Kurt, p.16
Kurt, page 16
“Before that. Think now. What do you remember?”
Bonnie frowned; her body felt so heavy, and she couldn’t have opened her eyes if she tried. “Darkness.”
“Look beyond the darkness. What do you see?”
“Watch out!” she cried and thrashed her arms.
“What is it? What do you see?”
“A board. Falling.”
“Good. Very good. Take a deep breath. That’s it.”
She could see the board, dangling from some scaffolding. She’d taken off her glasses and slipped them into her purse, but she’d still been able to see that board. Why had she removed her glasses?
“Now,” the hypnotist encouraged, “before you walked under the scaffolding, where had you been?”
She shook her head.
“Think. Concentrate. Look at the board, then walk backward.”
The scaffolding was erected outside the Federal Building. She recognized that. But who was she and why was she there?
Work. She’d been at work.
“I work downtown,” Bonnie said, her voice coming out in a strange monotone.
“Excellent. Take another deep breath. That’s right. Let’s try a little harder. Can you see where you work?”
“Office. Big office.”
“Do you see anyone you know?”
Suddenly, Kurt’s face buoyed into her mind. Bonnie shook her head.
“Concentrate,” the hypnotist said.
Erasing Kurt’s image was easier said than done. Despite her strong desire to know the truth about herself, she kept seeing his tawny hair curling around his ears, kept smelling his unique scent of peaches and sunshine, kept hearing his voice saying those spiteful words, accusing her of things she’d never done.
Or had she?
“Concentrate. You’re downtown. In an office. What kind of office?”
Bonnie shook her head, dispelling Kurt at last. Mentally, she looked around the office. “Law office. Briggs, Harrington and Avis.”
“Very good.” The hypnotist clapped his hands. “What do you do there? Are you a lawyer?”
Bonnie “saw” her computer and the movie memorabilia that cluttered her desk. “No.”
“What do you do?”
And then it hit her in a blinding rush. That Friday afternoon in the office. Paige inviting her to go to the Fast Lane. The two of them scrolling through the TMZ website. Reading the article about Elizabeth Destiny and Kurt’s breakup. Seeing their pictures on the screen.
Bonnie’s eyes flew open. “I’m a legal secretary,” she shouted. “My name is Bonnie Bradford, and I’ve never, ever met Elizabeth Destiny in my entire life!”
Chapter Seventeen
“I’ve got to find her, Hub.”
“You’ll find her.” His friend sounded too calm.
“How? San Antonio has over a million people,” Kurt fretted, “how am I supposed to find one Jane Doe? I have no idea where to start.”
“You’ll figure out something.”
Two days had passed since she, whoever she was, had left the ranch. Two days of pure torture as Kurt had relived each ugly word he’d spoken to her. Two days of driving aimlessly around San Antonio searching for her.
He’d tried Dr. Freely, but had no luck. The doctor hadn’t heard from her. He’d cruised the block where Beth had her accident at least a thousand times, desperately scanning the crowded sidewalks for any signs of her.
“Who are you?” he’d mumbled over and over again. “Where are you?” And then to himself, he’d added, I love you.
Why had he acted like such a fool when he’d discovered she wasn’t Elizabeth Destiny? Why had he allowed fear and suspicion to rule his heart? He should have been thanking his lucky stars she wasn’t Elizabeth instead of accusing her of underhanded tactics.
“I’m crazy about her, Hub,” he said.
Kurt’s chest tightened as he spoke. They were sitting in his business office in downtown San Antonio. Kurt pushed back the miniblinds and stared down at the parking lot below, his stomach churning miserably, his eyes searching the crowd below.
Searching desperately for Beth.
“I know, Boss.”
“When I first started dating Elizabeth, I thought I was in love, then she betrayed me, and I realized what an idiot I had been, mistaking lust for love.”
Hub nodded and leaned back in his chair.
“I was afraid to trust her again. Even when I knew she wasn’t acting. Deep down, I couldn’t let go of my fear. I suppose it relates back to my childhood, to being abandoned.”
