Hollywood Flirt - Alexa Aston Page 0,5

up. Or no glasses. You look really pretty.”

“Thanks, Brenda. I’m off.”

“You’ll keep my offer in mind?” Brenda had a hopeful look on her face.

“I will,” Sydney promised. She hugged Brenda once more and then waltzed down the corridor. She could tell heads were turning as she passed. She hadn’t sought out or received attention like this in a long time.

Wait until she sported her own hair color. And makeup. She couldn’t wait to brush on a few coats of mascara.

Stopping in the restroom, she splashed cold water on her face and patted it dry with a paper towel. Here was the starting-to-be-new Sydney facing her. So far, so good.

Sydney emerged from the office building a few minutes later and looked around. Rick leaned against the car, a folded newspaper in his hands. He glanced up as she began walking his way. He smiled and went back to reading—then looked up again in a double take.

His eyes crinkled. He beamed at her as he opened the back door.

“Well, hello, Miss Brown,” he said.

“Hello, Rick.”

“You’re looking good, Miss Brown. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“I almost didn’t know myself, Rick.”

The driver closed her door and opened his own. “Where to? Logan?”

“Let’s make one stop before. CVS. The first one you spot.”

“Will do.”

Within five minutes, Sydney was grabbing a small shopping basket at the drug store. She headed straight for the wall housing all the makeup. She tossed in everything from concealer to eye shadow to five different shades of lipstick before she remembered to add makeup remover and a small makeup bag for her purse. She paid for the items and returned to the car.

As Rick drove her to the airport, Sydney applied makeup for the first time since she was seventeen. Her hands shook at first so she took a few calming breaths and tried again. By the time they reached Logan, her transformation was complete.

Rick opened the door to help her out and gave a long whistle. “Oh, Miss Brown.” He was speechless.

She laughed. “I’m Sydney now, Rick. My Miss Brown days are over.” At least they would be once she Googled how to legally go back to being Sydney Revere again.

“Sure you don’t want to hire me as a bodyguard? You’ll need one. Men are going to be coming on to you left and right.”

It felt nice to see a man eye her appreciatively. Not that she wanted to be involved with any man right now. After Number Two, she was done with men, but receiving a compliment about her appearance felt exhilarating.

“I know Tae Kwon Do, so I think I can protect myself.” She’d taken lessons since her law school days and loved the empowering feeling practicing the martial art gave her.

Rick held up his hands in surrender. “Then you should be set.” He paused. “I’m not going to be driving you anymore, am I, Miss Brown?”

“Sydney,” she said softly. “And, no. This is goodbye. Thanks for everything, Rick.”

He stuck out a hand and pumped hers enthusiastically. “If this is it, then you’re going out in a blaze of glory, Sydney.” He looked sheepish using her first name.

“Thanks.”

Rick retrieved her suitcase from the trunk and raised the handle for her. “It’s been a real pleasure, Sydney. Good luck with wherever you’re going and whatever you’ll do when you get there.”

She gave him a smile. “I hope someday you’ll be able to know what I’ve decided to do with myself. Bye.”

Sydney entered the airport and checked her bag, glad the long flight wouldn’t have any layovers and that she’d snagged the last seat in first class. She stopped to pick up a bottled water and bought a pack of gum. Not just for take-off and landing. When she’d written stories as a teenager, she’d always popped a piece of gum into her mouth and chewed furiously on it as she wrote.

As she boarded the plane, she hoped to get a lot of writing done. She reached to turn off her cell. It buzzed in her hand. Sydney had already taken two calls from Brenda on the ride to the airport and hoped this would be the last of them. She wanted to leave Boston behind.

“Hello?” she said as she slid her briefcase under the seat in front of her.

“You quit your job? That’s fucked up, Sydney.”

She quickly disconnected the call, her heart pounding. She wanted to scream in frustration and hurl the phone from the plane. Instead, she turned it off and methodically opened the back of the case and