Seduce Me - J. Kenner Page 0,15
in a horseshoe, and the customers walk around the U-shape to scope out both the items on the shelves and those in the cabinets. Some are filled with brand-new pieces, others display estate jewelry. I find antique emerald and diamond drop earrings set in platinum and a matching bracelet that are almost exactly what I have in mind.
“They’re stunning quality,” the man behind the counter says. His nametag identifies him as Frederick Pyle.
“I’m looking for something to match this,” I say, bending to remove my anklet. As I do, I see her again. My dark-haired shadow. And this time I am absolutely, one-hundred-percent sure that I know her. She has wavy hair that reaches her shoulders and a round face with prominent cheekbones. She’s petite, and looks even smaller because she keeps herself hunched over, as if she is trying to hide from the world.
She’s browsing the glass shelves, and I turn back to Mr. Pyle, both because he has brought out the pieces for me to look at, and also because I don’t want to catch her eye while I’m still trying to remember her name.
Where do I know her from?
I try not to think too hard, because that is a surefire way to ensure that I don’t remember. Instead, I put the anklet next to the bracelet. They are not a perfect match, but the settings complement each other beautifully. And, most important, I like them. “I’ll take them,” I say. And because I’m Mrs. Damien Stark and I never, ever do this, despite Damien telling me to buy whatever I want, whenever I want, I don’t even ask the price. Instead, I just tell him to charge it to my room. Then I tell him my name, show him my ID, and fight not to smile when his already polite and deferential attitude ratchets up about a thousandfold.
“Of course, Mrs. Stark. Would you like to wait? Or shall I deliver the pieces to your suite after we’ve cleaned and packaged them?”
“I’d love to wear them,” I admit. “How long?”
“Ten minutes. If you’d like to have a seat?” He points to a silk-upholstered divan at the back of the store. “Some wine?”
“I’ll just browse,” I say. “Thanks.”
I stroll around the store, peeking into the glass cases, checking out all of the lovely, sparkly items. But my attention is only half there. Mostly I am racking my brain, trying to remember that woman’s name. I’m trying very hard not to stare, too, which is good, as she keeps turning side to side, her eyes darting all over the place as if she is nervous.
Soon enough, I realize why.
She takes one of the handblown glass vases, and slides it surreptitiously into her purse.
Then she straightens her shoulders, browses the shelves for a few more minutes, and heads for the entrance. She’s almost through, when the security guard steps in front of her.
“Excuse me, miss,” he says. “I’m going to have to ask you to open your purse.”
“Pardon?” Her voice rises, and even from across the store I can hear her panic. “Oh, golly,” she adds, and in that moment, I know exactly who she is. Marcy Kendall from Dallas, Texas. One of the few girls in high school that Jamie and I genuinely liked. One of the few who was nice to me and didn’t think I was stuck-up and bitchy just because I entered pageants. Somehow, she saw through all the bullshit and realized that my reserve wasn’t bitchiness, and that the pageants were torture.
We’d never been close, but I’d liked her. And she’d been like a mirror on the world. A reminder that there were people who would see the real you, even when you tried to hide away.
I have no idea why Marcy Kendall is shoplifting a glass vase, but I’m determined to find out. First, though, I’m going to help her.
“Marcy!” I call, and then watch as she jumps almost a foot. She turns in my direction, and her eyes go wide.
“What—”
But I interrupt before she can say something stupid. “Where’d you put the glass vase? Did you give it to Mr. Pyle? Because I haven’t paid for it yet.”
For a second, her face is so awash in confusion that I am absolutely certain the guard is going to swoop down and arrest us both. But then it clears and the confusion shifts to such a profound gratitude that any doubts I may have had about helping her are firmly swept away.
“Oh,” she says. “I thought