“Yup.”
“But this thing I feel for Beth... It transcends anything I’ve ever experienced.”
“Been there. Done that.” Hub smiled slightly. “I feel the same way about Consuelo. She’s my life, Boss.”
“So you understand why I must find her?”
“Any man who’s ever loved a woman understands.”
“What am I going to do?” Kurt sank onto the edge of his desk and stared at his friend.
“She’s your Cinderella, right?”
“Yeah.” Kurt grinned at the image. “I guess she is.”
“Then take a cue from Prince Charming.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He tried the glass slipper on every eligible woman in the county.”
“Care to explain yourself?”
“How did Prince Charming let the women know he was on a search?”
Kurt shrugged. “I don’t know? How?”
“He advertised.”
“Huh?”
Hub held up an index finger. “Take out a Facebook ad. Facebook is really good at hitting a target audience.”
Kurt stroked his jaw. “You just might have something there.”
Hub made L’s with each of his hands and held them out in front of him as if he were framing headlines. “I can see it now. Cinderella, Where Are You?”
“Perfect.” Kurt snapped his fingers. “I’m going to do it.”
Hub grinned. “Ain’t love grand?”
“BONNIE, LOOK AT THIS!” Paige Dutton waved Bonnie over to her computer screen.
“What?” Irritated at being interrupted from her work, Bonnie pushed her glasses up on her nose and stared over at her friend.
“You gotta see this,” Paige said breathlessly.
Sighing, Bonnie scooted her rolling chair over to Paige’s computer screen. She’d been back at work for two days. Once she’d had her revelation in the hypnotist’s office, she’d gone straight home.
Since they’d believed Bonnie was on vacation, her family hadn’t even missed her. The only problem was, she was no longer satisfied with her dull, drab life, watching movies and digging in her backyard garden. She’d changed.
And even though things hadn’t worked out between her and Kurt, she had learned that it was possible to find love. The second time around, however, Bonnie vowed not to lose her identity in the process.
“Pay attention,” Paige chided. “This is important.”
“What is it? I’ve got work to do.”
“Just look at this.”
Bonnie waved a hand.
Paige swiveled her computer screen toward Bonnie. A Facebook ad? “Cinderella, where are you?”
“So what?”
“Hush a minute, will you. Now, where was I? Oh yeah.” Paige cleared her throat. “Prince Charming desperately seeking the Elizabeth Destiny look-alike who stole his heart.”
“What?” An icy shiver skipped down Bonnie’s spine. Was it possible? Kurt wanted her?
Paige nodded. “Yes,” she squealed, “can you believe it? There’s more.”
“Go on.” Bonnie leaned forward and squinted at the screen, her heart sprinting at an alarming rate.
“Cinderella, Prince Charming begs your forgiveness. He realizes he’s made a very big mistake. If you’re interested, please text 550-550-6763.” Paige laid the back of her hand across her forehead. “I think I’m going to swoon.”
Home. To the ranch. Kurt had taken out a Facebook ad, begging her to forgive him. Impossible.
“Let me see that.” Bonnie pushed Paige away from the screen.
Paige clasped a hand over her chest. “Oh, Bonnie, this is so romantic. I bet you never thought getting hit on the head would land you one of the most eligible bachelors in the country.”
Shocked, Bonnie read the Facebook ad again. Her hands trembled; her mouth grew dry, and she felt sick to her stomach.
“So when are you leaving?” Paige asked.
“Leaving?”
“You know, to go to Prince Charming.”
Bonnie turned back to her own computer. “I’m not.”
“What?” Paige’s jaw dropped. “How can you turn down something this great?”
“He doesn’t love me.”
“For crying out loud, the man has asked you to forgive him in a Facebook ad for all the world to see. Do you know how much that must have cost him?”
“I don’t care.”
“Wait a minute. You’ve got to give me a better explanation than that. You’ve been moping around the office ever since you got back. It’s obvious you’re crazy about the man.” Paige grasped Bonnie by the shoulders and stared her in the face.
