, which had fallen almost past her shoulders, now barely brushed the tops of them.
 
She had to admit;
Selma
had been right about the length.
 
The shorter cut made her hair look more sophisticated and bouncy.
 

“I love it,” she managed, as
Selma
grinned.

“Nikki, you look beautiful!” Catherine said.
 
“Jake’s going to be knocked off his feet.”

“I hope so,” Nikki said with a smile.

Catherine found the gown she wanted almost immediately.
 
The icy blue gown brought out the incredible blue of her eyes, but both girls teased her for its modesty.
 
It was long-sleeved and fell all the way to her ankles.
 
Thousands of tiny pearls decorated the bodice.
 

“Come on, Catherine,” Darcy protested, “You need to show a little leg, a little cleavage, or something.
 
That looks like a grandma dress!”

“Dear,” Catherine said with a patient smile.
 
“I’m over twice your age.
 
My days of a little leg and a little cleavage are behind me, thank God.
 
I’m too old to worry about whether I’m flashing someone every time I lean over the punch bowl.
 
Besides,” she added with a grin, “Maybe one of these days, Nikki and Jake
will
make me a grandmother.
 
The thought is quite appealing, actually.”

Nikki gave her an amused smile.
 
The thought was somewhat appealing to her, too.
 

Darcy found her dress next, a short, fire engine red number guaranteed to stop traffic.
 

“You look great,” Nikki said, as Darcy strutted around, pretending to be on a runway.

She winked at Catherine.
 
“Now if I can find some handsome guy to flash over the punch bowl.”
 

Nikki had yet to see anything that caught her eye.
 
She was beginning to think she
would
rather wear one of the gowns in her closet when a girl came bursting out of the door of the shop they were about to enter and grabbed her hand.

“Mrs. Hawthorne, I was going to call you,” she said.
 
“I heard about your accident and I’m so glad to see you up and about.”

“Thank you…”

“
Joleigh
,” she said apologetically.
 
“So it’s true about the amnesia?”

“I’m afraid so.”
  

“Your gown’s ready and it is lovely!”
 
Joleigh
clapped her hands together.

“My gown?”
 
Nikki asked.

“Oh, sorry.
 
I guess you don’t remember ordering it.”

Nikki shook her head, and
Joleigh
continued, “You brought in a
color
swatch three months ago, and a design that you’d sketched out, and asked if Ramon could make it for you.
 
He was thrilled with it and asked me to thank you again for choosing him to fix it.
 
He thinks it will get him a lot of orders after the party.”

“Well, I can’t wait to see it,” Nikki said, and shrugged at Catherine and Darcy.
 
Joleigh
took her hand and practically dragged her into the backroom of the shop while Darcy and Catherine waited outside.
 

The gown took Nikki’s breath away.

“Can I try it on?” she gasped.

“Mrs. Hawthorne, it’s yours.
 
You can do whatever you like with it,”
Joleigh
grinned, looking pleased by Nikki’s reaction.
 
She pointed to a door in the back.
 
“Dressing room.”

Nikki felt like Cinderella as she slipped the bronze silk top on.
 
The
color
was perfect against her skin, and it made her green eyes seemed to glow in the mirror.
 
The ballroom skirt was the same
color
, but overlain with a nearly transparent layer of shimmering fabric that caught the light.
 
She giggled and spun once just to watch the skirt swirl around her ankles.
 
She felt like a princess and wondered what Jake’s reaction would be.

Catherine and Darcy were chatting with
Joleigh
when Nikki came out of the backroom.
 
Whatever Catherine was saying died on her lips as Nikki entered the room.
 

“Oh, Nikki!
 
You look stunning,” Catherine gasped.

“I told you,”
Joleigh
said.
 
“That dress is perfect for her.”

“You like?”
 
Nikki smiled and turned a slow circle.

“I love!” Darcy exclaimed.
 
“That
color
is gorgeous on you.”

Nikki just hoped her husband would think so.
 
Sometimes it was even hard to breathe when Jake was around.
 
Even though she knew that he needed time, she wanted him.
 
She yearned for him to make love to her, for them to truly live as husband and wife again.
 

“Give me your keys, Catherine,” Darcy said.
 
“I’ll go put our gowns in the car so we won’t have to lug them to the makeup counter.”

“Today has been fun.”
 
Catherine patted Nikki’s hand as they waited on Darcy.
 
“Who would’ve ever thought that you and I would be shopping together?”

Nikki laughed.
 
“Certainly not Jake.
 
I think he’s still a little nervous about us.”

Catherine laughed.
 
“I’ll bet.”
 
She touched Nikki’s arm.
 
“Look.
 
There’s Elaine.”

Nikki glanced up and Elaine glared back at her from the escalators.

