Catching The Corporate Playboy. Michele Dunaway
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Название: Catching The Corporate Playboy
Автор: Michele Dunaway
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Контркультура
Серия: Mills & Boon American Romance
isbn: 9781474022118
isbn:
“You don’t have to marry her, just prove her suitable. Then just subtly tell her it’s over.”
Cameron shrugged; bravado returned. He could do that. He was an expert at worming his way gracefully out of entanglements. He’d been doing it for years.
“Refill?”
Hearing the female voice, Cameron jumped and his head shot around. How long had the waitress been standing there? He gaped at her. There she stood, frowning at him. Was that venom in her blue eyes? She certainly disapproved of something.
He bristled at her vicious glare. What had he ever done to her? He couldn’t help it that she looked as if she could have stepped right out of a fifties diner. A white frilly apron covered her candy-pink dress. Of course, both were splattered with grease.
Still, he had to admit the overall effect was interesting, especially the way her bosom peeked over the scooped neckline. In this case less was more. She had another point in her favor. He blinked, finding himself rather surprised that he’d been checking her out.
And she sure didn’t look too pleased to be standing next to him.
He gave her his trademark grin, the one that melted hearts for miles. Her expression didn’t change; in fact, she now appeared even more ticked off. Sensing Lee’s glee at his obvious failure to charm the waitress, Cameron decided to try again. He couldn’t let this situation end in failure unless he wanted to give Lee more ammunition to use at a future date.
Just what did the locals call soda in St. Louis? People in Indiana and Michigan called it pop, while people in the southern states called everything Coke and then specified what flavor. He stuck with the Midwest guess. “I’d like more pop.”
By the look on her face, he’d guessed wrong.
“Pop? In St. Louis it’s called soda.” She reached forward and grabbed his glass. Cameron had the direct impression that she now thought him some sort of a country bumpkin. “I’ll be right back with a refill of soda.” She emphasized the last word and walked off, having still not cleared away the pile of napkins.
“Of all the insolent…” Cameron began, but he stopped upon seeing the laugh lines etching Lee’s face.
“I think I’ve found your girl.”
Cameron bristled, and his knuckles whitened. “Absolutely not. I’m not taking some girl from a diner, who can’t even get a decent job, and making her into a pillar of society.”
Lee grinned. “Yeah, I think you are. She’s absolutely perfect.”
Cameron turned, studying the waitress behind the counter. She looked up from the soda machine and sent him a hostile glare. He shuddered and turned back to face Lee.
“Julie’s going to love the stroller,” was all his friend said.
Chapter Two
“Ugh!” Darci jerked her hand back as soda cascaded over the edge of the cup. “Of all the snobby jerks.”
“Calm down, girl. It’s only a glass.”
Darci wiped up the cola mess on the counter. “I wasn’t talking about the machine, Val. I meant that guy over there. Do you see him?” She pressed on, not waiting for the older woman to take a peek. “Do you know who he is? He’s Cameron O’Brien. You know, the one who just bought the Monitor?”
Val was unabashed in her stare. “Ooh. Look at that blond hair. And those forearms. Yum. Hey, wasn’t he named one of America’s Most Eligible Bachelors?”
Darci gritted her teeth. “I don’t know. Was he?”
“You should know. It was that magazine with all those beautiful bachelors. You bought it yesterday ’cuz the sexy firefighter was in it.”
“Oh, all right. So he’s good-looking. But he’s a snob with no redeemable qualities. You should hear what they’re talking about. They’re taking some poor girl and making her into a society brat. Like in My Fair Lady.”
“I’d be his fair lady.”
Darci wanted to pull her hair out, but that would mean removing her cap, a violation of Grandpa Joe’s sanitation policy. She again reminded herself she loved Grandpa Joe. “I can’t believe you, Val!”
“Oh, come on. I’ve been married for forty-five years, but I ain’t dead. I get to look.”
“You’re no help. Think of that poor girl!”
“Child, you’ve got to learn not to worry about those things that don’t affect you. Now go serve that hunk of man his soda. He’s thirsty, and you’re wearing it.”
Darci looked down in dismay. Cola-brown had destroyed the last hope of her semi-white apron. “Great.” Because of Cameron O’Brien and her grandfather’s sexism, she’d now need to assault her nose with the smell of bleach. She hoped that at least would get her uniform clean.
With an angry jolt she placed the offending glass of soda on a tray and headed back to serve the hotshot Cameron O’Brien. He’d be lucky if she didn’t dump it on his head.
CAMERON WATCHED HER walk toward him. She’d even had trouble pouring his soda. And yes, Miss Waitress-from-Hell, they did call it soda in New York City.
Whatever. It was either Pepsi or Coke. He’d never been one to tell the difference or care. And St. Louis, in his opinion, was still a cow town. Even more so now that he’d met firsthand a product who’d probably grown up drinking the water.
“No, I think she’s perfect,” Lee said. “I saw her name tag. It’s Darci.”
“Darci,” Cameron repeated, damning his fate. “Sounds flighty to me.”
“Yeah, well, you have to admit she’s not a dog.”
“No, that she isn’t.” He could at least admit that without losing ground to his friend. Besides her legs, Darci’s backside held promise. Her face was a mite bit plain, but makeup would help that.
And Cameron could tell that her body was in shape. That was a big plus. A good salon would do wonders with her hair and her face. Hell, they did makeovers on those talk shows all the time.
“One soda.” Darci made a point of setting the drink down in front of him. Blue eyes with a rim of dark blue glared at him. “Finished?”
Cameron glanced at his plate. After a few bites he’d stopped eating the fiery concoction. “You can take it. Lee?”
“I’m done. So, Darci, are you from St. Louis?”
“I am,” she replied in a tone that said she didn’t favor any further questions.
She shot Cameron a nasty look as she placed the plates on the tray. She didn’t even attempt to hide her annoyance. “You didn’t like it?”
“I’m not hungry.” He offered her a smile, but she didn’t even appear СКАЧАТЬ