“Don’t you see, he doesn’t even know me.”
“Oh, please, you lived at his house for ten days!”
“He thought I was Elizabeth Destiny.”
“So what? Now he knows you’re not.”
“He doesn’t know the real me. He has no idea who Bonnie Bradford is.”
“So teach him.”
“I can’t, Paige. I’m in over my head.”
“What?” Paige smacked her forehead with an open palm. “You’re hopeless, Bradford, hopeless.”
“Paige, he’s expecting someone slick and accomplished like Elizabeth Destiny. Don’t you see? I can never compete with a movie star. For heaven’s sake, Paige, I’m dull. I’m inexperienced with men, and I watch movies for excitement. How could I possibly hold the interest of a man like Kurt McNally?”
“I don’t believe this.”
“Please, let’s not discuss it anymore.”
Paige threw her arms in the air. “Fine. If you want to be the biggest fool on the earth, be my guest.”
“Can I get back to work?” Bonnie struggled hard to keep unshed tears from tracking down her cheeks.
Since that moment in the hypnotist’s office when her memory had returned, she’d known she wasn’t the type of woman who could maintain Kurt’s attention. Not for very long. He needed someone worldly, sophisticated, elegant.
Bonnie Bradford was socially inept. She could never move in his circles. She didn’t know a salad fork from a soup spoon. Sooner or later, he’d grow bored with an uncultured woman like her. It was much more practical to hide her pain and pretend she’d never seen that ad. Much easier to let go for his sake, even though her heart yearned for him.
“If you let this man get away, you deserve to be an old maid,” Paige snapped.
“You don’t understand.”
“Oh, yes, I do. I understand perfectly. You bury yourself in movies and gardening. You hide from men, from involvement. Face facts, Bonnie Bradford, you’re afraid to live.”
Chapter Eighteen
Kurt fidgeted. Straightening his tie, he glanced at the clock. Ten thirty. She should be here at any moment. Clearing his throat, he toyed with a pencil on his desk. He’d canceled all his morning appointments for this meeting with the woman he’d come to know as Beth.
The past few days had been a nightmare. He’d gotten over a hundred calls, women all eager to be his Cinderella. Each time the phone had rung, his heart had scaled his throat and his palms had gone sweaty. Each letdown had sent adrenaline bouncing around his system. It had been hell on his nerves.
Then, last night, she’d called. He’d recognized her soft voice immediately. His heart had done cartwheels as he invited her to come by his office. He’d ordered ten dozen red roses, one for each day he’d known her. They sat in ten large crystal vases next to a box of chocolates tied in a blue satin ribbon and a bottle of iced champagne.
“Mr. McNally.” His secretary buzzed him over the intercom. “Your appointment is here to see you.”
“Send her in, Phyllis.”
Kurt pushed back his chair and got to his feet. He planned to sweep her into his arms and kiss her silly. Feeling incredibly excited, he waited.
The door opened, and she swept into the room.
“Hello, Kurt,” she said.
He took a step forward, his body trembling. “I missed you so much. You don’t know how sorry I am for the way I treated you.”
“You’re forgiven,” she purred.
He stepped closer, his heart thumping. An exotic oriental scent teased his nose. Kurt frowned and cocked his head. Something was off.
“Are these all for me?” she cried, pointing at the gifts on his desk.
He nodded, confused by the odd sensation washing through him. Something wasn’t right. The long, blond hair was the same, the voice, the blue eyes, but she was different, too, in many subtle ways.
“I’m glad you saw the Facebook ad,” he said, studying her closely. “I was so afraid you wouldn’t. I targeted it as best I could.”
She bent to sniff the roses in one of the ten vases. “These are glorious, Kurt, thank you so much.”
“So,” Kurt said, leaning against the desk. “Did you get your memory back? Do you know who you really are?”
Her eyes widened guilelessly. “No.”
“Where are your glasses?”
“Glasses?” She blinked. “Oh, yes, silly me. I forgot them.”