Without a word, she turned and started walking up the escalator she’d been riding down.
 

“How rude,” Catherine murmured.
 
“I don’t know what to do about that girl.
 
She believes Zeke and I had an affair when he was still married to her mother, and nothing I say or do will convince her otherwise.”

Nikki frowned.
 
Maybe Elaine had half the equation right.

They chatted for a few minutes and Catherine glanced at her watch.
 
“I should’ve helped Darcy with those bags.
 
She had quite a load.”

“There she is.”
 
Nikki pointed toward the entrance.
 
Darcy reappeared through the throng of people.

“Whew,” she said.
 
“This place is getting packed.
 
It took me forever to even find the damn car.
 
After the makeup counter, let’s get some lunch.
 
I’m starving.”

After her visit to the makeup counter, Nikki felt like a new creature.
 
She hadn’t worn any makeup since the accident and the glamorous reflection in the saleslady’s mirror startled her.
 
She couldn’t wait to see what Jake thought of her new look.

They stopped for lunch at
Hannigan’s
Garden.
 

“Is Carlos working today?”
 
Darcy asked the greeter.

“Nope.”
 
He grinned.
 
“But he’ll wish he was when I tell him a beautiful woman was asking about him.”

Winking at him, Darcy asked, “Trying to get a fat tip?”

“I’d settle for a date.”

“We’ll see,” she teased and Nikki rolled her eyes.
 

Darcy smiled as he walked off,
then
said, “Damn!
 
From now on, this red lipstick is like my credit card.
 
Won’t leave home without it.”

“Who’s Carlos?” Nikki asked.

Darcy sighed.
 
“Hot Latin guy who lives in my building.
 
He taught me how to salsa—” she sipped her water.
 
“—among other things.”

Nikki laughed.
 
“You’re terrible.”

Sipping her water, Darcy winked.
 
“Not what Carlos
says.
”

Snapping her fingers, Nikki said, “Oh, I meant to ask you.
 
Have you ever heard anyone call me ‘MP’?
 
When my mother came over, I had this flash, I guess.”

They both shook their heads and Nikki sighed.
 
“Jake didn’t know, either.”

“I don’t remember anyone calling you that.”
 
Darcy speared a tomato and grinned.
 
“But if it was a nickname Sara gave you, I’m not sure you want to know.”

Nikki lifted an eyebrow.
 
“I’m sure you’re right.”

After they ate, Catherine excused herself to call Zeke.
 

“Want to split a hot fudge cake with me?” Nikki asked Darcy.

Darcy leaned back and patted her stomach.
 
“No, thanks.
 
I want to actually be able to
zip
my dress at the ball.”

“Well,” Catherine said as she slipped her phone back in her purse.
 
“I wonder where Zeke is.
 
He doesn’t have court today.”

“I’ve got to run to the little girl’s room,” Darcy said.
 
“When the waiter comes back around, get him to refill my iced tea.”

Nikki nodded and looked at Catherine.
 
She was torn between telling Catherine what she’d seen at Patty’s and protecting her.
 

What if you’re wrong?
she
kept asking herself.
 

The waiter took her order and Nikki excused herself to the restroom.
 
She wouldn’t talk to Catherine about it until she had a chance to talk to Zeke.

Darcy was checking her hair in the mirror when Nikki came in.

“Something wrong,
Nik
?” she asked.
 
“You look worried.”

“I’m okay,” she said.
 
“Just a little tired.”
 

She started to ask Darcy what she knew about Zeke, but decided against it.
 
It seemed disloyal to Catherine to question other people about her marriage.

Catherine insisted on picking up the tab.
 
As they stepped out into the sunlight, Nikki shielded her eyes from the glare as Catherine dug for her keys.
 

She reached for the door as Catherine pressed the remote to unlock the Cadillac.

Nikki opened the passenger door and gave a startled cry.
 
Covering her mouth with her hand, she lurched backward into Darcy.

“What’s wrong?”
 
Darcy asked as Catherine hurried around the side of the car to her.
 

Nikki didn’t answer.
 
She stared down at the passenger seat at what was left of her wedding photo.
 

Jake’s picture had been neatly cut away from hers, and then shredded into a thousand tiny pieces.
 
It was scattered across the leather upholstery like confetti.
 
A note lay beside her smiling photo.

The ring on your finger means nothing.

You belong to me.
 

Catherine gasped behind her.
 
“That picture—”

Nikki nodded, her mouth suddenly gone dry.
 
“It’s the picture that sat on my bedroom dresser.”

Matt met them in the parking lot and carefully collected the evidence as
Janney
dusted
the car for prints.
 
Catherine was nearly in tears as she answered Matt’s questions.
 
Nikki watched them in numb detachment.