And then he knew with absolute certainty the woman in front of him was the real Elizabeth Destiny.
The cold, calculating woman who’d wounded his pride. But she had never broken his heart because he’d never loved her. Beth had shown him kindness, honesty, and respect, and the contrast was as startling as the difference between sterling silver flatware and disposable plastic utensils.
“Cut the charade, Elizabeth; I know it’s you.”
“Whatever do you mean?” She splayed one hand across her chest in a dramatic gesture.
Elizabeth and “Beth” might look alike, but that was where all similarity ended. Personality-wise, they were exact opposites. He couldn’t believe he had ever mistaken them.
Elizabeth’s movements were flamboyant and carefully choreographed to get attention. She swept her arms and tossed her hair and batted her eyelashes. Kurt much preferred Beth’s quiet, circumspect countenance. The woman he knew as Beth exuded a calm inner peace whereas Elizabeth Destiny came across as grasping and desperate.
“I know a phony when I see it.” Kurt growled.
Her eyes narrowed. “Phony? Me?” She tossed her head. “Darling, I’m the genuine Elizabeth Destiny.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“You’ve got it bad for me, Kurt. Admit it. Why else would you advertise for my look-alike? It’s quite pathetic, really. Thank God, you didn’t use your name in that ad. I would have died from embarrassment.”
He snorted. “It’s unbelievable that I ever mistook her for you.”
Elizabeth crossed the room, a predatory smile on her face.
Kurt found himself backing up until he bumped into the wall.
She touched him on the arm.
He flinched.
“Why settle for a second-rate imitation when you could have the best?” She walked two fingers up his arm.
His anger flared. Elizabeth had no right to come waltzing in here, trying to claim his affections, calling his mystery girl “second-rate.” His “Beth” was the warmest, gentlest, most generous woman he’d ever met, and he would not allow this shallow movie actress to besmirch her.
Roughly, Kurt shoved Elizabeth’s hand away. “Get out.”
“Is that any way to treat a lady?” She waggled a finger under his nose.
“There’s no lady in this room.” It took every ounce of control he possessed not to physically toss her out the door.
Elizabeth arched an eyebrow and coolly walked over to the desk. “Roses, chocolates, champagne. Doing it up big, aren’t we?”
Furious, he clenched his jaw and glared.
“When you proposed to me, you took me to that tacky little lake.”
Kurt winced. He hated to be reminded of his folly. Asking Elizabeth Destiny to marry him had probably been one of the more stupid things he’d done in the course of his thirty-four years. It was time to make amends.
Forcefully, he stalked toward her, grasped her elbow firmly in his hand, and dragged her to the door.
“Get out and don’t ever come back.” He maneuvered her into the hallway.
“Hey! You can’t do this to me. I’m Elizabeth Destiny!”
Kurt glanced at his secretary, Phyllis, who was staring at them from her desk in the corner. “Call security.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Fine. If that’s the way you want it. No need to get nasty.”
“I mean it.” He shook an index finger at her. “Don’t come back.”
Haughtily, she raised her chin. “As if I wanted a peach farmer.”
“Then why did you even show up here today?”
She laughed. “I was bored. I thought it might be fun to pretend to be your Cinderella. But you managed to spoil everything.”
“Good.” Kurt straightened the lapels on his suit, turned his back on the actress, and returned to his office. Closing the door behind him, he dusted his fingers together. “Good riddance to bad rubbish.”
Plunking down behind his desk, he stared at the roses, their sweet scent filling his nose, sadness filling his heart.
“Mr. McNally?” Phyllis asked over the intercom.
“Is Elizabeth Destiny still here?” he growled.
“No, sir.”
“Oh. What is it, Phyllis?”
“You have a call on line two. A young lady named Paige Dutton. She says she knows who Cinderella is.”
“Thank you, Phyllis.” Kurt lunged forward, his finger stabbing the blinking light on the telephone. “Hello!”
“Er, is this Prince Charming?” the woman on the other end asked.
